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.

Cassie Lopez & Mallory Kincaid

I (Cassie) founded The Wandering Wagon, and for the first three seasons, I ran the business solo. In those early days, I was at nearly event, supported by two bartenders who rotated shifts with me. It was exciting, but also exhausting—and by the end of our second season, I was completely burnt out. Read more>>

Jill Rae

I am definitely an entrepreneur at heart and when I knew I wanted to start my own design businesses, I wanted to make sure it was different than all the other firms out there. I put a ton of my focus on the community and how to involve them. When outfitting my studio, I wanted to have it be available to everyone. I got in touch with our local Guild of Artist and decided to feature an artist quarterly. So, each quarter we host an artist in the studio, we hold an Artist Reception where they invite their network in to view their work. I also allow other organizations to rent out the space for talks, or meetings. Read more>>

Manuel Pablo

2024 was a tough year for me, both professionally and personally. For a long time, I was afraid of change and unsure about what the future held. As you know, real estate is a commission-based business—there’s no guaranteed paychecks, no hourly safety net— and that’s where a lot of my uncertainty came from. But as cliché as it sounds, it’s in those uncomfortable, uncertain moments that we grow the most. I took a hard look at everything in my life—what was serving me and what wasn’t. I poured countless hours into my business, often without seeing immediate results. It was frustrating, but also humbling. Through trial and error, I learned, adjusted, and kept going. I believed it would pay off—and it has. Read more>>

Fabia Owen

When people see my photography work today — the beautiful sessions, the happy clients, the creative themes — they often assume it all happened quickly, almost effortlessly. But the truth is far from that. My business didn’t grow overnight. It took years of trial and error, sacrifice, and relentless determination behind the scenes. Read more>>

Renata Gasparian

We moved from Sao Paulo, Brazil to Charlotte for my husbands job, and I wanted to find a way to stay connected with the fashion world. In Brazil I had worked for the most prestigious fashion company, and fell in love with everything in the industry!
The idea of starting my company happened at the end of 2019, before anyone could ever anticipate what would happen in 2020. I’ve always enjoyed getting dresses, and everywhere I went, I’d get compliments on my outfits. With that came the idea of, “well, if everyone loves what I wear, I might as well start my own clothing line…” Read more>>

Melissa Infante

I’ve been a stylist for over 10 years, but getting to where I am today wasn’t easy. I made plenty of mistakes along the way, but each one taught me something valuable and helped me grow. I don’t have a degree in fashion, so I had to work twice as hard to prove myself. I paid my dues by assisting, interning, and doing whatever it took to move forward. I made a lot of sacrifices, but I always knew it was all for the greater good. Read more>>