Operational Scalability: Lissa Daub of The Strong Impact Academy On How To Set Up Systems, Procedures, And People To Prepare A Business To Scale
Know your starting point. One of the first things I do when I start working with a new client is complete a business “health” assessment. This assessment measures where the business stands across key value drivers like financial performance, growth potential, and owner dependence. The first step in getting to where you want to go is knowing where you’re starting from.
In today’s fast-paced business environment, scalability is not just a buzzword; it’s a necessity. Entrepreneurs often get trapped in the daily grind of running their businesses, neglecting to put in place the systems, procedures, and people needed for sustainable growth. Without this foundation, companies hit bottlenecks, suffer inefficiencies, and face the risk of stalling or failing. This series aims to delve deep into the intricacies of operational scalability. How do you set up a framework that can adapt to growing customer demands? What are the crucial procedures that can streamline business operations? How do you build a team that can take on increasing responsibilities while maintaining a high standard of performance?
In this interview series, we are talking to CEOs, Founders, Operations Managers Consultants, Academics, Tech leaders & HR professionals, who share lessons from their experience about “How To Set Up Systems, Procedures, And People To Prepare A Business To Scale”. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Lissa Daub.
Lissa is a sought-after speaker, advisor, and founder of The Strong Impact Academy, where she helps entrepreneurs build thriving, sellable businesses that support their lives — not consume them. With expertise in strategic planning, value creation, and leadership development, she empowers business owners to scale, systemize, and create companies that can run without them. A Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR), Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), and Accredited Value Guide, Lissa blends top-tier credentials with real-world insight, guiding entrepreneurs to unlock their true potential and achieve meaningful, sustainable success.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
Growing up, my parents owned two small businesses, for as long as I can remember dinner conversations consisted of the struggles that many, if not all, businesses face at one point or another — people issues, cash flow issues, operational bottlenecks, and so on. At 22 years old I bought my first business — a restaurant in the small town that I grew up in. I had a horrendous exit from this business as well as all of the challenges that come with being an owner trying to scale while having babies and trying to juggle it all.
Many years later, after sitting at different strategic planning tables, I realized that what was missing in small businesses was true strategic growth — a proper plan. When it was time to launch my own business again, I knew I wanted to bring this knowledge to small business owners — helping them fill in the gaps and empowering them to build businesses that support the lives they want to live today and provide the ROI they’ll need for the lives they envision post-exit.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Which one? Honestly, if you’re not making mistakes, you’re not taking risks. I think it makes sense to go ALL the way back to when I bought the restaurant. I actually didn’t know the first thing about running a restaurant. Did I understand business? Yes, and I leaned on my inherited staff a lot in the first year. This didn’t bode well when performance discussions needed to happen. It was chaotic, we didn’t have processes, and the small-town mindset that we weren’t a ‘real’ restaurant was rampant. It was truly my business trial by “fryer.” Where was John Taffer when I needed him??? Was it a funny mistake to over-empower my staff? I look back on it and I think it would have made for a great sitcom! The lesson? Leadership requires structure, not just trust — and you can’t expect a team to deliver what you haven’t clearly defined.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
My current company, Strong Impact Academy, provides strategic planning, exit planning, and leadership development services. You have executive coaches and business coaches — one focuses on personal strategy, one on business strategy — I align the two. My work blends training, consulting, and coaching, all with the intention of helping owners build businesses that support their lives.
We typically develop a clear roadmap of where we’re going with our clients, and sometimes real life comes up. For example, I was once working with a client, and while the plan was to start mapping out processes, he came into the session dealing with a major staff issue — so that’s where we focused. The process work happened later. My superpower is meeting people where they’re at. If a client is struggling personally, their mind isn’t on creating an org chart; it’s on surviving the day.
This ability to flex while still building momentum is at the heart of what I do — and it’s also what inspired the framework I’m currently developing, which shows the interdependence between personal and business needs. Real, lasting growth isn’t just about sales or systems — it’s about evolving the owner and the business together. My approach recognizes that both sides must grow through stages and that neglecting either side weakens the whole.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
- Perseverance — There’s a story from the Napoleon Hill book, Think and Grow Rich, about a man and his nephew literally stopping three feet from gold. This has been a mantra of mine for many years. I can be a little guilty of throwing things out there — new programs, marketing plans, etc. and when nothing happens in the first week, I think it’s not going to work. Reminding myself that I could be three feet from gold, and perhaps need to give it a little more time to let the seeds grow, so to speak. Giving things time to percolate and grow has resulted in more consistent revenue, more refined systems, and an all-around better business.
- Positivity — Being a leader is tough. There is lots to complain about if that’s what you choose. Challenge after challenge, threats and trends at every turn. Leaning toward positivity and gratitude provides me with the energy/bandwidth to deal with the onslaught of challenges. There are always going to be challenges, what I can control is how I react to those challenges.
- Strengths Focus — Did you know that our greatest area of potential is in areas where we’re already strong? I learned by diving into the research from the Gallup Organization on strengths-based leading and living. When I started intentionally applying what I learned — leaning into what makes me feel strong and energized — things shifted. I became more productive, more engaged, and ultimately, it’s what’s guiding me toward my ideal life.
Leadership often entails making difficult decisions or hard choices between two apparently good paths. Can you share a story with us about a hard decision or choice you had to make as a leader? I’m curious to understand how these challenges have shaped your leadership.
One of the hardest decisions I ever had to make as a leader happened when I owned my restaurant. Things were tough — beyond tough. I owed the CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) a lot of money, business was down, I had two small children, a failing marriage, and serious health issues. I felt like I was failing on every front, and the weight of it was crushing.
I faced two impossible choices: double down, cut staff, put in even more hours I didn’t have and try to save the business… or find a way to exit. I was 29 years old, and the decision wasn’t just about me — it affected my staff, people who relied on me for their livelihoods.
I wanted to find a buyer, and at that time, I didn’t even know where to start. Ultimately, I made the heartbreaking decision to close the business, trusting that someone would take over and my team would find work quickly. Thankfully, that’s exactly what happened — at the time, though, it felt like I was letting everyone down.
How did this shape my leadership? It taught me that work and life aren’t two separate boxes. There’s an interdependence between them that leaders must understand if they want to help people reach their full potential — including themselves.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussion about Operational Scalability. In order to make sure that we are all on the same page, let’s begin with a simple definition. What does Operational Scalability mean to you?
I believe the term “Operational Scalability” is sometimes misunderstood, it’s not separate from scaling, it’s part of it. For a business to scale — and be successful — it takes more than just selling more widgets. You could double your sales team and 10x your revenue, and if you can’t deliver on those sales, is that scaling or just unsustainable growth?
Operations need to scale at the same rate — or faster — than sales capacity. That doesn’t necessarily mean throwing more people or equipment at the line; it means identifying bottlenecks, finding efficiencies, and ensuring you have the right people in the right seats. It’s where economies of scale come from. If you can reduce your cost per unit while selling more units, now you’ve built a business worth buying.
Which types of business can most benefit from investing in Operational Scalability?
Honestly — which ones can’t? In today’s world of automation, AI, and constant change, every business can choose to invest in scaling their operations — from the solopreneur coach to the multi-million dollar manufacturer.
The real question isn’t about the type of business — it’s about the vision of the owner. What are they building? How big do they want it to be? Every owner must decide: am I building a job for myself, or a business that can grow beyond me?
If it’s a job, that’s fine, just know that the approach to investment will likely be more fluid and reactive. If it’s a business intended to last and scale, then strategic planning — which includes operational scalability — is essential.
Why is it so important for a business to invest time, energy, and resources into Operational Scalability?
As a consultant, I’ve had the privilege of seeing inside many different companies and honestly, it astounds me how many are successful in spite of themselves. If they stepped back and took an aerial view of their business, they might see how much more successful they could be by investing a little more time, energy, and resources into building and working a plan.
To me, operational scalability is the execution of the strategic plan. The DOING — many leaders are great at planning — it’s the DOING they struggle with. And fair –they’re stuck in the weeds of the day-to-day and just putting out fires — all the more reason to find a specialist who can show them how to set their business up for operational scalability. Scaling sustainably isn’t just about survival today — it’s about building freedom, value, and longevity for tomorrow.
In contrast, what happens to a business that does not invest time, energy, and resources into Operational Scalability?
As I mentioned earlier, many businesses become successful in spite of themselves — that kind of success can be fragile. When it’s time to exit this business, the owner may find that they won’t get what they think it’s worth, if it’s sellable at all. These are the owners that are typically DONE, they’re too tired to make improvements, even simple ones like creating SOPs, so they end up leaving money on the table or their equipment is auctioned off piece by piece. It’s quite sad really, it’s likely not the legacy that they envisioned themselves building.
Can you please share a story from your experience about how a business grew dramatically when they worked on their Operational Scalability?
I’ve seen this play out many times.
One example involved a mom-and-pop contractor company that had grown into a serious player in their urban market. When it came time for the parents to consider retirement, their son — who had worked in the company for seven years — decided that he wanted to buy it. He had visions of taking this business from the owner dependent family shop to an empire that wouldn’t rely on him 24/7 yet still continue to build a strong legacy.
This led to a name change, a new marketing strategy, a new HR strategy, and filling in some gaps. This was really impressive due to the emotional factors in taking over a parent’s business — many times the kids don’t want to make changes or the parent doesn’t want them to. In this case, we had numerous conversations about the direction of the company under new ownership, while honouring the legacy that they wanted to hang onto.
Working with this ownership team, we built out a strategic plan, using business value as the benchmark, and prioritized areas that would have the greatest impact — areas that tend to be opportunities for most organizations: reducing owner dependence, diversifying the customer base, and doubling down on core strengths.
Their growth plan included adding new hires, solidifying a management team, strengthening their financial systems, and conducting a production audit that uncovered key bottlenecks. Streamlining those areas gave them the operational foundation they needed to scale successfully.
As a result, the company grew from $7 million to $12.5 million annual revenue in just three years — and they continue to expand their market presence and impact.
Here is the primary question of our discussion. Based on your experience and success, what are the “Five Most Important Things A Business Leader Should Do To Set Up Systems, Procedures, And People To Prepare A Business To Scale”? If you can, please share a story or an example for each.
1. Know your starting point
One of the first things I do when I start working with a new client is complete a business “health” assessment. This assessment measures where the business stands across key value drivers like financial performance, growth potential, and owner dependence. The first step in getting to where you want to go is knowing where you’re starting from.
2. Document EVERYTHING
It’s so easy — and so often overlooked. Nobody wants to write SOPs, yet they are literally the foundation for growth and success. I think people often overthink this. They believe they need special systems or perfect processes before they can start. Honestly, take a voice memo, write a note in your phone’s notes app, create a simple Google Doc. Just start.
3. Get the right people in the right seats
Sometimes it’s less about what people know and more about how they fit with your company’s cultural foundations. When people’s jobs align with their strengths and values, they’re aligned — and aligned employees are productive employees. One area where I see owners fall down is by hiring “experts” and expecting them to magically turn the company around. You can hire the absolute best salesperson in the world, if they aren’t oriented to your company and how you do things, they won’t succeed.
4. Experiment
There’s a common saying that if you’re not growing, you’re dying. I think it’s more accurate to say: if you’re not evolving, you’re stagnating — and stagnation is what ultimately leads to decline. That’s why experimentation is essential for sustainable growth.
Experimenting with new ways of doing things, offering new products or services, or exploring new markets is how innovation happens. Even small tweaks can create big breakthroughs. Bottom line: don’t get too attached to the way things have always been done.
5. Reassess often
I mentioned earlier that I start with an assessment for my clients. From there, we build a plan. As we work the plan — testing experiments, adding new team members, refining systems — we always go back and reassess. Typically, we don’t reassess sooner than six months, since new initiatives need time to take hold. Reassessing is like checking the roadmap to make sure you’re still headed in the right direction.
What are some common misconceptions businesses have about scaling? Can you please explain?
- Scaling just means more revenue — Some owners think that selling more automatically means scaling and growing. In truth, they’re just selling more. Scaling means putting in systems, and processes, and finding efficiencies — doing more with the same resources. Revenue is just one number; what matters is margin, efficiency, and sustainability. This is also where I see small businesses struggle: trying to “figure it out as they go,” stuck in a cycle of putting out fires — and often starting bigger ones in the process. That’s the Owner’s Trap.
- Throwing people at growth (or problems) Another common misconception is that hiring more people automatically helps with scaling. Without the right foundations — systems, processes, communication — more people just means more chaos. This is how owners end up overwhelmed, feeling like they need to do everything themselves.If everything is still stuck in the owner’s head instead of written down or shared clearly, even the best people won’t be able to succeed.
- Once the systems are in place — we are good to go forever. Many owners believe that once systems are in place, the job is done. It’s not. What got you here won’t get you there. At every level of growth, owners need to level up — their mindset, their systems, their team.
Growth isn’t a one-time event; it’s a continuous cycle of assess, grow, reassess.
Scaling is a journey, not a finish line.
How do you keep your team motivated during periods of rapid growth or change?
COMMUNICATE — if you don’t tell them, they’ll make up a story.
During periods of rapid growth or change, motivation starts with clarity. Visionary leaders keep teams engaged by clearly painting the picture of where we’re going, why it matters, and how everyone’s contribution fits into the journey.
Vision alone isn’t enough. Teams also need to see real progress — clear priorities, visible milestones, and honest updates about how things are moving forward.
Transparency is essential, especially when asking your team to help you scale. When everyone understands where they are on the map — including any backtracks or side trips along the way — stress and anxiety drop, engagement rises, and momentum builds.
This is how you not only scale faster, it’s also how you build retention, loyalty, and create raving fans out of your employees. When you do that, they’ll create raving fans out of your customers.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Courage doesn’t always roar, sometimes it’s the quiet voice in your head that says “I’ll try again tomorrow.” Mary Anne Radmacher.
This quote speaks to perseverance and the idea that “this too shall pass.” You don’t need to be standing on the mountaintop shouting for all the world to hear. Sometimes, you just need to show up, day after day, struggle after struggle, until one day — you ARE on the mountaintop!
When scaling businesses, it can feel like 2 steps forward and 3 steps back — courage and perseverance help on those backward steps and this quote reminds me to keep showing up.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
My secret desire — or not so secret now I guess — is that “best workplace” awards no longer exist because they are no longer needed.
They’re no longer needed because every person is doing what they love, where they love, for who they love. This applies to every person in the workforce from the owner to the janitor. When you can lean into what makes you feel strong in the work that you do — you will love it. If everyone does this, then we’ve all found the perfect workplaces for us — and that feels like a lot of good for the world!
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Thanks for asking! I have some exciting new things on the horizon so the best place to keep up with what I’m doing is through LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/lissadaub
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
Operational Scalability: Lissa Daub of The Strong Impact Academy On How To Set Up Systems… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.