The harsh truth is: no recipes, no systems, no structure = no scalability. If your costed recipes don’t exist, if your systems are stuck in your head, if staff training happens by word of mouth, and if your numbers are based on gut feeling instead of clear data — your business is being held together by you. And that’s a dangerous place to be.

Too often, business owners hire C-level staff and expect A-level performance — and then wonder why things keep falling through the cracks. Let’s be real: C-level team members can be valuable. 

They can bring heart, grit, and support. But they shine best in non-crucial areas or in roles where they can be trained, guided, and developed inside a clear system.

Expecting someone with limited skills or experience to lead without structure is setting them up for failure — and it creates a cycle of constant replacement, disappointment, and burnout. It’s not about blaming your team. It’s about being honest: your systems (or lack of them) dictate their success.