Why Scaling Isn’t Optional: The Hard Lesson Every Business Owner Learns Eventually

Stop Doing Everything Yourself: The Mindset Shift That Saved My Business

I talk all the time about getting out of the operator seat—becoming the owner, replacing yourself, scaling properly. But I know some people still push back.

“Ryan, why would I scale? Why hire people? No one can do what I do. Clients want me.”

I used to believe that too.

Want to know why?

Because my customers told me things like:

• “Oh wow, you’re the owner? So cool you’re meeting with us.”

• “Oh wow, you’re the owner? So cool you’re the one installing the lights.”

• “Oh wow, you’re the owner? So cool you answer the phone.”

And yeah… that works for a little while.

Until the day it doesn’t.

When Doing Everything Yourself Starts Losing You Money

As your business gets busier, everything changes.

When clients call and you don’t answer?
Suddenly… not cool.

When they need maintenance and you take 2–3 days to respond?
Still not cool.

A week?
Definitely not cool. 😂

I remember the phase where I did everything myself—sales, installs, maintenance, phone calls, follow-up… EVERYTHING.

And then one day it hit me hard.

I was literally in a tree doing an install when I missed a phone call. I climbed down, called her back, and she said:

“Oh no worries—we already reached someone else and they’re coming tomorrow for a bid.”

WHAT?!

A $5,000 job—gone in seconds.

Just because I couldn’t answer a phone.

And then I started thinking:

If I missed this one… how many others silently died?

In my head, the lost revenue was at least $60,000. That moment changed everything.

The Shift: “I Can’t Afford an Office Manager” → “I Can’t Afford NOT to Have One.”

I finally hired an office manager—and she was better than me at everything.

More organized.
More responsive.
More reliable.

But then one day she asked for time off.

“Who’s going to answer the phone?” she asked.

“You are,” I said.

“No, YOU are.”

And then it hit me:
I had literally forgotten how to do her job.

When she left for a few days, I filled in—and it was painful.

So I hired a second person.

Redundancy.

Then it happened again on the install side.
My entire crew quit.
Not one guy… the whole family tree walked off.

Guess who did installs again?

Me. For weeks.

Another painful reminder:

Redundancy = freedom.
Redundancy = profit.
Redundancy = value.

Scaling Isn’t Fancy — It’s Survival

Most people think scaling means trying to build an empire.

No.

Scaling gives you:

✔ Faster response times
✔ Better communication
✔ Dependability
✔ Backup when things go wrong (and things ALWAYS go wrong)
✔ Freedom for yourself
✔ A business that doesn’t fall apart
✔ A company with real value

Clients don’t want YOU specifically.

They want:

• Professionalism

• Reliability

• Communication

• Momentum

They want someone to answer the phone every time.
They want timely service every time.
They want follow-up every time.

You can’t do that alone.

Operator vs Owner: The Harsh Truth

If you stay in the operator seat, you don’t own a business.

You own a job.

A job that:

❌ Has no benefits
❌ Gives no PTO
❌ Has no backup
❌ Has unlimited hours
❌ Depends 100% on you

Sounds great, right? 😂

When Business Becomes Fun Again

Redundancy is what makes business enjoyable.

It turns:

“Ugh, I hate this… why did I start this business?”
into
“Dang… this is actually getting good.”

So let me encourage you:

✔ Replace yourself
✔ Build redundancy
✔ Stop being the bottleneck
✔ Stop wearing every hat

Your future self will hug you.
Maybe even kiss you.
Definitely thank you.

Keep Moving Forward!
— Ryan Lee

# scaling a business, business growth, redundancy in business, replacing yourself, entrepreneurship lessons, hiring team members, business mindset shift, avoiding burnout, small business systems, owner vs operator #