Starting a business is hard because it’s a fight with yourself, an internal battle – gaining the courage to get started, etc. Scaling a business is different – the challenges you face are mostly external to yourself. Each challenge has a million mini-challenges. We wanted to create a space for conversations and stories around growth and scaling. Below, you’ll find stories and insights from successful entrepreneurs across a variety of industries and markets.

Christina Brontoli

When I first started Flutter Farms, I had a simple setup: a roadside flower cart, a dream, and an unwavering willingness to say “yes.” Yes to new opportunities, yes to customer requests, and yes to figuring things out as I went. That mindset shaped my business in ways I never could have planned. Read more>>

Amaya Damme

When I started my social media agency in 2020, I was always excited about what was coming next—envisioning a dream team, a dream office, and living my best life. Now, five years later, we’re here. We went from having no office to soon signing a lease for a high-rise in Phoenix. I went from being a solo entrepreneur to leading a team of seven. I built this business the same way I created Obtaining Social—slowly, cautiously—but now I’m going all in. I’d rather fail doing something I’m deeply passionate about than live with the regret of wondering, ‘What if?’ Throughout this journey, saving money has been essential, and understanding my weaknesses and knowing when to outsource has been key. Read more>>

Jenifer Pastor

We started You Melt Me as a very basic business of selling and creating only one size of wax melts. As we grew, we added wax warmers, fun and different sizes of wax melts and options for wholesale. From there, we really wanted to utilize our phthalate and toxin free fragrances by creating new products. Read more>>

Samantha Sanderson

I started content creating back in 2020. I was posting fitness related content and I gained a decent following pretty quickly but I had no clue how to monetize my social media. I was making content for free and taking a few fun PR packages here and there but did not see the potential to make money on social media until I started UGC (user generated content) in January 2023. About 3 months into this side hustle I was able to start seeing consistent 4 figure months. Read more>>

Natalie Brockeveldt

I love this because it speaks to the reality of building something from the ground up. Scaling Nutri-Fit by Natalie wasn’t an overnight success. It was the result of relentless commitment, calculated risks, and an unwavering belief in the vision I had for my studio. Overcoming obstacles and learning a lot about both my strengths and weaknesses. Read more>>

Melissa Williams

I started my website, Persnickety Plates, in 2009, long before “content creation” was a job. It was truly started as a hobby that I gave minimal attention to. I’d create a recipe, snap a quick pic (with my 3 MP camera phone lol), and write a couple random sentences about my day. It really was my journal. Read more>>

Alec Arambula

When I started Arambula, it was just me, my camera, and a love for capturing moments. Over time, I figured out how to turn that passion into a business that actually grew. It wasn’t a straight shot—there were a lot of lessons, pivots, and challenges along the way. Read more>>

Erika Taylor

People often assume that success follows a linear path. They see the highlights, the aesthetics, the polished final product—but they rarely see the storm that had to be weathered just to keep the vision alive. They don’t see the sleepless nights, the unanswered questions, or the deep internal battles that come with building something from the ground up. Read more>>

Antony Goddard

Scaling a SaaS company is never a linear path. It’s filled with moments of clarity, unexpected challenges, and crucial decisions that determine long-term success. At OKKAMI, our growth was driven by strategic pivots, infrastructure overhauls, and a relentless focus on automation and efficiency. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how we scaled OKKAMI into a leading hospitality technology platform. Read more>>

KK Hart

“The ‘overnight success’ narrative is a myth. Ghost Democracy’s journey, especially my transition from client/advisor to CEO, was anything but linear. We inherited a brand with incredible potential—products formulated with meticulous care, prioritizing ingredient purity and efficacy. However, the foundational business model faced critical optimizations to grow and thrive in the ever-evolving economic landscape. Read more>>

Sha Blackburn

I am a solopreneur, my own brand. My business started as a hobby. When I first told my parents I wanted to be a professional psychic, I had just had my palm read at the tender age of 7 or 8 years old, and I knew I wanted to be a “gypsy fortuneteller”! My dad told me that would be fine as a hobby, but I would still need to have a career working for some type of corporation that would “take care of me” and provide me with health insurance and a steady salary. In my teen years, I started to read cards for friends and neighbors. I knew this was going to be the path of my life’s work. Read more>>

Wizards Ink

Two years ago, “Wizards Ink” was solely an idea, with a funny catchphrase (casting the illusion of professionalism). Mike and I graduated from Rowan University in 2021, both with degrees in Music Technology and Business, and we found ourselves living in Philadelphia with a strong desire to create a business that allows us to pursue music our way. In comes Joel shortly after, a spanish-classical and jazz studio guitarist. Much like any small business or start-up, we knew that this would take years to develop and created work-life balances that allowed us to put 20-40 hours a week in creating music and facilitating growth. Read more>>