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.

Marianely Padua

The first thing I did to scale up was make sure my goals and vision for myself were clear. I always knew I wanted to become a studio owner, so I started mapping out the steps to get there. I set a three-year timeline to build my clientele, grow my reputation, and perfect my craft. Read More>>

Chandi Weber

When I took over Mod Picnic, it was just a two-person operation with a few hundred followers. From the outside, it might seem like our growth happened quickly but in reality, it took consistent effort, creative thinking, and a deep connection with our community to get where we are today. The early days were anything but easy. Read More>>

John Demartini

My six-step formula for scaling up productivity, meaning, and profitability. Two weeks after I opened my business office I created a series of six-column forms by drawing five equally spaced lines down a series of 8.5 x 11 inch pieces of paper. Read More>>

Cynthia Kemper

I started Insight Tutoring when I was a junior in college. It began through word of mouth, especially in my sorority, which let me speak at chapter meetings each semester about my business. Soon, friends and classmates started texting me nonstop to book sessions, it became overwhelming fast. That Thanksgiving break, I talked with my cousin, who had just started a career in web design. Read More>>

Michael Coxen

When people see my real estate business today—a thriving sales business, growing brokerage, a strong culture, and agents producing at a high level—they often assume it was an overnight success. But the truth is, it took years of deliberate rebuilding, personal transformation, and a lot of trial and error to create a business that’s both profitable and human-centered. Read More>>

Steve Ustin

Our journey began in 1947, when my father set out to do something bold: open the first bagel company in Southern California. At the time, most people on the West Coast had never even heard of a bagel, let alone tasted one. Read More>>