This article is the final installment in the series Growth *Not* At All Costs. I’m discussing how to rapidly scale your business while keeping your mental health front and center—and use that foundation of wellness as a superpower that fuels sustainable growth and success.
Check out the rest of the series on developing meaningful habits, transforming your mindset to fuel resilience and revenue, and investing in the valuable asset that most founders neglect.
Two months after she went all-in on starting her strategy consultancy Easy Scaling, Jordan Schanda King found out she was pregnant.
In the two years following, she not only had a child, but she also built the company into a 20-person agency with multiple six figures in revenue.
Her pregnancy, she says, forced her to see self-care not as a nice-to-have but as a tangible, critical, and selfless act—a philosophy she’s lived by since. “As I’ve grown and found more success, I’ve only felt the weight of responsibility on me as a business owner grow, but I’ve also discovered a deeper appreciation for taking care of myself,” she says.
Assuring the sustainability of the company, she has learned, requires giving herself permission to say no, take time away, and slow down.
But the #1 tactic she credits to achieving a thriving business and home life? Building a strong support team around her.
“Without question, the most critical thing that any business owner can do to maintain their own mental health and well-being is to hire support,” she explains.
Of course, that can be easier said than done—and the cost of hiring support and the challenge of finding the right people are concerns I have heard from my executive coaching clients time and time again. So I’m closing out this series with advice from other founders on how they’ve known when the timing and hires were right, as well as how to ensure that the people around you help you fuel sustainable success.
Decide When The Time (And Financial Investment) Is Right
Clinical and forensic psychologist Dr. Leslie Dobson specializes in criminal and civil litigation, assessing mental health disorders for plaintiff and defense teams. At present, her business is just her, but she has raised her retainer and legal fees over the past year in order to increase profits. Once she hits $1 million in revenue, she plans to hire others to come on board.
For some businesses, that approach works. But Antoinette Adefela, CEO and founder of Exp.Design LLC, knew that to scale the creative learning agency would require building out her team sooner rather than later. The payment structure from her corporate clients is often delayed by 30 to 60 days, so she knew that she’d need to think strategically about how to manage her cash flow before hiring others.
“In preparation to scale and build a team, I decided to reinvest a significant portion of the funds back into the business,” she says. That lead-up time also gave her a chance to establish well-defined best practices and processes for future staffers.
The result: When she took on a significant project, she was able to build her team knowing that she could support them financially and that they were set up to do their best work. “The preparation before this project allowed me to create a supportive environment for my new team and eliminate possible stress I would have to deal with,” she says. “It was definitely a win-win for everyone.”
Take Care Of Your People
As Adefela learned, making sure your people have what they need to thrive is an essential part of scaling sustainably. Ronite Menashe, CEO and co-founder of his-and-hers prenatal supplement brand WeNatal, agrees. It’s not only possible to foster a high-performing company culture without adhering to the hustle-at-all-costs mindset, she says, it’s a necessity for a business like hers.
“While building a company demands a lot of hard work and dedication, I constantly remind myself that if we aim to truly innovate in the fertility space, our company culture should mirror the wellness practices we promote to our community,” she explains.
She and her co-founder provide each employee with tools to help maintain their physical and mental health, like Oura rings to monitor and improve their sleep quality. They also encourage a daily gratitude practice among the team. “It allows me to reflect on and express gratitude for all the remarkable accomplishments I’ve achieved and the wonderful individuals who have supported me along the way,” she says.
Think Beyond a Traditional “Team”
Many executives I work with consider their “team” to reach beyond their contractors or employees. Adefela recommends determining the key players in your support system, whether it’s your parents, partner, therapist, business coach, or founder community. “You need an outlet to talk about what you experience and express yourself,” she says.
Schanda King credits many people for being part of her support team: her husband, plus many peers, colleagues, friends, and family members who share their wisdom. But her best investment, she says, is her coach. “She’s helped me navigate the daily challenges, the doubt and fear around big decisions, the intersection between personal and professional stress, the imposter syndrome, and so much more,” she explains. “I would not be where I am today, in my business and in terms of my well-being, without my coach.”
For Dobson, she’s found her most crucial support network is the one at home. “Stay true to your family goals and family mission, and let work come second,” she advises. “If you are grounded at home and feeling in connection with your family, then you will succeed at work.”
Surround Yourself With People Who Encourage Your Well-Being
Over the past two years, Caitlin McCarthy-Miranda’s marketing agency, C|Louise, experienced remarkable revenue growth, signed dream clients, and hired rapidly. But that growth hasn’t been without its challenges. “Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the chaos, that it’s hard for us to look in the mirror and see how the stress has manifested,” she says.
She credits the people in her inner circle with prioritizing her well-being and introducing practices that have allowed her to show up for myself and her team. “The humans I surround myself with, who know me and aren’t afraid to tell me exactly how it is, helped me take care of me,” she says. “Call on your people, lean on your people—they helped show me the light.”
McCarthy-Miranda also recommends surrounding yourself with staff and clients who respect and encourage taking time off. “You set the tone, but those around you should also understand the value of disconnecting and recharging,” she says. “Some clients have even called to remind me to take a day off, recognizing that my well-being is paramount to our healthy growth!”
She also brought on her sister and best friend on her professional journey—the person she credits with reminding her that life is a dance through storms to sunnier skies. As she puts it: “Challenges invariably lead to greatness, making the brighter days all the more radiant.”
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