My Grandma Horey used to call me the “I can do it girl” as I used to reply with “I can do it!” to her as a toddler whenever she asked if I needed help. So I guess it was ingrained in me from a very young age that I wanted to do it myself without any help. A fine spirit for a toddler looking to learn from and explore the world, but I have learned that is not necessarily the best approach to building a sustainable business.

If I hadn’t asked for help from Bethany Planton, GPC, RSM, RPO, about tips on how she sets boundaries, I may have been leaps and bounds behind where I am now.

If I hadn’t asked for help from Jackie Nagel of Synnovatia, as I was looking at moving from a team of all subcontractors to all employees, I may not have had the courage to make the change for a few more years.

If I hadn’t asked for help from Rob Hatch, based on his experience as a best-selling author of multiple books, I would not have ever known about the Business Book Challenge and Business Book Boot Camp with Alison Jones of Practical Inspiration Publishing.

I could go on, but these are three pivotal points where the downside of not asking for help could have had a huge long-term impact on me both personally and professionally. Now I look back on these three instances of asking for help, and the dozens of smaller ways in between, as an expression of “I can do it, with the help, support, and collaboration of others” that I think Grandma Horey would still be just as proud of.

What are some ways you have asked for help in your work that you are proud of? Or some tricks you have used to ensure you are asking for help at appropriate times instead of always embracing an “I can do it” attitude? I’d love to hear – let me know in the comments or reach out.

ICYMI – This post is part of my 20-year anniversary celebration of DH Leonard Consulting. You can see the full list of 20 things I learned in my 20 years of business here.