A year ago, I sat in my fiancé's dad's motorhome on the verge of tears.
I was exhausted. I was working insane hours, taking every client call, putting out every fire. From the outside, my business looked successful. But inside, I felt completely disconnected. I had no clarity, no plan, no structure. It felt like the business was running me instead of the other way around.
That moment hit me like a ton of bricks:
"If I don't change as a CEO, nothing changes."
I remembered a quote from John Maxwell:
"The company cannot outgrow the talents of the CEO."
That was my reality. I couldn't expect my business to scale if I wasn't growing as a leader.
The Turning Point: EOS
Around that time, a business coach introduced me to EOS - the Entrepreneurial Operating System®. It's a simple framework for running your business with clarity, accountability, and focus. Honestly, I was skeptical at first. I thought, "Another system? Another thing to learn? I don't have time for this."
But the truth is, I didn't have time not to.
We started small: implementing Quarterly Rocks (the 3-7 big priorities that move the business forward each quarter) and Level 10 Meetings. And wow, everything changed.
What's a Level 10 Meeting?
It's a 90-minute weekly leadership meeting with a set agenda that keeps everyone aligned. Here's the flow:
Good News (5 min): Start positive and build energy.
Scorecard Review (5 min): Look at 5-15 key metrics. Are we on track?
Rock Review (5 min): Check if our quarterly priorities are on track or off track.
Customer & People Headlines (5 min): Quick updates on wins, issues, or shoutouts.
To-Do Review (5 min): Accountability for last week's commitments.
IDS (60 min): This is the gold. Identify, Discuss, Solve real issues instead of letting them linger.
Conclude (5 min): Recap to-dos, rate the meeting 1-10.
It's structured, but not rigid. It keeps you from going down rabbit holes and forces you to focus on what matters most.
How It Changed Everything
Before EOS, issues dragged on for weeks or months because we had no system to address them. Now? We solve problems in one meeting. Everyone knows the priorities. Our scorecard tells us if we're winning or losing in real time. And the best part—I feel connected to my business again.
For the first time in years, I'm not just reacting. I'm leading with intention. My stress is lower, my team is more engaged, and our meetings actually drive progress instead of wasting time.
