Trying to scale but still stuck in the day-to-day? That is the messy middle. Revenue may be growing, but unclear roles, weak systems, and decision bottlenecks turn the owner into the bottleneck. Without defined structure and stronger team accountability, the business cannot move from messy middle to scale and profit stays constrained.

In this episode of Self-Made Is a Myth, Coach Tim Campsall sits down with Richard Worsham, owner of Janus Motorcycles, to unpack what happens when delegation breaks down and role clarity disappears. As the company grew from a small passionate team into a larger manufacturing operation, undefined roles and decision escalation created friction, confusion, and hidden bottlenecks.

Richard shares how over-delegation without structure and management decision hoarding at the same time trained the team to escalate problems instead of solving them. When the only person making decisions is the owner, the team waits, systems stall, and the business stays stuck in the day-to-day.

This is the messy middle. What worked in the hustle and grind stage does not work at scale. Goodwill and enthusiasm are not systems. Titles matter. Defined authority matters. Clear org charts matter. Moving from messy middle to scale requires repeatable systems, empowered leaders, and a team that can solve problems without routing everything back to the owner. Without that shift, the bottleneck remains and profit potential is delayed.

Richard also shares the lesson he wishes he had learned sooner: you do not have to reinvent the wheel. Generations of leadership, lean manufacturing, and operational systems already exist. Bringing in outside perspective accelerated clarity, strengthened habits, improved structure, and created a foundation to move beyond the messy middle and toward scale.

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why unclear roles quietly create an owner bottleneck
• How escalation culture keeps teams stuck in the day-to-day
• The difference between delegation and structured authority
• Why defined systems are required before scale
• How reinventing the wheel costs time and profit
• The leadership shift required to move beyond the messy middle

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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/

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Timestamps:

(00:00) The real growth killer: unclear roles
(03:00) Hustle and grind vs the messy middle
(06:00) Over-delegation and decision hoarding
(09:00) How escalation creates a bottleneck
(12:00) The power of defined roles and org charts
(16:00) Changing habits and building structure
(21:00) Stop reinventing the wheel
(24:00) Bringing in outside leadership and experience

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Janus Motorcycles creates a new category of iconic, hand-built production motorcycles that do more than take the rider from point A to point B. Manufactured in downtown Goshen, Indiana since 2011, each highly personalized Janus strives to capture the reason motorcyclists choose to ride in the first place, ignoring the distractions of horsepower, noise, weight, and tech gadgetry to distill the best of motorcycling: extraordinary aesthetics, a rich brand story, a thrilling riding experience, and easy reliable performance and maintenance.

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.

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. Growth increases revenue, but weak systems, leadership gaps, and cash pressure turn the owner into the bottleneck. Without stronger systems and a stronger team, scaling slows and profit gets squeezed.

In this episode of Self-Made Is a Myth, Coach Tim Campsall sits down with Josh, CEO of Wildman Business Group, to unpack what happens when a company doubles revenue but leadership capacity, systems, and financial discipline have not caught up. Scaling requires more than effort. It requires mature systems, a capable team, and visibility into profit and cash flow. Without those, growth creates stress, pulls the owner back into operations, and reinforces the owner bottleneck.

Josh shares how stepping into ownership during a highly leveraged acquisition forced him to understand cash flow at a deeper level. Sleepless nights wondering if payroll would clear revealed how scaling without financial visibility can threaten profit and long-term stability. As revenue doubled, the business encountered new talent gaps. Senior leadership roles the company had never hired for before became essential to continue scaling without the owner staying stuck in the day-to-day.

This is the messy middle. The hustle and grind that built the company no longer works. Hero leadership and overfunctioning prevent the team from fully owning outcomes. When the owner keeps saving the day, systems do not mature, accountability weakens, and the bottleneck remains. Scaling requires standardized systems, stronger leadership, and a team that can deliver results without constant owner intervention.

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why scaling without financial discipline threatens profit
• How talent gaps quietly reinforce the owner bottleneck
• Why being stuck in the day-to-day blocks scaling
• How standardized systems unlock sustainable growth
• The leadership shift required to scale beyond hustle
• How coaching helps owners break isolation and build stronger teams

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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:

(00:00) The biggest growth constraint: people and cash
(02:00) Stepping into ownership during high leverage
(06:00) Cash flow stress and payroll pressure
(09:30) Doubling revenue and emerging talent gaps
(11:00) Hiring senior leaders to continue scaling
(14:30) The messy middle and infrastructure bottlenecks
(16:00) From hero leadership to standardized systems
(20:30) Letting the team grow without rescuing
(26:00) Leading through crisis without becoming the bottleneck

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Most businesses don’t stall because of a lack of strategy.

They stall because execution keeps pulling the owner back into the day-to-day.

In this episode of Self-Made Is a Myth, Coach Tim Campsall sits down with David Karandish, founder of Capacity, to unpack what happens when hiring decisions ignore values and why that mistake quietly caps growth.

David shares how misaligned hires forced him back into the weeds, the personal cost of carrying execution himself, and the shift that allowed Capacity to scale without breaking culture. If your business works but still depends too much on you, this conversation will feel uncomfortably familiar.

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why hiring for talent alone creates long-term execution drag
• How unclear values pull owners back into daily decisions
• The hidden cost of “good people” who are the wrong fit
• What it takes to translate strategy into action without owner dependency

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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/

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

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Timestamps:

(00:00) When growth starts slowing without warning
(02:05) Hiring skilled people who don’t share values
(04:00) The personal cost of misaligned hires
(05:10) Defining values before scaling the team
(07:45) Why “good people” can still stall growth
(09:40) Translating strategy into execution
(12:00) Complexity, priorities, and owner dependency
(14:30) Selecting the right problems to solve
(16:55) Escaping the messy middle without working harder
(20:00) Why self-made is a myth in real scaling

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David Karandish is Founder & CEO of Capacity – an enterprise SaaS company headquartered in St. Louis, MO. Capacity is a support automation platform that uses AI to deflect emails, calls, and tickets so internal and external support teams can spend more time doing their best work.

Prior to starting Capacity, David was the CEO of Answers Corp. He and his business partner Chris Sims started the parent company of Answers in 2006 and sold it to a private equity firm in 2014 for $960m.

David sits on the boards of Create a Loop (a computer science education non-profit tackling the digital divide by teaching kids to code). David was also an early investor and board member at Nerdy (NYSE: NRDY), an on-demand, real-time learning platform in the ed tech space.

David lives in St. Louis with his wife, Erin and four kids. When not working, he enjoys spending time with his family and playing ukulele.

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/

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

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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.

Most business owners pride themselves on being capable, dependable, and self-reliant. Early on, that mindset fuels growth. Eventually, it becomes the very thing that stalls it.

In this episode of Self-Made Is a Myth, Coach Tim Campsall sits down with Monty Anderson, owner of RTM, a fast-growing marine sales, service, and storage company. Monty shares how relying too heavily on himself quietly capped growth, strained culture, and pulled him deeper into the day-to-day.

Monty walks through the real shift that had to happen, letting go of “no one can do it as well as me,” investing in training, tools, and time, and learning how leadership and management must evolve as a company scales. With nearly 80 team members across multiple locations, Monty explains why delegation without systems is chaos, and why systems without training fail just as fast.

If you are an owner who feels buried in decisions, frustrated by team performance, or worried the business would stall without you, this conversation will hit close to home.

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
• Why self-reliance eventually becomes a growth ceiling
• The real cost of skipping training, tools, and time
• How poor delegation quietly damages culture and profitability
• What it actually takes to build a business that can run without you

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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/

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

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Timestamps:
(00:00) Why self-reliance quietly stalls growth
(02:10) Seeing the opportunity in a broken industry
(05:20) The danger of “no one can do it better than me”
(07:30) Why training, tools, and time are non-negotiable
(10:40) Delegation without systems creates chaos
(13:00) The real difference between leadership and management
(16:10) How self-sabotage shows up for owners
(19:00) What happens when growth outpaces structure
(22:10) Building a business that works without you
(27:30) Why sellability is the true test of success

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Monty Anderson was born and raised in Indianapolis. Married 15 years to my beautiful wife Alena. Grew up in the family business building custom homes and land development. Now only focuses on instilling boating culture and experiences to my customers.

Most business owners know technology matters, but many delay the decision because of cost, fear, or not knowing where to start. The result is usually the same, the owner stays buried in the day-to-day while growth stalls.

In this episode of Self-Made Is a Myth, Tim Campsall sits down with Brad Shields, owner of Shields Windshields, to unpack how resisting technology upgrades quietly limited growth, created bottlenecks, and kept too much responsibility on the owner’s shoulders.

Brad shares the real story behind building a high-performance manufacturing business, navigating a family business transition, and making the leap from manual processes to automation, systems, and leadership depth. He also opens up about the mindset shifts required to let go, trust a growing team, and build a company that can scale beyond the founder.

If you are a business owner who knows your business cannot keep growing the way it is currently run, this conversation will hit close to home.

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why delaying technology investments often costs more than making them
• How being the bottleneck slows growth even when demand is strong
• The hidden leadership shift required to let go without losing control
• Why “having the best product” is not enough to scale
• How building the right team and management structure creates freedom

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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/

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

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Why avoiding technology quietly stalls growth
(02:20) Escaping low-margin work and rethinking the business model
(04:00) Running everything manually and wearing every hat
(06:30) The fear behind investing in automation and equipment
(08:05) The personal cost of being stuck in the day-to-day
(10:55) Why the best product alone does not scale a business
(14:40) The mindset shift required to let go without losing control
(18:00) Building leadership, management, and accountability
(22:50) Installing systems to prepare for future expansion
(26:50) Why self-made success is a myth and who helped most

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Most business owners do not struggle because they lack ideas. They struggle because they have too many priorities competing for their attention.

In this episode of Self-Made Is a Myth – Make a Difference Together, Coach Tim Campsall sits down with Brian of Indiana Business Advisors and Sunbelt Business Brokers to unpack how chasing too many opportunities, relying on referrals alone, and lacking a consistent lead generation system quietly pulls owners back into the day-to-day.

Brian shares how shiny object syndrome, revenue-first thinking, and wearing too many hats cost him peace of mind, focus, and leverage. He also explains why building systems that allow the business to run without the owner is not just about growth, but about long-term value, freedom, and exit readiness.

This conversation is especially relevant for owners who feel busy, successful on the surface, but stretched thin and reactive behind the scenes.

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
• Why having too many initiatives creates hidden chaos inside the business
• How chasing revenue without structure hurts profit and valuation
• The real cost of relying only on referrals for growth
• Why consistent lead generation systems protect owner time and focus
• How stepping out of the day-to-day increases both freedom and business value

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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/

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

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Why too many priorities stall growth
(01:00) Losing freedom after starting the business
(03:35) Shiny object syndrome and scattered focus
(06:00) The real cost of being pulled in every direction
(07:30) Revenue growth does not fix broken structure
(09:10) Profit, peace of mind, and owner leverage
(11:00) Why buyers avoid owner-dependent businesses
(14:00) Exit planning starts earlier than most owners think
(16:00) The danger of relying only on referrals
(18:30) Why consistent marketing systems matter
(22:00) Defining success beyond growth and hustle
(25:00) Why self-made success is a myth