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.

Megan Ewing

When I started Think Big, Act Bold, it wasn’t a polished, high-performing business overnight—it was built step by step, with every decision, challenge, and pivot shaping the foundation for what it is today.

Laying the Foundation
I left corporate America a decade ago, diving into entrepreneurship through Paint Nite, a venture that thrived until market saturation forced me to pivot. That’s when I shifted focus to Kevin Ewing Photography, helping my husband turn his creative passion into a structured business. This wasn’t just about photography; it was about building scalable systems, optimizing workflows, and leveraging automation—skills that would later become the backbone of Think Big, Act Bold. Read more>>

Laurel Bice

Scaling my business wasn’t an overnight success—it was built through strategic planning, relationship-building, and a willingness to evolve.
1. Building a Strong Brand & Community
From the beginning, I focused on creating a cohesive brand that resonated with my ideal clients. Authentic connections with couples, vendors, event professionals, and most importantly, my community. These relationships helped spread word-of-mouth referrals, which became a cornerstone of growth. Read more>>

Sheryl Kline

At a formidable age, I was told that I was not a good enough student to remain in the small public school I was attending. Despite working hard and getting nearly perfect grades, I was eventually asked to leave this school. This sparked my curiosity to answer the question ‘Who gets to decide who’s good enough?’ Did my principal get to decide my fate? What about Olympians? Did someone choose who is good enough to be the best in the world? To answer that question, I eventually received a Master’s Degree in Applied Sports Psychology. I had the honor of working with some of the top athletes in the world to help them get better quicker and to perform under pressure. Read more>>

Victor Manuel De Luis Alonso

I think one of the conditions is passion for what you do, perseverance and dedication are minimum factors that you must have naturally to achieve success. Read more>>

Nikisha King

When I started my business, it was just me, my ideas, and endless to-do lists. Every email, every design mockup (3 per client), every client call—I handled it all. At first, I told myself, “This is how it has to be.” I believed that to grow, I had to control everything, but in reality, it was a scarcity of believing I didn’t have enough money to hire anyone. But over time, that belief became a trap. Read more>>

Ishmam Ahmed

It’s been a journey! With a few art fairs tucked in my cap now, over 10 years’ worth of commissioned projects, and 7,500-ish followers across social media and ishmam.com, I’m no big wig, but I do have a thing or two I can say about what has and hasn’t worked on my path to scaling up as an artist. I hope for anyone that’s curious about my story or who’s writing the next chapter of their own, that you’ll find some treasure in these thoughts. Read more>>