One fundamental truth of life — and business — is that there will always be things you just don’t enjoy doing.
Amy Errett, the founder and CEO of Madison Reed, has learned that firsthand. She launched the beauty company in 2013, which has since grown to 97 locations nationwide, according to its website. It has raised almost $430 million as of October 2025, according to PitchBook.
Things you love doing fall into a category that Errett refers to as her “zone of genius,” while things you are skilled at are in your “zone of competency.”
“I’m super good with numbers, so I’m confident there, but it’s not my zone of genius, because it’s not the thing I love,” she said.
Errett said that running your own business — especially in its early stages — means working on many things you don’t enjoy.
“You cannot only do your zone of genius. You have to do everything,” she said.
Now that she’s gained more control over the business, she has more freedom, she said. “I am now at a place where I’m getting to do more in my zone of genius, and that actually doesn’t deplete me,” she said.
That includes high-impact work, mentoring other founders, and maintaining connections with key people at the company.
And that means she can delegate the tasks she absolutely hates, like planning and scheduling.
“I think a lot of founders think strategically and tactically, but they’re not great planners,” she said.
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