Business success isn’t just about grinding harder. If that’s all it took, every overworked entrepreneur would be rich, healthy, and at peace.

What I’ve learned is that real success requires more than hustle. It takes systems. It takes a great team. And, it takes a mindset shift from “I’ll do it all myself” to “Who can I trust to help me grow something that lasts?”

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Chaz Wolfe, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Gathering the Kings, on my podcast. He’s built and sold several seven-figure businesses. More importantly, he’s figured out how to lead in business without sacrificing his marriage, his family, or his health.

We covered a lot of ground in our conversation—grit, growth, systems, balance (or the lack of it), and the deeper reasons we do what we do. Here's what stood out.

From Survival Mode to CEO Thinking: How Real Leaders Scale Without Burning Out

Every entrepreneur starts somewhere. And, most of us start in the trenches.

Grit Is the Starting Line, Not the Goal

Chaz grew up in a single-parent household. He didn’t know his father. He started working construction jobs at 12 just to help out and make ends meet.

I could relate. I fudged my age to get a job at Long John Silver’s when I was a teenager. That wasn’t glamour; it was survival.

However, Chaz said something that stuck: grit is the entry fee—not the final answer. It’ll get you started, but it won’t get you free.

Breaking the Poverty Mindset with Risk and Resourcefulness

Chaz wasn’t raised around business people. Nobody told him how to build wealth. Still, he believed he could figure it out. And he did!

By 25, he’d bought his first Edible Arrangements franchise with a half-million-dollar SBA loan. Over four years, he built up to seven locations in multiple states.

That kind of growth takes courage. He didn’t play it safe. He took big risks. But they were smart risks. He didn’t grow just for growth’s sake. He grew because he believed he could learn what he didn’t know and build the team to support it.

The Systems Shift: From Doing It All to Leading It All

At first, Chaz did what many of us do—everything. He was hands-on, in the trenches, working 80-hour weeks. But then reality hit: he had stores in different states. He couldn’t physically be everywhere. That’s when he realized he needed systems.

Systems for people, processes, and accountability.

He compared it to Chick-fil-A. Their customer service is consistent everywhere. That’s not by accident but by design.

Most small businesses don’t scale because the owner is the system. That doesn’t work long-term. Chaz made the hard shift, and it changed everything!

The Hidden Cost of Being the Hero

I’ve been there. I used to think taking 80 calls in a day meant I was crushing it. However, Chaz called it out. We do that because we want to feel needed. We want to be the hero.

But here’s the truth: being the hero at work often means being a ghost at home.

Chaz shared a moment that hit me. His family took pictures one year ago, and he wasn’t in them. He was working. That’s when he knew something had to change.

No Such Thing as Balance: Only Obsession with the Right Things

Chaz doesn’t believe in “balance.” He says it’s a myth. Instead, he chooses obsession, but not just with business.

He got obsessed with his marriage, his kids, and his health. Just like he applies structure and goals to his businesses, he does the same with his family life.

That means scheduled time, regular check-ins, and treating home life with the same intention he brings to work.

He told me that playing Uno with his kids doesn’t feel the same as landing a deal. But when he sees that game as a chance to build his son’s mind, it hits differently.

The Most Common Mistake Entrepreneurs Make

The biggest mistake Chaz sees—and I agree—is staying in survival mode too long. You start the business with hustle and grit. But if you don’t learn to build systems and delegate, you’ll burn out. Or worse, you’ll build something that owns you.

He challenged us to look at every bottleneck and ask if we can solve it with a system or with a person. That’s the growth formula!

The Power of Sharing Information and Learning

One of the best parts of our conversation was talking about how we grow by learning. Chaz built Gathering the Kings around that idea, where entrepreneurs help each other level up in all areas of life.

For me, podcasting can be the best tool for that. It’s why I created Home Brew, so people in our community could learn from real stories, not highlight reels. Chaz also hosts Driven to Win, a podcast focused on helping high-performing entrepreneurs win in life and business.

Whether it’s a mastermind group or a real estate podcast network, you grow when you share and stay open to learning.

Want to hear my entire conversation with Chaz? Watch the podcast episode! 

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Chaz’s story proves that hustle alone won’t build a legacy. You need systems. You need vision. You need to lead at home, not just in the office. If you're building a business, chasing a dream, or just trying to do things better, his insights are full of real takeaways you can use today.

Now, for more stories and insights that can change your thinking and your entrepreneurial path, subscribe to Home Brew!

And if you're looking tobuy orsell a home in South Carolina, letJW Martin Real Estate help.Contact us today, and let’s get moving!