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. 

ANGEL TUCCY

From the outside, people often see the podcast interviews, bestselling books, media placements, and thriving communities and assume it all came together overnight. One of the biggest misconceptions about success is that it happens quickly. The reality is that what people see today is the result of more than a decade of consistent effort, experimentation, and learning. Read More>>

Jeanelle Ditto

Okay, buckle up, because my ‘scaling story’ is really a ‘I burned the whole thing down and rebuilt it from the studs while also rebuilding myself’ story. There was no clean upward graph. Read More>>

A.R. Mauriella

From the outside, growth can look like a series of successful product launches over the course of seven years, But the reality is that scaling Arturo Rose has been a process of constant refinement. The truth is, our journey as a company has been a masterclass in learning through experience- understanding what works, what doesn’t, and having the humility to adapt when mistakes are made. Read More>>

Katy Martin

When I started Coastal Coordinating, my goal was simple: provide reliable, professional coordination services that clients could trust. Like many entrepreneurs, I began with a vision, a strong work ethic, and a commitment to delivering exceptional results. What I quickly learned was that growing a business requires much more than simply doing great work. Read More>>

Mars

I Noticed My Business Started Scaling When I Took It Seriously By Investing In Myself And Putting In The Work. I Create Daily. One Of My Favorite Things To Do Is Create New “Mars Hype” Gear And Show Up Wearing 1 Of 1’s. I Still Go To Events And Spread The Hype Around By Blessing People With My New Custom Products While Supplies Last. Read More>>

Preethi Sarada

Henna By Preethi started when I volunteered at a school festival after being recommended by a friend. Many people showed interest in the henna designs, which inspired her to explore the idea of turning it into a business. I began by offering henna at fundraising and community events, often providing services for free. As interest grew, these opportunities gradually developed into a business. Read More>>

Brittney Smith

Scaling One in a Melody wasn’t glamorous; it was a grind. I started as a travel teacher, hauling equipment from house to house, squeezing lessons between commutes, and manually tracking every payment and schedule in my head. It was exhausting and completely unsustainable. The turning point came when I made two big decisions: establish a home studio and implement systems that could grow with me. Read More>>

Travis Matheny

Five Stone Creative started as a video production company. Event production became a larger part of the business over time as clients trusted us with bigger projects and broader responsibilities. There was no grand master plan. We focused on doing great work, building relationships, and making sure people knew who we were. Read More>>

Sammantha Swanson DeJesus

Such a loaded question! Ok…buckle up; it’s a story! I opened up Mully & Mo’s in September of 2018 – at the time, businesses were just starting to shift from the traditional mall model, and were focusing instead on creating their own unique spaces and enriching small downtown areas. Read More>>

Christine Brogdon

⸻ When I first started my business, I thought scaling meant working harder. Over time, I learned that scaling is really about building systems, developing people, and creating impact beyond yourself. My journey began with offering branding, marketing, and business consulting services. Like many entrepreneurs, I wore every hat—sales, marketing, design, operations, client management, and fulfillment.  Read More>>

Zainab Hageldain

I scaled up quickly in my HR career by combining academic preparation, intentional learning, and consistent exposure to increasingly complex responsibilities within corporate environments. I earned my Master’s degree in International Business at a young age, which gave me a strong foundation in organizational behavior, global business operations, and strategic thinking. Read More>>

Vitaliya Strelkova

My approach to growth has never been very planned or intentional—it’s been more reactive than strategic. The business has always grown in response to demand rather than through a structured “scale-up” strategy. When I first started in 2021 in Canmore, it was really just a creative experiment during a very uncertain period of my life. Read More>>

Marissa Burkhead

When people see Society today, they see a thriving salon with a large team, a beautiful flagship location, and a strong culture. What they don’t see are the years spent building the foundation that made that growth possible. When we opened Society in 2019, we started with a team of about ten people. Read More>>

Marva Bailer

One of the most important lessons I learned about scaling came from realizing that the quota/target/ goal is not the opportunity. My first executive role was leading the federal business at Micromuse. The business generated about $5 million in revenue, while the annual quota for the region was roughly $3 million. Early on, I focused on the number. Read More>>