The Art of Letting Go: The Social Shepherd’s Co-Founder & CEO, Zoe Shepherd #3

“If you fall into that path of, ‘I’ll just do it myself’, it’s not scalable, and you’re not doing the business any good.” - Zoe Shepherd

Today’s Third Seat episode is your survival guide to the “messy middle” of fast growth.

Rebecca welcomes Zoe Shepherd, CEO and Co-Founder of The Social Shepherd, a multi-award winning social media agency that has scaled from a two-person startup to a team of 70 with £6m+ turnover.

Zoe dives into the reality of being a “zombie” during high-growth periods, the cognitive weight of making decisions for dozens of people and the transition from doing “everything” to leading with intention. 

In this conversation, Zoe and Rebecca discuss:

• Why the 14 hour days that get a business off the ground can eventually break your ability to lead.
• How Zoe and her Co-Founder/Husband navigate separate roles and use their differences to drive the business forward. 
• Zoe’s honest reflection on her own impatience and how she relies on her team to “check” her when her expectations hit unrealistic levels. 
• Navigating the complexities of an agency where your people are your product.

Whether you are battling the mental load of managing a large team, or navigating the identity crisis of stepping away from operational detail, Zoe’s journey offers a masterclass in resilient leadership. 

🔑 Key Themes

• Delegating and Stepping Away from the Gritty Detail
• Catching Burnout Before it Happens
• Holding Onto Your Culture Through Scaling
• How to Lead When People Are Your Product
• The Unique Perks of Co-Founding with a Spouse

🎯 Action Items for Listeners

1. Set or Review Your Personal Work Boundaries
2. Be More Focused and Intentional with Culture.
3. Re-design Your Role If You’re Doing Too Much.

🔗 Connect with us

Zoe Shepherd, LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-stephenson/

The Social Shepherd, LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-social-shepherd/

The Social Shepherd, Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/thesocialshepherd/

The Social Shepherd, Website:
https://thesocialshepherd.com/

Discover more about Third House: https://www.wearethirdhouse.com/

Connect with Rebecca: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccamorley/

https://www.instagram.com/wearethirdhouse/