Growing and scaling a business is hard and we wanted to hear from business owners who have successfully scaled a business. Below, you’ll find our conversations on scaling with some very talented and insightful folks.
Tanisha Smith
When I started my business, I had no safety net—no book of business waiting for me, no guaranteed clients lined up. I took a leap of faith, leaving behind a stable job to step into entrepreneurship, unsure of what was ahead but confident in my ability to figure it out. I had 21 years of HR expertise by that time; surely, I would be able to take on a few small clients easily. I was thinking that 2-3 clients would allow me to work and make enough to get by as I traveled the world. I thought, I didn’t need to scale, I just needed to maintain a solid book of business. Read more>>
Juliette Kristine
When I started my coaching business, I had a vision of doing more than just 1:1 work. I saw myself scaling through online courses, but at the time, I had no idea how that would come about.
The best decision I made, which ultimately allowed me to scale, was following my intuition. Instead of getting distracted by creating new offers, I went in the opposite direction. I poured everything into my private coaching and focused on how I could become exceptional at getting my clients the results the desired. Read more>>
Dustin Coleman
When we started Cole-TAC, it was just me, my wife Liene, a single sewing machine, and a spare bedroom. We didn’t have investors or a flashy launch strategy — just an idea, a passion for shooting sports, and the drive to build better gear. What people don’t often see is everything that happened between that humble beginning and where we are now, with a full production facility, a team of 30, international orders, and customers across commercial, government, and military markets. Read more>>
Rachel Davis
Oh, I could write a novel on that middle phase.
People love to romanticize the beginning and celebrate the “success,” but the in-between? That’s the part that really tests you. For Matchstick Social, scaling didn’t come from one big break. It came from dozens of little pivots, a relentless focus on doing great work, and learning how to be scrappy and strategic at the same time. Read more>>
Amy Gumbs
When I launched my independent personal training business in April 2020, the world was changing rapidly. As people found themselves confined to their homes with disrupted routines, I too was navigating uncharted territory—leaving the familiar gym environment to establish my own practice and embracing the new frontier of virtual training alongside my clients. Read more>>
Jennifer
It’s so easy to look at a thriving business and assume it just *happened*. But the truth is, scaling House of Bernal wasn’t a straight line, it was layered, gritty, and deeply intentional.
In the early days, I knew I had a strong creative voice and a deep love for florals, but I also knew that talent alone wouldn’t be enough. I invested in my growth, both personally and professionally. Taking floral design classes with *Intrigue Designs** was a turning point. Those courses sharpened my technique and pushed me to think bigger and more strategically about the kind of experiences I wanted to create for clients. Read more>>
Amber Hopson
When I started my salon in 2011, it was in a salon suite. I wasn’t just chasing a dream—I was surviving. After working for 8 different salons prior and being a single parent, I needed to build something stable, something that would provide for my child while also making an impact. From the very beginning, my salon was more than just a place to get hair done. I wanted it to be a judgment-free space where women of color could embrace their natural beauty, feel empowered, and receive expert care tailored to their textured hair. Read more>>
Shelley Summer
Scaling up Palmetto Shared Services Alliance (PSSA) has been a journey defined by persistence, vision, and adaptability. We began as a program under Greenville First Steps, and in 2017, we ventured out on our own, launching as a 501(c)(3). In those early days, Executive Director Leslie Latimer, and I, sat across from each other at her dining room table, brainstorming and wondering what direction to take next. We had big dreams of earning a “seat at the table” with other influential agencies, and we poured ourselves into meeting with as many individuals and organizations as possible. Read more>>
Nikki Melago
Scaling up didn’t happen overnight for me, it was a slow, intentional process built over years of consistent and clarity. I spent a long time balancing two full-time jobs: teaching during the day, and building my brand in the evenings, weekends and summers. My early strategy was simple but powerful: show up consistently, create valuable content and truly connect with my audience. Read more>>
Laurie Wright
In 2012, Chad Nakano and Laurie Wright met in a tiny bar in the heart of San Francisco, called Tony Nik’s. At the time, Chad worked in importing, and Laurie worked in commercial real estate at Westfield Shopping Centers. Chad struggled to find a high-quality sock that would keep his feet dry and stay up throughout the day. Rather than settle for subpar options, they decided to create the perfect sock themselves. In 2015, Modern Envy Apparel was born. Read more>>