You Are NOT Amazon Prime: Why Boundaries Matter in Your Direct Sales Business
Hi friend! Welcome back to the Passports, Profits and Pixie Dust Podcast. I’m Lindsay Dollinger — high school Spanish teacher, dog mom, world traveler, direct seller, and business mentor for women building freedom-focused businesses.
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Listen to the show:
https://pod.co/the-social-selling-sisterhood/reasonable-biz-expectations-are-your-friend
Let’s Talk About a HUGE Mindset Shift You Need in Your Business
This quick Biz Tip Thursday message hit me while I was driving to the post office — shipping customer gifts, appreciation samples, and a few orders. It made me think about something I’ve been hearing in leader chats lately:
🚨 “I’m overwhelmed.”
🚨 “I can’t keep up with all the messages.”
🚨 “I can’t respond fast enough.”
🚨 “I feel like I’m behind all the time.”
And friend… we need to talk.
Because you are NOT Amazon Prime.
Let me say it again for the people in the back:
YOU. ARE. NOT. AMAZON. PRIME.
You are a small business owner.
You are a human.
You are building something meaningful — not delivering packages in one hour.
So let’s break this down.
We Live in a Culture of Instant Everything — But That Does NOT Mean You Have To Be Instant
We’re surrounded by services that give us:
🚚 One-day shipping
🍔 DoorDash meals on demand
🛒 Groceries delivered to our doorstep
🕒 Instant responses via live chat
🎧 Answers from Siri 24/7
Convenience is everywhere.
But here’s the truth:
None of that is the standard for your direct sales business.
You should offer excellent customer service — yes.
You should communicate clearly — absolutely.
But you should NOT feel obligated to:
❌ Reply instantly
❌ Ship instantly
❌ Be “on” instantly
❌ Treat every message like an emergency
Unless your job involves actual medical emergencies (spoiler: direct sales does not), nothing requires a panic response.
Give Yourself Permission to Run Your Business Like a CEO
Part of stepping into CEO energy is shifting from:
“I need to be available 24/7”
➡️ to
“I run this business — and it runs on my schedule.”
Here are the kinds of boundaries you are 100% allowed to set:
✔️ Designated business hours
Work your business when YOU choose — not when every notification dings.
✔️ Designated response times
It’s absolutely okay to reply within 12–24 hours.
✔️ Designated shipping days
My shipping day is once a week.
Yours might be twice a week.
Or only weekends.
You decide.
✔️ Designated team support times
Office hours.
Zoom hours.
Weekly huddles.
Whatever serves your team and your sanity.
Boundaries create freedom.
Boundaries create sustainability.
Boundaries create longevity.
And they show your team what’s POSSIBLE when you treat your business like a business.
Why Boundaries Actually Help Your Team (Not Hurt Them)
There was a season when my team was growing fast and I tried to be available ALL the time.
Guess what happened?
🔥 I burned out.
🔥 I resented the business.
🔥 I felt glued to my phone.
🔥 I taught my team to rely on ME instead of themselves.
When you over-function, your team under-functions.
By setting boundaries — like weekly office hours — you actually empower your team to:
✔ think for themselves
✔ use resources
✔ look up answers
✔ become leaders
✔ develop independence
We live in a world where everything can be Googled, searched on YouTube, or found in the back office.
Let your team step into that power.
Clear Communication Makes You Look MORE Professional
Here’s a simple script you can use anytime:
Customer: “When will my order ship?”
You: “Thanks so much for your order! My shipping day is Friday, so your package will go out then. I’ll send you tracking as soon as it’s on the way!”
Boom. Simple. Clear. Respectful.
Or:
Team Member: “Can you help me with this right now?”
You: “I’m at work at the moment, but I’ll get back to you tonight during my office hours!”
See? You’re still supportive.
Still professional.
Still helpful.
But not a 24/7 hotline.
What Happens When You STOP Being Amazon Prime
When you set boundaries intentionally:
✨ Your stress drops
✨ Your productivity rises
✨ Your customers respect you more
✨ Your team steps into leadership
✨ Your business becomes sustainable
✨ Creativity and joy return
✨ You STOP resenting the thing you once loved
Your business becomes something that fits INTO your life — not something that takes OVER your life.
And you get to actually enjoy what you’re building again.
Your Permission Slip: You Are Allowed to Build Your Business YOUR Way
If no one has told you this yet, let me be the first:
👉 You do NOT have to be always available
👉 You do NOT need to respond instantly
👉 You do NOT have to ship daily
👉 You do NOT owe anyone 24/7 access
👉 You do NOT need to apologize for having a life outside your phone
You are a CEO, not a fulfillment center.
Build your business with boundaries.
Build your business with intention.
Build your business in a way you can sustain for YEARS — not months.
Your future business self will thank you.
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You’ve got this, friend.
Go set those boundaries like the CEO you are!