People often ask me why my business has grown so quickly. The honest answer is simple. I wanted it. This decision changes everything. It sets the pace, standards and level of discomfort you are willing to endure. Growth is a choice long before it is a result.
Here is my position. Comfort doesn’t build great businesses. Ambition yes. And ambition comes at a cost that the founder must be willing to pay first and most.
Ambition over comfort
Teams like stability. Most people prefer a stable plan, clear roles and a predictable load. I understand. They have families, routines and lives outside of work. If the manager slows down, so does the company. It’s normal. But if the goal is aberrant growth, the founder can’t take the easy way out.
“People wonder how Hawk Media got so big…because I wanted it to.”
It’s not bravado. This is a job description. A founder’s primary duty is to set an ambitious goal and keep the momentum going long after everyone else wants to take a break.
What Growth Really Requires
Growth is not a slogan. It’s the weight. This results in more transactions, more risk and more difficult calls. It looks glamorous on the outside and exhausting on the inside.
“Growing is hard. It’s hard work.”
Last year we acquired ten companies. Ten integrations. Ten cultures. Ten sets of systems and expectations. This burden did not rest solely on me. This hit our leaders and our teams. This put a strain on us.
“We’ve acquired 10 companies this year. That’s a lot of work. A lot of integration work.”
Could we have done five? Of course. The team would have loved that. Many would accept the same salary for less pressure. Some would even accept a little haircut for better balance. But that’s not how you create cumulative momentum. Big results rarely come from half-steps.
The job of founder
Here’s the truth that most won’t say out loud. If the founder lets go, the machine slows down. People follow the energy at the top. They correspond to your urgency or your ease. They reflect your appetite for difficult things or your tendency to freewheel.
“Most founders should be those who carry ambition.”
Your board of directors, investors or advisors can apply pressure. Your team can execute with excellence. But only the founder can make ambition a daily habit…the kind that lives in the calendar, the pipeline and the hiring plan.
But what about burnout?
It’s a good argument. Constant sprinting is not sustainable. People are not machines. Neither do the founders. The answer is not to avoid ambition. It’s about managing it with clarity and care.
- Set real priorities. Don’t say more than yes.
- Growth of the sequence. Stack wins in correct order.
- Compensate fairly. Reward people for the load they carry.
- Communicate the why. Clarity reduces stress more than benefits.
- Protect recovery. Rest is a strategy, not a benefit.
These choices make heavy tasks possible without breaking up the team. They also give ambition meaning and not coincidence.
What I learned
I have built, grown and sold businesses before. I grew Ellie.com to seven figures in four months. This kind of sprint taught me a lesson that I carry with me every day. Ambition only grows when the leader continues to choose it, even when comfort strikes. People will rarely ask for more weight. Leaders must decide what the company can handle and why it’s worth it.
If you are a founder, intentionally choose what is difficult. If you’re backing a founder, invest in one who is motivated like that. Ambition is not noise. It’s a system, a standard and a promise: we will do the work that others won’t do.
My appeal to the builders
Decide what you want. Say it out loud. Then, develop the plan that matches ambition, not comfort level. Growth has changed, but not the principle. Ambition at the top sets the tone for everyone.
Choose the pace. Own the charge. Lead as if the outcome depends on your appetite for hard work, because it does.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do you decide when to push and when to pause?
I establish clear quarterly priorities and capacity limits. If a decision threatens quality or cash discipline, I delay it. Ambition without sequence becomes chaos.
Q: What keeps a team engaged during aggressive growth?
Clarity, fairness and purpose. People handle heavy tasks when they know why, see progress, and feel recognized in their skills and opportunities.
Q: How do acquisitions avoid cultural clashes?
Define non-negotiable elements from the start: values, customer standards, operating rhythms. Then integrate in stages with clear owners and deadlines. Culture follows consistent behavior.
Q: What is the biggest mistake founders make when scaling?
Let go of standards to move faster. Speed without standards creates editing and trust issues. Hold the bar and move forward quickly, without negligence.
Q: Can a company grow quickly while protecting its balance?
Yes, with intelligent load management: restricted perimeters, staggered objectives, real recovery time and rewards commensurate with the effort. Balance is designed, not discovered.
