Episode 291: The Single Most Important Question You Need To Ask Yourself About Your Staff

Take a moment with me if you will and think about your staff. Do you have a rockstar staff member? Someone who is your number one, most reliable member? And what would your business look like if everyone on the team was just like this rockstar? What about your staff workload? Is it spread equally across the board, or do some members receive more work than others because of their ability? Evaluating your staff members are an important aspect of moving your business forward. If you are done being a helicopter CEO and ready to step out of the business, there is one very important question you need to be asking yourself about your staff. And this week, I am here to ask that question. Biggest Takeaways: Are you having trouble of letting go "bad seeds" out of fear of not having enough staff? You only want to hire when you have the work You are having trouble getting out of the field and focusing on business rather than the work The fear of too many employees holds you hostage to mediocre relationships with your staff members Evaluating your staff and asking the important questions can and will get you to a place of abundance that allows you to become the CEO you desire. Recommendations: It is not too late to jump into my FREE hiring group that has been going on this week. Yes, it started Monday, but all the good information is there for you to get caught up on. The live events are recorded and will be there to watch until Friday, May 20th. I filled the group with the most useful information you will need when it comes to hiring and building up your team members, answering probably all the questions you were thinking. Links: Gingr Pet-Care Software Transcript: This is episode 291 of Bella in Your Business. You love to take care of the pets, but not the busy work that comes with running a pet care business. Meet Ginger, the best-in-show dog daycare, boarding, and grooming software. Ginger is packed with time-saving features that make running your pet care business easier—and your customers will love booking appointments from the Pet Parent mobile app. More tail wags, less busy work. Say hello to simplicity with Ginger. Visit gingerapp.com/bella to claim your free one-month subscription. That’s G-I-N-G-R-A-P-P.com/bella to claim that one-month free subscription. Hi there, I'm Bella Vasta from Jump Consulting. You might know me from CBS, NBC, Fox, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, or maybe you've seen me speak on stage or read my book The Four Dogs That Every Business Owner Needs. In any case, get ready because you're about to get your hashtag Bella Butt Kickin' in this next episode of Bella in Your Business. So what do you say? Let's get ready and jump. Welcome to another episode of Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta, coming to you with a little bit of a sad heart today. I debated on telling you guys this, but you know, if you've been with me for almost 300 episodes, at some point, you’ve heard a soundtrack that we won’t be hearing anymore. That soundtrack is Rocco in the background barking because Amazon was delivering to my house yet again, or the pool man was here and he was really excited. Rocco was 12 years old, and last night I had to make the really tough decision that I know many of you have also had to do—to send him over Rainbow Bridge. I was very grateful for my parents coming over. My mom came over and took my daughter out to go get a toy at Target, and my dad stayed with me. I told Rocco to go to sleep, and he was a really good boy. For any of you who’ve had to do this before, I feel your pain. Rocco was there for me from 2010—right after I started coaching. He was there when I was dating a lot, meeting suitors, in my wedding, and when we brought Olivia home from the hospital. He was even therapy-certified at one point and had the best heart. So, wow. What do you do? What do you tell the kids? I told Olivia the truth—that Rocco went to go be with Jesus. That’s what we believe in our house. I also told her to tell Jesus, “Thank you for giving us Olivia.” I don’t know what’s appropriate to say on here, but that’s my heart. And so that is appropriate. This episode is in memory of Rocco the Rockstar. This week, we’re going to be talking about employees. I’ve started a pop-up group—if you haven’t joined yet, go to jumpconsulting.net/hire. It’s only this week. Even if you’re catching this late, you can still join and read everything in a day. The group will close in about 48 hours, but it’s still time to get in if you’d like. I’ve thrown a ton of deals in there, but I’ve also challenged you to think about hiring differently. Times are changing, and your mindset needs to shift. I’ve seen the same situations happen in free groups and in my community—but how people handle them makes all the difference. For example, hiring someone who quits after one day—some people lose it, others use it as a learning moment. I want to inspire you to join that group, see how I think, and decide if I’m your cup of tea. The things I teach are working right now—you won’t hear them anywhere else. Now, in this episode, I want you to think about this question: Would you actually rehire everyone on your staff today? If you had them all lined up for an interview, knowing what you know now, would you hire them again? If the answer is not a hell yes, it’s a hell no. If your answer is even “no” to one person, that’s a problem. It’s important to ensure you have enough staff—you need to be overstaffed. I know that makes some of you uncomfortable, but hear me out. Being overstaffed means you’re prepared for emergencies, call-outs, and sudden resignations. When someone quits or gets sick, you don’t have to scramble or go back out in the field yourself. Because when you’re back in the field, you’re not working on your business—you’re working in it. That’s the wrong mindset. You need a winning one. Hiring ahead of need gives you freedom and stability. It’s your insurance policy. When you’re overstaffed, it also boosts morale. People know they need to do their best to get more work and make more money. It creates healthy competition and motivation. But maybe you’re holding on to the wrong employees out of fear—fear of confrontation, fear of not finding someone new, or fear of losing help. If someone has been with you a long time but isn’t performing well, you may have unconsciously lowered your standards. You might be giving them jobs just to get them done, but deep down, you know the quality isn’t there. That’s helicopter-CEO behavior—and it’s holding you back. You deserve a team that you trust—people who represent your brand with pride and integrity. If you don’t have a hiring funnel, you’ll always feel stuck. That’s why you need to join jumpconsulting.net/hire right now and start reading the posts, guides, and resources. Listen to the “Ask Me Anything” sessions while you drive—they’re full of gold. The brave ones who ask questions help everyone learn, and group learning accelerates success. Maybe you’re also worried about what people will think if you let someone go. But you can’t run your business based on what others think—you have to make decisions based on facts and what’s best for your company and your life. Ask yourself: Why are you growing your business? Do you have the right people to help you do it? Do your employees still fit where your business is going? If not, it’s time to reevaluate. Having more staff on hand is better than scrambling. Don’t be scared of overstaffing—it’s freedom. Do they have great attitudes? Has their availability changed? Can you trust them to handle jobs without micromanagement? There’s a big difference between someone helping you and someone working for you. When they’re helping you, it feels like a favor. When they work for you, they take ownership. Keeping underperformers drags everyone down—it lowers standards, breeds resentment, and can cause your best employees to quit. People don’t leave because they don’t like the job—they leave because of you, the leader. So what can you do? Protect your company culture fiercely. Encourage your team. Create clarity. Be proactive. Find out: Would you rehire everyone right now? If not, what are you going to do about it? Train them better? Hire more? Raise standards? You deserve a team you’re proud of—a team that reflects your values and makes your life easier, not harder. If you’re not there yet, it’s fixable. Start hiring before you need to. I’ll leave you with a story about Claire, one of my Jumpers. Claire built her business to six figures in just two years and then went to hike the Appalachian Trail with her dad. She runs her company remotely—with systems in place and a team she trusts completely. She messaged me after a recent episode: “Thank you, Bella. We both loved listening to your podcast. Loved how fired up you were. You’re hilarious, and people are ridiculous. You’re so real. I’m so proud to be mentioned. You helped me make all this possible. Anyone who can’t see their own potential is limited by their beliefs and insecurities. I’m so glad to have had a Bella Butt Kickin’ to get me out of that rut.” Guys, that’s what it’s all about. You are what makes your business grow—or stall—or fail. If you missed the pop-up group, join the Mastermind at jumpconsulting.net/mastermind. It’s where winners come together to grow, support, and inspire each other. Today, Joey Coleman—the author of Never Lose a Customer Again—is joining the Mastermind to talk about his upcoming book on employee retention. This is next-level stuff, and it’s all happening inside that group. So if you’re ready to surround yourself with visionaries, jump in. This is the first time I’m signing off without Rocco barking in the background. This episode is dedicated to Rocco the Rockstar—my best ride or die. When life gets you down, always keep jumping.