Stepping aside from a business you’ve built from the ground up is no easy feat. Trust me, after going through the thick of it, it is a challenge that’s both daunting and rewarding.
For the past decade, Purple Giraffe has been my life. Since opening the Adelaide office in 2014 and expanding into Perth last year, I’ve worked tirelessly to grow the business alongside the amazing group of people in the Tower. (Fun fact: a group of giraffes is called a Tower, which feels fitting for our incredible team.)
The challenge of stepping aside
As every textbook and business coach will tell you, true success comes when the business can thrive without its founder at the helm.
For a long time, I found that hard to come to terms with. Stepping aside and letting go of control felt impossible. But over time, I’ve come to appreciate the importance of creating a structure and processes that allows the business to operate independently. If Purple Giraffe was to survive and flourish long-term, it needed to stand on its own.
With the help (and a really BIG nudge) from my amazing General Manager, Kelly, I began shifting my focus. Prioritising creating templates, policies, and systems that would enabled the business to operate effectively, without me being so hands on. It’s taken us nearly three years to evolve from building everything from scratch to simply refining and maintaining. The process wasn’t easy, but the business is better for it.
A new chapter: embracing a strategic role
Now, 10 years later, my role has transformed. I’m more of a coach to my incredible team, focusing on the big picture and supporting the growth of our Perth office. While I’ve stepped aside from the day-to-day, I still keep a close eye on financials and ensure we’re on track for continued growth.
The transition has been challenging and, at times, downright scary for the control freak in me. But it’s also been liberating. Watching Purple Giraffe flourish while I take on a more strategic role has shown me that stepping aside can often be the most significant step forward. At least, that’s what I’m banking on.
Here are my top five tips for founders transitioning from day-to-day operations to a strategic, helicopter-view role:
1. Implement clear processes
Create repeatable, documented processes for key tasks. It’s much easier to step back when your team knows exactly how things should be done. I owe a lot of this to my amazing General Manager, Kelly, whose leadership has been the driving force here.
2. Delegate with trust
Hire people you trust, and then actually trust them. Empower your team to make decisions and own their roles. I’ll admit, this is still a work in progress for me, but every day I’m getting better at it.
3. Focus on strategic growth
Shift your energy to long-term goals and growth strategies, rather than short-term wins. From the very beginning, I’ve always talked about “we” as a team, even when it was just me. I knew one day there would be a “we,” and that mindset has been key to building a scalable business.
4. Embrace technology
Automate wherever possible to free up time for higher-level thinking. Incorporate AI with human oversight to revolutionise your workflow. It is a real game-changer.
5. Stay involved (but from a distance)
Stay connected with your team to offer support, but focus on big-picture thinking rather than the nitty-gritty. Again, this has been a challenge for me, but I’m learning to let my amazing team do their thing, make their own mistakes, and grow both as individuals and as contributors to the business.
Each of these steps has allowed me to embrace a leadership role while ensuring that Purple Giraffe continues to thrive. It’s still a work in progress, but I’m excited for what’s to come. Stepping aside isn’t easy, but it’s the key to unlocking the next level of growth for both the business and me as its founder.
