You don’t have to burn yourself out to build a successful business.

I learned that the hard way.

On paper, everything looked great.
✔ Built three businesses to $200M in revenue
✔ Bootstrapped a service business to $25M with 25 people in five years
✔ Scaled a VC-backed tech company to $28M ARR in under two years with just 12 people
✔ Made a double-sided consumer marketplace profitable in three months with a five-person team
✔ Raised $30M in venture capital

But behind the scenes, I was exhausted, constantly putting out fires, and convinced the business would fall apart if I stepped away.

So I pushed harder, thinking that was the only way.

Then life forced me to stop.

I ran headfirst into a glass window. A concussion took me out for eight weeks. No emails, no meetings, no problem-solving. For the first time, I couldn’t step in to fix things.

And when I came back, I was shocked. The business hadn’t just survived. It had thrived.

That moment forced me to question everything.

I always thought the key to scaling was working harder and building better systems. And systems did help. But what really made the difference wasn’t the business. It was me.

I had built a company that depended on me, not because it had to, but because I didn’t know how to let go. I believed that stepping back meant losing control. That if I wasn’t involved in everything, things would fall apart.

That belief had to change.

Learning to trust my team, step back, and stop being the bottleneck wasn’t easy. But once I did, everything changed.

The systems worked because I let them. My team thrived because I gave them space. And the business grew faster than ever, not because I was in every decision, but because I wasn’t.

Now, I help founders do the same.

Most founders come to me because they feel stuck. They’re scaling, but at the cost of their time, health, and freedom. It doesn’t have to be that way.

If you’re ready to build a business that grows without you being in the weeds, join me for daily insights on scaling, leadership, and personal growth.

Let’s get started.
—--
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⚫️ 1:1 CEO Coaching – If you want direct guidance to break free from the grind, let’s talk. 

Let’s connect:
Email: hello@christinecarrillo.com
Twitter: @ChristineCarril

Christine Carrillo

Helping Overwhelmed Managers Become Impactful Leaders - Faster | Mom, Entrepreneur & MGMT Co-Founder

Hi I’m Marsden.

Mom. Wife. Entrepreneur.

Building a modern “Mom & Pop Shop”: Co-Founding MGMT with my husband Dave Kline.

You might be asking yourself, “Marsden, what do you mean when you say Mom & Pop Shop”?

It’s simple really.

For the years, myself and my husband have dedicated ourselves to a singular goal:

To help leaders become the best versions of themselves through proven management tactics for leading high-performing teams.

Creating something that we wish that we’d had as leaders earlier in our careers.

And to do that we knew that needed the following ingredients:

✅ Hustle
✅ Shared vision for a business AND family life
✅ Joy: If you know us, we laughed at/with one another
✅ A product shaped by years of hands-on experience
✅ A commitment to connecting with each person who walks in

The ingredients that make a modern “Mom & Pop shop”.

And with our combined 30+ years of leadership experience working for big names such as: Google, Moody’s, Goldman Sachs & Bridgewater Associates ↴

We saw the common problems managers and leaders were facing. 

And knew that we had the tools to create something that not only helped leaders, but transformed the way that they worked.

And that’s exactly what we’ve built with MGMT.

Today: We have over 1000 alums from our MGMT Accelerator & MGMT Fundamentals course.

And that number just keeps growing.

From new leaders, to those with years of experience, we’ve helped countless individuals:

→ Overcome common management challenges
→ Develop your Management OS's CODE (Coach, Operate, Delegate & Engage).
→ Refine their leadership Decision-Making System tailored to your individual approach.

The next leader we help could be you.

If you’re looking to change the way you manage your high-performing team in 2025, hit the follow button! ☝️

Or better yet, shoot me a DM 📥

Marsden Kline

Lessons that rhyme with real life.

These make me better at work and at home.

Follow Liz Fosslien.
You need her voice in your feed.

I'm 45.
A mom, a co-founder, a coach.

I'm competitive. 
Mostly with myself.

11 Honest Reminders that Keep Me on Track
(#9 might be an underestimate)

1. Your Work Is Not Your Full Worth
• Be competitive about the right cause
• Define your best days. Build more of them

2. Aggressive Goals Pair Well with Grace
• Push hard while forgiving imperfect progress
• Keep showing up, but don't forget to laugh

3. Beware of Unattainable "More"
• Define "enough"
• Celebrate it

4. Don't Borrow Someone's Ruler
• Their highlight reel isn't your reality
• Define success based on your values, not their wins

5. Invest in Yourself to Show Up for Others
• Givers need fuel
• No one craves my company if I haven't worked out

6. People Pleasing Fuels Me
• Common advice tells you to just stop
• Instead, channel it

7. Why Go Big When You Can Go Home
• Rest powers this machine
• I've left late night FOMO behind

8. Define What It Means to Win
• Write down success before you start playing
• If you don't define it, someone else will

9. Because I'm "Fine," I Walk the Line
• 47 open mental tabs (on average)
• I revel in it, but resets are wise

10. Be Careful How You Coach Yourself
• End your day by writing down what went well
• Learn from mistakes, but don't dwell

11. Perfect Filters Don't Show Tired Eyes
• Scrolling fills you with "I should"
• Log off, write your story

These aren't revolutionary.
They're reminders.

Which idea slowed your scroll?

♻️ Share to help someone 
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--
We write here daily
Our most actionable advice is in our wekely newsletter
Join 57k+ leaders and subscribe
https://mgmt.beehiiv.com/

Helping Overwhelmed Managers Become Impactful Leaders - Faster | Mom, Co-Founder, Sports Fan

 11 Reminders to Build Better Days

How do you turn around a program?

"One play at a time, 6 seconds a play."

Indiana had zero five-star recruits.
They're playing for the national championship.

A lot is written about standards.
We can all learn from Coach Curt Cignetti:

"From the first play to the last play. Fast, physical, relentless. Smart, disciplined, poised. One play at a time, 6 seconds a play. Every play has a life and history of its own, like it's nothing, nothing. Not affected by success or failure. On to the next play, never satisfied. Playing to a standard, not the circumstances in the game."

And, how did he attract the right talent?
Relentless focus on traits.

From ankle flexion to handshakes.

"He's old-school, so one of the biggest things, when you meet him as a recruit, little things matter: Shake his hand, firm grip, be able to communicate, be confident." - Pat Kuntz, assistant coach

He focuses on production over potential:

"He doesn't always go after the big, shiny guys. If you can make plays, he wants you. The second part of that is the human being behind the pads. He's going to bring guys who mold well in the locker room. That's what's made this team so special." - Isaiah Jones, linebacker

Coaching matters.

♻️ Share to help someone 
🔔 Follow Marsden Kline for more

--
I'm a lifelong sports fan.
I've always loved to watch games.
But now I study locker room speeches, too.

After all, sports is management.
With a very public scoreboard.

Your metrics might be green.

But how's your team's vital signs?

Burnout doesn't announce itself.
It whispers through small signals.

Has the "New Year energy" already faded?

Declining quality.
Delayed responses.
Disengaged meetings.

By the time someone quits,
They've been mentally gone for months.

Smart leaders don't wait for the breakdown.
They audit for the warning signs.

8 Energy Drains Killing Your Team
(catch them early, fix them fast)

Calendar Chaos
🚩 No space between meetings
🚩 Deep work happens after hours
✅ Morning focus blocks (10am-12pm)
✅ Meeting-free Wednesdays

Decision Quicksand
🚩 Simple choices take weeks
🚩 Everyone needs to weigh in
✅ Time-box decisions: 1 hour, 1 day, or 1 week
✅ Make small bets, not big debates

The Almost-Done Graveyard
🚩 Projects stall at 90%
🚩 "Just needs finishing touches"
✅ Ship the smallest viable version
✅ Test core value, cut everything else

Screen Fatigue
🚩 Cameras stay off
🚩 Engagement hits zero
✅ Energy check-ins before business
✅ End early when momentum drops

Perfectionism Paralysis
🚩 Hours spent on minor details
🚩 Nothing ships until "perfect"
✅ Ask: Does this impact our main goal?
✅ Good enough beats never done

Busy = Productive Trap
🚩 Long hours, little progress
🚩 Motion confused with movement
✅ Track outcomes, not hours
✅ 3 priorities max, everything else waits

Shiny Object Syndrome
🚩 New "urgent" projects weekly
🚩 Core work gets interrupted
✅ Protect 10am-2pm for primary goals
✅ Side projects earn their spot

Silent Treatment
🚩 Problems fester privately
🚩 Fake harmony rules
✅ Friday feedback rounds
✅ Make conflict productive, not personal

Are you hearing what isn't being said?

♻️ Share to help someone 
🔔 Follow Marsden Kline for more 
Carousel by: Dave Kline

--
Don't be surprised.
Ask
https://lnkd.in/gszNZX9S

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