Digging Out, Scaling Up: Courtney Joyce on Leaving the Mines & Building A Future

In this episode of The Scaling Podcast, Courtney Joyce shares his journey from 13 years in toxic coal mines to building and selling a 7-figure cleaning business — and how he's now scaling multiple ventures with virtual assistants and smart systems. We dive into entrepreneurship, leadership, time freedom, and what it really takes to escape the golden handcuffs of a steady paycheck.

If you're looking to scale your business, build systems, or get inspired by a true operator's story — this episode is for you.

👇 Timestamps 00:00 - Intro: From Coal Mines to Entrepreneurship 02:12 - Why Courtney Left a $170K Job for Freedom 04:00 - Starting a Cleaning Business from Scratch 06:23 - Scaling with Culture and Smart Hiring 09:00 - Selling His First Business for $500K 11:00 - The Power of Virtual Assistants in Growth 13:35 - Niching Down: Serving Health & Wellness Franchises 18:50 - Lessons from Managing 50+ Staff 22:30 - Balancing Family, Business, and Focus 30:00 - Biggest Constraints When Scaling Multiple Companies 34:40 - Building a Sales Team & Stepping Out of Founder-Led Sales 37:00 - Routines, Mindset, and Staying Energized as an Entrepreneur 40:00 - How Courtney Leads a 100+ Person Team Remotely 44:15 - Final Lessons on Leadership, Systems, and Long-Term Growth

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