When scaling leads to misaligned goals 💻

“I think once you've built something that becomes such a big part of your identity, there's a question of what's next. And if I'm being really transparent, that question still creeps in… I’ve absolutely had moments where I've wondered, ‘Will I ever do anything of that magnitude again? Did I peak at 38 years old?’ and I don't necessarily have the answer to that.”

When someone decides to become a founder, there’s often a personal reason that pushes them to take the leap.

Whether it’s a problem they’ve experienced, a gap in an area they’re interested in, or a desire to do something more, that personal connection to their “why” is what keeps them going.

But what happens when growth leads to a version of your business that doesn’t feel aligned anymore?

Do you ride it out? Do you adapt as your business scales? Do you sell?

When Amanda DeMoura–business consultant and website designer–founded Essential Dental Services, the idea of selling never crossed her mind.

But when her business grew substantially and the day to day no longer fit her goals, she decided it was time to move on to something different.

The desire for something more

“Starting my own company really became a way for me to fill that need for a challenge without leaving an industry that I already loved… And once I started building my company, I was fascinated with all of it: hiring, leadership, operations, marketing, growth, finances… It opened up this entire different side of dentistry and business for me.”

When Amanda decided to pursue the path of entrepreneurship, the problems she wanted to solve were ones she was already addressing for someone else.

Managing an established dental practice for years, she was part of a team of people who were genuinely happy to come to work every day.

Over time however, she realized she enjoyed solving problems and building new things.

But this practice was running smoothly. With no plans for expansion or changes, there really weren’t any opportunities for her to tap into those parts of her brain she so badly wanted to use.

Since she knew the ins and outs of what went on behind the scenes, she decided she’d start her own dental billing business.

Instead of taking some time to figure out her plan, Amanda decided to take the leap and go all in.

“I had no fancy business plan sitting on my desk. I knew dental billing, I knew there was a problem I could solve, and I knew I was good at solving that. And the business owner part just came down the road.”

Her husband, being a business owner himself, gave her guidance around the basics she’d need to get up and running.

For the rest, she looked to others for help. Reaching out to other dental billing company owners who were further along in their journeys, she asked if they’d be willing to talk to her.

Happy to help her get started, they gave her tips and suggestions based on what they had experienced.

“You don't always have to know everything before you start, but you have to be willing to learn and ask questions and make connections. I think that's the biggest piece for me. And there are people out there who are willing to help you, and just be kind and supportive.”

And over ten years later, they’re all still friends.

Instead of looking at each other as competition, they acknowledged that each had something special to share and contribute.

Because of that collaborative mindset, all of their businesses grew substantially, something Amanda never imagined would’ve happened so quickly.

When scaling led to selling and something new

“My business coach asked me what my goals were and what I wanted in the future. He said, ‘Do you want to stay small? Do you want to grow? Do you eventually want to sell?’ And I remember thinking, ‘Sell? What are we even talking about?’ That idea hadn't crossed my mind at all. But the business took off, and it was really exciting. There was something rewarding about watching something I started from scratch turn into a big company.”

With growth came a whole new set of tasks Amanda had to learn how to navigate.

A bigger company meant employees, more clients, a need to update systems…

And after a while, she realized the place her business got to no longer felt aligned with her personal life.

In addition to the immense growth, she had a desire to expand her family and she knew she couldn’t continue working as she had been.

There wouldn’t be enough hours in the day to be there for the company and for her family in the way she wanted to be.

Then, the right buyers came along and the timing made sense. She decided to take the step into the unknown, once again, and part from the business she had worked so hard to build.

Moving into a corporate consulting role, she’s been able to help dental corporations work through some of the hurdles she experienced herself.

And because these businesses are typically much larger than her former company, there’s plenty of opportunities to challenge herself and keep the work interesting.

“It’s nerve-wracking, but I just do it. I'd rather say that I did it and I failed than I was too nervous to try something. That's kind of been my mantra as of late.”

But encouraging herself to just do something doesn’t mean it wasn’t difficult, especially when concerns came up.

No matter the stage, there’s always challenges

“Sometimes I'll have a little voice saying, ‘Do you belong here?’ But I still walk into that room anyway. Being the most knowledgeable person in the room makes you feel great, of course, but being the least knowledgeable person challenges you and pushes you. I try to get into rooms where I just totally feel out of place, because I know they'll drive me more, and they will teach me more.”

When Amanda founded her business, the decision wasn’t instant. It was something she had wanted to do for years.

The doubts had held her back. Knowing her competitor would be a large dental billing company, she had convinced herself no one would want to choose her.

Moving through those worries, she started putting herself out there and in doing so, she actually found the opposite to be true.

People wanted an alternative to the huge company. They wanted an intimate, boutique experience with someone who clearly cared about them.

Seeing the need, she went all in.

She spent a tremendous amount of time and sacrificed a lot during the building stages because she truly believed in what she was doing.

But as she got deeper into building, she noticed things like Imposter Syndrome would have her second guessing everything.

It also meant that periods of burnout would start to creep in, leading to what she calls “mini meltdowns.”

“After weeks of working crazy hours, combined with something like employee issues or client issues, I would go to my husband and just say, ‘What am I even doing this all for?’ I would lose sight of the big picture. That usually meant I had to reconnect with my why, which has always been my family… And that often snapped me out of it.”

Getting back to her core reasons for building helped her realize she was doing this for the right reasons. And any time she started feeling doubt, she could use that as an opportunity to learn and grow.

Once she sold her business in 2024, Amanda noticed she was met with different challenges.

Right before she sold, she felt she was at the top of her game.

Since then, she’s wondered if she’s hit her peak already and if she’ll ever be able to create something as big as that business.

For her, it’s hard to turn off the entrepreneur bug. There’s so many things she wants to do and build, and she genuinely loves working.

Now, she has to remind herself that just because she can do something doesn’t mean she has to, or should.

After stepping away and having her second child, she’s gotten back to a place where she feels more like “her” again.

By pivoting to more of a consultant role, she’s able to do the work that lights her up without dealing with the parts of being a business owner she ended up not caring for much.

And that means she can focus on the things that keep her aligned with her “why.”

Pivoting kept the passion going

“I've realized there's a common thread, and it’s that I really love building things, whether I'm building something myself or I'm helping somebody else build something that they're really excited about.”

Since selling, new doors have opened up for Amanda and have given her opportunities to take on new roles she might not have pursued otherwise.

As a business consultant, coaching other dental billing company owners and taking on occasional speaking gigs has felt very fulfilling to her.

It’s also encouraged her to create other ways people can learn from her in a pace that works for them.

“I love watching their businesses grow and they keep me updated. There's something special about being able to give guidance the way I wish I had when I first started.”

With this new sense of freedom, she’s been able to lean more into the areas she loved while owning her billing company too.

At the time, she was handling marketing and social media efforts, and now, she can offer those services to those she works with as well.

By founding a branding and boutique web design company, One Wild Brand, she gets to work with companies (many of which are still in the dental space) in a way that allows for more creativity.

Helping people with website design and rebranding, she often gets feedback that people feel excited and confident about their business again…

Which, in turn, makes her feel excited too.

She experienced that same feeling when her own company had gone through a rebrand and now, she gets to help people experience that as well.

“That's what keeps me going. I love creating things, and I love watching things grow in a variety of different ways and business markets. Helping other people is really one of the things that drives me.”

Key takeaways from a variety of entrepreneurial experiences

As Amanda has gone through many stages–from managing a dental practice, to founding and selling her own dental billing company, and then consulting and creating to continue helping others–she’s found two main points have remained true through it all.

🌱 There’s no one way to be successful

There’s a quote by Missy Copeland that Amanda loves because she finds it resonates with her own experience:

“Know that you can start late, look different, be uncertain, and still succeed.”

Instead of looking at what other people are doing and convincing ourselves we’re behind, we can turn that focus to ourselves and all the wonderful things we’re accomplishing, no matter what they look like.

🌱 It’s okay to not be an entrepreneur anymore

“I've coached enough other business owners now to see that some people get so embarrassed or feel defeated when they decide, this isn't for me, and they go back to working a traditional job for someone else. And I wish people wouldn't look at it that way.”

Building a company takes a lot of time, responsibility, and sacrifice and not everyone wants that in life. Amanda has experienced some of her greatest feelings of accomplishment while working for someone else. There’s a lot of value in being an important, supportive part in someone else’s journey too.

When’s the last time you audited your own wellness?

You get plenty of advice. What you rarely get is a pause. Each month, we’ll share a simple prompt to help you step out of execution mode and consider what “founding well” looks like in your world right now.

Sometimes we know exactly how the business is doing, but have a harder time answering how we are doing. We know the numbers, the deadlines, the problems that need solving—but not always what we're carrying, craving, or quietly moving toward. Take a few minutes to check in without trying to fix whatever you find.

Feel free to pull out old fashioned pen and paper, or create a new doc just for journaling, and spend a few focused moments thinking about the following:

• What has been holding my attention in a good way?
• What has been taking up more mental space than I’d like?
• What have I been needing but postponing?
• Where am I forcing myself forward when some part of me is asking me to pause?
• If I stopped evaluating whether I’m doing well and simply asked how I feel, what would I say?

There’s no right or wrong answer. If nothing comes up, that’s okay too! Use this as space to notice what is real for you today. A few messy lines are enough.

If you're comfortable sharing your insights with us, let us know at foundingwell@vallelegal.com.