A few weeks ago, my marketing intern Luna pitched a full photoshoot concept to me.
I loved it. She had a photographer friend lined up, models, a vision, a whole deck. It was genuinely exciting to watch someone else take ownership of something I have always done alone. The creative direction, the execution, the delivery of assets, she was ready to handle all of it.
And yet, as I sat there listening to her present, I could feel the anxiety creeping in.
She clearly had a strong handle on things. She knew what she wanted and how she wanted to execute it. But somewhere in that confidence, I felt control slipping away from me. And I didn't know what to do with that feeling, especially because this was exactly what I had been quietly praying for. Someone to come in and take ownership of a project without me having to use my brain for every single decision.
So why was I anxious?
I have heard founders talk about this before. How hard it is to step back when you start bringing people on. How hard it is to not micromanage. I remember hearing that and thinking, sarcastically, oooohhhh, boohoo... what a difficult problem to have. You mean someone wants to take things off your plate and you are struggling with that?
And then I experienced a small dose of it myself.
Letting go of the parts of the business you have controlled for five years is not as simple as it sounds. It is a leap of faith closer to bungee jumping than handing over a to-do list. Except with bungee jumping, you at least know the outcome. It feels like death but you'll live.
Luna made it clear she could run the shoot entirely on her own and did not need me there on the day. I, on the other hand, insisted on being present. Partly because we had not been working together long enough for me to feel confident she knew the brand well enough. But I also had to be honest with myself about whether my desire for control was clouding my judgment. Here was someone self-motivated, eager to bring her vision of KAEIU to life, willing to check in and get my approval as things came together. Maybe I didn't need to be there after all.
I called my sister for advise. I explained the situation and told her how I was feeling. Her advise was simple. Be present, but step back.
So that's what I tried to do. I went with Luna’s location suggestion instead of my own. When she assured me we could get all the shots needed within a very tight daylight window, I trusted her. There were some styling issues along the way but we worked through them together. On the actual day, I tried my best to step back, but not a 100%. We had barely arrived before we realized we had two different ideas of what needed to be captured. My priority was e-commerce shots, not the most glamorous but essential for actually selling the product. Luna’s priority was the campaign-worthy creative shots. So we did both. Once we had the e-com shots covered, I stepped back and let her direct the creative portion. I was impressed she continued working until way past the last of the sun rays had gone down. And, in about two hours, we captured everything we needed.
The lesson here is not that I should have stayed home. I am glad I was there. Brand guardrails matter, especially early in a working relationship. But I also left that day knowing that stepping back is a skill, not an instinct. And like most things worth learning, it will come slowly, with practice.
With love,
Maria
Be present, but step back. Working on it.