Growing and scaling a business is hard and we wanted to hear from business owners who have successfully scaled a business. Below, you’ll find our conversations on scaling with some very talented and insightful folks.

Larry Ali

The year was 2012 and I was a Junior in college at Kent State University. I was a collegiate athlete who had an academic scholarship and an athletic scholarship. Since I earned two scholarships, this gave me an opportunity to save money from Pell grants, summer hustles, per diems, and refund checks over the years. My bank account had about $15,000 dollars in it and I wasn’t able to hold a steady job because football practice was so demanding. I was commuting from home and then I was able to recognize an opportunity. My mother, Janetta Rodgers, had made mention that the house next door had been vacant for some time and she had reached out to the owner to see if he was interested in selling. Read more>>

Vanessa Beard

My business journey began with a 4 ft table displaying 3 incense holders, 2 vases, 4 ornaments and a small rack of thrifted silk shirts. I set up the table of my handmade ceramics and rack of handprinted apparel at a flea market inside a Hamtramck dive bar. This was where I made my first sale as a craftsperson, designer, and artist. It was from this most humble beginning that my small business, Porcelinen, was born. At the inception of Porcelinen, I had pipe dreams but no solid business model. The business evolved organically and gradually. As I continued to vend at flea markets (Fleatroit) around Detroit, I started to sell out of my ceramics and apparel. Read more>>

Maria Littlefield

We’ve actually won over 20 tasting awards since launch, and are nominated for one of the most prestigious awards in food and beverage this spring. When we started Owl’s Brew, we were shocked by what our competitors were using to make their products and committed to always using the best in class ingredients to make our boozy beverages. We make each flavor with an enormous amount of thought, craft and care. Jennie (my co-founder) still develops all the flavors in her kitchen. However, this was not the simple path – and over and over we have been advised to create our products the “easy” way, like everyone else. Most canned seltzers and cocktails are made in labs and at flavor houses, using chemical concoctions that are designed to mimic the taste of raspberries or mangos or pineapples and sugar substitutes that give the impression of something sweet with bad after tastes.. Read more>>

Julie Lancaster

I didn’t set out to own a business. I worked at a small college as a professor, career services director, and dean of students and thought “I’m ready to play bigger.” I told my girlfriends at a ladies night out, got introduced to someone in their network, and was then quitting my job within the month to start on a new adventure born from connection. INTRODUCTION. I started as a subcontractor for a woman who was doubling her client load, so I hit the ground running as a coach & trainer. I went to my accountant immediately who I typically only saw once per year at tax time and asked her what to do. She told me that I needed to start a business officially, and that the first thing was to create a business name. Read more>>

Caroline Guntur

When we see any successful business, it’s easy to assume that they achieved overnight success. The reality is usually quite different, however. Behind every thriving business lies years of hard work, perseverance, and strategic decision-making. Mine is no different. My years in business as a small business owner have been eventful to say the least, and the real story is actually one of self-discovery, more so than anything else. The business you start is not the one you end up with; it’s funny how that happens. I started a professional organizing company over a decade ago, and my focus was solely on in-home residential services to local Chicagoans. I organized closets, basements, and kitchens. Read more>>

Warith Jumu’ah

June 2024 will make Passionate Rebel 10 years old. Sheeeeesh…..10 years definitely sounds like an overnight success lol. Making it to 10 years in business as an entrepreneur isn’t as easy as people think it is. Takes a lot of sacrifice, tears, dedication, faith walking, disappointment, and true grit to be a Passionate Rebel who goes out into the world to build a foundation/maintain it. In the beginning, I stood on my faith and belief that Passionate Rebel needed to be created. My purpose in this life was and still is to represent Passionate Rebels across the world. At the time of starting the brand, I used unemployment payments to purchase everything I needed i.e, camera for photography, clothing and merchandise that would be purchased by people, business cards, and marketing tools. Read more>>

Natalie Finley

Being a mom and running a photography business wasn’t a easy task like I thought. It truly started as a hobby to get me out of the house, creatively thinking, and meeting new people. When I made the switch to start a business my main goal was to navigate my own schedule, make a little extra money and see where this took me until my kids get into full-time school. Little did I know I would be mom-ing during the day and working at night. There were (are) long days, big deadlines, and things I want to be apart of creatively that’s worth the long days and nights. The work was really hard (still is) but worth navigating my own scheduling and showing up for my kids and family the way I wanted too. Read more>>

Andy Gatenby

One of the biggest things that has held me back is trying to hold onto everything myself. My wife, Kirsty, and I founded CGE Southern, a company specialising in domestic and commercial gas plumbing and heating. I wanted to keep control of everything and was scared to let go of different aspects as I was worried that other people wouldn’t be able to do the work as well as me. Doing so held me back massively and meant that, in a relatively short time, I became overworked. I understood that to scale our company, this needed to change, and I started with a business group called Synergy Success Network. They delivered business and life training to help me grow in all aspects of life. Read more>>

Kasey Thao

Starting my nail business was a journey full of determination and hard work. I knew I had to make sacrifices to turn my passion into a business. To build my clientele, I offered affordable nail sets, even though it meant losing money initially. I worked long hours, often late into the night, to make my dream a reality. Building relationships with clients was key. I wanted each interaction to be positive and personal. Yes, there were financial challenges, and I invested a lot, but I believed in the long-term success of my venture. Timing was crucial. Offering services until nighttime was strategic, capturing a market that valued evening appointments. I faced setbacks and losses, but I learned from them, adapting and refining my approach. Persistence and patience were my companions. Read more>>

Gina DeSantis

My education in ceramics began in 1999 at a local community college. I eventually went on to earn my MFA in 2006 from Kent State University with the goal of being a college professor. When I started out Etsy was just taking off and the handmade maker movement had just begun. There were no professional practices courses or business advice given to us in our program. I spent a few years working other jobs while working in the evenings and weekends as an artist. This included visual merchandising, non-profit administration and teaching classes. In 2013 I decided to make the leap to full time self-employment. I did a wholesale show that February along with launching a classroom space. Both took off immediately. At this show I met a buyer from Uncommon Goods and that was my first lesson in scaling up. Read more>>

Craig Goldberg

Scaling inHarmony has been a thoughtful and strategic process, marked by a series of deliberate steps aimed at ensuring sustained growth and a meaningful impact in the health and wellness space. One of our key strategies involved a phased approach to launching our products, introducing one carefully crafted product at a time to the market. This methodical progression allowed us to focus on each product’s unique features and benefits, ensuring that we were delivering exceptional value with every offering. To further enhance our reach and engagement, we introduced the inHarmony Music Meditations App, providing users with a convenient and immersive way to experience our meditation furniture. Read more>>