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.

Marti Hutchinson

When I first started, I was a solo entrepreneur working out of a small room that I shared with a massage therapist, limited to three days a week because that was the only time available. Things began to shift when a full-time space opened up, and I could work as an esthetician full-time. During this phase, two incredible mentors became essential to my journey. Rachelle Moore, the salon owner, taught me the ins and outs of running a salon and spa business, from operations to managing client flow. Meanwhile, Tina Zillman focused on my skincare education, helping me master techniques that elevated my services. These relationships were pivotal in shaping both my technical skills and business understanding. Read more>>

Emma Burke

I founded Emma K Films in 2019, when I was 19 and studying for a Bachelor’s in Accounting in Oregon. Starting out like many do, I bought a video camera and a drone as a new hobby and filmed a friend’s wedding, funding everything on a credit card. For a broke college student, it was a risky decision, but one that I felt was worth the investment. After that first wedding, I knew I wanted to turn this passion into something much bigger. Read more>>

Tierra Chess

My story of scaling up begins with a turning point—realizing that I wasn’t happy following society’s norms and choosing a path that was true to me. After a three years in corporate, I felt lost and drained, trying to fit into an environment that didn’t reflect who I was. That was the moment I decided to put myself first, despite how uncomfortable it felt at the time. Read more>>

Paolo Capone

The company was founded in 2004 by partners in their early 20s, starting with bedroom furniture, selling one set at a time through classified ads. They began by purchasing one bedroom set at a time, with sales slowly increasing from one to two, then three. The first major investment came when they decided to cut out the middleman by purchasing a container of bedroom furniture directly from a factory overseas. Read more>>

Ace Tarakchian

The journey of scaling Ace Business Consulting wasn’t an overnight success story – it was forged in the crucible of one of the most challenging periods for small businesses in recent history. When I founded the firm in 2019, I started with a focused approach, working with franchisors to help their franchisees grow through government contracting and B2B sales strategies. However, the true scaling story began when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, which initially seemed like it would destroy everything I had built. Read more>>

Carly Hill

Scaling up my business was far from an overnight success—it was a journey filled with challenges, setbacks, and moments of self-doubt, but also pivotal decisions, intentional strategies, and continuous learning. My journey from a burnt-out therapist to a successful coaching entrepreneur had many twists and turns, each contributing to the eventual growth and success of my business. Read more>>

Ciara Ruffin

I will first start by saying that scaling a business does not happen overnight. Starting a business during a pandemic was even more challenging since so many others in the same industry where also starting businesses. It became evident that I had to differentiate my business and quickly. I remember early on, creating custom signage to match every event theme so that guests knew who was responsible for the event design even if I wasn’t physically in the room. Read more>>