CEO Chats
with Samantha Harrison
A few years ago, I came across a quote by @aimeesmalex that stopped me in my tracks:
"If you stay small enough, for long enough, you’ll become big enough, soon enough."
It was one of those moments where the right words hit at exactly the right time.
When I first started out, I thought success meant having a big space, a huge team, and the latest shiny business upgrades just to be taken seriously. But rather than rushing to look successful, I decided to grow sustainably. I started with a home salon...lower overheads, and more freedom to invest where it really mattered.
Keeping things small allowed me to:
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Save money instead of going into debt
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Buy my first home, which doubled as my home salon
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Move into the whole house, growing the business by expanding my team and running salon services & workshops simultaneously
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Launch a wholesale product line
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Build a software company (!!)
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Expand at my own pace, and on my own terms
Starting with nothing meant I had to be strategic. But it also meant unlearning a lot of generational beliefs about money. I believe in good debt vs bad debt... 100%. But I refused to over-leverage myself, borrow from future profits, or lock myself into a lifestyle I couldn’t sustain, just to appear successful.
Because growth isn’t about how big your business looks. It’s about how well it works for you.
So if you’re feeling “behind” because your business isn’t massive yet, remember this: You’re not behind, you’re laying the foundation. And that’s the part most people skip.
As the saying goes, “Success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure.” So don’t chase the numbers if they don’t come with peace.
Sam x
