How I Scaled Multiple Businesses to 7 Figures by Age 25 (And What I’d Do Differently Now)

If you’re searching for real business growth advice — not fluff — this is for you.

I’m Shania Gladwell, founder of Beskar Cleaning, Beskar Tiling, Beskar Investments, CornerstoneAI and Venture Mentors. I these service businesses from the ground up and scaled them to over 7 figures before I turned 25 — all without investors.

In this blog, I’m breaking down what actually helped me grow, what held me back, and what I’d do differently if I had to start over tomorrow.

This isn’t theory — this is strategy, mindset, and systems that worked.

1. You Don’t Need More Hustle — You Need a Business Model

When I started Beskar Cleaning, I was working ridiculous hours. At first, that hustle helped me build momentum. But hustle without structure = burnout.

Once I implemented clear pricing, onboarding, hiring systems, and built repeatable packages — everything changed.

Your success isn’t built from how hard you work.
It’s built from how well your business runs without you.

2. Systems Scale, Not People Pleasing

One of my biggest mistakes early on was being too available. I said yes to every job, customised everything, responded to messages at 10pm, and over-delivered to try to stand out.

The result? I was overwhelmed, and the business couldn’t grow without me.

As soon as I implemented onboarding flows, standard procedures, and client boundaries — I attracted better clients and made more money with less stress.

3. Marketing Should Be Built From Day One

In the beginning, I relied on word-of-mouth and Facebook groups. It worked — until it didn’t.

Once I took marketing seriously (Google listings, SEO blogs, regular video content, email nurturing), leads became predictable. That’s when you can really grow.

If you want long-term growth, start building:

• A lead magnet

• A blog or YouTube presence

• SEO content with value, not fluff

Google rewards consistency and quality. Your audience does too.

4. You Need to Build a Brand, Not Just a Service

Most cleaning or service businesses are interchangeable — and clients treat them that way. I built a brand.

That included:

• Professional visuals

• Clear tone of voice

• Case studies and social proof

• Testimonials

• High-converting landing pages

This is what helped me charge more, attract better opportunities, and expand.

If you want to be seen as a leader, build like one.

5. What I’d Do Differently

If I had to start over tomorrow, I’d:

• Build my quoting and onboarding system before I took my first client

• Hire help sooner, even casually

• Spend more time creating high-value content to build trust at scale

• Document everything from day one

• Build email automations and collect client data from the start

These are the things I now teach inside Venture Mentors — so you don’t spend years figuring it out the hard way.

Who I Help Today

Through Venture Mentors, I help:

• Service business owners streamline and scale

• Cleaning business founders get out of the day-to-day

• Young entrepreneurs launch with systems

• Women in business gain confidence, structure, and momentum

I’ve lived it. Now I teach it.

Want to Learn More?

Grab the free 6-phase business growth ebook, or check out the tools I’ve built for quoting, onboarding, hiring, and pricing at:
👉 www.venturementors.com.au

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