Don't Wait: Susan Thomas on Scaling Through Setbacks, Systems, and Smarter Leadership

What does it take to build a multi-million-dollar agency while navigating career pivots, raising four children, overcoming personal setbacks, and leading through constant change?In this episode of The Growth Equation, Tristan Wright sits down with Susan Thomas, Founder and CEO of 10fold, to discuss her incredible 30-year entrepreneurial journey. From earning her master's degree at just 20 years old to accidentally launching an agency that has grown into an industry leader, Susan shares the lessons that shaped her approach to leadership and business growth.The conversation explores the realities of scaling a service business, breaking through revenue plateaus, surrounding yourself with smarter people, implementing the right systems, and embracing AI without losing the human element. Susan also opens up about leading a business while navigating divorce, raising a family, caring for her mother, and battling breast cancer—proving that resilience and great leadership often go hand in hand.Whether you're building your first team or leading an established business, this episode is packed with practical insights on delegation, hiring, leadership, and making decisions before they become problems.What You'll Learn In This EpisodeWhy every growing business eventually hits a plateau—and how to break through it.How peer advisory groups, coaches, and mentors accelerated Susan's business growth.The importance of hiring subject matter experts instead of trying to do everything yourself.How AI is changing marketing teams without replacing great people.Why business owners need industry benchmarks and metrics to make better decisions.The biggest leadership mistakes Susan made and what she'd do differently today.How systems, delegation, and infrastructure create freedom for business owners.Susan's powerful philosophy: Don't wait.Chapter Notes00:00 – Meet Susan Thomas02:20 – From Psychology to Technology Marketing04:20 – The Agency That Started by Accident07:20 – Scaling Through Life's Biggest Challenges08:50 – Growing to Millions in Revenue11:00 – Breaking Through Business Plateaus14:30 – Finding Better Coaches and Smarter Rooms15:10 – Building a $9 Million Agency17:15 – The AI Opportunity (and the Internship Challenge)19:45 – Learning to Delegate and Build Infrastructure23:30 – Evolving the Business and Rebranding to Tenfold26:00 – Metrics That Every Business Owner Should Know28:15 – Leading Through Breast Cancer and Burnout31:00 – Hiring Slow, Firing Faster, and Building Strong Teams34:00 – From Doing the Work to Coaching Leaders35:20 – One Piece of Advice: Don't Wait36:00 – Connect with Susan Thomas and TenfoldConnect with Susan Thomas and TenfoldIf you're looking to elevate your B2B marketing strategy, strengthen your PR efforts, or learn how data-driven communications can accelerate business growth, Tenfold is a team worth exploring.Visit 10fold.com to learn more about Susan Thomas, her award-winning agency, and the innovative work they're doing for technology companies. Then, listen to the full episode of The Growth Equation for even more insights on scaling through setbacks, systems, and smarter leadership.