Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur | Start and Grow Your Own Business 1144: Going from from START-up to SCALE-up & navigating the critical phases of growth w/ Kristi Broom
In this episode, Kristi Broom shares her deep expertise in helping businesses navigate the tricky transition from startup to scale-up. With over 25 years of experience in strategic innovation and operational excellence, Kristi reveals the systems and strategies that drive sustainable growth. From building the right team to understanding the evolving nature of business phases, Kristi’s insights will help you unlock the next level of success in your business journey.
💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business
🚀 The 4 Stages of Business Growth – How to identify if you're in ideation, startup, scale-up, or expansion (and why it matters)
🧠 Why Systems Thinking is a Game-Changer – How to look at your business as a living, breathing system to make better decisions
👥 When to Hire (and When to Hold Back) – How Kristi helps businesses avoid costly hiring mistakes by finding the right talent at the right time
🔄 The Value of Generalists – Why being a multi-skilled operator is a superpower in business growth
⚖️ Managing Highs and Lows – How to emotionally detach from business outcomes to stay grounded and focused
🧘 Integrating Wellness Into Business Success – How yoga and mindfulness can improve decision-making and business performance
📝 About Kristi Broom
Kristi Broom is a dynamic executive leader with over 25 years of experience driving strategic innovation and operational excellence across diverse industries in both for-profit and non-profit sectors. She has a proven track record of designing and executing transformative strategies and innovative product and skills solutions, resulting in significant quality improvements, cost reductions, and enhanced productivity. She is known for building client trust, fostering stakeholder relationships, and spearheading initiatives that drive and scale organizational growth and success. A proud generalist, her career spans Product, Client Experience, Operations, Technology, Innovation, and all facets of Leadership, Learning and Development.
About 10 years ago she was overstressed, overworked, overweight, and frankly burned out. She discovered dance and yoga as a way to correct all of that. Five years ago she started teaching yoga in both public and corporate settings, and has added dance fitness to her offerings. She believe that we need to integrate our full selves in order to be our very best selves.
🎯 Kristi’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs
"Manage the highs. Manage the lows." – Kristi emphasizes the importance of emotional regulation in business. Don’t get too attached to successes or failures—stay balanced and focused on the bigger picture.
📢 Memorable Quotes
"Businesses are living, breathing systems. You need to adapt to keep them healthy and growing." – Kristi Broom
"Generalists are uniquely positioned to drive business success because they know how to solve different problems at different times." – Kristi Broom
"Detach from the outcome—focus on what you can control." – Kristi Broom
💡 Actionable Takeaways
✅ Evaluate which phase your business is in (startup vs. scale-up) and adapt your strategy accordingly
✅ Build systems that allow you to grow without chaos
✅ Consider hiring fractional executives or generalists to solve specific business challenges
✅ Create a personal wellness routine to stay mentally sharp and emotionally balanced
✅ Detach from business outcomes—stay focused on the process
🔗 Links