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This 3-minute read brought to you by the team at Rogue Pine
Most founders start with the same dream: to build something that eventually runs without them.
But for many, that dream quietly turns into a trap.
In this episode of the Grow Rogue Podcast, host Reade Milner talks with Guy Barretta, a.k.a. The COO Guy, about why most entrepreneurs accidentally become the biggest bottleneck in their own company — and how to break free from the grind.
You’re Not Leading — You’re Anchoring
Guy’s question for every business owner is simple: Are you leading your company or anchoring it?
If your clients only trust you…
If sales depend on your relationships…
If every fire still lands on your desk…
You’re not scaling; you’re stuck.
“You’re not leading; you’re anchoring,” Guy says. “Because the business cannot outgrow your ability to do those things.”
It’s a hard truth, but an empowering one. Once you recognize it for what it is, you can fix it.
Freedom Takes Structure
Guy grew up watching his father, a seafood purveyor and restaurant owner, work 18-hour days.
“He’d leave for the Fulton Fish Market at 2 a.m. and get home after dark,” Guy recalls.
That early lesson shaped his view of entrepreneurship: freedom comes after structure, not before it.
When he launched Barretta Consulting in 2023, his goal was to give business owners the clarity his father never had.
He wanted to help them move from chaos to calm through systems, processes, and accountability.
How to Start Working On the Business, Not Just In It
Guy’s starter checklist for any overwhelmed founder:
Run a SWOT on yourself and your business. Know your blind spots.
Pick three priorities per quarter. Not thirty.
Find someone who will challenge you. Most CEOs don’t have anyone who tells them the truth, and that holds them back.
Reade also shares in this episode that systems saved his own company.
By documenting every recurring task and hiring the right people into defined roles, he and his wife reclaimed their time and grew faster.
The Big Idea
A business that depends on you isn’t an asset — it’s a job.
At the same time, freedom isn’t about working less; it’s about building something that can thrive without you.
Defining your role and trusting your team is the key to propelling your growth.
Listen to the Full Episode
Hear the full conversation with Guy Barretta on the Grow Rogue Podcast, and learn how to stop anchoring your business, build systems that scale, and create the freedom you actually started for.
Listen to the episode
Visit TheCOOGuy.com
Connect with Guy on LinkedIn