Why Your Business Can’t Outgrow You: Don’t be the Bottleneck – Top Entrepreneurs Podcast

Erin Stahla, Co-owner of Stahla Services, a nationwide provider of restroom, shower, and ADA trailer rentals again joins Enterprise Radio. Erin will discuss why your business can’t outgrow you.

Listen to host Eric Dye & guest Erin Stahla discuss the following:

(Host Eric Dye): When did you first realize that you had to grow before the business could?

(Guest Erin Stahla): Man, this is a difficult one, I think, to discern in the beginning especially so a lot of times leaders, owners, founders are looking for a business to grow exponentially, right. It’d be awesome if it just grew overnight into something huge, but what people often don’t realize is that the business won’t grow past your personal growth as the leader. And that’s something to really make sure that you understand and it’s something I’m working to understand each day that my business won’t surpass my own foundational learning of the business, and as a person. So kind of diving into that is you just want to make sure that you’re continuing to develop yourself as a leader and as a person before you go in and expect your business to grow. So I think one of the one of the ways that I had to learn to grow or one of the moments I really realized that I had to level up for the team was when we started trying to really hire and attract top talent. This really makes you kind of step back and look in the mirror of hey, if I’m trying to attract top talent, am I worthy of attracting that top talent? What I want to work for myself. So you want to make sure that this is a place that people can continue to develop and you don’t want to just talk a big game during the interview and then lose that steam every day thereafter. So how do you how do you not do that so. You really can’t attract what you aren’t becoming, and that’s just a foundation leadership principal that you have to become the leader that other people would want to follow. So that’s just one of the moments that I realized that I kind of had to level up personal development and definitely valuable opportunity for growth thereafter.

(Host Eric Dye): What personal skill or mindset shift made the biggest impact on your ability to lead a bigger business?

(Guest Erin Stahla): Yeah. I think just realizing that leadership creates positive changes. So it can be small, it can be large, but leadership really is the key word to study and to understand. So. You you’re the growth factor or you’re the limiting factor. That’s the good news. As the leaders, you can actually choose what you want to be. So it’s up to me to decide which one I’m going to be, and sometimes that’s very often it is a daily choice. Will I be the growth factor for my team and for my company, or will I show up as the limiting factor for my team or company? So I really do believe that I owe it to my team to show up as the growth factor every day, so that is something that I take to heart and it’s something that I think is very personal to you and leadership is comes in different forms, right it is not a one-size-fits-all, so really determining what leadership means for you and how you’re going to continue to develop yourself. Is something that won’t just grow your business. Will grow you. It will grow your lifestyle and it will really expand what you even think this life could be.

(Host Eric Dye): How do you balance working in the business (urgent tasks) with working on yourself (strategic growth)?

(Guest Erin Stahla): That is a good one for me. It’s really just carving out time, right? Time is one of our biggest biggest assets, so making sure that I set even appointments with myself. So an example of that is every single morning, my husband and I are waking up and we’re taking time right at the beginning of the day to for us to read our Bibles. For many it’s reading in general. But you know, I just believe that reading the Bible, you really can’t top that so I’m I start off by reading the Bible and then I will take some time, I have recently started to journal more consistently and trust me, I’m not a big, big one to sit there and write down all my thoughts throughout the day, I’m taking typically 20 seconds or less and that’s really not a joke to bullet point. The top things that I’m grateful for in the day or just in life at that moment. So that really sets up my day to think through a lens of gratitude and thankfulness. So those are some of the practical ways. So I just set out time every morning to just make sure I cover those two things specifically. And then another way is just sometimes asking certain questions to get the brainstorming going so I’ll ask things like this just to myself. Sometimes if I had an infusion of 50 to an even 100K in my business right now, what would I do with it? And just make that number something that you know if you got that today, what would you be able to accomplish with it? Sometimes it’s, you know if I could double the size of my business overnight, what would I have to do to accomplish that? Really just thoughts and questions to get your mind opened up and to not just solving the day-to-day in the weed problem. So to zoom out for a little bit and then kind of the typical question to be able to ask is where’s my biggest bottleneck right now and how do I solve that? This is a good question to ask. Make sure that you’re focusing on the biggest bottleneck, not a bottleneck or a problem. That’s arising. Because you can really get back into the weeds with those sorts of questions. So that’s some of the practical ways that I’m working on myself and working on the business and not in the business. And then I think to just making sure that you take time away from the business really helps you unplug at times and just be more. Strategic about your growth as an individual getting different experiences, looking at other people’s businesses. And how they lead is often very helpful.

(Host Eric Dye): What are signs a founder’s personal growth is becoming the bottleneck for their company’s growth?

(Guest Erin Stahla): Yeah, I think this one is sometimes a little bit difficult to identify because we don’t really want to draw the line back to ourselves often. I don’t really often want to point the finger at myself, but I think the more that I’m learning about the leadership, the more I’m consistently doing that, realizing that I am the bottleneck. I am not always the problem, but I’m the person that can bring a great solution or perspective to what’s happening in the moment. So I think really a good sign for me when realizing that I’m becoming the bottleneck for my company’s growth, something that I can easily identify is our people making decisions in the company. Are they making decisions? Are they making them quickly? And then how are they interacting with each other, whether that’s, you know, an employee, a fellow team member with a customer? So are they interacting with others in a way that is kind? That is open, that is willing to take feedback. All of those things are a reflection of the leader. If, your culture is one that doesn’t desire feedback that wants to shut down growth, I would really take that as a moment to look internally and say what is it that I have caused to make the culture what it is today? And I would honestly just start by assuming that it is the leaders fault. And this isn’t really necessarily to make anyone feel like they can’t overcome this. So the quicker you can identify that you are the bottleneck for each situation, or how you might have contributed to that, the quicker you can go in and solve that. So even just thinking like OK, is my team not good at receiving feedback? What can I do in my life to demonstrate that we do enjoy feedback, we ask for feedback. We implement feedback. How can I more readily and often demonstrate that to my team. So that’s just one example of how you can look through and see maybe what some of the issues are on your team and then think how do I demonstrate this or how do I level up to demonstrate what this would look like as a positive outcome and a positive culture.

(Host Eric Dye): What’s one habit or behavior you’d recommend every founder adopt today to up-level their leadership capacity?

(Guest Erin Stahla): Yeah, great question. So like I mentioned before, reading is a big one for me. Reading the Bible in the morning just kind of sets up my day. Journaling’s another good one. And then just reading in general, So what are the inputs that you have each day? So for me it’s podcasts. I love listening to different podcasts, making sure that those are positive influences, that they aren’t dragging me down. Is a really big thing, making sure that everything you put into your brain is something that, if it came back out to your team it would be positive, it would influence in the right way, so reading, listening to podcasts and then developing a really great, encouraging network of people who have been where you are and understand what it takes to get to the next level. People that you can run, run a certain scenario, pass in. Your business and they can quickly give you feedback of hey, if I were in your shoes, I would do this. Or when we encountered this in my business, we did X. Dot Network is really invaluable and I know people talk about it often. So it kind of, I think falls by the wayside, but I would really if you don’t have that network developed, spend the next few weeks trying to find the person or multiple people who you would call when you need advice the next time.

Tune into our ALL ABOUT Stahla Services Podcast Series – right here.

About Grant & Erin Stahla

Grant and Erin Stahla are entrepreneurs passionate about redefining portable sanitation and creating a business that reflects their values—care for people, excellence in service, and faith-driven leadership.

Their journey began with a shared passion for business, which became the foundation of their relationship. While most couples start with small talk, Grant and Erin’s first date was spent discussing sales, marketing, and operations. Grant launched Stahla Services right out of college, and Erin joined him in the business after they got married. Together, they’ve built a company that not only delivers exceptional service but also prioritizes strong relationships—with customers, employees, and the community.

Beyond their work, Grant and Erin are committed to personal growth, mentoring young entrepreneurs, and giving back through their support of Love Justice International, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing human trafficking. Their business is an extension of their mission to serve others while fostering a life centered on faith, family, and integrity.

About Stahla Services

At Stahla Services, we believe restrooms should be more than just a necessity. That’s why we provide restroom and shower trailer rentals that offer a clean, comfortable, and premium experience for event guests, construction crews, and businesses alike.

Unlike standard porta-potties, our facilities feel more like high-end hotel restrooms, featuring:

✅ Climate control for comfort in any season
✅ Fresh running water and modern fixtures
✅ Spacious, spotless interiors with fully stocked supplies

Whether you are hosting a wedding, managing a construction site, or organizing a corporate event, we deliver reliable service with a commitment to excellence. Our team ensures that your restroom experience is seamless, from setup to pickup, so you can focus on what matters most.

Beyond business, we’re driven by a purpose—to do things the right way, give back to those in need, and create opportunities for growth. With every rental, a portion of our profits supports Love Justice International in their fight against human trafficking.

At Stahla Services, we’re more than just a restroom rental company—we’re a team dedicated to providing comfort, reliability, and care in every interaction.