Why Running a $50M Company is Actually EASIER than a $5M One

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If someone told you that managing a $50 million business is actually easier than running a $5 million company, you'd probably think they were crazy.

But after speaking with business scaling expert Allison Maslan - CEO of Pinnacle Global Network and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of "Scale or Fail" - we’re convinced this counterintuitive truth could transform how you think about growing your business.

The $5 Million “Blood, Sweat, and Tears” Trap

Here's what Allison discovered after building 10 companies over 40 years: most entrepreneurs running $5 million businesses are trapped in what I call the "blood, sweat, and tears" model.

They're working 24/7… They have their hands in everything... They're the bottleneck for every decision... Sound familiar?

Allison learned this lesson the hard way with her first business at 19 years old. Despite having a small team, she was working around the clock, trying to control every aspect of the operation. The stress became so overwhelming that she ended up in a car accident - a wake-up call that changed everything.

"What you think is helping by holding on so tightly is actually choking the growth of your company," she told me.

The Strategic Difference That Changes Everything

The companies that scale to $50 million operate fundamentally differently. They're built strategically from the ground up with systems that don't depend on the founder being involved in every decision.

For example: when Ben & Jerry's ice cream brand grew to thousands of employees, you didn't see Ben or Jerry standing over everyone telling them what to do. They were focused on mergers, acquisitions, and building powerful relationships - not buried in the weeds.

These larger companies have what Allison calls "galvanizers" throughout the organization. The vision and values become so entrenched that the culture lives and breathes even when the founder isn't there.

The Compound Effect of Getting Out of Your Own Way

Once you build this foundation correctly, something magical happens: the centrifugal force of a well-oiled machine kicks in.

Everyone is crystal clear on the “North Star” metrics. The entire team is aligned behind the vision. There's no drama, no revolving door with employees or customers, and no people bumping into each other with conflicting priorities.

This creates what Allison describes as a "flywheel effect" - momentum that compounds exponentially rather than requiring constant effort to maintain.

"At that point, you really are not in the day-to-day of the company anymore," she explained. "You get to spend your time building relationships, exploring joint ventures, and focusing on the future of the business."

The A-Player Advantage

One of the biggest differences between struggling $5 million companies and thriving $50 million operations is the quality of people on the team.

As Allison puts it: "If you're going to the Super Bowl, you need A-players on the team. You can't have B-players or C-players. You will not win."

The mistake most entrepreneurs make is settling for "good enough" employees because they're nice people who work hard. But holding onto the wrong people actually hurts both the business and the employee - they're usually frustrated too when they're not the right fit.

Here's her approach to attracting A-players:

• Lead with culture and vision first. These superstars aren't just looking for a job - they're looking for a new home. They'll spend more time with you than their own families, so they care deeply about the mission and energy of the organization.

• Don't hire on the first interview. Even if someone seems perfect, make them put effort into the process. Have multiple people interview them. Desperation leads to overlooking red flags.

• Look for galvanizers within your existing team. Sometimes your best future leaders are already there, raising their hands with ideas that no one has listened to yet.

The Acquisition Advantage

This principle applies perfectly to acquisition entrepreneurs. When you acquire a business, you often discover hidden A-players who've been waiting for someone to recognize their potential.

In our own experience, there's almost always someone "at the back of the room" who's been raising their hand for ages with great ideas that the previous owner never implemented. These people often become some of your most valuable team members because they're already passionate about the business and ready to contribute at a higher level.

The Mindset Shift That Makes It All Possible

All that said, the biggest barrier to scaling is NOT usually systems or strategy - it's mindset.

Our brains are wired to keep us small because they're trying to protect us. We get stuck in "yeah, but..." thinking: "Yeah, but that doesn't work in my industry" or "Yeah, but I tried that before."

Allison's advice? Surround yourself with people who have been there and done it.

Don't try to figure it out alone. Most entrepreneurs struggle to ask for help, but that's exactly what successful people do:

"It actually takes a lot more courage to ask for help," she noted. "We're just so close to the business that we don't see certain things."

Your Next Steps

If you're running a business that's completely dependent on you, remember: what got you to this point won't be the same as what gets you to the next level. The habits that helped you survive the startup phase will strangle your growth at scale.

The path to a bigger & easier-to-run company that runs without you starts with making the decision to quit settling for B-players and commit to building systems that work without your constant involvement.

As Allison says: "If you're really passionate about what you're doing, just keep walking towards it every single day, and don't let anyone tell you that it can't be done."

The only question is - Are you ready to get out of your own way?

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