The lessons I’ve learned from managing a team of 9 and 25+ creators
Three years ago, this wasn’t the plan.
I was building something from scratch, figuring things out as I went, and honestly, I had no real reference point for what it would turn into.
Now I’m leading a team of nine and managing a roster of 25+ creators.
And if there’s one thing I can say with certainty, it’s that building a team will teach you more about people and yourself than anything else ever will.
It’s not just about scaling a business. It’s about learning how to hold standards, build culture, make decisions quickly, and sometimes make the hard calls that shape everything that comes next.
Here are a few of the biggest lessons I’ve learned along the way.
You can’t teach care
You can teach skills, systems and strategy, but you can’t teach someone to care, and that’s what makes the real difference when things don’t go to plan. Mistakes will always happen, but not everyone will naturally take ownership of fixing them. The people you want around you are the ones who care enough to act without being chased. Everything else can be developed, but that can’t.
Values aren’t negotiable
This has been one of the biggest shifts I’ve had as a founder - your values aren’t flexible depending on the situation, they’re the foundation of everything. There’s a reason people say one bad apple spoils the barrel, and in a business, especially one built on people and creativity.
When someone isn’t aligned with your values, it doesn’t always show up loudly, sometimes it’s subtle, in how they communicate, how they handle feedback, or how they show up when no one’s watching. But over time, it impacts everything. Protecting your culture will always matter more than avoiding uncomfortable decisions.
Everyone has a superpower
One of the most important parts of leadership is learning to actually see people, not through a job description or a checklist, but through what they naturally do best. Everyone has something they’re exceptional at, the thing that feels effortless to them but is incredibly valuable to everyone else. Your job isn’t to reshape people into the same mould, it’s to notice what makes them different and create space for that to thrive. Because people do their best work when they’re in flow, not when they’re trying to fit into something that was never designed for them.
Communication solves most problems (but only if you actually do it)
This one sounds obvious, but it’s where most things fall apart. Most issues don’t come from bad intentions, they come from unclear expectations, missing context, or conversations that never actually happen. The longer something sits unsaid, the bigger it gets in your head, and usually the fix is much simpler than you think: say the thing early, clearly, and directly. It doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to be said.
Not everyone is meant to grow with you - and that’s okay
This is probably the hardest lesson of all. As your business evolves, people will evolve at different speeds, or in different directions entirely, and that doesn’t make anyone wrong. The goal is that when people do move on, they leave better than they arrived, more skilled, more confident, more capable. If you can say that, you’ve done your job properly.
Final thoughts
Leadership isn’t about getting everything right. It’s about learning quickly, adjusting often, and building something that feels solid enough to grow with you.
And I’m still learning every day.
Because ultimately, the aim isn’t just to build a team, it’s to build one that actually grows with the vision, not against it.
Want to work with us?
Great management isn’t about doing more, it’s about building the right foundations for long-term growth.
At OAC, we work closely with brands and founders who are looking for ongoing support with their social presence, from creator strategy to long-term content direction and everything in between.
We don’t just “manage social media”, we help build intentional, audience-led presence that actually compounds over time.
On the talent side, our creator roster is open to for those who are serious about long-term growth, consistency, and building a sustainable personal brand.
If that sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you.