How to Scale a Business Without Burning Out

I scaled too hard. Built a property portfolio from scratch, started a joint venture partnership, started an emergency housing business, managed Seedball socials and scaling plans — all while raising a young family. And I burned out. Not because I didn’t have the right systems — I did. But I worked too hard, slept too little, and didn’t replenish enough.

When I stepped back and analysed it, the problem wasn’t strategy — it was energy. Here’s what I wish I’d done differently:

1. Stop Equating Hard Work with Success

More effort doesn’t always mean more results. At Seedball, when I focused on strategy and targeted social media instead of just working harder, sales improved without increasing stress. In property, when I focused on high-margin moves not just more moves my income increased, but my workload decreased.

2. Protect Your Energy Like It’s a Business Asset

Your capacity is finite. If you treat your time and energy like a resource, you’ll scale smarter — not harder. Rest isn’t a luxury; it’s a growth strategy. Some of my biggest breakthroughs happened when I gave myself space not when I pushed harder.

3. Delegate Before You Think You're Ready

I used to think no one could do it as well as me — but doing everything yourself will kill you. At Seedball, Em scaled operations when she started trusting the team, and I saw the same thing in property when I relied more on management.

Scaling isn’t about working more — it’s about working smarter and protecting your mental bandwidth. Success isn’t success if you don’t feel good living it.