Introduction
Building a $100 million business doesn’t happen overnight, and it certainly isn’t easy. But the path to scaling from zero to seven or eight figures involves specific mindset shifts and actions that can make the journey smoother. Today, I’m going to share what I learned scaling my business from making $2,000 in three years to pulling in millions a month.
Here’s how you can apply these lessons to go from a few thousand dollars to millions in revenue, and the mental changes you’ll need along the way.
“From $2K to Millions: The Blueprint for Scaling a Business”
Lesson 1: Burn the Boats
One of the most important steps in scaling a business is to fully commit—what I call “burning the boats.” For years, I only made $2,000 in my business because I was too scared to go all in. I kept thinking I needed money before I could start making serious moves. But when I finally invested $5,000 in a mentor (even though I had to put most of it on a credit card), everything changed.
The lesson here is simple: stop waiting for perfect conditions. Decide what you want, go all in, and do whatever it takes to reach your goals. There is no plan B—if you want success, you have to commit fully.
Lesson 2: Consistency is King
Once I started hitting the $10,000 a month mark, I noticed a trend—most people get a bit of success, and then they slack off. This mindset will keep you stuck. You have to double down once you start seeing results. Success requires consistency over time.
Just like staying in shape requires regular workouts, scaling your business requires daily inputs—messaging prospects, making sales calls, training your team, and sticking to the systems that work. Consistency over time is what separates the successful from the unsuccessful.
Lesson 3: Build a Team, But Manage Expectations
As you start approaching $100,000 a month, you can’t do everything yourself. I learned that scaling beyond that required relying on my team, and that was a tough transition. I expected everyone to work like I did—16-hour days, nonstop hustle. But the reality is, not everyone is built like a CEO.
Your team should perform at around 80% of your level, and that’s okay. The sooner you accept this, the faster you can scale. You’re not going to find “Tom Brady” working for $4,000 a month, so adjust your expectations accordingly.
Lesson 4: The Power of Paid Traffic
Getting from $100,000 to $1 million a month meant ramping up lead generation. I went from spending $20,000 a month on ads to spending $10,000–$20,000 a day. It sounds crazy, but once you have your systems in place and you know your numbers, scaling becomes a game of getting more eyeballs.
Paid traffic is the key to scaling fast. Organic growth can only take you so far. At some point, you need to pay to get your business in front of more people. With the right systems in place—ads, emails, follow-ups, and sales calls—it becomes predictable.
Lesson 5: Lead Like a CEO
When you hit $1 million a month, your role shifts from doing everything to leading your top executives. You’re no longer dealing with low-level tasks. Your focus should be on developing your leadership team and empowering them to drive the business forward.
This was one of the hardest shifts for me because I was used to being involved in every detail. But once your business reaches a certain size, you need to let go and trust your leadership team to manage the day-to-day.
The Secret Ingredient: Persistence
Finally, the one trait that will take you from $2,000 to millions is persistence. Whether the business is doing great or struggling, I show up every day and do the same things that got me here. Shooting content, managing my team, making calls—none of it stops.
The most successful people in the world aren’t necessarily the smartest or the hardest working; they are the most persistent. They don’t let their foot off the gas, even after years of doing the same thing.
Conclusion: The Blueprint for Scaling
Scaling a business to millions requires more than just hustle—it requires strategy, consistency, and leadership. You need to commit fully, stay persistent, and be willing to scale your lead generation while managing your team effectively. With these lessons, you can take your business from where it is today to levels you never thought possible.
Tanner Chidester
CEO, Elite CEOs
