The Fastest Way to Grow Is to Get Out of the Way
How I learned that doing everything was the one thing holding me back.
For the first few years of running my production company, I wore every hat imaginable.
Director. DP. Editor. Sound guy. Client manager. Occasional caterer.
And I told myself I preferred it this way. That this was what wanted to be doing.
Because I really do enjoy almost all aspects of the filmmaking process.
But the truth is, I was also scared.
I was scared to hand things off - scared that if I didn’t control every detail, it wouldn’t be done right and that letting go meant losing quality - or worse, identity.
And it turns out, that’s exactly what was keeping me stuck…
🎬 The Freelancer Ceiling
When you’re a freelancer or solo creative, your biggest advantage is speed. You can move fast, make decisions, and pivot on instinct.
But that same advantage becomes a ceiling when you start to grow.
Because the moment every part of your business depends on you,
you’re no longer building a company - you’re just bedazzling your ball and chain.
Growth doesn’t happen when you add more tasks to your plate. Quite the opposite - it happens when you make space for someone else to eat.
💡 The Shift That Changed Everything
At a certain point, I realized: If I wanted to take on bigger projects, I needed to think bigger than myself.
That’s when I started bringing in people who were better than me at specific things - color, lighting, camera operation, sound, post workflows, client communication.
And suddenly, my role shifted from doer to leader.
And as a result, that’s when my business really started to grow.
And I wasn’t working harder…
I was finally doing less of what didn’t matter, and more of what only I could do.
🧠 Delegation Is Creative
Here’s the truth nobody tells you: delegation isn’t about laziness.
It’s about creative bandwidth.
When you stop micromanaging, you start vision-managing.
You go from fighting fires to building the forest.
From working in your business to working on it.
And that’s where your real value lies - not in your ability to do every job, but in your ability to see the whole picture and guide it forward.
💬 The Takeaway
If you want your business to grow, you need to get out of the way.
Not of the work - but of yourself.
Hire people who intimidate you because they are better than you.
Trust and empower people who challenge you and truly work toward the betterment of your projects.
Because the faster you stop trying to be everything, the faster your business becomes something bigger than you ever could’ve built alone.
Cheers,
Alex