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In this episode of the LeanScaper Podcast, Benji Carlson sits down with Mark Bradley to break down the five stages of scaling a landscaping business—from startup hustle to legacy enterprise. Mark shares raw stories, painful lessons, and powerful frameworks that every entrepreneur needs to hear.

Whether you’re stuck at $500K, fighting to get past $3M, or steering a $20M company, this roadmap will help you scale with clarity, systems, and sanity.

Timestamps: 

• 00:45 – Why scaling is harder than people think
• 02:00 – Entrepreneurship = personal development
• 04:03 – The fear of not knowing what’s next
• 08:10 – The Starter Zone ($0–500K): hustle & accidental profit
• 12:36 – Mark’s story: hiring at Home Depot & early struggle
• 22:23 – The Grow Zone ($500K–$3M): the hardest stage
• 30:21 – When your business feels like a plane going down
• 38:56 – Scaling ($3M–$10M): grit stops working
• 46:10 – Hire your mentors & specialists
• 56:54 – Dreamer vs. visionary: the CEO shift
• 1:02:53 – Enterprise & legacy: culture, coaching, and succession
• 1:12:31 – Final advice to Mark’s younger self