The first time I had to fire someone, I did it from a McDonald’s parking lot in the middle of Pennsylvania on a roadtrip. 

I remember standing there, phone in hand, heart pounding, thinking - is this really how this is happening?

I was reminded of that moment this week on a coaching call with someone who was struggling with a new hire. I could feel it immediately - that mix of wanting to be kind, wanting to be liked, and quietly knowing something wasn’t working.

Because I’ve been there - we’ll call her Caroline.

She came in overqualified for the role, and at that point in my business, I felt deeply grateful anyone wanted to work for me at all. So when she said yes, I felt lucky.

We got along right away. She was easygoing, motivated, smart. It felt like a win - until it wasn’t.

Caroline didn’t like to follow directions. She moved quickly, wasn’t really interested in listening, and I started to realize she wasn’t actually reading through instructions before jumping in.

That became a real problem.

She made a mistake in one of our formulas - one that could have caused irritation if it had made it out to a client. Thankfully, we caught it. I sat her down and explained how important it was to follow the process exactly.

She said, “Yeah, yeah, I got it.”

And I told myself - she’s got it. I said it, she understands.

She didn’t.

Then a bit later, I went out of town, left a team member in charge, and got a call: “Erin… it happened again.”

Same issue. Same pattern. Still not listening.

And in that moment, it clicked - this wasn’t about a mistake. This was about someone deciding they knew better than the business they were hired to support.

And if I’m being honest, it was also about me. I hadn’t fully stepped into leading yet. I was still trying to be liked (something that took me a very long time to release). I was uncomfortable being direct, so I convinced myself the conversation had landed.

It hadn’t.

I called a business mentor, and they said, “You have to fire her. Don’t make her come in tomorrow just to get fired. You need to call her right now and let her go.”

So I did.

I called her from the parking lot and told her I was letting her go, and I told her why.

She was angry. “You’re firing me over a formula mistake?”

And I said, “I’m not firing you over the mistake alone. I’m letting you go because you’re not following instructions, and it’s made you unreliable.”

The truth is, the cost of keeping her would have been mine.

Yes - it would have affected sales, but more importantly, it would have broken trust with my clients, and once that’s gone, it’s very hard to get back.

This was my business. My name was literally on every product. My customers were trusting me with their skin, and I had to protect that.

If you’re building something of your own, there will be moments like this. Moments where you know something isn’t right, but addressing it feels uncomfortable. Moments where being liked feels easier than being clear.

But you are allowed to prioritize the thing you built.

You are allowed to expect care, attention, and respect for the standards you’ve set.

And if someone isn’t willing to meet you there, they don’t get to stay.

That day, I made a decision to choose the health of my business over my own discomfort.

And if I’m honest, it wasn’t the last time I had to make that choice - but it was the first time I really understood it.