Growth can look healthy on paper while quietly draining the owner behind the scenes.

In this episode of Self-Made Is a Myth, Coach Tim Campsall sits down with Nicole Smith, Franchise Owner of DOXA Talent Center City, to unpack what happens when growth accelerates without focus, structure, or clear leadership accountability.

Nicole shares how saying yes to the wrong clients created complexity, exhaustion, and constant reactivity, even as the business appeared to be gaining momentum. As the company grew, decisions, interruptions, and progress kept flowing back through her, pulling her deeper into the day-to-day instead of forward as a leader.

This conversation explores what it really costs when owners hold on too tightly, why working harder never fixes structural issues, and how intentional client focus, delegation, and leadership systems create space for sustainable growth.

If your business works but still depends on you, this episode will feel uncomfortably familiar.

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
• Why saying yes to the wrong clients slows growth instead of accelerating it
• How lack of leadership structure pulls owners back into daily operations
• The hidden personal cost of constant reactivity and decision overload
• Why delegation fails when owners abdicate instead of lead
• How building leaders, not just systems, creates long-term scale

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Looking To Scale Your Business:
Did you know that only 9% of businesses make it to $1,000,000 in revenue and less than 1% get to $5,000,000. The reason is that the hustle and grind that got you to $1,000,000 needs to shift to scaling strategies to go beyond. Book a Discovery Call now to learn how our ActionCOACH Business Operating System (ABoS) and coaching helps you to get unstuck and thrive to realize your personal and dreams and business goals. https://tbcactioncoach.com/discovery-zoom-call/

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Timestamps:
(00:00) The growth problem Nicole could no longer ignore
(01:30) Why growth kept pulling her into the day-to-day
(03:00) Letting go of the belief that owners must touch everything
(04:30) When growth looks healthy but feels exhausting
(06:00) The personal cost of constant reactivity
(07:45) Why leadership and accountability structures matter
(09:00) Systems vs people, and why both are required
(11:00) Delegation vs abdication
(13:00) The belief that keeps owners stuck doing it alone
(15:45) What Nicole would tell her younger self

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Nicole Smith is a purpose-driven leader and DOXA Talent franchise owner, with a passion for building high-performing global teams that reflect her values of equity, empowerment, and excellence. With a background in organizational development and a deep commitment to uplifting others, Nicole helps small and mid-sized businesses scale ethically and efficiently through remote talent. Her leadership philosophy centers on unlocking potential—in people, in systems, and in culture.