Episode 106 - Built by mistake, scaled by design.

Did you start your business for freedom—but now feel trapped?

You’re not alone.

In fact, research shows that over 70% of small business owners work more hours than they did as employees, and many admit they’ve sacrificed health, relationships, and peace of mind just to keep the wheels turning.

In episode 106 of The Accidental Business Owner Podcast, Jay Allen—multi-award-winning entrepreneur, ethical business coach, and founder of My TrueNORTH—pulls back the curtain on a pattern he’s seen thousands of times: businesses that were built by mistake.

What does that mean?
It’s when a business starts as a simple idea, a passion project, or a lifestyle choice—but slowly morphs into a demanding machine that consumes every ounce of time, energy, and attention. Instead of “working to live,” owners find themselves “living to work”—trapped by the very thing they created.

Sound familiar?
You’re not broken. You’re not failing. You’ve fallen into a pattern that most entrepreneurs experience.

And the good news? You can flip the script.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✅ The Hidden Trap: Why businesses unintentionally become owner-dependent—and why this kills scalability
✅ The Data Behind the Problem: Insights from hundreds of Scale & Exit Audits conducted by My TrueNORTH
✅ The Most Common Mistakes: Why so many leaders repeat the same patterns—and how to break free
✅ The Mindset Shift: How to move from accidental growth to intentional scaling
✅ Practical Strategies: Proven steps to redesign your operations, reclaim your time, and build a business that supports your life—not consumes it
✅ Freedom Framework: How to create systems that allow you to step back without losing control
✅ Exit Readiness: Why planning for exit—even if you’re not ready to sell—changes everything about how you run your business

Jay shares real-world examples, actionable advice, and the #ADDAZERO methodology that has helped countless business owners grow, scale, and exit successfully—without sacrificing their health, relationships, or sanity.

Why This Episode Matters (Now More Than Ever):
The world of business is changing fast. Economic uncertainty, talent shortages, and rising costs mean that owner-dependent businesses are at the highest risk of failure. If you’re still the primary fee earner, the chief problem-solver, and the person holding everything together, you’re sitting on a ticking time bomb.

This episode gives you the tools to:
✔ Stop being the bottleneck in your own business
✔ Build a team and systems that work without you
✔ Create a business that scales by design—not by accident

If you’ve ever thought:
❓ “I wanted freedom, but now I feel chained to my business.”
❓ “I can’t take a holiday without everything falling apart.”
❓ “I’m working harder than ever, but not getting ahead.”

This conversation is for you. It’s time to stop building by accident and start scaling by design.

Resources & Links:
✨ Free Scale-Up Audit Report: www.mytruenorth.club/bsu

🔔 Subscribe on YouTube for weekly episodes:    / @mytruenorthuk  

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About My TrueNORTH – The Ethical Coaching Company:
Founded by Jay Allen, a former British Army medic turned multi-award-winning entrepreneur, My TrueNORTH helps purpose-driven business owners grow and scale ethically. Through the #ADDAZERO Business Challenge, Jay’s mission is bold: to help 1,000,000 business owners add a zero to their income—without compromising integrity, sustainability, or wellbeing.

Built By Mistake Scaled By Design, business growth strategies, scale your business, work-life balance for entrepreneurs, business mistakes, founder mindset, business coaching, entrepreneur podcast, small business tips, scale and exit strategies, ethical business growth

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