Starting a business is hard because it’s a fight with yourself, an internal battle – gaining the courage to get started, etc. Scaling a business is different – the challenges you face are mostly external to yourself. Each challenge has a million mini-challenges. We wanted to create a space for conversations and stories around growth and scaling. Below, you’ll find stories and insights from successful entrepreneurs across a variety of industries and markets.

Sylvia Glanton

When I first started, it was just me wearing multiple hats. As the demands grew, I realized the need to expand. Building a team was a pivotal step. I focused on finding individuals who shared my vision and brought complementary skills to the table. Read more>>

Tiffany McDonald Bentman

After Brett and I made our first bigger budget movie, 90 Feet From Home, which was paid for by out of state investors, we invested in our own film, ‘Copper Bill’. We didn’t have a buyer for the film and often went to bed at night trying to figure out how we were gonna get this movie sold to pay off the loan we took out to make it. We put it on Amazon first and it did really well. In fact, it’s still making money today! Read more>>

Ron Adkins

We started Paradise Valley Studios in 2020 with the vision of becoming a creative hub where creatives and brands could come together to create something truly special. We wanted to be more than just a video production company; we wanted to be an agency that facilitated and created ideas. Read more>>

Sue Carlton

My farm journey started 2019, through Medicinal and Recreational Cannabis. When I first pivoted to CBD Hemp after 10 years of experience working with Cannabis I knew immediately why I was there. To elevate the standard of what is considered Industrial Hemp through high-grade smokeable flower to everlasting aroma creations of genetics. Read more>>

Matthew Moore

Scaling is not something I was really interested in. I probably waited a little too long before making the hires I needed to, but I feel like it’s better to error on that side of the business than to hire too soon and not be able to retain my employees. Read more>>

Jackelyne Lopez

When I first started to model, I had no connections. The few people I would work with where friends of mine that were not necessarily in the industry, They where still learning. I would only shoot once every 3-6 months, I wasn’t consistent with my work. That’s key to what I do, Being consist. Rather that be practicing your walk in your room everyday, when your out. Or even standing Infront of a mirror and constantly practicing your poses. Read more>>

Shauna Dolan

So, the growth of this business was very slow and steady. This is not get rich quick or everything is rainbows and butterflies all the time type of business. Starting out, I did full home organization and had so much fun on that journey. I slowly but surely realized that closet organization and custom built closets is what set a fire inside me aka: passion! Read more>>

Kalysta Kuebler

Scaling up… goals aimed to be reached. “Be happy but never satisfied” -Bruce Lee. Starting a business is not easy. Your mind has to be ready for what your body might not be able to accomplish. Pushing through the difficulty to get the the first checkpoint. Then the next and the next. I started Thru Kals Lens off as an idea. Read more>>

Mélina Be

When friends told me ten years ago that I should make more of a leather bag I had just sewn for myself, beaded earrings, a felted bags,… I knew one day I would start my own business. In 2016 I registered my trade name and started on the venture of Mélina Be as my business. Read more>>

Matilsha Marxuach

Concalma started as a strong desire to be part of the ecosystem of slow fashion and companies making a difference to offer local, quality designer products to compete in the market as a real option of conscious consumption. becoming a real option to consumers to start looking and the positive impact the can cause in their local and global economies. Read more>>

Gareth Neckles

In the early days of my photography journey, I faced a daunting challenge – little to no clients. Armed with a passion for photography and a basic camera, I began capturing the world around me, from the blooming flowers, to the sunsets on evenings. These were the foundational moments that fueled my aspiration to become a professional photographer. Read more>>

Andrea Romero

In 2010, I hadn’t the slightest idea of what my side hustle would turn into. I was in college, constantly changing my major and working desk jobs when I got my first camera. I always loved art, but had never considered photography as a medium before. For extra cash, I offered friends and family free sessions of all kinds and gladly accepted donations. Read more>>

Alexey Bever

First and most importantly is believe in your self and the craft you are creating. When I was just doing photography as a hobby. Many other photographers would want to come up and talk about my equipment and or stories. I always just wanted to be the outsider. That until I finally said to myself, “talk to these people and hear what is said.” Read more>>

Christina Lyon

I knew it was time to scale when my freelance writing clients kept increasing the volume of weekly content, to the point where I couldn’t fulfill the demand myself. This was a truly enlightening experience and provoked quite a challenge. Would it be ethical if I hired writers to help me, well, write the content my clients paid me to write? Read more>>

Lee Schneider

In a boutique agency, it’s challenging to scale up. When Red Cup Agency was brand new, I was used to doing everything myself, from attending recording sessions, writing scripts, and editing and mixing all episodes. (And balancing the books.) As the agency grew, that all-me-all-the-time workflow didn’t flow. For a founder, scaling up means letting go. I had to learn how to build a team. Read more>>

Suze Yalof Schwartz

Unplug was anything but an overnight success. When I first opened the studio in 2014, I envisioned an Unplug meditation studio on every corner, similar to Starbucks. However, it only took opening my second studio a few years later to realize that one was enough work and if I really wanted to scale, the business would need to be “phygital” – a blend of physical and digital. Read more>>

Tawny Ann De La Peña

Before I became a life coach, I was a direct response copywriter. That means I’m utterly obsessed with using testing data to inform my decisions. The first thing I did was ask friends if they’d like to be coached on a weekly basis for free. That way, I could work out my systems and processes, while also doing a lot of front-end work like building the brand and website. Read more>>

Angelika Selix

I scaled my photography business by networking and creating relationships. putting myself out of my comfort zone and really pushing myself was a huge aspect as well. Read more>>