Trying to scale but still stuck in the day-to-day? That is the messy middle. Revenue may be growing, but without operational leadership installed, the owner bottleneck can get heavier. Expansion creates opportunity, but it also increases the need for structure and distributed leadership.

In this episode of Self-Made Is a Myth, Coach Tim Campsall sits down with Chad Abel, owner of Hello Garage of Indianapolis and Hello Garage of Cincinnati, to unpack what expansion looks like in real time. As Chad opened a second market, he created new growth potential and expanded his footprint. At the same time, he recognized that the next level would require installing operational leadership so decisions do not continue routing back to him.

Chad shares both the wins and the work. Expanding into a second city increased revenue opportunity and team capacity. It also revealed the need for clearer role definition, distributed decision-making, and stronger operational structure. Rather than ignore it, he is actively building the leadership layer that will allow the business to grow beyond the owner.

This is the messy middle. Growth increases complexity. Installing structure before pushing further is what turns expansion into scale.

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why opening a second market increases both opportunity and operational complexity
• How growth can quietly increase owner dependency if leadership is not installed
• The difference between expansion and true scale
• Why installing an operations manager changes the growth trajectory
• How distributed decision-making strengthens team capability
• The leadership mindset required to build beyond yourself

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Looking To Scale Your Business:

Did you know that only 9% of businesses make it to $1,000,000 in revenue and less than 1% reach $10,000,000. The hustle and grind that got you to $1,000,000 will not get you beyond it. To scale past the Messy Middle, you need stronger systems, clearer structure, and disciplined execution. Book a Discovery Call to see how our ActionCOACH Business Operating System (ABoS) and coaching help you get unstuck and move toward sustainable scaling so you can achieve your personal dreams and business goals.

https://tbcactioncoach.com/discovery-zoom-call/

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Timestamps:

(00:00) The real growth killer
(00:59) Expanding into a second market
(04:04) The instinct to solve every problem
(07:08) The personal cost of staying tactical
(08:42) Recognizing the operations manager gap
(10:45) What it costs if leadership is not installed
(14:11) Learning to step back
(24:38) Flattening the learning curve
(27:34) Building structure before scale

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Chad Abel was born and raised in Greenwood, Indiana. He currently lives in Fishers with his girlfriend Mindy and her two daughters. He has lived in Fishers for over 30 years where he raised his three children: Truman, Garrett and Toria. He has been in the fire service for 37 years and served as paramedic for 31 years. Chad currently serves as a Captain on a ladder truck. He is an entrepreneur at heart starting his first business at the age of 22.

In 2017, Abel Group was born when Chad began building decks and screen porches with consumer grade tools and using no money to start. He transformed the business in 2023 by purchasing a Hello Garage franchise, providing concrete floor coating and garage storage and organization. After building the location from the ground up in Indianapolis to 7th in the network, Chad expanded to Cincinnati in April of 2025 when he purchased an existing franchise location.