Before I jump into the three quotes about scaling, a personal update. I’m coming at you with a quick episode this week — fun fact: I’m moving! At the time of this recording, I’m getting my keys tomorrow, and by the time this episode goes live, I’ll have officially moved in a few days ago.
I’m fully in my Pinterest home decor and maybe-DIY-projects (but probably not) era, and honestly, I couldn’t be happier. That’s part of why this episode is a short one — but not the only reason. You all know I love a short episode anyway.
Today, I’m sharing three things I’ve heard lately about scaling that I know are absolutely true. I’ll share the quote, a bit about my experience with it, and then I’ll let you get back to your Tuesday.
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Table of Contents
Okay, so here are three quotes about scaling that I know to be true.
“Success unlocks both opportunities and distractions.” – James Clear
The first one isn’t super recent, but it’s a quote from James Clear in his book Atomic Habits — I’m sure you’ve heard of it. If not, I’ll link it in the show notes. It’s a solid read for anyone. In episode 55, I shared a year-end recap and my 2025 goals, and I mentioned that my personal word for the year is routines. Naturally, I picked up Atomic Habits again and started digging back into those habits.
Anyway, one of the quotes that really stuck with me is:
“Success unlocks both opportunities and distractions.”
And honestly, that feels so true right now. This is going to be a bit of a theme for this episode, but I’m saying no to more things than ever before. I’ve always been a “yes” person — but these days, I’m really recognizing my capacity.
I actually posted something about this on Threads, and a few people agreed: saying no has been giving me so much freedom lately, even when it’s really hard. Lately, I’ve been invited to do more and more fun things — and while they are fun, they also take time away from work. Sometimes, that means nothing gets done, which is a bummer.
Here’s a tangible example:
About a month ago, I went to the Creative Educator Conference. From that, I was invited to join a peer mastermind — which, to be honest, I really wanted to do. It’s a group of incredible people, they’d be meeting twice a week, with a Slack channel and all the community and connection you could want.
But I had to say no.
Not because I didn’t want to — but because I just don’t have time in my calendar. I’m intentionally removing things from my schedule to focus on what’s most important. And while that mastermind would’ve been a great opportunity, for me, right now, it would’ve been a bit of a distraction.
In these next few months, I’m really focusing on doing less — and sticking to the most meaningful things on my calendar.
As an Enneagram 3, I constantly have new ideas — honestly, it feels like every other day. If you’re an entrepreneur, founder, or creative, I know you get it: the ideas never stop. And as I’m recording this, I’ve already launched a new brand, started working on a new website… the ideas keep coming.
But here’s what I’ve realized:
It’s not that I can’t implement all of them — it’s that it wouldn’t be the best use of my time or my life to do so.
I don’t want to increase my working hours, because that would cut into my life time. Like I said at the start of this episode — I’m in my cozy home era, and I’m really looking forward to that.
And in my business time, I’m focusing on the tasks that bring the highest ROI — and honestly, the most satisfaction. There’s just not room for everything.
“Scaling is about subtraction, not addition” – Kate Perkovic
Which brings me to the second quote — it’s a little different, but very much in the same vein. It’s from Kate Perkovic, and she always says: “Scaling is about subtraction, not addition.”
That one really sticks with me because it’s not something you hear often. In business, we’re constantly taught to add more: start a membership, launch a podcast, get on YouTube, try this, do that…
But Kate’s perspective — that scaling is actually about doing less, not more — has really shifted the way I think. It’s a mindset that’s shaping a lot of the decisions I’m making in my business right now, especially with my website and offers.
At this point, I’m removing more than I ever have before. I’m going all-in on offering just Pinterest and blogging services — either as a package or separately, because sometimes people truly only need one or don’t have the budget for both (and that’s totally okay).
I’m eliminating copywriting services. I’m also stepping away from promoting my blog course. And not because I’m not proud of it — I actually think it’s really good. But it speaks to a different audience, and I’m getting more and more niche with my focus.
This phase of my business has gotten a bit more complex — more team members, more expenses, more clients (all great things!) — but it’s also a signal to simplify. I don’t want to fall into the trap of self-sabotage by continually adding more and complicating what’s already working.
Instead, I want to actually enjoy the business I’ve built.
So again — that’s the theme of this episode of quotes about scaling:
Less, but better.
“Scaling is about retention, not acquisition. And retention is about relationships.” – George Bryant
This one really hit home when I was thinking of quotes about scaling. I don’t remember exactly where I heard it — maybe on a podcast episode, possibly when George was a guest on Kate’s podcast — but the message stuck.
What it really means is this: instead of constantly chasing more — more clients, more followers, more email subscribers — we should be investing in the people we already have. Deepening relationships with current clients, audience members, and collaborators is often more powerful (and more sustainable) than constantly trying to grow for growth’s sake.
And if you listened to episode 55 where I broke down my goals for the year, you might remember one of my core themes for my business in 2025 is deep relationships. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve leaned into that as much as I wanted to — and somehow, we’re already five months into the year. (Seriously, how is time moving this fast?)
Best Quotes About Scaling in 2025
So those three quotes are the ones I feel like I’ve mentally tattooed on my brain lately:
- “Success unlocks both opportunities and distractions.”
Pay attention to which is which. - “Scaling is about subtraction, not addition.”
Simplify. Let go of the things that don’t serve your goals. - “Scaling is about retention, not acquisition. And retention is about relationships.”
Invest in people. They’re your most valuable asset — in life and in business.
One extra thing I’ll share before we wrap up:
Lately, I’ve made it a conscious habit to wake up, look at my to-do list, and ask myself:
“What can I get support with?”
“What can I give away?”
Whether that means delegating to my team, deleting tasks altogether, or moving them to my “future ideas” list in ClickUp — I’m trying to do less and focus only on what matters.
Speaking of quotes about scaling, for a while, I even had a sticky note on my computer that read:
“What can I give away today?”
And it really helped!
I’ve also stopped endlessly pushing tasks forward in ClickUp. If I keep moving a deadline, I take it as a sign: this probably isn’t a priority right now. Instead, I move it to my “future ideas” list and trust that if or when the time is right, I’ll come back to it. But I’m done wasting energy on tasks that don’t serve me or the business right now.
So that’s it — those are three quotes about scaling that I absolutely believe.
Thanks for listening, and I’ll talk to you next week!
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