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.
Brittany
2020 COVID hit and after being closed for 8 weeks I realized it was time to push and grow my business.I have been in the business for 35 years and grew up in my moms salon. I knew I had a lot to offer and really focus on client experience and helping women. I offer many services in the hair extension realm. We are launching this year my own hair extension line. In the salon we keep a full inventory working directly with manufacturers. Most recently I’ve mastered a new method Mesh Integration and I am able to help fine, thinning haired clients.Also clients with partial hair loss, hair loss from medical conditions, hair growing back from hair loss, post partum, alopecia,trichotillomania.So now we have options we haven’t had before to give clients their hair back. Most recently we have won two years in a row best hair extensions from Jacksonville Magazine. Read more>>
Lizzie Burton
It’s true that a lot of people see the success of a business and assume it happened quickly, but in reality, the “middle phase” is often the most defining part of the journey. For me, what really propelled my business forward wasn’t a fancy marketing campaign or viral moment — it was something unexpected and honestly a little unconventional: I offered to shoot weddings for free across the U.S., as long as the couple covered my travel expenses. Read more>>
Amanda DeVito
Of course, there’s a playbook for scaling—org design, process rigor, operational efficiency, hiring frameworks, and delegation strategies, which are all important. There are entire courses, books, and business school lectures devoted to them.
But what has always fascinated me, and what I don’t think we talk about enough, is the emotionality of scaling. Read more>>
Ellie McLain
In the photography business starting out can be very intimidating and difficult. Because it’s an art form, not everyone will be your biggest fan and it’s hard to accept that in the beginning! Not to mention the right gear can be expensive so unless you’re starting out with an unlimited budget you can’t always have the best of the best. However in the photography world it is more about learning how to use the camera correctly and know your lighting conditions. I started my business with a used low grade crop sensor DSLR camera and countless hours of google, YouTube, and bouncing questions off a good friend who inspired me to take the jump into the photography world. Read more>>
Vanessa Kuemmerle
The large wedding markets in our area has been the key to the success of this farm. Being well established is a great thing to walk into, but the real game now to scale up is in the day to day work that isn’t always sexy but needs to be done consistently. Such as, delivering the highest quality, freshest flowers, managing worker efficiency, providing new and interesting varieties for our clients, dealing with the inevitable wins and losses associated with farming/working with Mother Nature and all the while attempting to have a decent and satisfying life. Read more>>
Gargi Patel
Inspire Curiosity is a non-profit organization aimed toward providing STEM education to kids. This was started during COVID and began with 2-3 kids joining our classes via zoom. Since then we have been able to expand to over 25 chapters and locations around the world impacting more than 5000 kids globally. Read more>>
Elena Soboleva
From the outside, rapid growth can look like magic. But in reality, scaling our edtech startup was messy, exhausting, and anything but glamorous. I never planned on being a founder. I was born and raised in a tiny, mountainous country most Americans have never heard of — Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic. I came to the U.S. in 2013 to earn my MBA in Florida, fueled more by a desire to be a supportive partner than a tech entrepreneur. My American boyfriend had big dreams of launching a company. So when he suggested we enter a student business plan competition, I joined mostly to back his ambition (maybe that was the Eastern woman in me — believing a woman’s role is to grow her husband). Read more>>
Ryan Greenberg
Before I bought my first rental property, I partnered with a college friend (Tyler Stanek) who had already purchased one and had some construction knowledge. We teamed up and started the business together, leveraging each other’s strengths. Over time, we defined our roles and now each run different parts of the business, which has allowed us to grow much faster than if I were doing it alone. Read more>>
Sherman Wellons
Remote work has been successful for our company because we value autonomy and hire experienced professionals who don’t require micromanagement. If the majority of your work is done on a computer—as it is for most creative, advertising, and marketing roles—there’s no practical reason to commute to an office every day. The COVID-19 pandemic proved that productivity doesn’t depend on physical presence; it depends on communication, accountability, and access to the right tools. Read more>>