Unlearning the Employee Mindset: Scaling Like a CEO

From Solo Hustle to CEO Flow: How to Scale with Systems, Talent, and Leadership

What if the key to scaling your business wasn’t working harder—but thinking differently?

In this powerful episode of The Amanda Kaufman Show, I sat down with Clenetta Frazier, also known as The HR Whisperer, to dive deep into what it really takes to grow your business beyond the solopreneur hustle. With a 20+ year career in corporate leadership and now founder of Edmund Enterprises, Clenetta brought the clarity, strategy, and heart every rising CEO needs to hear.

Whether you're a coach, consultant, or creative entrepreneur, this conversation is packed with actionable wisdom for building a business that’s not only successful—but sustainable.

The Employee Mindset Will Keep You Small

One of the most relatable moments in the conversation came when Clenetta said,

“I was shocked that I had to unlearn some behaviors that actually served me well in corporate.”

And she’s not alone. Many entrepreneurs carry over habits from their employee days:

• Saying yes to everything

• Staying busy to feel accomplished

• Believing they have to prove their worth by doing it all

These behaviors are often rewarded in corporate, but in entrepreneurship, they become bottlenecks. Clenetta shared how letting go of that “I have to do it all” mindset was a key unlock for her. It’s a shift from doing to leading—and it’s essential for growth.

“Who Not How”: Why Delegation Is the Real Power Move

One of the most powerful frameworks Clenetta leaned into during her journey was the concept of “Who Not How” from Dan Sullivan. Instead of asking, “How can I get this done?” she began asking, “Who can help me get this done?”

This subtle shift changed everything.

By embracing this approach, she:

• Stopped micromanaging and started empowering

• Created SOPs (standard operating procedures) so her team could move faster and with clarity

• Focused more on visionary work and less on daily execution

Amanda chimed in, highlighting how Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell introduced her to a similar idea: using a percentage of revenue to immediately reinvest into support—even before hitting some arbitrary financial milestone.

Bottom line: If you’re still doing everything, you’re standing in the way of your next level.

Offshore Staffing Isn’t Just Smart—It’s Strategic

Clenetta didn’t just talk theory—she shared how offshore staffing became a game-changer in her own business. Initially hiring out of necessity, she quickly realized the incredible value of building a global team.

She hired two people—one from Colombia and one from Brazil—and was instantly blown away. One of them even started pinning important emails in her inbox before being asked. That one act brought her to tears (yes, seriously), because it revealed how much she had been carrying on her own.

And the benefits didn’t stop there. Hiring young, tech-savvy talent introduced her to tools and workflows she hadn’t even considered. From CRM automations to scheduling apps, her team helped her get ahead—not just keep up.

Clenetta now offers offshore staffing as a service through her agency, helping others access high-performing global support without breaking the bank.

You Can’t Scale If You’re Always “On”

Another truth bomb that hit home? Rest is a strategic business decision.

Both Amanda and Clenetta talked about the shift from being “always on” to actually protecting their energy and schedule. Clenetta implemented “Summer Fridays,” where she shuts her calendar down by noon. Amanda now blocks off her entire Friday for either deep work or rejuvenation.

These boundaries aren’t luxuries—they’re requirements if you want to show up fully and lead well.

One of Clenetta’s mantras says it all:

“The more I rest and relax, the more money and business comes to me.”

If you’re still wearing busyness as a badge of honor, it’s time to rethink that approach. Growth isn’t about being everywhere—it’s about being effective where it matters most.

Leadership Is the Real Secret Sauce

Clenetta’s story is a beautiful blend of heart and high-level strategy. Yes, she’s a systems person. Yes, she’s built multiple successful businesses. But what shines through most is her leadership—the kind that lifts others up while scaling her own impact.

Amanda pointed out how Clenetta doesn’t just build businesses—she builds people. And that’s what sets her apart.

True CEOs aren’t just managing work. They’re casting vision, building culture, and empowering others to grow. That’s what Clenetta models—and that’s what every entrepreneur should aspire to.

Practical Takeaways to Start Scaling Now

Feeling fired up and ready to implement? Here are a few takeaways straight from this episode to help you move from overwhelmed solopreneur to thriving CEO:

✅ Stop asking “How can I do this?” and start asking “Who can help me?”
✅ Budget for support—even before you feel “ready”
✅ Document what you do so others can do it too (hello, SOPs!)
✅ Explore offshore staffing as a cost-effective and powerful option
✅ Honor your calendar—and your energy—with intentional rest
✅ Build a team that adds value and teaches you in the process

🎧 Ready to Tune In?

This episode is a must-listen for anyone serious about scaling with ease, integrity, and heart. Whether you’re still stuck in do-it-all mode or you're already building your team, Clenetta’s insights will challenge and inspire you.

Chapter List: 

00:00 Introduction to Clenetta Frazier, The HR Whisperer

03:32 The Importance of Leadership in Entrepreneurship

06:12 Investing in Talent: Strategies for Growth

09:01 The Transition from Employee to Entrepreneur

11:39 Thinking Outside the Box: Delegation and Offshore Staffing

14:22 Conclusion and Resources

Full Transcript

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (00:00)

One of the things on the journey from employee to entrepreneur is I was shocked that I had to unlearn some behaviors that actually served me well when I was in the corporate space and brought me great success.

Amanda Kaufman (00:00)

Thank you.

yeah.

Well, hello and welcome back to the Amanda Coffin show. I am joined today by my friend, Clenetta Frazier, the HR whisperer. And I'm so excited to have you on the show. Hello, Clenetta and welcome.

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (00:44)

Well, thank you, Amanda. I'm happy to join you. Thanks for having me here.

Amanda Kaufman (00:49)

I love it. So, Klinetta and I are both in a business incubator together and she blew me away with her heart and her heart of service, but also her capabilities. know, Klinetta, I want you to take 30 seconds so that we can get this right, but I was just blown away. It's like HR compliance, outsourcing, bookkeeping. Like, this is a woman who has figured out a lot in the world of business.

And then when I got to know her better, I was like, whoa, no wonder she's so accomplished in her career, even before she became an entrepreneur, that it's not really a wonder that she's succeeding so much as an entrepreneur today. So, Clonetta, why don't you just take 30 seconds and catch us up on what your specialties are as a CEO in business?

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (01:37)

All right, absolutely, Amanda. So like you said, I am the HR whisperer. I'm Clenetta Frazier, the HR whisperer, owner of Edmund Enterprises, which houses both our HR firm, the HR whisperer, and also our financial services agency, FIT agency. So we positioned ourselves to be a one stop shop for all things people related. I myself come from over a 20 year career in corporate America, mostly Fortune 50 companies that were global where I was able to work my way up through the executive ring.

And you know like Amanda said, those skills have stayed with me and they were the foundation to equip me to be able to weather these entrepreneurial storms.

Amanda Kaufman (02:16)

I love it. It's so good. I mean, people are the way to scale. know, I was so excited when you said yes, you would come and join me for a little episode here at the Amanda Kaufman show. And, you know, I think that a lot of times, a lot of times, like, especially with online marketing, it can really seem like your success is completely wrapped up in marketing and sales. And what I learned was actually,

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (02:27)

Yes.

Amanda Kaufman (02:38)

Yes, those are prerequisite skills. You need to be able to market, you need to be able to sell, but the key to unlocking your next level of growth is to move out of that mindset that you have to be a solopreneur, that you gotta stay cheap and scrappy all the time, that your real growth comes from being able to activate the potential in other people. So I was so excited when you said you would come here. So I'm just so curious, what would you say to an entrepreneur who

is wanting to play a bit of a bigger game. They want to get out of just being a sole proprietor. They want to have broader impact. And they're looking at, I should be hiring people, right? Or maybe they have hired some people and they've been a little disappointed on that journey. What would you tell someone who's kind of growing into being a leader as a CEO and starting to enroll in talent at the beginning?

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (03:32)

Begin to invest in yourself and hone your leadership skills. So like you mentioned, yes, I come from a pretty accomplished career, but especially through this entrepreneurial journey,

I'm continuing to learn, right? And so one of the things that helped me was really leaning into Dan Sullivan's book, Who Not How, last year. That was a game changer for me in scaling. And so again, of all the years of managing people, managing folks globally, you know, now that I'm on my own,

Amanda Kaufman (03:45)

Mm-hmm.

So good.

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (04:00)

with my own people to manage, I have recognized that sometimes I'm not delegating enough.

You know, and sometimes I need to prepare my teams with a bit more information or with some SOPs because again, when you're scaling, really want to be able to duplicate yourself and 10X yourself so that you can maximize your productivity without you yourself having to be involved in all of the revenue generating aspects of your business.

Amanda Kaufman (04:08)

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, that's so good. And I love that book. It's Who Not How by Dan Sullivan. I learned as well from another Dan, something that was like really, really impactful on me. So Dan Martell wrote the book, Back Your Time. And one of the key unlocks for me, you know, I've had team kind of coming in and out of the Goja Plaza over the years.

And we're kind of in a leaner season, so our team is pretty small, pretty tight and very intimate. But I'm so glad that I like learned some of these things that you're talking about. And what Dan Martell's book taught me that was super unlocking was this idea of your buyback rate. Because one of the reasons that I never, you know, gave myself permission to ever get help from anybody ever was because I was cheap and I was like, you know, I need to have that money. I got to got to hang on to that money.

And it was so funny because I wasn't really cheap in the sense of investing in myself, of doing like masterminds or hiring the coach and all that kind of thing. But when it came to software, when it came to, you know, having team that I could delegate down to, I told myself the story that I couldn't invest in other people until I reached this imaginary financial number. And what Dan Martell taught me, I'm curious how you, whether you would agree with this, is like, just it's 25 % of your, of your income or your revenue.

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (05:27)

below.

Amanda Kaufman (05:52)

and just like earmark that money, like right off the bat to going towards people to help and know that you could hire part-time. And I was like, whoa, so our team right now, we're doing outsourcing mostly because that's like the stage and the place we're at with the business. But I actually have like a bucket that I'm growing based on the revenue that we generate. So I'm not cheaping myself out of hiring people. So what do you think about that strategy? Am I offer on the right track?

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (06:05)

Mm-hmm.

code.

I'm not saying.

I think you're on the right track. I think that's great advisement. I also say think outside the box and a shameless plug for us as well. Because we offer offshore staffing services, right? And the way that that started is because I needed help. I tell people, I kind of laugh about it now, but I was at a point in my career was in year two. And I feel like two friends that separately over Zoom, I feel like had intervention.

Amanda Kaufman (06:38)

Ooh.

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (06:49)

with me for some reason that show intervention was pops in my head because they literally they leaned into the zoom camera and said Klanata you need help

I like, I do. And so one of them actually came with a solution. He suggested, hey, have you thought about hiring someone offshore? And he proposed, hey, with the exchange rate, why don't you look at hiring someone in Colombia? You'll be able to get someone that's bilingual. And with the currency exchange rate, you're going to get them at a premium price point. It's not going to break your bank.

Amanda Kaufman (06:57)

You need help. Yes! my gosh.

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (07:23)

And I will tell you, I ended up hiring two people. I hired someone from Columbia and someone from Brazil. And the first time that I got a message unprompted from this person that said, hey, Clannetta, I went ahead and pinned important emails to the top of your inbox, I grabbed my heart. Because I was like, my god, I didn't know I needed that. it just, again, it helped elevate our business. It helped relieve stress for me.

Amanda Kaufman (07:44)

good.

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (07:49)

because I used to have anxiety. I'd be in networking meetings and not concentrating because I'm thinking like, my goodness, I have so much work that I should be doing.

Amanda Kaufman (07:59)

And you're literally in those

meetings, you are doing the work, right, of building the relationships and all of that. And I totally vibe with what you're saying about presence. Later this week at the time of this recording, I'm gonna be going for three days to a live event seminar. I just also came off of a week where I was hanging out with my family that traveled from all over the place to celebrate my birthday. So I'm in one of those weeks where I'm like in the office for two days.

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (08:03)

Yes. Yes.

That's awesome.

Okay.

Amanda Kaufman (08:28)

And I've

been so taken care of by having my team that's like there to pinch hit, monitor those inboxes, to make sure that the things that are actually important this week are scheduled and anything that can get scheduled in the future is getting scheduled in the future. But I'm not sitting there hovering over my calendar going like, ooh, which slot should I put this in? Because I don't know about you, Clenetta, but I find I'm like the biggest betrayer of my schedule. Like.

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (08:31)

Mm-hmm.

Bye.

yeah,

Amanda Kaufman (08:55)

When I gave it to an assistant

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (08:55)

I'm telling you.

Amanda Kaufman (08:57)

that was so life-changing because I stopped trying to like squeeze stuff in because he's like, no, these are the rules you gave me. Right. And he'll follow the rules better than I would.

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (09:01)

I'm here. Yeah. I'm here.

No, definitely. I'm telling you. And some of that's learned behavior. One of the things on the journey from employee to entrepreneur is I was shocked that I had to unlearn some behaviors that actually served me well when I was in the corporate space and brought me great success.

Amanda Kaufman (09:12)

Thank you.

yeah.

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (09:23)

But I think a lot of entrepreneurs struggle with this. One, I think we get so many ideas. We're brilliant. And we get so many ideas. And so your mind's constantly running with all

Amanda Kaufman (09:30)

I'm

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (09:34)

these

ideas and things to do, but also from that work environment and corporate space, you're kind of taught to look busy, to stay busy. So even when you have downtime, you will fill it with things that you really shouldn't even be doing. You probably should be delegating that work. But again, it feels odd to not be busy. And I've had to teach myself to...

Amanda Kaufman (09:43)

my gosh, yes.

Mm-hmm.

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (09:57)

Enjoy the rust periods because what I've learned is that again, it's you know Grace that God's given me because he knows that it's gonna be you know running season here You know once we turn the corner and so that was a struggle for me But I have someone that you know I actually hired a money coach and she gave me a mantra to say to myself and that is the more money I'm sorry the more that I rest and relax the more money and business

Amanda Kaufman (10:00)

you

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (10:25)

comes to me. And I would say that to myself and finally it's like I would say okay, I'm okay to rest and I started creating, I call them summer Fridays where I shut my calendar down by like noon on Fridays and I don't take any meetings and I I shut it off.

Amanda Kaufman (10:26)

That's so good.

Mm-hmm.

You know, one of the things that I implemented in the last year was I free up my Fridays. Like my entire Friday, I don't have meetings, period, right? And it's either going to be constructive time that I get to build the things I keep promising myself to build, or it is rejuvenation time that I need. I really do.

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (10:49)

that's good.

Yeah.

you know.

Amanda Kaufman (11:04)

I tend to bias to leaning into the work, but I totally agree with you that if it's busy work, if it's work to appear busy, or if it's work to help you with your status among people who are not paying you, then that's kind of like a false positive. And I agree with everything you're saying. It makes so much sense. You said like, think outside the box. So what are some common things that you tend to guide your clients into thinking of?

when it comes to like delegation or talent that maybe they don't think of right away without you prodding them? What would be some of your favorites?

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (11:39)

Yeah, well again, the offshore staffing is one, right? It's starting to catch on and become a little bit more normalized, but so many people would look at me like I had three heads. Like, well, how did you even think to hire someone over there? And the reality is I've been leading teams globally for years, right? And so it just became natural to me. Yeah, it became natural. I love learning about the different cultures.

Amanda Kaufman (11:58)

Right, very much your normal.

Holy.

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (12:07)

I again, like I have a client that we just picked up a couple weeks ago. I guess it's been two weeks now. And, you know, some, would not have even expected someone from this entry, but, you know, industry, but a hair salon, like high end hair salon in Atlanta that you reached out by way of, you know, a connection and she's utilizing one of our folks as front desk help. Right. And so it greatly reduced her cost.

Amanda Kaufman (12:31)

love that, because like the scheduling.

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (12:34)

Yes, because they can answer the phones and do the scheduling and then be a touch point like you know with the surveys and more importantly here's the other thing like I love to keep young people around me because again I'm learning about the technology and I've gotten more technically savvy but again like they will bring apps and things to me that I've never heard of and so like already this young man he's been setting up her CRM and automating process

and things and so you know again like once they get the feel and experience of that it just it just sparked something in them.

Amanda Kaufman (13:11)

Totally. Yeah. I love that example of the hair salon, right? Because I work a lot with coaches and experts and consultants. And it's amazing to me how they also can feel very limited in their thinking about what is delegatable. And I think one of those bad habits from employment too is just always saying like, yes, yes, can do this thing because you're in a hierarchy. You don't want to disappoint your...

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (13:14)

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Amanda Kaufman (13:36)

Superior, you're in

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (13:37)

yeah.

Amanda Kaufman (13:37)

competition with your peers, right? Like it's so easy to simply just say yes and like be the go-to and be the one. But it's like the opposite behavior actually gets celebrated as an entrepreneur that you're a leader, that you're not abdicating responsibility, but you are overseeing and creating opportunity for people to actually excel in your business and in your presence. And that's like literally what you get paid for. It's not for

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (13:45)

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Bye.

Yeah.

Amanda Kaufman (14:04)

It's not a competition to see how much you can take on for the same salary.

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (14:08)

Yeah, no absolutely, absolutely. That is really key.

Amanda Kaufman (14:10)

Yeah. Yeah, I love it. Well, Clonetta,

this has been a wonderful conversation. If people wanted to see what you were up to and find out more, what is the best way to follow you?

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (14:22)

So they should follow me on LinkedIn. You can either follow my page, Clenetta Frazier, or follow the Edmund Enterprises page on LinkedIn. Also check out our website. You can see us at Edmund-Enterprises.com. And once you log onto the site, you're going to see a little freebie there for you. We have a free HR compliance quiz for you to take. It's called Your HR Heartbeat.

see kind of where your organization ranks as it relates to compliance. As soon as you take the quiz and hit Submit, it will give you your score.

Amanda Kaufman (14:57)

outstanding. I love that, Cleneta. And thank you so much for coming and spending time with us today.

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (15:02)

No, absolutely. Again, thank you for having me.

Amanda Kaufman (15:05)

My pleasure, my pleasure. Now, dear listener, you'll find all of the links that Cloneta mentioned and more in the show notes below. And don't forget, if you haven't already, to subscribe to the show so that you'll see the next one when it comes out. And hey, do us a favor and pop into the ratings, whichever app you happen to be listening on, and be sure to leave Cloneta five stars. She worked really, really hard. But seriously, an honest review does.

Clenetta ~The HR Whisperer (15:27)

you

Amanda Kaufman (15:29)

Our show wonders even if it's a negative review, we wanna know so that we can do even better. But seriously, those positive reviews, they really do help bring people into listening and wanting to hear more. So we really appreciate you taking the 30 seconds to do that. And one more little quick favor, if you can share this episode with two or three of your entrepreneurial besties, that'd be awesome because they need to know that they don't have to build alone. They need to know that they can outsource and think outside the box like Clenetta was saying.

So go ahead and grab the link wherever you're listening to this and send it to them over text and then we can spread the love that way. All right, y'all, we'll be back with another episode very soon. Until then, take care and do what matters.