Overcoming Technician Addiction

How I Transformed My Business and Life

By Brent Knott

Breaking Free from the Technician Trap:

For years, I was stuck in the technician trap. I woke up every morning, put on my work clothes, and showed up to the same grind. Despite staying up late, consuming podcasts, reading books, and even doing challenges like 75 Hard, I found myself repeating the same old tasks without ever moving the needle. I wasn’t growing, and neither was my business. Sound familiar? If you feel trapped in this cycle, this story might resonate with you.

Many of us start as skilled technicians— whether we’re vehicle wrappers, barbers, tattoo artists, HVAC techs, or any other trade. We master our craft working for someone else, and then one day, we decide we can do it better on our own. So we open our businesses, confident in our skills, only to realize that running a business requires a completely different set of abilities. The day-to-day grind consumes us, and before we know it, we’re busy, but we’re not growing.

For years, I prided myself on being the hardest worker anyone knew. Customers would stop by the shop at 10 p.m. to chat and bring me dinner because they knew I was still there. That validation felt good, but it was also counterproductive. Looking back, I realize that those late nights didn’t bring me closer to success; they were just part of the trap I was stuck in.

The Moment I Went All-In on Myself

The first step to breaking free is going all in— but not on the business, on yourself. I spent years doing the opposite, and the result was exhaustion, frustration, and a 300-pound body that wasn’t serving me or my goals. The turning point came when I decided to prioritize my personal growth. That meant not just focusing on the business but focusing on my health, mindset, and leadership.

I came across a quote that changed everything for me: "Act as if it was impossible to fail." It was a simple but powerful idea, and I decided to fully embrace it. Instead of holding on to every little task in my business, I hired people to replace me. And yes, at first, I needed two or three people to do what I had been doing on my own. But that’s okay—delegation is key.

This is where most of us get stuck. We think, No one can do it as well as I can. They’ll mess up. They’ll fail. But here’s a truth bomb: “80% done by someone else is 100% awesome” (Dan Martell quote). Once I let go of my ego and embraced this principle, my business started to change. I focused on building my team, empowering them to grow, and removing myself from the technician role.

Creating a Roadmap for Growth

One of the biggest lessons I learned is that you can’t expect people to succeed without giving them the tools and guidance they need. When I first started delegating, I realized my business lacked a clear roadmap for growth. So I created one, both for myself and for my team.

For my installers, we developed a “Road to 100K” plan that outlined exactly how they could advance within the company. It was simple: No one was given a promotion; they promoted themselves. If they met specific benchmarks, they moved up. If they didn’t, they were let go. The clarity of this system worked wonders. Everyone knew what was expected of them, and those who truly wanted to grow had the opportunity to do so.

One of our installers, AJ, took this challenge to heart. He would go home and wrap his own car at night, using scrap material to practice and improve his skills. Within months, he promoted himself and began earning a great wage. The pride he took in his work and the gratitude he expressed for the opportunity were powerful reminders that people want to be seen, heard, and appreciated.

Mapping Out the Business

As business owners, we often find ourselves wearing too many hats. We’re not just technicians; we’re also salespeople, marketers, managers, and more. The key to scaling, however, is to map out your business like a roadmap. I began doing this by visually laying out every process in the business on a whiteboard (or in my case, a tool called Lucid Chart). From the initial customer contact to the follow-up after a job, everything was mapped out in granular detail. By breaking down each step, we created a system that was easy to follow and allowed us to improve efficiency at every level. No more guesswork—everyone knew their role, what was expected, and how to achieve the best results. This not only streamlined operations but also freed me from micromanaging every detail. I finally had the time to focus on big-picture growth.

Removing Yourself from the Grind

The biggest challenge for any entrepreneur is removing themselves from the daily grind. It’s hard. It’s uncomfortable. But it’s also the only way to truly grow your business. For years, I worked myself into the ground, sacrificing time with my family and friends. I validated my absence from important life events by telling myself that the grind was worth it.

But here’s the reality: There’s always going to be more work to do. The question is, are you going to be the one doing it, or are you going to empower others to step up so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor? Not only that are YOU robbing THEM of opportunity. This was the biggest mental shift for me.

To fully remove myself from the business, I committed to something I hated—running. Yes, running. As a 300-pound guy, I wasn’t exactly built for long-distance runs, but it forced me to step away from the shop, decompress, and think. This new routine gave me the mental space to strategize about the business without being consumed by the daily operations.

As I lost weight, my authority and respect within the team grew. They saw me taking care of myself, and it motivated them to do the same. When I said something, they listened because they knew I meant it.

In 2 short years, I went from 300lbs to completing a 100 Mile Ultra. If I could do that then metaphorically, an Installer can become a savvy business owner who operates through leveraging money and his wisdom instead of only with his hands and hard labor.

In Summary - Pick Your Hard

Scaling a business isn’t easy. In fact, it’s incredibly hard. But staying in the technician role for the rest of your life is even harder. The goal is to build something that can thrive without you. That takes time, effort, and the willingness to let go of control. But it’s worth it.

As we near the end of the year, I challenge you to go all in on yourself. Break free from the technician trap, delegate, build systems, and most importantly, prioritize your personal growth. The road to success isn’t easy, but it’s a lot better than grinding away until your body gives out. And trust me, the other side is much more rewarding.

Brent Knott Owner, Design it Wraps & Graphics