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.

Brittney Smith

This business started as a project in my final semester of college. We were told to create a business and marketing plan for new business – real or fictitious. At this point my husband, Chad, and I had been asked a few times to DJ some of our friends’ weddings and we realized that we really enjoyed it! I couldn’t think of another business type to build so I said “why don’t I just do it for a DJ business and we’ll go from there?” And that’s how Whole 9 Yards, Entertainment was born! Read more>>

Chris Anderson

Twenty-five years later, and now we’re finally not just “breaking even.” I guess that’s a bit of a stretch. We’ve been profitable for well over half that quarter decade, but it sure didn’t start that way. Fortunately, my “old-school” mentality of not wanting to owe anybody money kept me out of trouble with creditors, as I chose to live in a van for years (way before that was a norm – they used to look at us as homeless, not social media influencers) rather than take out any loans. I literally couch surfed for the first 8-10 years, but that couch surfing built awesome friendships. Read more>>

Marilu Aleman

Being an event planner for 12 years was not enough when I started Event Creators in 2018, even though I knew many people in the corporate world, when I decided to open my business in event and wedding planning, it seemed like nobody knew me. I decided to start offering wedding planning services even though I had only planned just one wedding; mine, but I was confident that my event planning experience was enough to do it, it was the same process and logistics, it just had more emotions involved. Read more>>

Ashleigh Fischer

I started my business in 2018 with a love for vintage markets and antiques, but I wasn’t quite sure how to turn that passion into a real business yet. At first, I experimented with selling custom stickers and seasonal paper cutouts online. I was trying to find my footing—testing what felt aligned and what could be profitable. As I kept going to flea markets and vintage shows, I started sourcing a few pieces and listing them online. That’s when things clicked. I realized I didn’t just love the look of antiques—I loved the hunt, the history, and connecting others with pieces they’d treasure. Read more>>

David Price

I’m David Price, CEO of The Price Group, an insurance agency that has helped over 100,000 insurance professionals turn a license into a legitimate business. Scaling The Price Group wasn’t a straight climb—it was a gritty, often uncomfortable ascent filled with trial, error, and evolution. I didn’t have a playbook when I started. What I had was a license, a relentless work ethic, and a vision to empower others to create freedom through entrepreneurship. Read more>>

Brit Manor

Founded in 1983 in a back garage, Love & Laughter Music has grown into one of Southern California’s most distinctive independent music production hubs. Its origins trace back to Joey Arreguin, a seasoned latin jazz musician, producer and songwriter, whose early career included collaborations with Sergio Mendes, Abe Laboriel, Justo Almario, Alex Acuna, Paul Jackson Jr. and labels like Motown, Universal, Home Sweet Home and Capitol Records. Read more>>