When you think about the story of a successful business, the founder often emerges as the hero, the visionary, the risk-taker and the one who braved uncertainty to build something from nothing. But the truth is, while founders are essential for that first spark and getting started, they are not always the right person to guide it to the next stage. This isn’t a criticism of founders, it’s simply a recognition of the vastly different skill sets and mindsets required for scaling a business versus starting and running one.
Let’s break this down and explore why this is often the case using my own journey from founder to scaler in my property business.
When I started my property business, I had nothing more than a basic interest and idea to get into property renovation. Like most founders, I jumped headfirst into every challenge, fuelled by passion, enthusiasm and a relentless work ethic. But as the business grew, I began to face obstacles that couldn’t be solved with hard work alone.
Here’s how I tackled 12 challenges and the lessons I learned that transformed both my business and my role as its founder.
- Creation vs optimisation
In the early days, I thrived on chaos or as I sometime call it busy-ness. Chasing jobs, meeting clients, managing on-site projects, marketing, admin and all the 101 other things founders do. It felt exhilarating, but as my team grew, this approach became unsustainable. Mistakes piled up, and inefficiencies crept in.
What I did: I hired a project manager who excelled at organisation and implemented scheduling software to streamline operations.
The result: We reduced delays, improved client satisfaction, and I finally had space to focus on strategy.
What I learned: Scaling isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing better with what you’re great at, and getting others around you who are great at what you are only average at.
2. Letting go of emotional attachment
Every project felt personal to me. The business was my baby and I wanted to keep involved with every aspect and oversee every detail and keep things “just right.” This worked for a while but became a bottleneck as we took on larger projects.
What I did: I started delegating decision-making to team leaders and learned to trust their expertise.
The result: My team felt more empowered, and I could focus on growing the business instead of micromanaging.
What I learned: Letting go isn’t failure, it’s leadership. This led to one of my leading philosophies; “Only do what only you can do”.
3. Learning to delegate
For years, I believed no one could do things as well as I could. I micromanaged everything, from client proposals to ordering materials. This mentality was exhausting and stunted the company’s growth, limiting creative thinking very much because I was “inside the box”.
What I did: I identified my strengths and weaknesses, then hired people to fill the gaps; someone to prepare the quotes, an estimator, an admin assistant, and an operations manager. Read this on how I learned to delegate
The result: With a stronger team in place, productivity soared, and I could dedicate time to strategic planning.
What I learned: Delegation isn’t about losing control, it’s about building a better machine that can persist beyond your tenure. Succession planning wasn’t even on my radar in the early years!
Read this about the business owners second goal
4. Recognising my own limitations
After a couple of years I had a deep understanding of the business and market I was in, but when it came to scaling, financial planning, and marketing at the next level, I was out of my depth.
What I did: I brought in a business coach and started seeking advice from industry mentors.
The result: I developed a clearer growth strategy, secured better contracts, and avoided costly mistakes.
What I learned: Admitting what you don’t know is the first step to real growth.
Check out my 8 Stages of Business Evolution
5. Embracing structural change
Up to now, I had resisted formal processes, thinking they would slow us down. I prided myself on being flexible and adaptable, but my team needed clarity, consistency and a combined sense of purpose.
What I did: We created clear future based job descriptions for team members to grow into, implemented workflows, and held weekly team meetings. Talk to me about how to do this in your business and why it’s so much more powerful than the boring old job descriptions based on the present.
The result: Everyone understood their roles and their career trajectory, and projects moved faster and more efficiently.
What I Learned: Structure doesn’t kill creativity, it enables it.
6. Combating burnout
I had worked evening and weekends for years thinking that’s what it took to succeed. But as the business grew, I started running on fumes, making poor decisions, and neglecting my family. I think this is one of the most important lessons for me, the tipping point was when I realised that my sense of frustration was beginning to affect those around me and not just at work.
What I did: I set boundaries, took weekends off, and focused on building a team that could run things without me.
The result: I felt re-energised, and my decision-making and sense of wellbeing improved dramatically.
What I learned: A burnt-out founder is no good to anyone.
7. Adapting my leadership style
When we were a small team, my “lead by example” approach worked well. But as we grew, I needed to communicate more clearly and consistently.
What I did: With the team I developed a clearer vision and purpose for the company and we shared it across everything we did. I also took some time to better understand myself using the DISC behavioural tools suite, that alone was a huge benefit in helping me improve my communication skills.
The result: My team became more motivated and aligned with our goals and became the energy that drove the business forward.
What I learned: Leadership evolves as your business grows, so should you.
8. Thinking beyond the present
For years, I focused only on landing the next job and working in the here and now. I never thought about long-term goals like expanding into new markets or creating recurring revenue streams.
What I did: I started setting 3 and 5 year growth targets and invested in marketing to build a steady pipeline of clients. This was the birth of my 4 Step Planning Strategy I now use with clients – so you can see it’s very well tried and tested!
The result: We stopped scrambling for work and began operating with a sense of purpose and direction.
What I learned: The future won’t take care of itself, you have to plan for it.
9. Hiring for comfort vs needs
Early on, I hired people like me, problem-solvers who could juggle multiple tasks. But as we grew, I realised we needed specialists, not generalists. Every scaling business must have specialists and I needed to be a specialist in vision, strategy, planning and growth, not doing the everyday tasks that were better suited to others.
What I did: I shifted my recruitment strategy to focus on skills we lacked, like finance and HR, and what roles and skills we needed in the future.
The result: Our operations became more professional, and we avoided the mistakes that came with “winging it” and recruiting for lack of capacity. Read more about what I learned about recruitment
What I learned: The right team isn’t a reflection of you, it’s a complement to you.
10. Overcoming reluctance to borrow
I my early years as a founder, I was very averse to debt. I believed if I couldn’t afford something outright, I didn’t need it. I had totally self-funded my first business and therefor still believed I could self-fund again every time. This mindset held us back from investing in new equipment and larger contracts with longer turnaround times, but with a more strategic approach to planning (see 8) and forecasting, I could see how borrowing for investment could boost growth.
What I did: After consulting with financial experts and my mentor, I secured a business loan to invest in machinery and marketing. Basic stuff I know but when you don’t know, it’s these basics every founder needs help with.
The result: The investment paid off tenfold, allowing us to take on bigger projects and significantly increase revenue.
What I learned: Borrowing isn’t a weakness, it’s a tool for growth when used wisely.
11. Expanding my comfort zone
For too long, I stayed in my comfort zone, making safe decisions and sticking to what I knew. But growth demanded that I take calculated risks. I think our aversity to risk increases as more and more people rely on us for their livelihood. Of course it was a stretch for me but every time I stretched, what was uncomfortable became my new comfort zone.
What I did: I pursued larger contracts, explored new markets, and leaned into areas where I felt uncomfortable.
The result: The business grew beyond what I thought was possible, and so did my team, and my confidence as a leader.
What I learned: Growth begins where your comfort zone ends.
Read more about procrastination
12. Getting the right help
In the beginning, I believed I could figure everything out on my own. When I eventually sought help, I leaned on people who had knowledge of the roles I was growing into but lacked the practical experience of having been there themselves. While their advice was helpful, it wasn’t transformative and didn’t really help me get to where I wanted to be.
What I did: I sought out mentors and advisors who had firsthand experience in growing businesses like mine. Their insights were grounded in reality, not theory. One mentor, a retired business owner, helped me avoid pitfalls I hadn’t even considered, while another with a background in scaling businesses guided me in structuring my leadership team.
The result: With their support, I navigated growth challenges more confidently and avoided costly mistakes. Their real-world advice gave me the clarity and direction I needed to take the business to the next level and eventually to sale.
What I learned: Knowledge is valuable, but experience is priceless. Surrounding yourself with people who’ve walked the path you’re on can fast-track your growth and give you a competitive edge.
The final lesson
Looking back, the biggest transformation in my journey wasn’t just in my business, it was in me. Tackling these challenges taught me that being a great founder doesn’t mean you have to be the one doing it all. It means building the right team, seeking the right help, and learning to lead in new and different ways.
Each step, whether it was letting go of control, recruiting for the future not just for gaps, or seeking experienced guidance, helped me grow not only as a business owner but as a person. The property business I founded almost 25 years ago is still thriving today because I embraced the uncomfortable truth: growth demands change, and that change starts with you.
If you’re a founder, don’t fear these challenges. Embrace them. Growth isn’t just about scaling your business, it’s about scaling yourself.
Read more about entrepreneurship
Work with me:
I help owners, founders and leaders create a scalable business that works without them, build a world-class team, and 10x profitability. Book a call with me here to see if we could work together.
Remember, there are only three types of people – those who make things happen, those who wait for things to happen, and those who talk about why things don’t happen for them. Which one are you?
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