The Structure of Scaling: Designing an Organization for Growth (Episode 75)

In Episode 75, the Unlocked trio—Lars Johnston from Calgary Lock & Safe, Tony Hokanson from Assured Security, and Chad Lingafelt from Loc-Doc Security—break down the literal architecture of their businesses. Moving past high-level philosophy, they dive into the tactical "how-to" of departmental structure, reporting lines, and the common pitfalls of scaling past 25 employees.Lars challenges the group to discuss why "gross revenue is vanity, but structure is what keeps it". They explore the evolution from a "comb" structure where everyone reports to the owner, to creating specialized micro-teams with mid-level managers. Whether you are deciding if your electronics techs should cut their own strikes or figuring out why you have high turnover in a "unicorn" dispatch role, this episode provides a blueprint for building a business that regresses to a solid structure rather than falling into chaos.