Two Miles Daily — Issue 042 The Most Expensive Employee on Your Payroll Might Be You

Executive Brief • August 5, 2026 • Two Miles Advisory

Many business owners wear their busyness like a badge of honor.

They answer every email.

Approve every purchase.

Solve every customer issue.

Review every invoice.

Sign every check.

Fix every mistake.

At first, it feels responsible.

Eventually, it becomes expensive.

Every hour you spend doing $25, $50, or even $100-per-hour work is an hour you're not making the decisions only you can make—building relationships, finding new customers, improving margins, developing leaders, or planning the next phase of growth.

Here's the uncomfortable truth:

If your company cannot operate for one week without you, you haven't built a business.

You've built a job with employees.

The highest-paid person in the company should spend the majority of their time making high-value decisions—not performing routine tasks.

Delegation isn't about doing less.

It's about ensuring the right person is doing the right work.

Every process you document...
Every approval you eliminate...
Every responsibility you develop in someone else...

...creates a business that becomes more valuable, more scalable, and far less stressful to own.

Boardroom Question

What is one recurring task you perform every week that someone else could own within the next 90 days?

One Better Decision

Write down everything you do tomorrow.

Next to each task, assign one of these letters:

L – Leadership (only you should do it)

D – Delegate (someone else can own it)

A – Automate (technology can do it)

Your goal isn't perfection.

Your goal is to increase the number of L tasks on your calendar every month.

CFO Insight

Owner Dependency Ratio

Track this simple metric:

Hours the business requires the owner ÷ Total operating hours

The lower this ratio becomes, the more valuable—and transferable—your business becomes.

Businesses that rely less on the owner typically command stronger valuations because they're built on systems rather than personalities.

Two Miles Principle

Your business should depend on your vision—not your constant presence.

About Two Miles Daily

Two Miles Daily is a daily executive briefing from Two Miles Advisory, delivering practical insights on leadership, finance, operations, and business strategy for entrepreneurs and growing businesses.

Our mission is simple:

Help business owners make one better decision every day.

Think Like a CEO. Decide Like a CFO. Build Like an Owner.

Published by Two Miles Advisory