Scaling the Business, Surviving the Chaos

Scaling the Business, Surviving the Chaos

Success doesn’t make it easier - you just get better at navigating the hard. 

2025 has already been a milestone year for us at Hoxton. 

We crossed $3 billion in assets under management. We opened two new offices. And we grew our client base from 7,000 to over 8,000 global clients. 

But let me be clear - growth hasn’t made the ride smoother. If anything, it’s exposed every crack in the system and put more weight on the pressure points. 

More Success = More Stress 

It definitely does not get easier the bigger you get – I can assure you of that J  

People assume that once you “make it,” the problems go away. What they don’t realise is: 

  • Success magnifies problems - it doesn’t eliminate them. 

  • The stakes get higher. 

  • The decisions get harder. 

  • The pressure doesn’t disappear - it just evolves. 

Back in 2020, when COVID hit, we had to make some brutal calls. 

The markets were tanking. We were afraid that revenue was going to dry up. And we didn’t know how long the storm would last. 

We had to be nimble and adapt the business quickly, that meant letting people go.  I remember sitting on Teams calls, making those decisions, knowing the impact it would have. 

We had to adapt fast. We shifted our client service model overnight. Went fully remote. Changed the way we communicated. The way we operated. Doubled down and battened the hatches to try and brave the worst of it – like a lot of people did! 

It was a test of everything: our systems, our team, our leadership. But we made it through - not because it got easier, but because we got stronger. 

And we didn’t stop there. 

In 2022, we changed our whole business model on how we operated and knew we would take a hit that year to be able to change.  We sucked it up, took big risks. Reinvested everything. And there were moments I seriously questioned whether we’d pulled the trigger too soon and done the right thing. 

I didn’t take money out of the business. In fact, I put more in, using my personal savings to keep things moving. Because when you believe in what you’re building, you back it with everything you’ve got. 

It is normally very true that the best investment you can make is in yourself and betting on yourself is the best bet you can make. 

We’ve also had tough conversations - letting go of team members when it wasn’t the right fit. It’s never easy, but the longer you delay, the more damage it does – for the business and for them!   

It’s unfair on the staff we have in the business to have to pick up the slack of people it is not working with and it is unfair to those who it is not working out for if there is no real long term future for them. Protecting your culture sometimes means making decisions you don’t want to make. 

And yes, we’ve lost clients. Big ones. But we learned from every one of those moments. Not every departure is a failure, some are just redirection, and all are lessons to be learned from. 

The Mindset Shift 

What I’ve learned is this: 

The good news is that founders don’t need less stress. They need better tools to handle it. 

The stresses never get easier, you just get better at handling them. 

You can’t aim for “easy” - that doesn’t exist in building a business. Instead, aim for resilience. 

  • Build the muscle to stay calm under pressure. 

  • Create routines that ground you. 

  • Surround yourself with people who challenge and support you. 

Personally, I have a few rules: 

  • When I am with my kids and wife I am with them. They should get the best of me, not what’s left of me. 

  • I always time block my day. Once my meetings and work has finished for the day, that will be it. The rest of the time is for my wife and kids – it might not be a huge amount, but it is quality over quantity 

  • I lean on my wife more than she probably knows - talking things through with someone outside the business helps me stay grounded (she has zero trouble telling me I am wrong J ) 

Because the higher you climb, you can’t afford to carry every battle home. You need boundaries and perspective – also time to digest and think! 

The Hard Doesn’t Go Away 

If you’re building something big - expect pressure. Expect problems. That’s the job. 

You have to embrace the discomfort – lean into it and realise that it will never go away!  There is no magic pill where everything will be fine. 

But know this: 

You get better. 

Better at leading through uncertainty. Better at protecting your time. Better at making the tough calls with clarity. 

Because growth doesn’t come from avoiding the hard stuff. It comes from getting sharper, stronger, and more grounded with every challenge. 

Every challenge is a chance for you to grow and learn.  It might not be ideal that you are in the midst of it, but it will be a learning curve for sure. 

So if you’re in the chaos right now - keep going. 

You’re not doing it wrong. You’re just in the part where most people give up. 

Remember – “if it was easy, everyone would do it” 

Been through something similar? How did you survive the hard years? I’d love to hear the tactics, mindset shifts, or lessons that helped you grow through the chaos. 

 

Sebastian Culpan-Scott, FCSI

Independent Financial Advice for Entrepreneurs & Executives | Chartered Wealth Manager | Investment, Retirement & Tax Planning Expert

1mo

Great article Chris, the key takeaway being to remember is “if it was easy, everyone would do it” Behind every success story is a mix of hard decisions, setbacks, self-doubt, and persistence that most people never see. It’s the resilience to keep going when it’s uncomfortable, when there’s no instant gratification and that ultimately separates those who talk about it from those who actually do it.

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Rene Madden

Helping Financial Services CEOs Fix Culture, Streamline Ops & Develop Leaders Who Deliver | 40+ Years Driving Change in Financial Services | Ex-JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Schroders

1mo

You don’t always see the chaos behind growth. Congratulations and thank you for sharing!

Daniel Parkinson, DipFA

The Bitcoin IFA | Consultant | Podcast Host | Public Speaker | Coach | Investor | Author

1mo

The beauty is in the challenge 🚀

Nir Ofer

Strategic partner to powerful men ready to reclaim focus, fire, and impact ⚡ | Master your next real move - in business, career, and life | Ex-CEO, lawyer & investor

1mo

"Everyone sees the highlight reel." That line hits! I’ve worked with founders who crossed a billion and still felt like they were drowning. Sometimes (I would even say more often than people can imagine), success doesn’t feel like winning. It feels like capacity overload. Appreciate your honesty here. The messy part is where the real growth happens.

Nathan Waldron

Director @ Evergreen Financial Planning | Dad | UK Top Rated 2023, 2024, 2025 | DipPFS Cert SMP (MP & ER)

1mo

“Don’t need less stress, just better tools to handle it” - this right here! 🔥

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