Scaling and Growth Insights from EO Members on the 2024 Inc. 5000 List

The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) propels the world forward by empowering entrepreneurs with the community, tools, and support they need to unlock their full potential as they grow their businesses. With our commitment to driving transformational growth in our members’ lives, EO is proud to congratulate the 228 member-owned companies that earned a coveted spot on the 2024 Inc. 5000 list, which celebrates the fastest-growing privately owned companies in the United States based on three-year revenue growth.

“I have told many people that we wouldn’t be where we are without EO,” said Joshua Tarbutton, an EO Charlotte member whose company, Bravo Team, ranked No. 489 on the list. “In EO, I get continuous exposure and access to the right information or right person at the right time.” And that access adds up to success.

We asked EO members whose companies made the Inc. 5000 list for their insights on what helped them achieve such rare air. Here’s what they shared:

What is one lesson learned, tip, or strategy you can share with entrepreneurs who want to grow and scale?

Who better to learn from than entrepreneurs whose companies achieved at least triple-digit growth (in some cases, quadruple-digit and even quintuple-digit growth!) over the past three years?

Learn how to delegate.

“The faster you free up your time—which you can literally buy back—the better.” —Brett Trembly, EO South Florida, Co-Founder, Get Staffed Up, No. 433 on the Inc. 5000

Listen to others who know more than you do.

“You have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Specifically, the training I received in Accelerator on People (the power of culture and accountability) and Cash (Greg Crabtree is the man!) are the two foundations for our growth.” — Joshua Tarbutton, EO Charlotte, Founder and CEO, Bravo Team, No. 489 on the 2024 Inc. 5000

Never be afraid to ask stupid questions or try stupid ideas.

“I think a lot of people don’t grow because they’re more focused on appearing right than being right.

“I make more mistakes in a week than most people make in a year. But if I have 90 terrible ideas and 10 great ideas, that still puts me ahead of the guy who only had one good idea. So, try what works, and keep asking questions, even if you think you should know it already.” — Rob Buffington, EO Nebraska, Founder, Gordian Staffing, No. 29 on the 2024 Inc. 5000

Focus on your strengths. Hire for your weaknesses.

“Don’t be afraid to outsource the things that you are not an expert at. Pay for experts so you can focus on your own area of expertise.

“Also, own your weakness as a business and focus on what you are amazing at. Not only will it show vulnerability (and therefore gain trust from your buyer), it will prevent you from spending too much time on deals you aren’t going to win anyway.” —Noelle McInerney, EO Chicago, Founder and CEO, Ladidadi Events & Incentives, No. 159 on the 2024 Inc. 5000

“Hire for your weaknesses and don’t be intimidated by the fact that you’re really bad at some things. It’s better to be the best in the world at one thing and hire help for everything else versus trying to be well-rounded. You can increase your strengths by miles and your weaknesses by inches. Focus on your strengths.” —Rob Buffington, EO Nebraska

Always keep testing new things.

“Even things that you may not believe will help you or might work can surprise you. Business is complex; in many cases, testing new ideas and adjusting or pivoting later truly does make a difference.” —Jaime Nacach, EO San Diego, Founder and CEO, Virtual Latinos, No. 311 on the 2024 Inc. 5000

Banish limiting beliefs.

“You started a business, so I can assume you don’t believe in limiting beliefs. A hard truth is: No one ever taps you on your shoulder and says, ‘You are a big company now, act like it,’ — so why not start now?

“Pay attention to details when you set up your business infrastructure. Know your business inside and out: the P&L, balance sheet — all of it. Train yourself to do it at US$100,000 in revenue and it will be easy to scale to US$100 million in revenue. In my opinion, if you think you are too small to implement these practices at $100k, you will stay small because you have already told yourself you are. —Adam Kroener, EO Wisconsin, President and Co-Founder, Carbliss, No. 7 on the 2024 Inc. 5000

What aspect of EO membership most helped you achieve the Inc. 5000 list honor?

With so many EO programs and learning opportunities to choose from—executive education, global events, MyEO Groups, regional events, and Global Speakers Academy, just to name a few—EO members on the Inc. 5000 list cited these three benefits of membership as the key to extraordinary growth.

Forum

“Having a regular check-in with Forum supported the mental and emotional strength it takes to survive growing pains. Forum helps me feel a sense of belonging and relieves the bite of feeling lonely—entrepreneurship is a lonely space without the support of peers.” —Rachel Zillner, EO Sacramento, co-founder, Clutch, No. 28 on the 2024 Inc. 5000

“Having a solid EO Forum, a group of people who listen to my challenges, genuinely care about my issues, and share relevant and useful experiences that help me make better decisions to move the business forward and grow. You just can’t have the same depth of conversations or get the support you need from friends and family who aren’t entrepreneurial, nor on the same path or facing the same challenges and stress levels. Forum helps me feel understood.” —Jaime Nacach, EO San Diego

Learning

“The learning aspect of EO has been invaluable. While I’ve participated in various ‘lead exchange’ groups over the years, EO provides insights on what to do—and, just as importantly, what not to do—based on the experiences of others in similar situations.” —Thomas Aronica, EO South Florida, CEO and Founder, Biller Genie,  No. 259 on the 2024 Inc. 5000

Accountability

“One of the most impactful aspects of EO membership has been the peer support and accountability. Having access to like-minded entrepreneurs who have either already faced similar challenges or are facing similar challenges, provided me with invaluable insights. My Forum mates are constantly pushing me to level up—both personally and professionally—and I do feel accountable to them. Additionally, the access to content via educational events helped me refine my business strategies, ultimately contributing to our company’s growth and recognition on the Inc. 5000 list.” —Noelle McInerney, EO Chicago

Written for EO by Anne-Wallis Droter, staff writer. Learn how other EO members whose companies made the Inc. 5000 list in previous years start their day to maximize success, find out what insights they would share with their younger self, and discover what aspects of EO membership fueled their success.

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog.