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.
Amy Jordan
What happens when a Marvel Studios marketing executive decides to leave a high-profile career to reinvent Pilates? I started with three folding chairs and a laptop on the floor, opening my first studio while figuring out how to become an entrepreneur with bold ideas. I knew I could do better than the reformers everyone else used for 100 years. On a plane, I sketched the WundaFormer, a machine that would become the patented foundation of WundaBar Pilates. Prototyping was chaotic and costly, $20,000 on a non-functional first model, but each setback shaped the design and taught me how to scale a business that could deliver consistently excellent results. Read more>>
Rachel Harris
Scaling my hair and makeup business definitely didn’t happen by accident- I was incredibly hungry to make it happen and that took persistence, strategy, and a deep passion for what I do. In the early stages, I spent countless nights on social media researching local photographers, creatives, and wedding vendors, introducing myself for ways to collaborate and get my work seen. Read more>>
James Guo
From day one, I chose a traditional path. Instead of chasing every new online trend, I worked directly with distributors and brick-and-mortar stores. I wanted the kind of relationships where people knew my face, trusted my handshake, and believed in the products we were putting on their shelves.
The smartest move I made early on was hiring people who were already part of the industry’s inner circle. They had personal relationships with store owners and major distributors, which meant we could walk into rooms that would have otherwise been closed to us for years. Read more>>
Dan Liberman
People often think that success is the result of luck, power, having resources and connections and happens fast for those, and sometimes it is. However, the best road to success is to have a dream, to prepare yourself, to work hard, and walk, not run. You will make mistakes and that gives you the opportunity to learn from them and become better. Don’t be afraid to try those things you believe in. Read more>>
Margaret Zheng
People love to talk about overnight success — but in our case, it was more like every-weekend-for-over -a-year success. COURT & CREW didn’t start with a pitch deck or a business plan. It started because I had just moved to LA and was looking for community outside of the tech world. I found it on the pickleball court. The vibe was instantly different from other sports — it was social, accessible, and diverse. But I noticed that there was no unified “look” to the sport. Read more>>