Scaling in the messy middle feels heavier than it should. You are trying to scale, but you are still stuck in the day-to-day. Revenue may be growing, but weak culture, overcomplicated systems, and emotional decision-making quietly turn the owner into the bottleneck.

In this episode of Self-Made Is a Myth, Coach Tim Campsall sits down with Debbie Lovett, owner of Plan B Cleaning, to unpack what really stalled growth in her business. It was not marketing. It was not effort. It was culture without boundaries, systems that became too complex, and decisions made from emotion instead of numbers. Like many owner-led businesses in the messy middle, the company worked, but it still depended too much on the owner.

Debbie shares how trying to “love employees well” without structure created chaos. Weak boundaries allowed the wrong people to stay too long. Processes multiplied but clarity decreased. As revenue grew, churn quietly increased. Only when KPIs exposed client loss did the real issue become clear. The problem was not cleaning quality. It was professionalism, communication, and cultural consistency. Tracking numbers removed emotion and revealed the constraint.

This is the messy middle. Growth increases complexity. Without stronger systems, clearer guardrails, and a team that can own outcomes, scaling slows and stress rises. Breaking the owner bottleneck required documented training, simplified systems, stronger boundaries, and leadership maturity.

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why culture without boundaries creates chaos that stalls growth
• How being stuck in the day-to-day reinforces the owner bottleneck
• Why overbuilt systems increase mistakes, stress, and rework
• How tracking numbers exposes hidden client churn
• The leadership shift from “be a cleaner” to “be a professional”
• How outside perspective helps untangle messy middle complexity

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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% reach $10,000,000. The hustle and grind that got you to $1,000,000 will not get you beyond it. To scale past the Messy Middle, you need stronger systems, clearer structure, and disciplined execution. Book a Discovery Call to see how our ActionCOACH Business Operating System (ABoS) and coaching help you get unstuck and move toward sustainable scaling so you can achieve your personal dreams and business goals. https://tbcactioncoach.com/discovery-zoom-call/

Sign up for our weekly business tips https://tbcactioncoach.com/resources/email-signup/

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Timestamps:

(00:01) The real growth constraint: culture
(04:45) Loving employees without boundaries
(06:38) Hiring HR to hold the line
(07:53) The personal cost of messy growth
(10:23) Process gaps pulling the owner back in
(14:02) 80 percent systems and decision guardrails
(17:02) Breaking the “only I can do this” belief
(25:31) You can’t read the label from inside the jar
(29:12) KPIs expose client churn
(31:04) From cleaner to professional culture

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Plan: B Cleaning is a residential cleaning company based in Central Indiana, serving busy people who want more than just a clean home. Founded by Debbie Lovett, the company exists to help clients reclaim time, peace, and mental space through reliable, professional home care. Plan: B is built on the belief that exceptional service starts with intentional culture — where professionalism, clear communication, and consistency are taught, modeled, and expected.