I recently had a consulting call with a client who was at a crossroads with their business, torn between project size, company size, and the pursuit of profitability. The goals were simple: make more money and, ideally, work less. The ultimate aim was to create freedom, freedom for hobbies, for passions, and to offset the rising cost of living. It’s wild to me how elusive that seems for so many business owners today, as if financial security and personal freedom are mutually exclusive.

We dug into the program, goals, market, lifestyle, and needs. What always fascinates me is how often people lose sight of the many ways you can grow or scale a business without hiring a half-dozen employees or putting more trucks on the road. Scaling doesn’t always have to mean “bigger.” Lately, Nick and I have been deep in this topic, trying to understand what smart scaling looks like. How do you grow without adding chaos, overhead, and unnecessary risk? Sometimes growth requires those things, but not always. And not all scaling has to be done at lightning speed.

For this particular client, I saw the opportunity to scale differently, by aligning the business with a different type of project. Scaling, at its core, is about building systems that allow you to handle more output or workload efficiently. That definition is important, because “scaling” means something different to every person in every market. This client believed scaling meant going after bigger, more complex projects with larger budgets, assuming that would lead to higher profit. That’s one way to do it, sure. But it’s far from the only way. And for many of us small owner-operators, it’s not the answer.

He saw two paths ahead: pursue fewer, larger jobs with larger budgets, or go after smaller, faster-turnaround jobs with more frequency. He was convinced the first path was the only real option.

I’ve been there. I chased the big jobs early on too, but I wasn’t equipped for them. I didn’t have the team, the subcontractor network, the processes, or the experience managing long, complex projects. And without solid systems in place, scaling just to take on more volume can actually cost you money.

Eventually, I realized my market, my systems, and my lifestyle were better suited for smaller, more frequent projects. I could sell them more easily, complete them faster, and reduce risk and overhead. With the right coordination, it meant less downtime, simpler planning, smaller crews, and often better margins. I wasn’t tied to one project for six months or more, which gave me more control and flexibility. It also helped with marketing. If I complete two dozen projects a year instead of two, I get more testimonials, more referrals, and more opportunity to hone the type of work I want to do. If one job goes sideways, it doesn’t define my entire year.

Small projects allow me to stay nimble, run lean, and build systems that are easier to manage and quicker to train. It fits my life. And if I need to take on more work, I can. That’s the freedom smart scaling gives you.

This podcast isn’t about convincing you that my way is the best way. It’s about offering perspective, to challenge the idea that scaling only looks one way. Too often, we chase the same projects as everyone else, driven by ego or industry expectations, and lose sight of what we actually want from our business and our life. Bigger budgets don’t always mean better profits. More complexity doesn’t always mean more success.

You can grow your business in a way that’s wise, intentional, and tailored to your life. At the end of the day, if your business isn’t providing the income and the lifestyle you need, then it isn’t a successful business, no matter what the project sizes or revenue numbers say.