4 Stages of Business Ownership

Impact-driven leaders will always feel tension between managing the businesses they have and building the businesses they want. But the phase you’re in now doesn’t have to last forever. In this episode, Alex talks with Ben Loy about the four stages of business ownership: founder, operator, CEO, and owner. He breaks down some of the common characteristics and pitfalls of each stage and explains how you can keep yourself from becoming the bottleneck to the business’ growth.

Information isn’t the gap between failure and success—action is. Path for Growth’s 1-on-1 coaching helps you create a plan and execute on what matters most for your business. Apply today at pathforgrowth.com/coaching.

Episode Recap:

• When a leader stops growing, the business stops growing.
• There will always be tension between managing the business you have and building the business you want.
• 1. The Founder Stage: You’re the primary source of sales and/or service
• What keeps people stuck in the founder stage?
• 2. The Operator Stage: You’re the point person for everyone else in the business
• What does it mean to operationalize your business?
• Focus on building leaders who can move the business forward
• 3. The CEO Stage: You’re no longer taking or needing credit for every piece of the business’ success
• What areas should CEOs focus on?
• 4. The Owner Stage: Your business operates largely independent of your time investment

If you’re ready to move beyond just gathering information and start executing on what truly matters, Path for Growth’s 1-on-1 coaching can help. Apply now at pathforgrowth.com/coaching.

Resources:

Follow the podcast on Apple or Spotify

Schedule a call to learn more about Path for Growth Coaching and Community

Download the Free Reading Guide

Join us for our 2025 Experience – Long Game Leadership

Connect with our Founder Alex Judd on LinkedIn and Instagram