Do you remember how in high school gym, your teacher would always say, “There is no I in team?” Well, he may have been on to something.

It turns out we are so much smarter than just “I”.

Hands down, one of the greatest gifts I have been given is my amazing team.  

Do we have to work hard to find the right people? Yes. Do we have a fairly extensive interview process? You bet. But all of this works to ensure they’re a good fit to join Top Advisor Marketing, and we’re an incredible team. 

That being said, what many people don’t realize is that we are an entirely virtual company.  We have 11 team members spanning three countries and two continents, and of those 11, I’ve met only three of them in person — and one is my business partner.  

Yet even with all of that, I never knew how rewarding it would be to empower a team and to lean on their collective and individual strengths.  Sure, I have talked about it philosophically and I have seen it work in other offices (although, not as often as it should), but this epiphany has truly changed my life.

When we merged Top Advisor Coaching and Tactibrand, Kirk and I decided it was time to make a conscious effort to ensure our company was about more than just us. As some of you may recall, before the merger it was all about us, the founders, the doers of work.

But when we surrounded ourselves with an incredible team, it suddenly didn’t have to be the Kirk and Matt show anymore.

Our team has reinforced the power of delegation, empowerment, diversity and inclusion. Top Advisor Marketing’s knowledge base has grown with every team member hired.  

So that begs the question, when was the last time you put your team into the limelight?

Not only do we regularly encourage and coach our team to share their knowledge and enjoy new experiences, we’re also now featuring our entire social media and marketing team on our Top Advisor Marketing podcast. This past month, Julia joined me to discuss the major changes in the social media world, while Jessica dissected and explained our company’s motto of “pleasing the algorithm.” Next week, our internal marketing director, Kaley, joins me to explore the role internal marketing plays in expanding your network and deepening your relationships with COI’s.

I’m also bringing on Lisa, our COO, to share her experience in managing and training a virtual team.

On top of that, our team is also writing papers that bring a new insight and a fresh perspective, that we hope will begin a fundamental change in how our industry communicates with their clients, prospects and centers of influence.

The best businesses are not about the ideas of one person. The best businesses, the ones that are scalable and incredibly profitable, are all about sharing the limelight with those who make you a better company.  

I take pride in the work we are doing as a team. Likewise, I encourage you to embrace the knowledge you have acquired within your company, and share it with the world.

There is plenty of spotlight for everyone.