Episode 3 — It’s Never the What. It’s Always the Who.

When I Started, I Wasn’t Ready

When I started this business, I had no business starting a business.

I had one year of college. Three failed or underwhelming ventures behind me. And a “great idea” I was convinced would finally work.

I was terrible at finance. I barely understood accounting. I had no real understanding of printing production or business operations. And I definitely lacked the discipline required to run a company that could actually scale.

But I jumped in anyway.

Again.

Why This Time Was Different

Looking back, the obvious question is simple:

Why did this venture succeed when the others didn’t?

It wasn’t the idea. It wasn’t timing. And it certainly wasn’t my skill set at the start.

It was people.

We can’t all be good at everything. Pretending otherwise is one of the fastest ways to fail.

The Partnership That Carried Us Early

My early partnership worked because of balance.

My partner and his team handled production and operations—areas I simply didn’t understand yet. That support kept us alive during fragile years.

But even then, I was running on willpower alone.

Twelve-hour days. Micromanagement. Proofing everything because mistakes kept slipping through.

We had people. We didn’t yet have the right people.

When Barrie Showed Up

Everything changed when Barrie Waisserberg joined us in August 2000.

She learned in three days what had taken others months. She handled the workload of three people—and she didn’t make mistakes.

That was new for me.

The Lesson I Didn’t Want to Admit

The bottleneck wasn’t effort. It wasn’t hours worked. It wasn’t commitment.

It was talent.

“It’s never the what. It’s always the who.”

Hiring the right person didn’t just make things easier—it made growth possible.

The Beginning of a Pattern

This wasn’t the end of the lesson—it was the beginning.

Over the next thirty years, that truth repeated itself in leadership hires, systems decisions, partnerships, and task forces.

Key Takeaways

• Ideas don’t scale businesses—people do.
• The wrong hire multiplies friction; the right hire multiplies capability.
• Micromanagement is often a signal, not a solution.
• Growth begins when leaders stop doing everything themselves.

FAQ (Answer-Engine Friendly)

Q: What’s the most common early leadership mistake?

A: Hiring for convenience instead of capability—and then compensating with long hours and control.