Owner of Chiro One Wellness Centers: From Four Failed Businesses and Being Forced Out to Scaling from 2 Clinics & 12 Staff to 164 Offices in 13 States with 1000+ Team Members and a Landmark $100M+ Private Equity Exit Deal!. Episode 792 - Brett Penager)

In this episode of the Grow A Small Business Podcast host Troy Trewin interviews Brett Penager, co-founder of Chiro One Wellness Centers, shares his remarkable journey from four failed businesses and being forced out of a top practice management firm to building a chiropractic empire that grew from just two clinics and 12 team members to 164 offices across 13 states with over 1,000 employees. In this candid conversation, he reveals the highs and lows of rapid scaling, including a near-collapse that forced the closure of dozens of locations, the landmark $100M+ private equity deal in 2017, and hard-won lessons on culture, leadership, and accountability. Penager challenges the myth of work-life balance, stresses surrounding yourself with smarter people, and explains why complete personal responsibility is the true lid on any company's growth. He also discusses his book Larger Than Life and his new mission to support 5,000 entrepreneurs worldwide. Packed with practical wisdom for owners scaling past the 5–30 team stage, this episode delivers both inspiration and actionable insights. Why would you wait any longer to start living the lifestyle you signed up for? Balance your health, wealth, relationships and business growth. And focus your time and energy and make the most of this year. Let's get into it by clicking here. Troy delves into our guest's startup journey, their perception of success, industry reconsideration, and the pivotal stress point during business expansion. They discuss the joys of small business growth, vital entrepreneurial habits, and strategies for team building, encompassing wins, blunders, and invaluable advice. And a snapshot of the final five Grow A Small Business Questions: What do you think is the hardest thing in growing a small business? Brett Penager shares that the hardest thing in growing a small business is learning to set it up so you're no longer the source of everything, especially once you reach around 40–50 employees. He emphasizes putting capable people in place, staying out of their way even if they don't do the job exactly as well as you would, and accepting that acceptable results from others free you to focus on what you do best. What's your favorite business book that has helped you the most? Brett Penager shares that his favorite business books are The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Good to Great, and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. If he had to choose just one, he says The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has been the most powerful for him. Are there any great podcasts or online learning resources you'd recommend to help grow a small business? Brett Penager shares that he listens to a wide variety of podcasts and online learning resources rather than sticking to just one or two regularly. He values hearing many different voices and perspectives, so he recommends exploring broadly across platforms instead of limiting yourself to a single show or tool. What tool or resource would you recommend to grow a small business? Brett Penager recommends the Landmark Forum (from Landmark Education) as the most powerful tool for growing a small business. He describes it as transformational learning that accelerates personal growth, helping entrepreneurs become the kind of leaders who can successfully scale their companies by gaining decades of wisdom in a much shorter time. What advice would you give yourself on day one of starting out in business? Brett Penager shares that he would tell himself on day one: "It's all going to work out." He encourages embracing the beauty of the journey itself, because the real magic happens in the process—not just at the mountaintop—and that mindset helps shorten the learning curve when starting over. Book a 20-minute Growth Chat with Troy Trewin to see if you qualify for our upcoming course. Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your small business to new heights! Enjoyed the podcast? Please leave a review on iTunes or your preferred platform. Your feedback helps more small business owners discover our podcast and embark on their business growth journey. Quotable quotes from our special Grow A Small Business podcast guest: Balance is a myth — when you're out of balance, it simply means you're doing things that aren't lighting you up – Brett Penager If it's working, it's on me. If it's not, it's on me. At the end of the day, the leader is the lid – Brett Penager Every problem has a solution, and every solution brings with it a new problem you could never have foreseen – Brett Penager