Everyone's journey looks different.
Looking back, what has had the biggest impact on your growth as a business owner?
A mentor?
Trial and error?
Books or podcasts?
Networking?
Coaching?
Something else?
I'd love to hear what has influenced your journey the most and why.
Definitely a coach! Helped me so much to grow as a leader and as a person.
That's awesome. It's amazing how the right coach can accelerate growth in ways you don't always recognize until you look back. Was there one lesson from your coach that has stuck with you the most?
For me, the biggest impact has been trial and error mixed with being forced to rebuild.
I did not grow Metal Relic by following some perfect business plan. I learned by making mistakes, taking chances, saying yes to opportunities before I felt fully ready, and figuring it out as I went. Losing my home, tools, and stability in 2023 changed everything. It forced me to decide whether this was just something I did, or something I was really going to build my life around.
Going back to school, competing through SkillsUSA, putting my work in front of people, joining local arts organizations, and networking with people who actually care about growth all pushed me forward. Every opportunity opened the door to another one.
The biggest lesson has been that growth does not come from one thing. It comes from staying in motion, learning from the punches, and surrounding yourself with people and places that challenge you to take your work seriously.
I really appreciate you sharing this. What resonated with me most wasn't just the trial and error, it was your willingness to keep moving despite losing so much. That takes a level of resilience that can't be taught. I also loved your point that every opportunity opened the door to another one. As someone who's building a business from the ground up myself, that's an encouraging reminder to keep showing up, even when the path isn't perfectly clear. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience.
The biggest impact on my growth has been relentless execution and treating every opportunity as a chance to build trust.
I started my junk removal company February 8, 2026 with just $180. Instead of trying to look like the cheapest company, we focused on building a business that customers and commercial clients could trust from day one. We invested in professional branding, clear communication, and an experience that made us look and operate like an established company.
Every dollar we made went right back into the business. Today, we own our trucks and equipment outright, carry no debt, have grown into a six-figure business, and became a preferred vendor for one of the largest property management companies in the country. We even landed a $60,000 Residential contract in our third month.
One lesson that surprised me was the power of trust signals. We earned 27 five-star Google reviews in a short period, but we didn’t chase five stars—we asked customers to share their honest experience. Many of those reviews tell detailed stories about our professionalism, communication, reliability, and the quality of our work. Those reviews have become one of our strongest sales tools because they answer a customer’s questions before we ever speak with them.
Looking back, what feels like years of progress has been compressed into a few months because we kept reinvesting, learning from our mistakes, and taking action instead of waiting for the perfect moment. Books and podcasts helped, but experience has been my greatest teacher.
Wow! This really reinforces that trust is an asset, not an expense. Investing in branding, communication, and the customer experience from day one is something many new business owners overlook. Thanks for sharing the transparency behind your growth.
Being in a supportive position, the failure of not enough insight from the past has been my biggest teacher. Now I'm able to identify the traits in certain business owners I now support and alter my decisions based on my observations. I've lost contracts because of the behaviors of others and now I'm to pick up on those behaviors faster. I'm thankful for the wisdom I've gain, it's made me stronger and more confident.
I can definitely relate to that. Experience has a way of sharpening discernment. While losing opportunities is never easy, it's often those moments that teach us what to look for, what to avoid, and ultimately help us make wiser decisions moving forward. Thanks for sharing your perspective.
