When you first start a business, you carry a sense of certainty. You know your craft. You know what you want to build. You trust your instincts. And in many ways, that confidence serves you well. It fuels your momentum and helps you push through the noise in the beginning.

But here is what no one tells you.

There comes a point when what you know is no longer enough. Growth begins to outpace instinct. The team gets bigger. The problems get more complex. The stakes feel higher. And suddenly, the confidence you once felt so strongly begins to shift.

That moment changes everything.

From Knowing to Leading

I reached that point somewhere in the middle of scaling. I had built something strong, something I was proud of. But I also started to feel the weight of every decision. I was no longer just building a business. I was leading people. I was setting culture. I was shaping something much larger than myself.

And I realized I needed help. Not because I was failing, but because I wanted to do better.

So I started working with a leadership coach.

It was one of the most important decisions I have made, not just for the business, but for myself.

The Value of Being Challenged

Working with a coach gave me space to reflect, to question my patterns, and to build new tools for the next chapter. It taught me that leadership is not about always having the answers. It is about listening better, asking better questions, and learning how to hold space for both people and progress at the same time.

It taught me to separate urgency from importance. To pause before reacting. To focus on building sustainable systems rather than constantly putting out fires.

I also joined COO Alliance, a group of second-in-command leaders who meet regularly to share experiences, challenges, and real-time strategies. That decision gave me something I didn’t realize I needed—a space to connect with others who were walking similar paths. Because the truth is, it can feel lonely at the top. Being surrounded by professionals who are navigating the same complexities is both grounding and motivating. It reminded me that I am not in this alone.

Even more surprising was how much I’ve enjoyed learning through the process. I started reading books by Cameron Herold, the founder of COO Alliance. I never thought I would be the type to find joy in business books, but I’ve found myself completely engaged. They are practical, relatable, and packed with insight. And through this group, I am not just learning from the materials. We are learning from each other.

The Identity Shift No One Prepares You For

There is a very real shift that happens as you grow from a founder into a leader. You move from doing to guiding. From directing to empowering. From being in control of every detail to building trust in others to carry the mission forward.

No one really prepares you for that. And truthfully, many people resist it. It is hard to let go of what got you here. But you cannot scale a business and stay the same. You have to evolve with it.

Final Thoughts

What no one tells you before you start a business is that eventually, you will need to unlearn as much as you learn. The tools that help you get off the ground are not always the ones that will help you fly.

Confidence is important. But so is humility. So is curiosity. So is the willingness to say, “I need help with this,” and mean it.

If you are in that moment right now, growing faster than you feel ready for, facing decisions that stretch you, I promise you are not alone. The real work begins when you stop doing it all yourself and start growing into the leader your business actually needs.