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In this episode of Small Business, Big Life: Inside Fort Orange General Store, Joe Slichko and Erica Cubello talk through a real and ongoing challenge of small business ownership:

Managing people while still being responsible for the work itself.

As their business continues to grow, so does the complexity of working with a team. But unlike larger organizations, there’s no clear separation between leadership and execution. When something needs to get done, the decision isn’t always whether to delegate—it’s whether to step in.

Joe and Erica reflect on what it looks like to manage employees in real time, while also maintaining the standards and expectations they’ve set for the business.

They discuss:

• The balance between leading a team and doing the work yourself
• Recognizing when to step back—and when to step in immediately
• The responsibility of ownership when things aren’t going as expected
• How fast-paced environments change the way you manage people
• Navigating communication, expectations, and follow-through
• Why small business leadership often looks different than traditional management

The conversation stays grounded in real scenarios inside the store—moments where decisions have to be made quickly, without overthinking or overexplaining. In those moments, leadership becomes less about process and more about presence.

Joe reflects on the challenge of managing outcomes while still being part of the day-to-day operations, while Erica shares how maintaining the energy and flow of the store often requires jumping in without hesitation.

Together, they unpack the reality that in a small business, ownership doesn’t sit on the sidelines. It shows up in the middle of the work—whether that means guiding, adjusting, or doing it yourself to keep things moving.

As always, the conversation connects back to life outside the store. With four kids and a full schedule, the weight of these decisions doesn’t stay at work. It becomes part of the rhythm of their everyday lives.

This episode offers an honest look at what it really means to lead a team in a small business—where the line between manager and doer is never fully separate.

Because sometimes leadership isn’t about stepping back.

It’s about stepping in.

Keywords: managing employees small business, small business leadership, retail team management, entrepreneurship leadership, business ownership reality, working with employees, Fort Orange Gen

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Fort Orange General Store – Downtown Albany, NY

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fortorangegeneralstore.com

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