3 Bottlenecks That Are Killing Your $1M–$6M Business (and How to Break Them)

If you’re running a business that’s doing between $1 million and $6 million in revenue and you can’t figure out why growth has stalled, you’re not alone.

Most founders blame the wrong things. They point fingers at the economy. They get frustrated with their team. They convince themselves they just need to work 80 more hours a week.

But here’s the truth: it’s bottlenecks. And until you recognize them and rip them out of your business, you’ll never grow.

In this post, I’ll walk you through the three most common bottlenecks I see over and over again in businesses your size—and show you how to break free from them.

Bottleneck #1: You Are the Hub

The biggest growth-killer I see is when the founder (or founding group) insists on being the hub.

• Every decision routes through you.

• Your team waits on you for answers.

• You’re CC’d on everything.

• The business slows down when you step away.

I’ve seen this play out from laundromats to $700 million corporations. If you want your business to scale, you can’t be the center of gravity.

The fix? Build a real leadership team. Empower them, let them make mistakes, and course-correct through processes and agreements—not by inserting yourself into every decision.

Bottleneck #2: Your Systems Don’t Scale

Another classic mistake: cheap systems.

Founders love to pinch pennies, but the wrong software or infrastructure can choke your business. Just like the crawfish guy I worked with who bought one cheap tire at a time—you might save in the short term, but you’ll never scale to a 20-truck or 100-truck business that way.

Sometimes paying 40% more gives you 200% in gains. That’s the 80/20 principle at work.

The fix? Invest in systems that scale before you need them. Ask: Is this choice painting us into a corner? Is it a band-aid, or is it built for where we’re going?

Bottleneck #3: You Lack Leadership Depth

Here’s the hardest truth: if your people can’t grow, neither can your business.

Too many founders hover over every move, refusing to give their team real responsibility. But scaling requires leaders under you who can lead others.

That means focusing on career development, mentoring your managers, and giving them the space to make decisions without you. In my own teams, I regularly talk with managers about career paths—even if it means they’ll leave one day. Ironically, it makes them stay longer and perform better.

The fix? Hire for attitude and aptitude first, specialty skills second. Build processes with scalability in mind. And most importantly—step out of the firefighting. Let some things break. When you stop reacting to every ping, you’ll realize the business can (and should) run without you.

Breaking Through the Plateau

These bottlenecks—founder as the hub, cheap systems, and shallow leadership—are the invisible ceilings holding most $1M–$6M businesses back.

The good news? They’re fixable. Once you address them, you free your company to grow toward $10M+ without sacrificing your sanity, family, or health.

Ready to Fix Your Bottlenecks?

If this hit home, it’s time to take a hard look at your operations. That’s exactly what I do in my Leadership Reset. It’s a proven framework that helps founders like you eliminate bottlenecks, build leadership depth, and scale without burning out.

👉 Click here to learn more about the Leadership Reset and see if it’s the right move for your business.

Why Your $5M Business Is Stuck—And How to Break Through to $12M

If you’re running a $5 million business and think you just need more sales to hit $10–$12 million, you’re dead wrong. That’s one of the most common — and costly — mistakes I see business owners make at this stage.

I’ve worked with dozens of leaders who have hit this exact wall. On paper, they’re successful. But behind the scenes? Growth has stalled, frustration is high, and burnout is lurking. The habits that got them here simply won’t get them to the next level.

Here are the three biggest scaling mistakes — and how to fix them.

1. Believing More Sales Will Solve Everything

When revenue slows, the instinct is to push harder: more marketing, more sales, more clients. But the extra volume only exposes cracks in your current operation — what I call “hidden pain points.”

Fulfillment breaks. Quality slips. And you risk losing the customers who got you here in the first place.

The fix: Shift your focus from top-line revenue to operational scalability. Audit your systems, people, and processes — in that order. Eliminate redundancy, cut waste, and make sure the foundation can handle growth before you add more volume.

2. Staying the Operator Instead of Becoming the Leader

At $5 million, you can’t keep running the show the same way you did at $1 million. If you’re still the choke point for every decision, you’re the bottleneck.

I’ve seen owners burn themselves out trying to recruit every hire, manage every process, and solve every problem personally. You’ll never scale that way.

The fix: Build trust and empower your team. Install managers, directors, and leaders who can operate independently. Your goal is to remove yourself from the day-to-day so you can focus on strategy, vision, and key relationships.

3. Ignoring Leadership Depth and Culture

Fast growth without leadership depth creates a fragile business. If your team depends on you for every decision, you haven’t built real ownership.

And here’s the hard truth: some owners like it that way. They thrive on being the hero, the firefighter, the one everyone depends on. But that’s not leadership — it’s control.

The fix: Invest in leadership development. Give your top performers the space, authority, and guidance to lead. Use controlled situations to let them make decisions, solve problems, and learn from mistakes. Build a bench of leaders who can carry your business forward without you.

The Breakthrough Formula: Systems → Staff → Strategy

Most business advice says “People, Process, Systems.” At this stage, flip it.

1. Systems – The right tools and tech to run efficiently.

2. Staff – People with the right attitude and aptitude to run those systems.

3. Strategy – Processes and direction that align your team and vision.

Bottom line: If you’re at $5M and want to get to $12M without burning out or breaking your business, you can’t just work harder. You need to think differently. Build scalable systems, step out of the operator role, and deepen your leadership bench.

If your business is between $1M and $6M and you’re ready to reset your leadership, align your team, and scale with confidence, my Leadership Reset program is designed for you.

👉 Learn more here: Start Your Leadership Reset.

What Got You Promoted Won’t Keep You There: 7 Mistakes New VPs Make

If you’re a newly promoted Director or VP at a $100M–$700M company, here’s a hard truth:

What got you here won’t keep you here.

Your technical expertise, problem-solving ability, or sales success might have earned you the title—but they won’t sustain you in the new role. In fact, they might be the very things holding you back.

I’ve seen this story unfold again and again—both in military and corporate settings. High performers get promoted, and within weeks, they’re struggling to lead, align, and deliver at scale. If you’re in that seat, read closely.

Here are the 7 biggest mistakes new VPs make—and how to avoid them.

1. Trying to Solve Every Problem Yourself

You’re used to being the one who fixes things. But leadership isn’t about being the smartest person in the room. It’s about framing the problem, protecting your team, and enabling others to win.

One VP I worked with ran straight at a CFO's concern without context—pulled in several directors, created confusion, and wasted hours. The issue? It wasn't even a real problem. Leaders must pause, listen, and diagnose before they act.

2. Assuming Your Team Knows What Success Looks Like

Just because you have the title doesn’t mean your team understands your standards. You have to define success, model your values, and reinforce them constantly—especially across regions or time zones.

I use a three-part core value system with my teams:
Support. Diligence. Professionalism.
These aren’t buzzwords—they’re filters for every decision. When your team knows what “great” looks like, they’ll act without micromanagement.

3. Focusing Only on Managing Up

Yes, your CEO and board expect results. But your success rises or falls based on your team. Be mission-first, but team-aligned. There is no mission without the team. Leadership is not just about numbers—it’s about mobilizing the people who deliver them.

4. Thinking Good Decisions Automatically Lead to Good Outcomes

Making a decision is easy. Seeing it through is leadership.
Ask yourself:

• Did I communicate the “why”?

• Did I give my team what they need to execute?

• Am I tracking follow-through and accountability?

Execution isn’t glamorous—but it’s the difference between spinning and scaling.

5. Trying to Lead Like You Did in Your Last Role

You can’t grunt your way through a new team. What worked before won’t necessarily work now. Leadership at this level demands you slow down, observe, and adapt your playbook to the mission and the people in front of you.

Don’t hit the “That Was Easy” button. Get into the weeds. Learn what’s broken. Then go fix it with your team.

6. Rushing to Prove Yourself

Don’t confuse movement with momentum.

Busy doesn’t equal effective. You don’t need to impress anyone by working 10 p.m. Saturdays. What matters is clarity, decisiveness, and precision. Like we say in the military:
Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.

7. Treating Department Problems Like Process Problems

Many leaders assume their issues are operational or resource-based. But more often? It’s a people alignment issue.

If you treat every issue like a process doc waiting to be written, you’ll miss the root cause. Spend time with your people. Understand them. Empower them. The systems don’t run themselves—your people do.

The Deeper Issue: Insecurity in the Seat

Most of these mistakes stem from insecurity—what some call imposter syndrome. New VPs don’t feel “settled” in the weight of their role.

Let me remind you:
You’ve been given the seat. You are already the VP.
You don’t need to prove it. You need to grow into it. And that starts with the holy pause—the moment where you slow down, assess, listen, and then lead.

Ready to Step Fully Into Leadership?

If you’re feeling the tension of this transition—or you want to make sure you don’t fall into these traps—I built something for you.

👉 The Leadership Reset is a 4-week engagement where we get clarity on your leadership style, fix operational drag, and re-align your team for performance.

Click here to apply or learn more →

You don’t have to guess your way forward. Let’s make sure your next level doesn’t become your downfall.

Your Calendar Is Lying to You: 5 Steps to Take Back Your Time as a Business Owner

If you’re running a $1M–$6M business, there’s a good chance your calendar isn’t helping you—it’s hurting you.

I see it all the time: business owners stuck in back‑to‑back meetings, putting out fires that aren’t theirs to fight, and solving everyone else’s emergencies because they haven’t built the processes or guardrails to step back.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: if you’re always available, your team will let you keep solving their problems. But when you step away and create the right guardrails, you’ll find something surprising—the company doesn’t burn down.

It’s time to take back control. Here are five proven steps I’ve used for nearly a decade to help business owners reclaim their time and lead with clarity.

1. Turn Off Your Notifications

This may sound small, but it’s the most powerful first step.

Stop letting your phone and inbox control your attention. Turn off email notifications. Turn off social media pings. In fact, I haven’t had work email on my phone for nearly 10 years—and nothing has burned down.

Emergencies? Real ones get a phone call or a text. Everything else can wait until you’re ready to deal with it.

2. Audit Your Week

Pull up last week’s calendar and be brutally honest.

• Which meetings actually needed you there?

• Which ones could someone else have handled?

• Which ones were simply a waste of time?

If a meeting has more than 15 people in it, you almost certainly don’t need to be there. And if it has more than four? Question it.

3. Block the Non‑Negotiables

Before you let your calendar fill with other people’s priorities, schedule your non-negotiables first.

• Time for creative work

• In‑person connection with your team

• Personal priorities (family, health, thinking time)

This creates the foundation for a workweek where you lead proactively instead of just reacting to whatever hits your inbox.

4. Set Guardrails

Decide what your workday looks like—and stick to it.

I have two kids (with a third on the way), so when I close my laptop at the end of the day, I’m done. Unless it’s a true revenue‑impacting emergency, work stays at work.

Set boundaries for when you start, when you end, and how you engage. Your business will adapt—and your team will rise to the challenge.

5. Institute “Kill Zones”

This is one of my favorite tactics: identify the meetings and tasks that simply don’t need to exist—and kill them.

Sometimes you’ll need to temporarily over‑deliver (for example, running daily updates for 30 days after a key resignation) but then phase those things out.

The more you eliminate unnecessary noise, the more space you create for real leadership.

The Unexpected Truth

The more meetings you decline, the more gets done.

When you take your hands off every small problem, you create space for your team to figure it out—and they often rise to the occasion in ways you didn’t expect.

Try It

If you’re ready to reclaim your time, step out of the chaos, and lead with clarity, my 4‑week Leadership Reset program was built for you.

It’s designed to help business owners like you reset your calendar, restructure your schedule, and lead your company (and your life) with intention.

👉Learn more about Leadership Reset here

5 Myths About One-on-Ones That Are Hurting Your Business (And How to Fix Them)

Here’s an unpopular truth: there’s one meeting you can’t afford to skip—your one-on-ones with your direct reports.

I work with business owners from $1M to $6M in revenue (and have led teams in organizations up to $700M). No matter the size, I see the same pattern: owners either avoid one-on-ones altogether or run them in a way that does more harm than good.

If that’s you, you’re not alone. But the good news? One-on-ones don’t have to be awkward, draining, or pointless. Done right, they are one of the most powerful tools you have for building alignment, surfacing unseen friction, and growing your team.

Let’s break down the 5 biggest myths I see around one-on-ones—and how to fix them.

Myth #1: One-on-Ones Are Just for Troubleshooting Problems

Many owners treat one-on-ones as a disciplinary meeting. If every one-on-one feels like a “course correction,” your direct reports will dread them—and eventually shut down.

The truth: One-on-ones are about more than fixing problems. They’re a safe space for employees to share ideas, voice frustrations, and align on the bigger mission. Your goal isn’t to lecture—it’s to listen, coach, and build trust.

Myth #2: They Take Away From “Real Work”

I hear this a lot: “I don’t have time for one-on-ones. I need to focus on the business.”

Here’s the problem: one-on-ones are working on the business.
Think of them like sharpening the axe before chopping wood. You can swing harder all day, but unless you take the time to sharpen your tools—your people—you’ll burn out and stall progress.

Even a short, structured one-on-one re-centers your team and reduces costly misalignments.

Myth #3: You Don’t Need Them If You Talk to Your Team Daily

Owners of small teams often think, “I see my people every day. Why schedule another meeting?”

But casual check-ins aren’t the same as intentional conversations.
When you’re in the daily grind, you only talk about what’s urgent. One-on-ones create space for what’s important—career development, feedback, and solving long-term issues.

Myth #4: They’re Just for Status Updates

If your one-on-ones feel like a glorified “report out,” you’re doing them wrong.

Your job isn’t to get updates—it’s to unblock your people.
Ask better questions. Shift from “What are you working on?” to:

• “Where are you stuck?”

• “What’s working well for you?”

• “How’s your team doing?”

This turns your one-on-ones into coaching sessions that drive real change.

Myth #5: They’re Too Formal for Small Teams

Some owners think structured one-on-ones are only for big corporations. That’s false.

Even if you lead a team of two, these conversations matter.
I’ve done them with global directors, local managers, and even contractors overseas. Why? Because everyone—no matter their role—has stakeholders, challenges, and growth goals worth discussing.

The Bonus Myth: “I Don’t Need a Structure”

Unstructured one-on-ones often turn into awkward small talk—or worse, gripe sessions.

Structure creates clarity. I use a simple framework with three questions:

1. What’s been working well for you this week?

2. Are there any pain points or blocks I can help you remove?

3. How’s your team doing?

That’s it. Three questions. Simple, repeatable, and transformative.

The Bottom Line

When done right, one-on-ones sharpen your team, uncover hidden problems, and boost alignment. They’re not optional—they’re a non-negotiable part of leading well.

Want help mastering one-on-ones and leading with clarity?

My Leadership Reset program is designed for founders and executives who feel stuck in the day-to-day grind. Together, we’ll create the structure, rhythm, and focus you need to scale without burning out.

👉 Start Your Leadership Reset Here