Welcome to the final episode of season two of the #Add A Zero Podcast! In this deeply personal and insightful episode, host Jay Allen reflects on a decade of supporting nearly 1,000 businesses through his company, My True North. Jay shares why, after years of striving to serve as many business owners as possible, he’s making a bold shift—now saying “no” to 95% of potential clients.He takes us back to the genesis of My True North, the evolution of its ethical mission, and the lessons learned from both triumphs and challenges along the way. Jay reveals the crucial data-driven insights behind this strategic pivot and explains why true transformation requires more than just a willingness to grow—it demands readiness to embrace real, sometimes uncomfortable change.If you’re a business owner wondering what it truly takes to move from feeling trapped in your business to becoming a strategic CEO, or if you’re curious about why working with fewer, more committed clients can create bigger impact, this episode is for you. Join us as we close one chapter and set the stage for new, transformational stories in the next season.Please visit my website to get more information: http://www.mytruenorth.biz/ ✨ Check out the ADDAZERO Free Scaleup audit report here: http://www.addazero.co.uk/free-scale-audit🔔𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬.https://www.youtube.com/@MyTrueNORTHUK/?sub_confirmation=1 ⭐⭐⭐Audio Podcast is currently on your favourite platforms:Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/6DUyVgA3TjsQmyjgP4CInG?si=1ac052c8ef7a42df ApplePodcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/addazero-business-challenge/id1808888157Podbean:https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/a8c28-1c5065/%23ADDAZERO-Business-Challenge-Podcast🔗 Stay Connected With Me.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyTrueNORTHUK/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mytruenorthuk/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayallen-mytruenorth/ Website: http://www.mytruenorth.biz/ 📩 For business inquiries: Enquiries@MyTrueNORTH.Biz =============================🎬Suggested videos for you:▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpGufGO3aw4 ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbrPyLEOTy0 ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yVhb7NGsJk ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvt61uStay0 ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpLU-U4IFYY ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ08DepmzNg ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqSsx4d5v_Y ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5QImmOB0n4 ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8A1g2NSwrk ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCq-NVn-ZZU =================================✅ About My TrueNORTH - The Ethical Coaching Company.Welcome to My TrueNORTH – The Ethical Coaching Company! I’m Jay Allen, a 2x Global Entrepreneur Award winner and former British Army medic turned business scale mentor. After leading change at the board level and scaling & exiting multiple businesses, I now help business owners grow sustainably and ethically. Through My TrueNORTH, I coach purpose-driven entrepreneurs to scale with integrity and clarity. I also founded the #ADDAZERO Business Challenge with a bold goal: to help 1,000,000 business owners add a zero to their income. Join me for real, ethical growth strategies that make a lasting impact.For Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: Enquiries@MyTrueNORTH.Biz🔔 Ready to scale ethically and sustainably? Subscribe for ethical business mentoring, expert business coaching, growth strategies, and the tools to grow your business!https://www.youtube.com/@MyTrueNORTHUK/?sub_confirmation=1

Are you an accidental business owner who feels trapped in your own company—pulled into daily operations with no way out? In this episode of the #Add A Zero Podcast, host Jay Allen dives deep into the transformative steps you need to break free from being the bottleneck in your business and finally become the strategic CEO your company needs.Jay introduces our brand-new 12-Week Transformation Program, tailored to help business owners transition from operator to empowered leader. Learn how to reclaim your freedom, delegate effectively, and build a team that runs the business—whether you’re present or not.In this episode, you’ll discover:The three-phase “Business Freedom Technique” that liberates overwhelmed ownersHow to assess the current reliance on you and take action to shift itStrategies for delegating big projects without fear of losing controlWhy organizational charts for the future are a game-changer for growth and team loyaltyThe CEO mindset shift: From micromanaging to coaching and mentoring your peopleThe power of masterminds and collaborative leadership to future-proof your companyCritical mistakes that reduce business value and how to avoid themJay shares real client stories and actionable tips on succession planning, creating true career paths for your team, and building a legacy rather than just leaving one. Whether you’re planning to scale or ultimately exit your business, these insights are essential for sustainable growth.Download your FREE Freedom Assessment (link in Show Notes) to discover just how “trapped” you are—and start your journey to true business freedom today!🚀 Want to learn more? Ready to add a zero? Contact us using the link below for a no-pressure chat.#BusinessGrowth #ScaleYourBusiness #Leadership #SmallBusiness #BusinessFreedom #Entrepreneurship #CEO #AddAZeroPodcast #MyTrueNorth #BusinessAdviceListen & Subscribe:Never miss an episode! Hit the subscribe button and share this with your business network.About #Add A Zero Podcast:Presented by Jay Allen, in partnership with My True North—the UK’s leading ethical coaching company. We help ethical business owners achieve significant, sustainable growth and a legacy that lasts.Please visit my website to get more information: http://www.mytruenorth.biz/ ✨ Check out the ADDAZERO Free Scaleup audit report here: http://www.addazero.co.uk/free-scale-audit🔔𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬.https://www.youtube.com/@MyTrueNORTHUK/?sub_confirmation=1 🔗 Stay Connected With Me.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyTrueNORTHUK/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mytruenorthuk/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayallen-mytruenorth/ Website: http://www.mytruenorth.biz/ 📩 For business inquiries: Enquiries@MyTrueNORTH.Biz ✅ About My TrueNORTH - The Ethical Coaching Company.Welcome to My TrueNORTH – The Ethical Coaching Company! I’m Jay Allen, a 2x Global Entrepreneur Award winner and former British Army medic turned business scale mentor. After leading change at the board level and scaling & exiting multiple businesses, I now help business owners grow sustainably and ethically. Through My TrueNORTH, I coach purpose-driven entrepreneurs to scale with integrity and clarity. I also founded the #ADDAZERO Business Challenge with a bold goal: to help 1,000,000 business owners add a zero to their income. Join me for real, ethical growth strategies that make a lasting impact.For Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: Enquiries@MyTrueNORTH.Biz🔔 Ready to scale ethically and sustainably? Subscribe for ethical business mentoring, expert business coaching, growth strategies, and the tools to grow your business!https://www.youtube.com/@MyTrueNORTHUK/?sub_confirmation=1

As business owners, one of the most consistent pieces of advice we hear is to “delegate.” We’re told, directly or indirectly, that, to grow beyond being a one-person show, we need to let go of tasks—especially the low-value ones—and hand them off so we can focus on higher-level work. Yet, in this episode of the #Add A Zero Podcast, Jay Allen shares hard-won truths and detailed case studies that reveal why delegation, as commonly practiced, often fails, and what must change to truly scale a business.

This insightful episode provides both practical and philosophical guidance for business owners who aspire not just to grow their operations, but to make their businesses sustainable and valuable—transforming what might feel like a one-person bottleneck into a legacy enterprise. Let’s break down the episode in detail.

The Common Delegation Myth—and Its Pitfalls

At the onset, Jay acknowledges the prevailing wisdom: delegation is supposed to free up business owners to move from working in their business to working on it. Give those “£10 tasks”—the routine, repetitive jobs—to others so you can pursue the big-ticket opportunities that bring in thousands or tens of thousands of pounds. That’s the theory, and it does have merit. But in practice, “most people do it badly, do it wrong,” he observes.

Owners frequently:

• Hand off the wrong tasks to the wrong people

• Fail to provide the necessary structure and support

• End up with delegated work boomeranging back onto their plates

• Become convinced it’s easier just to do it themselves

The result of failed delegation isn’t just inefficiency or annoyance—it’s a business where everything revolves around the owner. If they aren’t there, decisions stall and progress halts. The owner is not just a leader; they’re a bottleneck, stifling growth and jeopardizing sustainability.

The Cost of Owner Dependency

In both cases, the lesson is stark: a business that depends on its owner for every key decision, relationship, or permission is fragile and effectively “unsellable.” As Jay stresses, no buyer wants to purchase a business whose assets, processes, or relationships are inextricably tied to the seller’s personal efforts and brainpower.

This isn’t just about holidays or sick leave: it’s about creating a business that could thrive—or at least function—without you “at a moment’s notice.” If that’s not the case, the business can crumble rapidly, as the profit model and operations are not sustainable past the owner’s presence.

Episode 96 of the #Add A Zero Podcast lays down a challenge for every business owner. It's time to move beyond the myth of “just delegate more.” Instead, true value, resilience, and scale come from embedding systems, structures, accountability, and succession at every level.

A real business is not an extension of its founder but a living, growing organism, able to withstand the test of time, adversity, and—even more importantly—absence. If your business depends solely on you, you have an urgent call to action.

Listen for the powerful stories, reflect on your own practice, and if you’re ready, take meaningful steps to build legacy, not just income.

Thank you for being part of the #Add A Zero community. If you found this review insightful, don't forget to subscribe, share your reflections, and connect for further support. Your business—and legacy—are worth it.