Self Made Is a Myth: How Business Owners Escape the Messy Midde and Scale

Trying to grow your business, but still doing work your team should be able to handle? In this episode of Self-Made Is a Myth, Tim Campsall, The Messy Middle Guy, sits down with Garrett Brown from Next Day Access. Garrett owns three territories covering Central Indiana and Fort Wayne, helping people stay safe and independent through wheelchair ramps, grab bars, stair lifts, platform lifts, patient lifts, and other accessibility solutions. Earlier in the business, Garrett handled installations while also serving as the main salesperson and answering technical customer questions. Because parts of the team were not fully trained, he had less time to respond to customers, recruit employees, and build referral relationships. The result was slower growth, delayed customer service, late nights, and less time with his family. Garrett began working through this by training his people, giving them the tools they needed, and trusting them to complete the work. He started handing off small tasks that added up to hours of owner time, shifting his thinking from “me” to “we.” Today, the same problem has shown up in a new form. Garrett is completing in-person evaluations for a large commercial client, sometimes driving two and a half hours each way, while his priority list continues to grow. With the team near capacity, he is again catching up after his children go to bed instead of focusing on growing the business. This is what the Messy Middle looks like when an owner has delegated some of the work, but the business continues creating new responsibilities that depend on them. Growth requires continuing to build capacity before the next bottleneck takes control of the owner’s time. What You’ll Learn:Why doing skilled work yourself can limit business growthHow small tasks add up to hours of lost owner timeWhy training your team must remain a priority when you are busyHow trusting employees creates capacity for higher-value workWhy growth keeps creating new owner bottlenecks to solve Timestamps: 00:01 - Doing installations kept Garrett stuck in the day-to-day03:03 - The personal cost of working in the business04:29 - Learning to delegate and trust the team11:19 - Garrett’s current bottleneck: on-site evaluations14:19 - What happens if nothing changes?16:01 - The lesson Garrett wishes he’d learned sooner18:46 - How outside perspective accelerated growth23:47 - Garrett’s favorite books and podcasts Garrett Brown grew up in Indiana, got a degree in mechanical engineering, and worked in manufacturing for fourteen years. In 2023, Garrett joined the Next Day Access franchise and opened the first location in Indiana. He has a wife, two kids, and spends his free time with his family or tinkering with a 3D printer. Garrett owns and operates three territories of Next Day Access operating out of Indianapolis. They cover central Indiana and Fort Wayne, with the goal of helping people stay safe in their home. Solutions include aluminum wheelchair ramp, grab bars, handrails, stairlifts, bathroom safety, and anything else that helps prevent falls and injuries. Learn more here: https://www.nextdayaccess.com/indianapolis-in/ABOUT TIM CAMPSALL, THE MESSY MIDDLE GUYTim helps owners to get unstuck, scale, and build a more valuable business that can run without them. https://unstuckandscale.com#TheMessyMiddleGuy #OwnerLedBusiness #SelfMadeIsAMyth #GetUnstuckAndScale

Does everything still need your approval before work can move forward?In this episode of Self-Made Is a Myth, Tim Campsall, The Messy Middle Guy, sits down with Scott Noel from Braun Property Development and Hallmark Homes. Scott shares what he learned while helping grow Hallmark Homes into new business models.Earlier in Hallmark’s growth, Scott was involved in sales approvals, customer questions, change orders, inspections, and construction issues. He worked weekends to better understand customers and regularly stepped into detailed operational problems. As the company scaled toward building hundreds of homes each year, too many decisions still flowed through him. The phone rang constantly during business hours, pushing his own work into early mornings and evenings.To work through that challenge, the company focused on creating systems and processes so recurring problems would not continue happening. They developed role identification, checklists, and operational frameworks to reduce day-to-day reactiveness.Today, Hallmark is approaching fifty employees and continues building its management layer. Scott and the other senior leaders are working to reduce the issues that flow directly to them. Finding the right managers, equipping them properly, and helping them operate within clear guardrails remains an ongoing challenge. When expectations are not met or projects move slower than expected, Scott sometimes steps back in and does the work himself.This is what the Messy Middle looks like when the owner is no longer handling every task but is still relied on for direction, decisions, and problem solving. The work changes, but too much still flows back through the owner.What You’ll Learn:• Why too many approvals flowing through the owner can limit growth• How systems and processes reduce day-to-day reactiveness• The role management layers play in a growing company• Why autonomy requires both confidence and guardrails• How stepping back in can slow team developmentTimestamps:00:00 - Getting pulled into approvals and decisions00:43 - Why being in the weeds limited growth03:39 - The personal toll of constant interruptions05:42 - Building systems and processes10:37 - Building a management layer12:13 - Autonomy, confidence, and guardrails14:21 - Stepping back in and doing the work yourself18:44 - Lessons learned about hiring and accountabilityScott Noel is President of Hallmark Homes and a Principal of Braun Property Development, two Indiana-based companies focused on homebuilding, land development, and residential real estate investment. A graduate of DePauw University, Scott began his career in financial services before transitioning into real estate development and homebuilding. Today he oversees projects ranging from single-family communities to build-to-rent and multifamily developments throughout Central Indiana. Scott lives in the Zionsville with his family and enjoys kids activities (x5) and helping create housing opportunities that strengthen local communities.Hallmark Homes and Braun Property Development are Indiana-based companies focused on residential homebuilding, land development, and real estate investment. Together, the companies have delivered more than 1,000 residential lots, developed communities throughout Central Indiana, and build hundreds of homes each year.ABOUT TIM CAMPSALL, THE MESSY MIDDLE GUYTim helps owners to get unstuck, scale, and build a more valuable business that can run without them. https://unstuckandscale.com#TheMessyMiddleGuy #OwnerLedBusiness #SelfMadeIsAMyth #GetUnstuckAndScale

Trying to scale your business, but still getting pulled back into the field?This is what the Messy Middle looks like when the business has grown, but the owner is still the one customers, crews, and employees rely on to keep the work moving. The company may have demand, people, and opportunity, but growth gets limited when the owner is still the one in the day-to-day problems.In this episode of Self-Made Is a Myth, Tim Campsall, The Messy Middle Guy, sits down with Crystal and Krista from Dynamic Landscaping and Lawn & Turf Landscaping. Their companies provide residential landscaping, commercial maintenance, lawn care, irrigation, design-build services, and snow services in Indiana.Earlier in the business, Crystal was in the field working with crews because she believed she was the only one who could sell and run production. Krista was also staying too close administratively because she felt she had to be beside people instead of giving them room to do the work. Because of that, the business could only run one or two jobs at a time when it could have been running more.They realized they were the bottleneck and started changing how they trained and delegated. They made training videos, documented work with pictures, gave people more room to learn, and began teaching team members to train the next person instead of staying stuck in one role themselves.Today, Crystal and Krista are still working through the next version of that same challenge. Crystal is getting pulled back into flowers because someone had not been fully trained to own that work, while Krista is focused on building systems, numbers, and accountability so the team can follow a clear process instead of relying on what only the owners know.What You’ll Learn:• Why owners get pulled back into the field when no one else is trained• How being the only person who can sell and run production limits growth• Why hiring people without systems can pull owners back into the day-to-day• How training videos and documentation help the next person learn faster• Why growing leaders becomes the owner’s real work in the Messy MiddleTimestamps:00:00 Getting pulled back into the day-to-day00:51 Being the only one who could sell and run production02:28 Realizing the owners were the bottleneck02:47 Using training videos to expand capacity08:12 Getting pulled back into flowers and operations09:50 Hiring people before systems were ready12:55 Needing numbers to get out of the field19:12 Staying stuck at $3 million for three yearsCrystal Knafel is a growth-focused entrepreneur and co-owner of Dynamic Landscaping and Lawn & Turf Landscaping. She specializes in building strong teams, scalable systems, and culture-driven companies throughout the landscaping industry. Known for her visionary mindset and high standards, she is focused on creating a Midwest landscaping platform that develops people, delivers exceptional service, and builds long-term enterprise value through accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.Krista Bontrager is the integrator and co-owner.  She brings structure, clarity, and organization to the day-to-day operations of both companies.  She has a talent for taking what feels complex and making it simple, sustainable, and clear.   Her leadership ensures that as the companies scale for growth, it carries alignment, accountability, and strong internal systems.  ABOUT TIM CAMPSALL, THE MESSY MIDDLE GUYTim helps owners to get unstuck, scale, and build a more valuable business that can run without them. https://unstuckandscale.com#TheMessyMiddleGuy #OwnerLedBusiness #SelfMadeIsAMyth #GetUnstuckAndScale

Trying to grow your business while everything still runs through you?This is what the Messy Middle looks like when the business has grown, the team is bigger, and the owner is no longer doing everything themselves, but employees still depend on the owner for decisions, accountability, and direction. The business works, but too much still relies on the owner staying closely involved in the day-to-day to keep things moving.In this episode of Self-Made Is a Myth, Tim Campsall, The Messy Middle Guy, sits down with Austin from Walls Furniture and Mattress. Austin shares what it looked like building and growing a family-owned furniture business while staying heavily involved in nearly every part of the operation.Earlier in the business, Austin was handling inventory, ordering, payroll, accounting, sales management, warehouse operations, and customer issues all at once. Employees were constantly coming to him with questions because he kept everything close to the vest and they did not feel comfortable making decisions without him. Even though the business was growing, he had almost no life outside of work and missed vacations and family time because the business constantly needed his attention.Over time, Austin realized the business had become too large to operate without better systems and more employee ownership. He implemented a point-of-sale and inventory system, gave employees more authority in customer decisions, and worked on trusting people to take ownership of their responsibilities instead of routing everything back through him.Today, Austin is still wearing multiple hats across sales management, accounting, warehouse operations, customer service, and deliveries. He talks about spending four weeks personally working on the delivery truck while still trying to manage the rest of the business. The company no longer depends on him being physically in the store every minute, but he is still heavily involved in accountability, operational oversight, and decision-making while trying to create enough capacity to grow the business further.This is what the Messy Middle looks like when the owner has delegated some of the work, but the business still depends heavily on them to keep operations moving and create the next stage of growth.What You’ll Learn:• Why employees keep coming to the owner for decisions• How owner involvement limits team ownership• Why systems become necessary as a business grows• How trust affects delegation and accountability• The opportunity cost of staying stuck in operationsTimestamps:00:00 Everything still ran through Austin00:36 Wearing every hat in the business01:41 Missing family time because of the business02:36 Installing systems and giving employees ownership07:42 Back on the delivery truck for four weeks11:57 Too big to be small, too small to be big13:36 Learning to trust employees with ownership19:04 Why owners stay stuck doing $25/hour workAustin is the owner of Walls Furniture and Mattress in Kokomo, Indiana. At Walls Furniture we believe that our neighbors are family we operate from that premise everyday. Come see the difference for yourself at 521 E Alto Rd in Kokomo or shop online at shopwallsfurniture.com. We would love to have you be a part of our family.ABOUT TIM CAMPSALL, THE MESSY MIDDLE GUYTim helps owners to get unstuck, scale, and build a more valuable business that can run without them. https://unstuckandscale.com#TheMessyMiddleGuy #OwnerLedBusiness #SelfMadeIsAMyth #GetUnstuckAndScale

Trying to scale your business, but still getting pulled back into the details?In this episode of Self-Made Is a Myth, Tim Campsall, The Messy Middle Guy, sits down with Seth from Adler Attorneys. Adler Attorneys is a law firm in Hamilton County, Indiana, focused on estate planning, business work, consulting, and serving as general counsel for businesses.Earlier in the business, Seth found himself spending an inordinate amount of time controlling the data entry piece of things. He felt responsible for making sure information was entered accurately, but that administrative work was taking him away from drafting contracts, handling discovery, serving clients, and moving projects forward.To work through it, Seth had to acknowledge his tendency to control the work all the way through. He began investing in training, setting clearer expectations, giving feedback, and building the trust needed to let the team handle more of the work.Now the business has grown, and a similar pattern has shown up in task-based project management. The firm created systems and processes that worked for a season, but as the number of similar cases grew, the number of tasks multiplied too, pulling Seth back into moving due dates, managing tasks, and spending time moving data around again.This is what the Messy Middle looks like when the business has outgrown a system that used to work. The owner is no longer doing everything, but the structure still needs to evolve so capacity, client service, and growth do not depend on the owner constantly keeping the machine moving. Growth creates more projects, more tasks, and more follow-up, and before long, the owner is back inside the day-to-day.What You’ll Learn:* Why owners get pulled back into data and task management even after delegating* How controlling the details limits capacity and keeps owners from higher-value work* Why training and clear expectations are necessary before trust can grow* How systems that worked in one season can become constraints in the next* Why capacity, client service, and consistency depend on stronger operating structureTimestamps:(00:00) Controlling data entry was limiting capacity(02:36) Learning to train, trust, and hand work off(04:45) What Adler Attorneys does(05:31) Stepping into ownership and managing control(12:38) Task-based project management pulls Seth back in(14:11) Capacity becomes the reason the system has to change(17:21) The cost of not delegating sooner(21:50) Why outside perspective helps owners see what they cannotSeth graduated from Regent Law School in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of Regent Law Review. Seth has become known as “Indiana’s artificially intelligent lawyer,” which simply means his colleagues figured out he’s only artificially intelligent. Seth co-hosts the Lifetime Legacy Lawyers podcast where he helps lawyers launch and build their law practices. Seth also writes articles and presents CLE seminars on how to best use technology to enhance the practice of law, while meeting ethical obligations with regard to client and firm data. He has been married for almost 24 years to an amazing wife and has 3 awesome kids.Seth R. Wilson practices with Adler Attorneys, with offices in Noblesville and Anderson, Indiana. Seth is an Estate and Business lawyer & mediator. His goal is to provide clients with peace of mind through proper business and estate planning.ABOUT TIM CAMPSALL, THE MESSY MIDDLE GUYTim helps owners to get unstuck, scale, and build a more valuable business that can run without them. https://unstuckandscale.com#TheMessyMiddleGuy #OwnerLedBusiness #SelfMadeIsAMyth #GetUnstuckAndScale