In 2023, I took five months off. The team did $4.2M in GCI without me touching a single deal. People ask me how. The honest answer: it took eight years and three very painful rebuilds.
Here's what I'd skip if I were starting over today.
The Org Chart Matters More Than the People
Most teams are built by hiring the people you can find and then trying to figure out what they should do. Backwards.
Start with the org chart you'll need at $10M. Then hire into it, one role at a time, in the order that the cash flow can support. Every hire either funds the next hire or is a mistake.
The Comp Plan Is The Strategy
Comp plans aren't HR paperwork. They're the actual operating system of your team. Show me how your people are paid and I'll show you what they'll do.
- Buyers' agents on a sliding scale that rewards velocity, not just volume.
- ISAs on a flat-per-appointment model so they hunt, not chat.
- Operations team on salary plus profit share — they should feel ownership.
- Listing agent (you, in the beginning) on whatever it takes to keep you in the seat doing listing presentations and nothing else.
"People do what they're paid to do. Not what you tell them to do. Not what's written in the manual. What they're paid to do."
The Daily Cadence
Every healthy team I've ever seen has the same rhythm: 15-minute standup at the start of the day, 60-minute team huddle once a week, 90-minute leadership meeting every other week.
Miss the cadence and the team drifts. It's that simple.
What I'd Do Differently
I'd hire the operations lead a year before I thought I needed her. Every founder I know who has crossed $5M+ says the same thing. The operator is the unlock. Stop waiting.