When I founded HITO in 2017, I had no idea how dramatically my relationship with the business would transform over the coming years. What began as a one-woman operation would evolve into a thriving company with a team of professionals—and eventually, a business that could operate while I focused on my most important role yet: motherhood as a single mother by choice.
HITO wasn’t my first entrepreneurial venture. I had previously built a company with a partner, but HITO represented a new challenge: building a business entirely on my own. While my previous experience provided valuable lessons, being solely responsible for every aspect of a new company brought its own unique learning curve.
As a sole proprietor in 2017, HITO was essentially an extension of myself. Every client relationship, every deliverable, and every decision—large or small—required my direct involvement. I wore all the hats: accountant, marketer, salesperson, customer service representative, and CEO.
Those early days were defined by long hours and complete immersion in the business. My typical day started before 5 AM, with a dedicated three-hour block of focused work before most people had even begun their commutes. After a quick gym session, I’d dive back in, often working well into the evening.
The business grew because I grew it, hour by hour, client by client. While exhausting, there was something deeply satisfying about building something from nothing, seeing immediate results from my efforts, and knowing every aspect of my business intimately.
February 2020 marked a pivotal moment in HITO‘s evolution—I made my first hire. This seemingly straightforward business decision represented a profound shift in my relationship with the company. I was no longer just doing the work; I was now responsible for someone else’s professional growth and livelihood.
The transition from doing to leading didn’t come naturally. I found myself struggling with delegation, often thinking, “It would be faster if I just did it myself.” I micromanaged, I second-guessed, and I frequently jumped in to “fix” things that didn’t meet my exacting standards.
What I didn’t realize then was that I was experiencing the classic entrepreneur’s dilemma: the very skills that made me successful as a solo practitioner were now limiting the company’s growth potential.
By the time I began considering motherhood as a single mother by choice, HITO had grown to approximately ten full-time employees. The business was thriving by conventional metrics—we were serving more clients than ever, revenue was growing, and our reputation was strong.
But behind the scenes, I was still deeply embedded in every aspect of the operation. I was simultaneously:
- Running the business operations
- Serving as the primary rainmaker, bringing in new clients
- Directly serving key clients
- Managing and developing team members
This phase of HITO‘s growth was characterized by 12+ hour workdays and weekend work sessions. I loved what I was building and found genuine joy in watching both the company and my team develop. The long hours didn’t feel like a sacrifice because the business gave me a sense of purpose and identity.
As I made the significant decision to become a single mother by choice, I had a moment of clarity. The business I had built, the one that was bringing me so much fulfillment, was entirely dependent on my constant presence. The thought of stepping away, even temporarily, seemed impossible.
How would clients be served without my direct involvement? Who would bring in new business? How would decisions get made? Would the quality of our work suffer?
I realized I had built a business that required me rather than one that could support me. And with single motherhood on the horizon, this model was simply unsustainable. Being the sole parent meant I needed to create a business that could thrive without my constant attention, as my son would need and deserve that attention.
It’s important to note that my journey of business education began long before HITO. I’ve been an avid reader of business books and autobiographies since junior high school, when I was particularly obsessed with Jack Welch‘s writings. This early passion eventually led me to pursue an MBA, giving me a formal foundation in business principles. Throughout HITO’s growth, I’ve continued this lifelong learning journey, voraciously consuming and implementing business methodologies. Books like Who Not How by Dan Sullivan, Atomic Habits by James Clear, Traction by Gino Wickman, and The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni have shaped my thinking and our company’s practices over the years.
What changed wasn’t my commitment to learning but the urgency and focus of implementation. My impending role as a single mother created a deadline and clarified priorities in a way nothing else had before.
These books and methodologies offered pieces of the puzzle I needed to solve: How could I transform HITO from a business that consumed my life into one that enhanced it and provided the flexibility I would need as a single parent?
The journey from solo entrepreneur to team leader taught me several crucial lessons that would become the foundation for the next phase of HITO’s evolution:
- My time and energy are finite resources. No amount of passion or commitment could create more hours in the day or give me the capacity to do everything myself. As a soon-to-be single mother, this reality became even more apparent.
- Growth requires letting go. The skills that built the business to $1 million weren’t the same ones that would build it to $5 million and beyond.
- People development is as important as client development. Building a team that could operate without my constant involvement would require intentional mentoring and leadership development.
- Systems create freedom. The more I could systematize and standardize our work, the less the business would depend on any single person—including me. This would be crucial for creating the space to be fully present for my son.
As I closed out this chapter of HITO’s story and prepared for both business expansion and single motherhood, I knew that the next phase would require a fundamental shift in how I approached leadership. I needed to transform from a leader who does everything to a leader who builds systems and develops people.
