How They Scaled It

In this episode of How They Scaled It, I sit down with Eric Fortenberry, Founder and CEO of JobTread, as he shares how he built one of the fastest-growing platforms in construction tech. 

Starting with a chaotic, paper-based construction business, Eric stepped in to streamline operations, increase profitability, and create a scalable system now used by contractors nationwide. He unpacks the systems, mindset, and customer-first approach that fueled JobTread’s explosive growth.

00:00:00 – Why most construction businesses can’t scale

00:01:26 – Meet Eric Fortenberry, CEO of JobTread

00:02:15 – How a one-y...

In this episode of How They Scaled It, I sit down with Cheree Ashley, Founder and CEO of Osier. Cheree went from opening treatment centers at the age of 24 to launching Osier, a skincare brand rooted in healing. 

In this episode, she shares how Osier was born from her personal recovery journey, why clean, affordable products are a form of self-care, and how she’s balancing growth, mission, and motherhood while scaling a purpose-driven DTC brand.

00:00:13 — Cheree’s no-backup plan: why failure wasn’t an option

00:00:34 — From recovery to...

In this episode of How They Scaled It, I sit down with Rochelle Jacobs, Co-Founder of Naturally Serious and a Wall Street veteran who returned to her roots in skincare. Rochelle shares how she blended clinical efficacy with clean ingredients to build a brand that's redefining modern beauty. 

She talks about the power of partnerships, the lessons she learned launching just before the pandemic, and how learning to let go transformed her approach to growth. From bootstrapping a manufacturing facility to making clean beauty truly accessible, Rochelle’s story is a masterclass in purpose-driven lea...

In this episode of How They Scaled It, I sit down with Andre Wouansi, Founder of Accurate Legal Billing. He shares how he went from auditing law firm invoices to building an AI-powered platform that’s saved firms over $225M in lost revenue.

Hear how he overcame industry resistance, built a product without writing code, and why mindset is his most powerful leadership tool.

00:00:13 – The mindset that drives Andre as an entrepreneur

00:00:52 – Introducing Accurate Legal Billing (ALB)

00:01:32 – From bill auditing to legal tech founder

00:03...

In this episode of How They Scaled It, I sit down with Pedro Arellano, Co-Founder and CEO of Wallabi. He shares how his 25-year journey through the data and analytics world led him to build a new kind of business intelligence platform. 

Listen now to learn how AI, accessibility, and empathy intersect to drive better business outcomes, and why simply having more dashboards doesn’t equate to impact.

00:00:13 — Pedro introduces himself and credits his team

00:00:51 — Courtney introduces Wallabi and Pedro’s background

00:01:55 — From WarGames to coding on a...

In this episode of How They Scaled It, I sit down with Elina Wang, Co-Founder and CEO of ESW Beauty, as she shares the inspiring journey behind her wellness-driven skincare brand.

From a $25,000 bank loan and DIY packaging to launching in major retailers like Kohl’s, Target, and Whole Foods, Elina reveals the hard-won lessons of retail partnerships, building a values-driven brand, and creating standout experiences through grassroots marketing and creative events.

00:00:12 – Meet Elina Wang, founder of ESW Beauty

00:01:16 – How her wellness journey inspired the first product

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In this episode of How They Scaled It, I sit down with Scott Kveton, Co-Founder and CEO of CaseMark, who has a track record of building companies that define categories. 

Scott shares how intuition, scrappiness, and relentless customer focus shaped his journey, and why AI is set to transform legal tech in the same way the iPhone reshaped mobile.

00:00:13 – Scott on brand-building struggles and leaning on experts

00:00:52 – Courtney introduces Scott’s career journey

00:01:39 – The three T’s: team, tech, timing

00:03:06 – Learning to trust your gut as a...

In this episode of How They Scaled It, I sit down with Dani Pickens, Founder & Chief Enablement Officer of The Executive Evolution (TEE). Dani shares how a non-compete lawsuit, career pivots, and personal grit led her to build a growing women’s network for tech and channel professionals.

With over 120 members across the US, TEE is redefining mentorship and support. No dues, no gatekeeping, just real talk and real community.

00:00:13 – Meet Dani Pickens and The Executive Evolution

00:01:33 – From Istanbul to door-to-door telecom sales

00:03:27 – What selling DSL taug...

In this episode of How They Scaled It, I sit down with Claire Bing, Founder and CEO of Confiance Cosmetic Group. Confiance is a beauty and personal care consulting company specializing in regulatory and supply chain solutions for domestic and international sales.

Claire didn’t set out to be a regulatory expert, but today she’s behind the compliance success of over 200 clients. From her start in a donut factory to scaling Confiance into an international consultancy, Claire shares how science, systems, and empathy became her formula for growth. 

She a...

In this episode of How They Scaled It, I sit down with Rick Clark, VP of Strategic Partnerships at CloudNine and Co-Founder of The Masters Conference.

Rick has been on the frontlines of legal technology for over two decades. He has co-founded and developed several successful ventures including The Masters Conference, Wave Software, and ESI Analyst that have provided cutting-edge solutions and insights for complex data challenges.

From converting texts into court-ready evidence to crafting conferences that matter, Rick dives into the lessons and challenges of scaling in a...

In this episode of How They Scaled It, I sit down with Brittany Lo, Founder and CEO of two separate beauty companies: Beia and Beautini. In this episode, she shares how building a wedding beauty concierge gave her the insight to launch Beia, a premium body care brand solving real, often unspoken problems.

From launching during a pandemic to landing major retail partners and rebranding for scale, Brittany walks us through her intentional journey of building not just buzz, but businesses that last.

00:00:13 – Why solving real problems matters in be...

In this episode of How They Scaled It, I sit down with Chelsey Hayes, co-founder and CEO of Brown Babee. She shares how her decade-long fertility journey led to the creation of a purpose-driven skincare brand for infants and children with sensitive skin.

From overcoming cancer and endometriosis to trusting her instincts and betting on herself, Chelsey opens up about building with intention, leading with story, and finding strength in community. This episode is a must-listen for early-stage founders who want to launch mindfully and scale with heart.

00:00:13 – Chelsey in...

In this episode of How They Scaled It, I sit down with Natalie Cantave, the co-founder of MKTG WMN—a thriving community designed to uplift women and nonbinary professionals in marketing. She shares how a chance conference meetup with her now co-founder sparked a movement, and how they’ve grown it into a mission-led, member-supported platform with real industry impact.

Along the way, Natalie opens up about scaling without selling out, navigating imposter syndrome, and choosing intentionality over hype. From launching a paid model rooted in inclusivity to hosting IRL events with partners like Wist...

In this episode of How They Scaled It, I sit down with Corina Pfeffer, co-founder and COO of Pipa Skin Care, to unpack how a Venezuelan trio of moms turned a gap in the skincare market into a viral, best-selling DTC brand for tweens. 

With almost no paid ads, zero outside funding, and hands-on everything from fulfillment to customer service, Pipa is proving that thoughtful branding, organic growth, and a deep understanding of your customer can beat big budgets. 

Corina shares the scrappy strategies, operational lessons, and brand-building mindset th...

In this episode of How They Scaled It, I sit down with Kunle Campbell, co-founder of Octillion Capital Partners and host of the 2X eCommerce podcast. Kunle shares how a curiosity-fueled SEO career led him to the operator seat—where he now acquires and grows wellness-first brands through a private equity-style model rooted in purpose, not just profit.

Along the way, Kunle breaks down how Octillion finds hero products, why subscriptions fuel their growth engine, and what it really takes to scale without compromising your values. From rebranding mushroom coffee to building founder-led stories th...

In this episode of How They Scaled It, I sit down with Cat Lepetit, the visionary founder of Sun Drunk, a beach lifestyle brand rooted in joy, sustainability, and good vibes. She shares how a day at the sandbar sparked a movement and how she built a community-driven business—one pop-up at a time. 

Along the way, Cat opens up about letting go of corporate playbooks, embracing slow growth, and redefining what success looks like on her own terms. From hand-selecting eco-conscious materials to building a fiercely loyal customer base face-to-face, her story is a l...

In this episode of How They Scaled It, I sit down with Chaz Dean, the visionary founder behind WEN Hair & Body Care. From starting out as a photographer to launching a billion-dollar beauty brand, Chaz shares how he pioneered the cleansing conditioner category, defied industry norms, and stayed true to his values—long before clean beauty was trending.

He opens up about scrappy beginnings, getting burned early in business, developing a cult product in secret, and how a moment with Oprah changed everything. Whether you're a founder, beauty lover, or just into big brand st...

In this episode of How They Scaled It, I sit down with Aliett Buttelman and Nina LaBruna, the dynamic co-founders behind Fazit Beauty, the viral skincare and cosmetics brand redefining beauty with innovative patches (including their glitter freckle patches that Taylor Swift herself wore!).

They share how they bootstrapped their brand with just $13K, leveraged TikTok to explode their sales, and navigated the challenges of building a business without investors. If you're a founder, marketer, or just obsessed with beauty and branding, this episode is packed with scrappy marketing tactics, co-founder wisdom, and lessons in scaling without...

In this episode of How They Scaled It, Isit down with Lita Cunningham, founder and CEO of Lalais, a luxury skincare brand redefining solutions for misunderstood skin.

From her corporate HR career to creating an award-winning skincare brand, Lita shares how a personal frustration with available skincare options led her to take a leap into entrepreneurship. In just 13 months, Lalais has landed in Neiman Marcus, made it onto Oprah’s Favorite Things, and won multiple industry awards.

00:00 Introduction and Personal Story

00:22 Welcome to How They Scaled It

00:42 Meet Li...

How do you build a skincare brand that breaks stigma and empowers men to look and feel their best? In this episode, I chat with Lekha Vyas, the founder and CEO of Elvy Lab, a groundbreaking men's skincare brand she launched in 2022. Lekha's journey from working with beauty giants like L'Oréal, Estée Lauder, and Chanel to becoming a trailblazing entrepreneur is inspiring. Today, Lekha is well on her way to scaling Elvy Lab into a legacy brand with lasting impact in the cosmetic hygiene market. 

00:37 Introducing Laika Vyas and Elvy Lab

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In this episode, I sit down with Jessie Healy, a celebrated marketer and the founder of Ecomm Rockets Coaching Group, a platform that helps DTC brands scale profitably by focusing on foundational business strategies. As the former owner of Webtopia, Jessie scaled her agency to 20 employees, worked with global clients, and eventually sold the business to focus on coaching and consulting.

00:00 Introduction to How They Scaled It

00:52 Jessie Healy's Journey to Webtopia

04:07 Challenges and Strategies in Growing an Agency

09:57 Transition to Coaching and Consulting

11:56 Balancing Business...

Customer behavior, identity, and emotions have the biggest impact on the success or failure of your marketing efforts. Still, so many businesses are unable to account for consumer psychology. This week on How They Scaled It, I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Sarah Levinger, a Forbes-featured consumer behavior analyst, creative strategist, and performance creative consultant. Sarah is an expert at bridging the gap between psychology and marketing, helping D2C brands like Hexclad, True Classic, Fabletics, and others boost their paid advertising ROI by creating deep emotional connections with their customers. Now, she’s at the head of...

Welcome back to How They Scaled It, the podcast where scaling businesses meets innovation, strategy, and a little bit of grit. Today, I sit down with Chris Doyle, the President and CEO of Billd —a financial solutions company that empowers subcontractors across the U.S.

Chris shared his journey from identifying inefficiencies in the construction industry to launching Billd as a game-changing solution for financial growth. If you’re curious about what it takes to innovate in a niche market like construction finance—and to do it profitably—this episode is for you.

00:00...

On this episode of How They Scaled It, we take a unique turn and explore scaling in the nonprofit world with Betsy Neptune, the Executive Director of BUILD Boston. BUILD empowers high school students from under-resourced communities to become CEOs of their own lives through entrepreneurship.

Betsy shares how BUILD equips Gen Alpha with essential entrepreneurial skills like collaboration, problem-solving, and grit. We uncover BUILD’s unique approach of integrating its programs into schools, scaling through partnerships with teachers, and the crucial role of volunteer business coaches. Betsy also discusses the challenges of scaling a nonprofit sustainably in...

This week on How They Scaled It, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Alex Persson, the CEO of Privy. Alex is one of those leaders who just gets it—how to build brands that thrive by focusing on what matters most: their customers.

We dive deep into:

Retention marketing: Why it’s the key to scaling, and how Privy is helping brands succeed.

Balancing automation and authenticity: A smarter way to use email and SMS.

Lessons from acquisitions: How Alex identifies winners and scales them.

Trends shaping e-co...

Ever wondered what sets successful influencer marketing apart from just another viral post? In this episode, I sit down with Jake Hay, partner at PopShorts, a top influencer marketing agency, to unpack the real journey behind building a lasting brand through authentic influence. From the inception of PopShorts to the complexities of financing and scaling, Jake shares invaluable insights on blending strategy with creativity in a fast-paced industry. Learn about the pivotal moments, key strategies, and challenges they faced working with top-tier brands like Disney and Netflix. This conversation reveals the tactics brands need to know to make influencer...

Welcome to How They Scaled It! I’m Courtney, and today, we’re going deep into the world of franchise marketing with someone who’s truly mastered the game. Meet Alex Pujji – founder of Right Left Agency and former head of growth of the franchise Pinspiration. Alex has been on an incredible journey, turning Pinspiration from a small two-location startup into a thriving franchise with over 45 locations! She’s here to break down what it takes to market and grow a franchise, sharing the strategies, grit, and key moves that made it all happen.

00:25 Meet Alex...

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