Forest Lake Country Store undergoes rebrand
Family owned, family churred
July 13, 2026
After reading “Buy Back Your Time” by Dan Martell, I found myself rethinking something many business owners take for granted, namely why we hire.
A lot of owners hire for growth.
Revenue is up, demand is there and the instinct is to add people to keep up.
That’s not wrong – but it’s incomplete.
The better question is, does this hire buy back your time?
Because in the early stages of any business, you’re doing everything.
You’re cutting checks, handling customer calls, managing operations, chasing deals – that’s normal.
But if that pattern never changes, the business becomes dependent on you in ways that limit both growth and value.
The first meaningful hire usually starts to shift that.
Maybe it’s an assistant or an operations lead who takes things off your plate so you can focus on higher-value work.
Done right, each hire after that should follow the same principle: elevate the owner and the leadership team into their “genius zone.”
For me, that shift has been a game-changer.
Early on, I was in every detail.
Today, my focus is business development, coaching our advisors and setting the strategic direction of the firm.
That only happens because we’ve invested in the right people – i.e., leaders who run day-to-day operations, oversee teams and keep the business moving without constant oversight.
At this point, I can step away for an extended period, and the business continues to operate.
That’s not accidental – it’s the result of intentional hiring decisions over time.
And that’s where this connects directly to M&A.
‘Working yourself out of the business’
When buyers evaluate a business, one of the first questions they ask (explicitly or implicitly) is, how dependent is this company on the owner?
If the answer is “very,” that creates risk.
And risk shows up in valuation, deal structure and terms.
Buyers may require longer transition periods, tie more of the purchase price to performance, or discount the overall value.
On the other hand, businesses that have effectively “worked the owner out” of the day-to-day tend to be more attractive.
They’re easier to transition, they scale more predictably and they often command stronger offers because the buyer isn’t inheriting a job – they’re acquiring a system.
“Working yourself out of the business” doesn’t mean you disappear.
It means your role evolves.
Instead of being the center of every decision, you’re focused on strategy, relationships and growth opportunities.
You’re working on the business, not just in it.
Hiring is what makes that possible, but only if you’re intentional about it.
That starts with how you think about the role itself.
It’s not just “we need an analyst” or “we need more support.”
It’s, “What can this person take off my plate or off someone else’s plate, so we can operate at a higher level?”
It also means thinking long-term about the people you bring in:
- Who has the potential to grow?
- Who can move up and take on more responsibility over time?
And just as importantly, it means being honest about performance.
If someone isn’t an “A player” – or isn’t going to become one – you have to address that.
Strong teams aren’t built by holding onto the wrong people.
There’s also a lesson here on compensation that many owners learn the hard way.
Trying to minimize cost on key hires is often a short-term mindset.
The right person, paid appropriately (or even above market), can create multiples of their cost in value through performance, relationships and the capacity they unlock across the organization.
In M&A, that shows up clearly.
Buyers aren’t just buying financials.
They’re buying teams, systems and the ability for the business to perform without constant intervention.
Ultimately, hiring isn’t just about growth.
It’s about creating a business that can operate, scale and transition.
It’s about creating a business where the owner has choices.
You can build a lifestyle business that allows you to step away and take time when you want.
Or you can reinvest that time into strategy, partnerships and growth.
Either way, you’re no longer stuck in the day-to-day.
And if and when you decide to sell, that structure becomes one of your biggest advantages.
Because the businesses that scale the best – and sell the best – are the ones where the owner has already started to let go.
