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The Blog
Lessons from the trenches of building a $50M company.
Articles
How to Scale a Service Business Past $10M (And Keep It Growing)
The complete scaling playbook from Doug Bartlett — systems, SOPs, hiring, and the mindset shift that separates companies stuck at $3M from the ones that reach $50M.
Leadership for Business Owners: How to Build a Team That Runs Without You
Doug Bartlett's leadership framework behind a $50M company — accountability, culture, hard conversations, and how to build people who don't need you in every room.
The Weekly One-on-One Meeting Format for Managers Who Actually Want to Lead
You did the deep dive. You set the goals. Then you disappeared for three weeks and can't figure out why the guy bounced. I've watched it happen a hundred times. A weekly one-on-one meeting format for managers doesn't need to be complicated. Fifteen minutes, four simple steps, and you're actually leading instead of just collecting a title.
Most Managers Know Close Rates. I Know Their Rent. Why Leadership One on One Meetings with Employees Actually Matter.
Nobody grinds for your quota. They grind for what that quota pays for — their kid's braces, their truck payment, keeping the lights on. If you don't know what's actually driving every person on your team, the real stuff and not the dashboard stuff, you're just managing numbers with zero clue what's eating them alive. That's why leadership one on one meetings with employees can't be about pipeline reviews. I had a guy named Marcus almost quit on me because I spent six months talking KPIs when he was three weeks from losing his apartment.
Six Non-Negotiables: Company Core Values That Actually Work (Because You Enforce Them)
Most companies don't have a culture. They have a prayer. I'm walking through the six character standards we require at Bartlett Roofing, why I treat a half-truth worse than a bold-faced lie, and why I fired a guy doing $1.2M in revenue because he couldn't meet them.
Sales Leadership vs Top Performer: Why Your Best Rep Will Probably Be a Terrible Manager
I've watched this play out a dozen times. You take your top closer, hand them a team of eight, and within six months half the team has quit and your numbers are worse than before. Because selling and leading are completely different skill sets, and most companies figure that out way too late.
The Real Systems Test: Disappear for a Week and See What Breaks
If your business can't survive a week without you, you don't have business systems for contractors. You've got duct tape and a couple loyal people white-knuckling it. I learned that in 2019 when burnout forced me out of Bartlett Roofing for nine days, and what fell apart told me more about my company than the previous two years of grinding ever did.
Your Vision for Scaling Your Business Is the Only Thing That Actually Scales
If you don't have a vision for scaling your business, you're on a treadmill. And eventually you fall off. I've watched it happen dozens of times. The thing that separates the company that hits $50M from the one stuck at $3M isn't talent or some clever tactic. It's the owner's ability to see ten years out, believe it's real, and then keep their mouth shut about it to everyone except the two or three people closest to them.
Stop Counting Doors. Learn to Define the Win in Sales.
Being busy isn't a strategy. It's a trap. I sold 18 roofs my first month knocking doors, and I never once counted how many I knocked. You have to define the win in sales before you ever walk out the door, or you're just grinding for the sake of grinding.
Garbage In, Garbage Out: Your Entrepreneur Mindset Inputs Are Killing Your Business
I learned GIGO in eighth grade and it's run my life ever since. What you feed your brain, your entrepreneur mindset inputs, the news, the algorithms, the garbage on social media, it's either building you up or dragging you down. I shut off the news 25 years ago and read 80 books in two years. That's not discipline. That's just choosing to win.
How to Stop Working in Your Business and Start Working on It: You're Not the Best at Everything, So Quit Pretending
If you're still doing everything yourself because 'nobody can do it like I can,' you're not dedicated. You're scared. I hit a wall around year two at Bartlett Roofing, and the fix wasn't grinding harder. It was telling my team 'don't call me for a week' and letting them figure it out. Your people only need 75-80% of your ability if they've got 100% of the vision and accountability.
How to Hire and Fire for Small Business Growth (Stop Hiring for Potential)
You wouldn't marry someone you knew was wrong for you just because they might change. But that's exactly what contractors do every single week. I went from one truck to 200 employees and $50M in revenue, and the biggest lesson I learned about how to hire and fire for small business growth was this: get crystal clear on what you actually need, hire for that reality, and when it's not working, cut it loose fast.
What You Can Control as an Entrepreneur When Everything Else Is Falling Apart
Eleven years ago I was living on 900 bucks a month, driving my dad's mouse-infested truck, and sobbing on a futon in my buddy Travis's basement. I couldn't control my emotions, my kids, or what my ex-wife thought of me. But I finally figured out what you can control as an entrepreneur. Your actions. That's it. And that one realization is the thing that built a $50 million company.
Leading by Example in Business Means Doing the Stuff Nobody Sees
Most owners think leading by example means showing up early. It doesn't. Real leadership is the stuff nobody sees — and nobody claps for.
The 5AM Advantage: Why Every Serious Operator Owns the Morning
The first two hours of your day determine the trajectory of your entire business. Here's why most CEOs are up before the sun.
How I Went from $5M to $50M in Revenue Without Outside Capital
VCs and investors weren't interested. That turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to Bartlett Roofing.
Your Culture is Your Competitive Advantage (Here's How to Build It)
Most companies talk about culture. Few actually build one that attracts killers and repels mediocrity. Here's the playbook.
The 3 Bottlenecks That Keep Service Businesses Under $10M
After coaching dozens of service business owners, I see the same three walls. Here's how to break through each one.
Comfort is the Enemy: Why You Need to Stay Hungry After Success
The most dangerous phase of any business is right after you "make it." Here's how to fight complacency at every level.
SOPs That Actually Get Used: Building Systems Your Team Won't Ignore
Standard operating procedures only work if people follow them. Here's how we built a system at Bartlett that actually sticks.
