We’re a little past the halfway mark of the year—and if your year has been anything like mine, you’ve likely faced your fair share of challenges.
There’s something humbling about growing a business. Especially when it’s scaling faster than you ever imagined. You go from excitement to overwhelm, confidence to doubt, and back again—sometimes in the same week. But if there’s one theme that consistently shows up, it’s this: resilience.
This year has tested ours. And I want to share a few lessons I’ve learned about bouncing back, adapting to new realities, and continuing to rise even when things feel uncertain or stretched to the breaking point.
The Messy Middle of Growth
When you’re building something meaningful, setbacks aren’t an “if”—they’re a “when.”
In the early stages of our firm, our systems, processes, and people were designed to handle about 50 new clients per month. Back then, that felt like a mountain. But with time, investment, and a whole lot of late nights, that number doubled. And then it doubled again. Today, we’re regularly adding 400+ new clients a month.
Here’s the kicker: the things that worked at 50 don’t work at 100. What worked at 100 doesn’t work at 200. And what barely held on at 200 will collapse under the weight of 400 if you’re not ahead of the curve.
That’s not a knock on our original systems or people—it’s a reflection of growth. Just like a runner has to change their training and nutrition plans as they get stronger, a business needs new infrastructure as it scales.
Growing Pains Are Real—and Necessary
When you scale, here’s what gets tested:
- Your Systems
- Task flows, intake processes, case management, client communications—they all start breaking at higher volumes.
- Your People
- Some thrive in the chaos of startup mode. Others need stability and routine. The painful truth is: the team that got you from A to B may not be the right team to get you from B to C.
- Your Financials
- Cash flow. Payroll. Profit margins. Budgeting for growth versus profitability. Scaling often means burning cash before you see return. If your numbers aren’t dialed in, you’re flying blind.
- Your Leadership
- As you grow, your role changes. You move from doing to leading. From leading to vision-casting. And that shift can be uncomfortable—even for seasoned entrepreneurs.
The Hardest Lesson: People Come and People Go
This was one of the most painful realizations: the people who helped us build the foundation of our firm—the ones who celebrated the early wins, sat around the first boardroom table, went to war in the trenches—they may not be the ones who carry us into the next chapter.
It’s not about loyalty. It’s about alignment.
Some team members are incredible at launching. Others shine at scaling. A few thrive when things are stable and systems are humming. Each phase of growth requires different strengths—and not everyone evolves at the same pace. That’s okay.
But as a leader, it’s your job to recognize it. To have the hard conversations. To create opportunities where possible, and transitions where necessary.
Resilience isn’t just about enduring what’s hard. It’s about making the right decisions, even when they’re uncomfortable.
How to Build Resilience During Business Setbacks
Whether you’re in the middle of a major challenge right now or you’re preparing for the next storm, here are a few lessons that have helped me stay grounded and forward-moving when everything felt stretched thin.
1. Redefine What a Setback Means
Setbacks aren’t failures. They’re signals.
They’re telling you what’s broken, what’s misaligned, or what’s outgrown its usefulness. When a system collapses under new volume, it’s not a disaster—it’s an invitation to build better.
Instead of seeing problems as personal, start asking:
- What is this trying to teach me?
- What’s no longer working?
- What needs to evolve to meet the moment?
2. Stay Consistent When It Would Be Easier to Hide
During difficult seasons, your instinct might be to pull back—sleep in, avoid tough meetings, put off decisions.
But momentum doesn’t come from intensity. It comes from consistency.
Even when things feel heavy, you can still:
- Show up to your meetings.
- Review your numbers.
- Keep your morning routine.
- Have the hard conversations.
You don’t need to have it all figured out—you just need to keep showing up.
3. Keep the Mission Front and Center
When everything feels uncertain, go back to your “why.”
For us, it’s serving injured clients and giving them a world-class experience when they’re at their lowest. It’s building a firm that transforms lives—not just our clients’, but our team members’, our families’, our community’s.
When I reconnect with that mission, the noise dies down. The stress gets quieter. The next step becomes clearer.
Scaling Isn’t a Straight Line
I used to think growth looked like this:
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But in reality, it looks more like this:
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Progress isn’t linear. And resilience means accepting that with grace.
You’ll have weeks where you’re in flow—things are clicking, numbers are up, and everyone’s aligned. And then you’ll have weeks where everything feels like it’s on fire.
Both are part of the journey.
3 Daily Practices That Keep Me Grounded
When life feels chaotic, I turn to these three anchors to stay mentally, emotionally, and physically resilient:
1. The Morning Routine
Inspired by The Miracle Morning, I start each day at 5:00 AM. My routine includes:
- Silence (meditation or prayer)
- Affirmations
- Visualization
- Exercise
- Reading
- Scribing (journaling)
This rhythm centers me before the world starts asking for my attention.
2. Weekly Reflection
Every Sunday, I look back at:
- What went well
- What didn’t
- What I need to adjust
This helps me course-correct without judgment and stay proactive rather than reactive.
3. Movement
Running, cycling, swimming, lifting—whatever it is, I move my body daily. Not just for fitness, but for clarity. Some of my best ideas and breakthroughs come when I’m miles into a run or deep in the water.
Closing Thoughts: Progress Over Perfection
Maybe this year hasn’t gone exactly the way you hoped. Maybe your systems broke. Maybe a key team member left. Maybe you’ve had to rebuild something from the ground up. Me too.
But I’ve learned something along the way:
You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to keep going.
Keep showing up. Keep leading. Keep aligning your actions with your purpose. Keep your eyes on the next milestone—not the final destination.
Because when it’s all said and done, success won’t be measured by how smooth the path was. It’ll be measured by how resilient you were when the road got tough.
What About You?
Where have you faced unexpected challenges this year? What systems or mindsets have you had to outgrow? What’s tested your leadership—and what has revealed your resilience?
Leave a comment below or share this with someone navigating the messy middle. Let’s keep rising—together.
