Podcast Episode 90 - She Went From Five Days a Week to Two and the Company Grew Faster

Elizabeth talks with Ariel Steele, who has owned Tax Credit Connection in Colorado for twenty one years and who spent most of those years believing the business could only run through her. Ariel walks through the burnout that started the shift, the three years it took to build a team that could carry the work, and the mindset changes that had to come first. She still owns one hundred percent of the company and now works two days a week. This one lands squarely on role release without an ownership change, and it gives listeners a practical look at what an owner does with the time on the other side. Tap or click the play button below to listen to She Went From Five Days a Week to Two and the Company Grew Faster. Chapters in this Episode: 00:00 - Welcome and introducing Ariel Steele 01:37 - Big law in Los Angeles and a year and a half in Palau 02:20 - Buying Tax Credit Connection and closing right before Christmas 03:00 - Twenty one years and three Colorado credit programs 03:40 - Burnout and the question of what comes next 04:17 - Roles, decision making, and ownership as three separate moves 05:01 - One hundred percent owner working two days a week 05:40 - What the team owns from prospecting through closing 06:00 - Management meetings, one on ones, and where Ariel still shows up 06:37 - How long this actually took 07:00 - Holding on too tightly and what had to change first 08:06 - Certainty, SOPs, and better project management tools 08:40 - What made her realize she needed to shift 08:54 - A business mentor and learning one tool at a time 09:49 - Doing it wrong together instead of taking the work back 09:59 - Going from five days to four to three to two 10:51 - Behavioral shifts and the step by step commitment 11:19 - It's A Journey and the second edition 11:41 - Giving up control to get freedom 12:22 - Where the wins landed for the business and the people 12:52 - Wanting to get bored and never quite getting there 13:03 - A year of optimizing health and a failed experiment 14:00 - Helping her parents with their book and asking what changed 14:20 - Hiring a producer and launching Unexpected Happiness 14:58 - William Bridges and the space between an ending and a beginning 15:44 - India with her parents and getting satiated 16:24 - How much free time is actually free 16:54 - Five o'clock with her husband as close to non-negotiable 18:03 - The belief that ownership just works this way 19:19 - Did the company trade growth for the owner's freedom 19:42 - The most profitable year and a flat 2026 20:45 - Top of range pay, retention, and a pension plan 20:59 - Belief in successors and the Evolve group labs session 22:17 - Culture, fear, and behaving like mistakes are safe 23:19 - Twenty years or thirty 24:05 - Inside the Unexpected Happiness podcast 26:17 - Ariel's one thing for listeners 26:50 - Freedom, engagement, and closing The Business Transition Roadmap Podcast with Elizabeth Ledoux How do communities thrive? When businesses experience healthy growth and transition. Join CEO of The Transition Strategists, Elizabeth Ledoux as she and her guests identify what makes a successful business transition roadmap. If you know you want to transition or exit your business “one day”, today is the right day to start planning. This show will give you the roadmap. https://transitionstrategists.com/cat... The Transition Strategists have created a podcast exclusively for business owners: The Business Transition Roadmap. Please join Elizabeth Ledoux and special guests as they share their insights on how to: Assess potential successors Why business owners get stuck Set goals for your business transition Communicate effectively during succession planning Address the issues unique to family businesses Plan a meaningful Next Adventure Optimize the odds of a successful business transition Execute the steps in successor development Prepare your company for new leadership Treat yourself and others fairly as you execute your transition Assess various sale options Create a roadmap to reach the transition you desire all while maintaining your relationships with the most important people in your life. At The Transition Strategists, we guide family business owners and successors to smooth, successful journeys. Our proven process puts relationships first and keeps businesses thriving. Ready to navigate your Next Adventure™? Start talking about your business transition. Book a call: https://transitionstrategists.com/dis... #business #businesssuccession #successionplanning #businessroadmap #retirement #familybusiness #generationalwealth #businesstransition #nextadventure #leadership #businesstips #businesscommunication #lead #BusinessTransitionRoadmap