Ep 207: When Success Breaks You with Christine Lavin

Send us Fan Mail Your business can “make it” and still break you. Christine Lavin lived that paradox firsthand when she launched Fit to Be Mom, a maternity activewear brand that found instant product-market fit and kept growing. The problem wasn’t demand, it was the operating model. She scaled without systems, stayed trapped in day-to-day decisions, and eventually hit founder burnout so hard she shut the company down before it could be positioned for an exit.  We dig into what she wishes she’d done at the beginning: valuing her time like the strategic asset it is, getting out in front of the business instead of hiding behind operations, and building delegation and workflows early. We also talk about the mindset pressure to “do it all” and why real leadership often looks like knowing what you should not be doing. If you’ve got early traction and you feel like you’re drowning in your own business, this conversation is for you.  Christine also breaks down how she helps relationship-led, referral-driven businesses find their next growth lever through a bottleneck snapshot diagnostic and a clear obstacle brief. We explore practical examples of scalable systems, from a right-sized CRM to simple documentation and timelines, to lightweight workflows that reduce sales friction. The takeaway is simple: start with what you need to solve for first, keep systems flexible, and build operations that fit the way your brain works.  If this hits home, subscribe for more founder-focused strategy, share this with a friend who’s growing fast, and leave a review so more small business owners can find Tiny Marketing. Support the show Schedule a Booked-out Blueprint >>> *Schedule.* Come tour my digital home :) >>>*Website* Wanna be friends? >>> *LinkedIn* Let's chat every Tuesday! >>> *Newsletter* Catch the video podcast on YouTube *>>>**YouTube* Join my event group for live events >>>*Meetup*