When businesses are covered in the media, often there is a lot of focus on the initial idea, the genesis moment. Then they almost brush over the middle part – the scaling up part – and arrive at how big and awesome the business is today. It makes for a fun read or in the case of a movie or show an entertaining watch, but it’s also a missed opportunity. The middle part – the scaling up part is where so many small business owners get stuck. It’s the part so many of us need more guidance with and so we wanted to get conversations going on the topic of scaling up.

Adrian Roman

Everyone that begins as a filmmaker has different goals and ambitions. When I started, my goal was to become a successful screenwriter. I began by reading dozens of notable screenplays from movies I enjoy while simultaneously studying the craft of screenwriting. The structure of a screenplay is highly specific. It’s very different in so many ways from writing a novel. I wrote my first feature length script over a long weekend. It wasn’t planned or intentional to write the first draft so quickly but once I started I barely slept and three days later it was done. Over the next month I did six additional drafts and polished it, then sent it to competitions and festivals. To my surprise it won in several and placed high in others. That encouraged me. So I began writing the next one. This time I sent it to Tier One competitions like Beverly Hills and Austin, and again, it won in several and placed in the finals and semi-finals in others. The recognition was great but studios weren’t beating down my door to buy or option them. Read more>>

Tyler Melton

I’ve always been a part of music, whether its been in a band personally during my middle school/high school/college years, or now since I am a vinyl record & music influencer. Even that awkward period in between where my “life was getting started” after college, I was searching for a way to get closer to music. TikTok and Instagram had always been an interesting tool I admired from a far, until about 2 years ago when I posted my first vinyl record video on my personal account. Nobody saw it…but that put me in the mix with the algorithm to come across some other Vinyl Record accounts on TikTok that got me inspired. Read more>>

Jenn Troy

Here’s a response about how The Troy Method scaled up: When it comes to scaling The Troy Method, our growth has been very organic and referral driven. From the very beginning (and gratefully), we didn’t have to spend a single dollar on marketing during the first two years. Instead, our growth was driven by referrals from two key sources: marketing agencies and the clinics we’ve served. These agencies, who already had a pulse on their clients’ needs, recognized that while their clinics had a strong influx of leads, they often struggled with following up effectively. They saw the gap and referred those clinics to us, knowing that The Troy Method could step in and solve this issue. Read more>>

Sierra Lorraine Ferguson

Reflecting back on my life, I realize that photography has always been a massive part of it. I was born and raised in the prime Tumblr era, where Arctic Monkeys, Brandy Melville, Indy Blue Travel Vlogs, and Lana Del Rey on vinyl were the aesthetic. My friends and I would set up sheets against our closets, place our cameras on the tripod with the self-timer, and try to replicate the “grungy” vibe. At the time, I used a simple point-and-shoot camera, but I would find images on Tumblr and spend hours editing the blur, white balance, focus, and all the small details to create my dream images to post on Instagram. I had begun to grow a decent following, which only sparked my creativity. At 15, I received my first Canon DSLR Canon EOS T3 with the two standard lenses. Receiving this camera brought out a light I can not describe; I saw and created art everywhere I went. Unfortunately, as I grew up, my love for photography grew, but my perfectionism and fear of failing grew bigger; I experienced so much imposter syndrome that I ultimately ended up deleting my Instagram account that I had worked hard growing. Read more>>

Loki Rara

In the beginning of my business I had to be a one man army and put in 11-18 hours of work a day just to get it up and off the ground. The way I scaled in the beginning was pure grit and determination. Once it was off the ground and my foundation was built I started implementing more people into my business. When I was able to accept help and let other people jump on board I started to see more seamless growth because now I am not the only one carrying all the responsibilities. Read more>>

Pepper Bethel

When I decided to scale my business, the shift came when I stopped trying to be everything to everyone. I realized that by honing in on one key area—business development—I could truly excel and bring more value to my clients. It wasn’t just about offering a range of services anymore; it was about mastering the art of building relationships and fostering growth. Read more>>

Cheyenne Miller

In 2017 I was booking web design, logo design, photography, and video for friends, family, and local businesses. This hobby quickly took a toll on me and I became burnt out! I was saying yes to anything and everything and realized what I was once passionate about was greatly overwhelming me. Read more>>