My Business Hit $1 Million — Then a $46,000 Mistake Exposed the Biggest Bottleneck to Explosive Growth How a costly mistake forced me to confront the real barrier to scaling and the changes that unlocked explosive growth beyond $1 million.

I'll never forget the day I realized I couldn't do it all anymore.

My business had just crossed the million-dollar mark, but I was still trying to handle everything myself — coaching clients, selling, leading my team and running the accounting. Then, one day, I discovered I'd accidentally overcharged our biggest client $46,000 over nine months because I'd set up auto-pay and never double-checked it.

The wave of panic that hit me was overwhelming. It was one of the worst moments of my professional life. I immediately owned the mistake, apologized and worked out a plan to credit the money back over six months. Thankfully, the client was incredibly gracious. But in that moment, I knew something had to change — I had to stop trying to do everything and start leading like a CEO.

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Stop doing — start leading

When you launch a business, you wear every hat. You create the product, send invoices, post on social media and answer every email. That scrappy hustle is necessary to get off the ground — but it won't get you to the next level.

Scaling means an identity shift. You have to stop being the "doer" and become the delegater. Instead of asking, "How can I do this?" start asking, "Who can do this better than I can?"

This is easier said than done. But holding onto control keeps you stuck. You'll stay buried in day-to-day tasks instead of focusing on big-picture moves that grow your business.

For me, stepping into the CEO role meant redefining leadership on my own terms. I didn't want to follow a corporate playbook written by men. I wanted to lead in a way that aligned with my values and strengths — building flexibility into my schedule, doubling down on coaching and sales (my superpowers) and empowering my team to own the rest.

Build the right team — and trust them

Hiring an assistant to manage my schedule, emails and admin was one of the smartest moves I made. It freed up hours I could now spend coaching clients and bringing in new business.

Delegating is scary. You worry they won't do it as well as you can. Sometimes, that's true. But growth only happens when you give others space to learn. If they stumble, you help them recover — and they get stronger. That's leadership.

Ask yourself: What are your superpowers? Are you a sales rockstar? A client relationship builder? Then be honest: How much of your time is lost in tasks that drain you — digging out of your inbox, chasing invoices?

If those tasks pull you away from your strengths, it's time to delegate. When you operate in your zone of genius and let others handle the rest, your business will finally grow the way it's meant to.

As your team grows, get to know them as people. We have every team member take the Enneagram test to understand communication styles and personalities. It's taught me the power of listening and meeting people where they are.

Create systems that set you free

If your business lives only in your head, you can't scale. Every process — client onboarding, social media posting, monthly reporting — needs to be documented so someone else can follow it.

At our company, we use Asana for task management and Slack for communication. Everyone knows the flow, and it keeps us aligned.

When I sell a client, I immediately hand them off to our onboarding team. Why? Because I know I'm the worst at follow-up. I know my strengths—and where I tend to get in my own way.

We use Stripe for payments and Go High Level for email automations. These simple systems keep us running like a well-oiled machine.

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Think like a CEO

If your calendar is full of urgent tasks, there's no time for strategic thinking. But that's exactly where CEOs live.

Everyone on my team works from home on Fridays. I use that day to strategize and focus on the future. Where are we headed? Who do we need to become to get there? I take walks, listen to industry podcasts, and brainstorm new ideas.

I also use this time to vet opportunities. It's tempting to say yes to everything, especially early on. But now, before I commit, I ask: Is this worth my time? Does it align with our vision? Will it deliver a real return on investment?

You belong in the CEO seat

For too long, I thought being a great business owner meant doing everything myself. But real growth started when I stepped into the CEO seat — hiring for my weaknesses, trusting my team and making decisions from a long-term perspective.

You don't have to run your business like anyone else. Define what leadership means for you. Build a business that supports your strengths—and let go of what's holding you back.

You didn't start your business to stay small. So take your CEO seat… you've earned it.