EPISODE 40: Finding Inspiration in Other Co-Founders
…The Truth About Scaling From the Inside Out
Let’s just start here: this stage of building? It’s wild.
It’s that messy middle where you’re no longer just dreaming, but not quite coasting either. The team is growing, the pressure is on, and you're straddling the line between hustle and holding it together.
In this episode of the Mr. & Mrs. CEO podcast, Darren and I sat down to unpack what these past few months have really felt like: from the inside. Not the press release version, not the “highlight reel.” Just us. Two co-founders figuring it out as we go.
We’re talking about the power of looking back, the (terrifying) relief of the right hires, and the hard truth about what would’ve happened if our “ten franchise partners in year one” plan had actually come true.
Spoiler alert: we would have crashed. Hard.
Growth Isn’t Just More… It’s Different
From July to March, everything shifted.
We brought on our first Franchise Partner, then our second. We hired fractional talent in marketing and operations. We restructured how we work. We started scaling our support. And suddenly… we could breathe.
But if I’m honest? That breath came with a gulp of fear, too.
We realized that if we had hit our year-one growth target, we wouldn’t have had the infrastructure to hold it. We would’ve burned ourselves and our team to the ground trying to deliver at the level we expect of ourselves.
We’ve seen it happen in other businesses. Heck, Darren lived it in his last one. When demand outpaces preparation, things break, and people burn out.
That’s why now, we’re building ahead of the curve. Not because it’s easy. But because what we’re building matters, and it deserves to be built well.
The Truth About Overextending (And Why We Did It Anyway)
Darren said something that stuck with me: “I used to bend to every client request, trying to prove we could get it all done… and I burned out my team.”
He wasn’t being dramatic. He meant it literally. Entire weekends spent scrambling to meet unrealistic timelines. Endless hours trying to accommodate when we should have created structure.
It came from a good place: wanting to serve, wanting to please, wanting to build. But overextending created cracks that nearly cost him a business.
So this time, we’re doing things differently. That means:
Saying no to timelines that don't honour the team’s capacity
Creating systems that serve the long game
Being intentional with every hire; not just plugging holes
It’s not always comfortable, but it’s necessary. Because if you’re not building a business that can scale without breaking your people, you’re not really building a business.
Three Years In: A New Kind of Confidence
This month marks almost three years since we started building the Door Gurus franchise model from the ground up. Three years since this was nothing but a little idea we scribbled out between family dinners and late-night walks.
Now? It’s a full-blown system with moving parts, passionate people, and real traction.
But that didn’t come quickly. And it didn’t come without long stretches of doubt, discomfort, and learning.
Looking back, we know now:
Scaling starts on the inside. Before the revenue. Before the buzz.
Founders need space to zoom out, not just push forward.
You don’t need to move fast. You need to move well.
The vision is clearer. The foundation is stronger. And while we’re still pushing that metaphorical boulder up the hill, we’ve stopped trying to sprint with it.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Just Look Forward… Look Back
There’s no playbook for this.
There’s no perfect formula for hiring, scaling, or trusting someone new with your vision. But there is a rhythm to it. And sometimes, the best thing you can do is pause long enough to hear it.
So if you’re building something big, take a moment today to look back.
Look at what you’ve weathered, what you’ve learned, and what you would’ve missed if everything had gone “right” from the start. You’re probably standing on way more progress than you realize.
And if it feels heavy right now? Good. That’s a sign you’re carrying something that matters.
Stay Connected with Mr. & Mrs. CEO
We’d love to continue this conversation! Connect with us on social media:
Darren’s Instagram: @darren.hiebert
Kim’s Instagram: @kimberley.hiebert
Darren’s LinkedIn: Darren Hiebert
Kim’s LinkedIn: Kimberley Hiebert
Website: Mr. & Mrs. CEO