From Operator to CEO: The Hiring Strategy That Came from a Major Life Update
In this episode, I’m sharing a big personal update, and how it’s completely reshaping the way I run my business.
This big updated has forced me to step back and seriously rethink how my business operates. Instead of continuing to run everything myself, I’ve had to ask a bigger question: How do I build a business that allows me to be present for my family while still growing the company?
That question led to some major realizations about where my time and energy were actually going.
In this episode, I walk through the shifts I’m making inside the business, from narrowing my focus to the parts that scale, to hiring the right people who can step in and help carry the work forward. Instead of trying to do everything myself, I’m building a structure that allows the company to grow while I step more fully into the CEO and visionary role.
This episode is really about what happens when life forces you to zoom out. Sometimes it takes a big personal shift to realize that the business you’ve built needs to evolve too.
When Life Changes, Your Business Has To Change Too
There are moments in life that shift everything.
Not just your schedule. Not just your priorities. But how you see your business… and your role within it.
This is one of those moments for me.
Because my husband and I are expecting.
And while this wasn’t something we had meticulously planned for right now, it also wasn’t completely unexpected. It just happened sooner than we thought.
And with that… everything started to come into focus in a new way.
The Word That Prepared Me Before I Knew
My word for this year is simplicity.
I chose that word before we even had serious conversations about starting a family. But now, looking back, it feels like my body… and honestly, something deeper… knew.
Because simplicity isn’t just a preference this year. It’s a requirement. To be present during pregnancy. To be present postpartum. To be present with my husband, my family, my life.
And most importantly… to be present as a mother.
The Wake-Up Call: I Can’t Operate Like This Anymore
Big life changes have a way of holding up a mirror. They force you to look at your current reality and ask: Can I keep doing things this way?
And for me, the answer was clear: Nope!
I don’t want to be:
On calls 8–10 hours a day
Pulled in multiple directions
Constantly in execution mode
That version of how I was running my business doesn’t align with the life I’m building. And truthfully… it didn’t fully align even before this.
The Shift: From Doing Everything to Leading Differently
As I started looking at my business through this new lens, a few things became very clear.
There are parts of my business that:
light me up
are sustainable
allow me to make a deep impact
And there are parts that:
drain me
require constant execution
rely heavily on me being in the weeds
And I had to make a decision. Not from fear. Not from urgency. But from intention.
What I’m Letting Go Of (and Why)
One of the hardest realizations was this: I can’t grow everything at once. And more importantly, I shouldn’t.
On the fractional side of my business, I have clients I love deeply. But the work is inconsistent, constantly changing, and often keeps me in reactive mode.
Some of it is simple. Some of it is repetitive. Some of it no longer aligns with where I’m going.
So I’m beginning to let parts of that go. Not because it’s bad, but because it’s not aligned for this next season.
What I’m Building Instead
On the consulting side, specifically software migrations and systems work, I saw something different.
It’s repeatable. It’s scalable. It has structure.
And most importantly? It doesn’t require me to do every single piece.
I already have:
SOPs
training videos
systems
frameworks
Which means I can teach someone else to do this. And that’s when everything clicked in place for me.
The New Vision: A Team That Supports the Work
Instead of being the one executing everything, I’m building a team.
A Director of Operations who can think strategically alongside me
A project lead who can break down and manage execution
Future team members who can handle the day-to-day implementation
Suddenly, the business looks very different and I’m no longer the bottleneck.
I become:
the visionary
the strategist
the relationship builder
And the business can grow without everything relying on my time and energy.
The Moment Everything Became Clear
There was a question someone asked me that shifted my perspective and helped me realize this potential for the consulting side of my business: What do you actually want this business to become?
Do I want to:
build it and sell it?
step back and let it run?
let it go completely when the mentorship side takes off?
At the beginning of the year, I thought I might walk away from this side of the business entirely.
But now? I see how I can simplify it, scale it, and build it in a way that supports my life, not competes with it.
Why Stepping Away Matters More Than You Think
None of this clarity came from sitting in my day-to-day work. It came from stepping away.
From:
taking time off
having real conversations
masterminding with people I trust
looking at my business from a high-level view
Because when you’re in the weeds, you can’t see what needs to change. You’re just… managing.
If You’re in a Season of Change…
Whether you’re:
becoming a parent
building a new business
running multiple businesses
or simply feeling stretched too thin
I want you to ask yourself: Can I keep operating the way I am right now?
And if the answer is no… Then the next question is: What needs to change—and where can I start?
For me, it was hiring. For you, it might be something else.
But the starting point is always the same: Pause. Step back. Get honest.
This is a beautiful, wonderful, overwhelming, and intense time for myself and my husband. Things are changing rapidly (like how the heck am I already through the first trimester?!)
But what I am proud of most is how I have been taking moments for myself, for us, for the business to reflect and make decisions not based on what others say, but on my intuition and what is aligned for ME.
I’ve leaned on my community, my friends, my family. Because we cannot do this alone no matter what season you are in or how you are evolving.
If you are seeking support from someone who will see you, push you to be the best and most aligned you, while giving you structure and accountability…… I would love to be that person for you!
Mentorship doors are open end of April 2026 for both IME and private. Join the waitlist HERE if you feel called and let’s see if this is aligned.
Cat Roten
Intuitive Leader & Mentor