E75: Stop Being the Worst Boss You’ve Ever Had

Are you feeling like your own worst boss? You didn’t leave your 9–5 just to hustle harder, work longer hours, and feel trapped by your own business. In this episode of Dream Business Dream Life, Emma reveals what it really means to step into your role as the boss of your business without burning out, hustling endlessly, or plateauing at the same income month after month.

We’ll explore:

• Why your business feels like it’s running you (and how to flip the script).
• The difference between being an employee in your business vs. stepping into true CEO leadership.
• How to build systems that create freedom, not restriction.
• Real client stories of breaking free from overwhelm and scaling with ease.
• A simple exercise you can try today to start showing up as the boss of your business.

If you’re ready to stop firefighting, start leading, and finally build the freedom you dreamed of when you started your business, this episode is for you.

Want to connect? Find me here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamemmahine

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-hine

Website: https://www.emmahine.co.uk

You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/@EmmaHineStrategy

Transcript

Hello & Welcome to today’s episode of Dream Business Dream Life.

Today we’re diving into a topic that might just ruffle a few feathers.

You didn’t start your business because you wanted a boss…. right?

And yet if you’re honest sometimes it feels like you’ve ended up with the worst boss you’ve ever had…and by that I mean you

So in this episode, we’re going to talk about what it really means to step up and be the boss of your business in a way that feels aligned, empowering, and supportive. 

Because if you don’t become the boss, your business will happily boss you around. And that’s not why you started this. If you don’t become the boss you will constantly be firefighting and your income will plateau.

So lets set the scene.

Right now you’re making money…but keeping it consistent is a battle and growing it is feeling like an impossible mission. You hustle, you do all the things, and by the end of the month you’re exhausted and feel like the money you have earned is way less than it should be…way less than you are capable of earning.

Maybe you’ve invested in courses, coaching, programs… you’ve got folders of stuff you’ve tried. And still, nothing feels like it’s properly clicked.

You’ve got offers, but they don’t feel scalable. You’ve got a business, but behind the scenes it feels messy. You’ve got a to-do list that never ends and the reality is, you’re too busy doing the do to actually stop and think.

I see this all the time. One of my clients, let’s call her Sarah, came to me earning around £5k a month. On paper, that looked great. But she was working evenings, weekends, and she was constantly chasing her next client. I recall one of our very early conversations, it went something like, “Emma, I feel like I’ve just swapped one bad boss for another and I’m the bad boss this time.” And I know so many of you listening can relate to that.

It's definately not just you. I’ve been there too.

When I built my first million-pound e-commerce business, I thought I was creating freedom for myself. But what actually happened is that the business consumed me. I wasn’t free, I wasn’t aligned. I was working harder than ever, and it felt like the business owned me not the other way around. I definitely wasn’t the boss despite being the CEO on paper.

Does any of that feel familiar?

Here’s the thing I want to share with you today about being a boss.

Being your own boss isn’t about cracking the whip and forcing yourself to work harder. It’s not about being relentless or critical.

Being your own boss is about leadership. It’s about stepping into the role of CEO in your business…the person with vision, clarity, and authority.

A boss sets the direction. That means your vision comes first. Your life comes first. What do you want your business to make possible for you and your family? Because your business is here to support that…not consume it.

A boss makes decisions. No more waiting for permission. No more second-guessing or searching for the perfect strategy. You already know your values, you already know what feels aligned it’s about making choices and backing yourself.

And a boss builds systems. Because without structure, you’ll always be in firefighting mode. Systems don’t take away your freedom…they give you freedom. They mean you can step away from your laptop and know things are still moving forward.

Another client of mine, let’s call her Jo, had been stuck around £7000 months for ages. Every month felt like starting over. She had so many ideas, so many offers, and she was spread too thin. When we worked together, the first thing I asked her was: “If you were really the boss of this business, what would stay and what would go?”

And the relief she felt just naming the things she didn’t want to do anymore was huge. She stripped back, simplified, and within a couple of months, she wasn’t just earning more, she was working less and finally feeling like she was in charge. That’s what being the boss is all about.

So let me ask you this: if you were truly being the boss of your business, how would things look different?

 And I want to give you a simple exercise you can do today.

Grab a piece of paper and split it into two columns. At the top of one, write: Employee. At the top of the other, write: Boss.

In the first column, write down all the ways you’re currently behaving like an employee in your business. Maybe that’s saying yes to every client, reacting to your inbox first thing in the morning, working late every night, doing busy work instead of strategic work.

And in the second column, write down how Boss You would handle those same things. Would Boss You set clearer boundaries? Would Boss You decide what’s really worth your energy? Would Boss You block time to think, not just do?

Then here’s the most important part: pick just one thing from that Boss Me column, and do it this week. Just one.

Because becoming the boss isn’t about changing everything overnight. It’s about small, consistent shifts that add up to a completely different way of running your business.

So here’s what I want you to take away from today:

You didn’t want another boss when you started your business. You wanted freedom. You wanted choice. You wanted a life that felt good.

And the way you will get there is by becoming the best boss you’ve ever had…the boss who leads with clarity, with alignment, with compassion, but also with courage.

If this landed with you, I’d love for you to share it with a friend who needs to hear it. And if you’re ready to align your strategy, your offers, and your systems so your business feels as good on the inside as it looks on the outside…that’s exactly the work I do with my clients. 

You don’t have to wing it, and you don’t have to do it alone.

Thank you so much for listening. Until next time, here’s to building your dream business, and your dream life.