Preparing Your Business to Operate Without You

JMS ep 369 liz wilcox

“Keep your business simple enough that stepping away doesn’t break it.”

When Liz Wilcox told me she’d join me on an Alaska cruise if I ever lectured there again, I didn’t believe her. Most people say things like that but never follow through. But Liz did. She booked the trip, brought her daughter, and next thing you know we are on the ship recording a conversation. Liz doesn’t just say things. She builds her life to make them possible.

On the ship, I was juggling presentations and feeling my business pile up back home. Meanwhile, Liz was fully present. She was playing cards, exploring ports, and not worried a bit about work. Her business kept running without her. Why? Because she built it that way. She created systems, documented processes, and trusted her team. That allowed her to step away while her business continued to thrive.

It reminded me of the tide in Washington, where I live. Balance isn’t about standing still. The water is always rising or falling. Sometimes you’re all in on work, other times you step out. But if you prepare, the tide never drowns you.

Liz has something else going for her too. Simplicity. A $9 membership. Thousands of people. She doesn’t have to overdeliver on giant promises. She has to consistently deliver $9 of value, which she does. That kind of model gives her freedom and peace of mind.

Too many of us build businesses or careers that can’t operate without us. We think it proves our importance. Really, it proves we’ve trapped ourselves. Liz built hers to be sold, even if she never intends to sell it. That choice gave her freedom to take time off, go on Survivor, and still return to a business that works.

Build your work in a way that doesn’t collapse without you. Create systems. Keep it simple. Allow yourself to step away. Because real success isn’t about how much the business needs you. It’s about how much life you get to live while it runs.