Helping 15,000+ Entrepreneurs Start, Grow, Scale, or Exit

The 5 Stagesof Entrepreneurial Growth

Still doing 80% of the work yourself? That's a sign of exactly which stage you're in. Every entrepreneur's path is different, but most businesses move through five common stages. Understanding yours helps you plan ahead, make better decisions, and build a business that endures.

15,000+Entrepreneurs Helped

Top 1%Sandler Office Worldwide

30+Years Coaching Owners

Trusted by professionals at industry-leading firms

The moment everything changes

You Built the Business. Now It Owns You.

What we hear from founders before they find their stage.

I'm the bottleneck in my own business. Nothing moves without me.

My sales team can't sell without me in the room.

I built a job, not a business.

Every time I try to step back, revenue takes a step back too.

I don't have a sales process. I have me.

The skills that built the company aren't the skills that scale it. That's not a tactics problem. It's a leadership and systems problem, and it's exactly where we start.

Where are you on the journey?

The 5 Stages of Entrepreneurial Growth

Most businesses move through the same five stages: Emerging, Developing, Rainmaking, CEO and The Mayor. Each one demands a different shift from the owner.

Select a stage to see what it looks like.

Stage 1 of 5

Emerging Entrepreneur

Laying the Foundation

You are in the first year of owning your business. Everything is new, and there is constant noise, competing priorities, and a lack of clear focus as you try to figure things out.

Key traits

Passionate and driven by purpose
First 12 months of ownership, navigating uncertainty
Easily distracted by competing demands and "a lot going on"
Learning sales, marketing, and business fundamentals
Experiencing early failures and small wins
Struggling to maintain consistent focus and direction

Stage 2 of 5

Developing Entrepreneur

Stability · Lifestyle Business Phase

You have survived the early chaos and built a functioning business. Now the goal is to make things easier, more predictable, and less overwhelming.

Key traits

Mastering time management and revenue strategy
Learning when to delegate vs. handle tasks personally
Refining target audience, sales strategies, and product offerings
Weighing the decision to scale: growth vs. comfort
Generating a steady income but hesitant about the next step

Stage 3 of 5

Rainmaking Entrepreneur

Scaling · Building a Team

You're no longer a solo act. You're expanding your team, driving sales, and fine-tuning leadership.

Key traits

Working tirelessly to generate new revenue and keep the business moving
Involved in nearly every aspect of the business, from sales to operations
Establishing efficient processes and systems for scalability
Has big goals but often operates in a reactive, "put out fires" mode
Viewing staff as an investment, not just an expense

Stage 4 of 5

CEO Entrepreneur

Leading, Not Managing

You've stepped into the CEO role, shifting your focus from daily operations to long-term strategy.

Key traits

Moving from "I" to "We": building a collaborative culture
Making fewer tactical decisions as the team takes ownership
Developing leaders who, in turn, develop the managers of their teams
Ensuring company values align with daily operations
Strategic decision-making replaces short-term firefighting

Stage 5 of 5

The Mayor

Becoming the Visionary Leader

At the final stage, you've built a business that thrives without your constant oversight. You're the face of the company, guiding culture, vision, and long-term success.

Key traits

Acting as a mentor and legacy builder
Delegating decision-making and empowering leaders
Embedding company values across all levels
Making high-level strategic moves behind the scenes
Maintaining a strong, lasting culture

Not sure which stage you're in? Take the 2-minute assessment →

Free Executive BriefingThe 5 Stages of Entrepreneurial GrowthFind out which stage you're in, the one critical shift each stage demands, and where to focus next. Emailed to you right away.

Send Me the Briefing

If you're committed to growth

Start With an Honest Evaluation

You either evolve deliberately, or you stay at your current level longer than necessary. The challenge isn't knowing the stages. It's accurately identifying where you are today, and which behaviors you're still using that belong to an earlier stage.

ASK YOURSELFWhat patterns or habits am I holding onto that are keeping me at my current stage?

ASK YOURSELFWhich behaviors must change for me to move forward?

ASK YOURSELFWhere have I chosen comfort over meaningful progress?

Clarity is the first step. Consistent execution is what creates change.

How you engage

Two Ways to Work Through the 5 Stages

Choose the format that fits how you learn and how fast you need to move.

Classroom

Best for group momentum

A group program where you work through the 5 Stages alongside other entrepreneurs, sharing perspective, accountability, and momentum.

Private 1-on-1 Coaching

Best for the fastest, most tailored path

Individual coaching built entirely around your business, your stage, and your specific challenges, with Glenn Mattson.

Financial growth · real impact

Real Results From Real Clients

Real numbers from real client practices.

60%

Agency growth in 18 months

One managing director grew his agency's assets under management 60% and premium 30% in 18 months while rebuilding its recruiting engine.

Back-to-back Chairman's winner

One general agent's firm became the back-to-back #1 Chairman's winning firm in the National Life Group Affiliated Channel.

$525K

Record pipeline

One two-partner planning firm built its largest-ever pipeline, $525K in pending fees against a previous best of $430K, while hiring to add capacity.

80%

Of revenue from 14% of clients

A diagnostic tool revealed one practice was generating 80% of revenue from just 14% of clients, reshaping how they price and segment.

Before working with Glenn, the company did a little less than $3 million in business. First year after working with Glenn they did $7.5 million in business. My personal income is seven times what it was.

Samuel Hoff, Patti Engineering

In taking over a new organization there are so many moving parts… The first thing I did in my first full year was hire Glenn as a coach. He challenged me to think at a different speed and scale, while helping me get organized to run the firm day to day.

Richard Donado, CLU, ChFC, RICP, CEO & General Agent, WealthBridge Financial Group

As a financial advisor who recently formed a team, I faced the challenges of structuring an efficient organization, hiring the right people, and making critical business decisions. Glenn’s guidance has been invaluable in helping us build a clear organizational chart, successfully hire a key team member, and approach decision-making with a strategic mindset.

Rico Piatelli, Private Wealth Advisor, Baystate Financial

It is possible for me to grow my business and still have a life… I felt that I never had enough time and now I believe that I can regain more of my time by proper delegation and setting up of predictable processes.

Timothy McLaughlin

Glenn Mattson, President of Mattson Enterprise, Inc.

Your guide

Meet Glenn Mattson

President, Mattson Enterprise, Inc. · 5 Stages Program Lead

Glenn has spent more than 30 years helping salespeople, financial advisors and business owners get past the obstacles between them and their own definition of success.

His approach is simple and direct: understand your "Why" and the "How" gets easier. He compares where you want to be with where you are today, then builds the skills, habits and accountability to close the gap.

Under his leadership, Mattson Enterprise has been recognized by Sandler as a top 1% office worldwide.

Top 1% Sandler Office Worldwide
Sandler Pinnacle Award
30+ Years Training Sales Professionals
Keynote Speaker

FAQ

Questions About the 5 Stages

What are the 5 Stages of Entrepreneurial Growth?

The 5 Stages of Entrepreneurial Growth are Emerging Entrepreneur (laying the foundation), Developing Entrepreneur (stability and the lifestyle business phase), Rainmaking Entrepreneur (scaling and building a team), CEO Entrepreneur (leading, not managing) and The Mayor (becoming the visionary leader). The framework is taught by Glenn Mattson of Mattson Enterprise, Inc., a Sandler Training franchise.

How do I know which stage my business is in?

Take the free 2-minute 5 Stages assessment, or look at your behaviors: if you are still doing most of the work yourself, involved in every sale, or firefighting instead of leading, you are likely still in an earlier stage than your revenue suggests.

Why do business owners get stuck at one stage?

The skills and habits that built the company are not the skills that scale it. Without intentional adjustment, behaviors that belong to an earlier stage limit how far the owner and the business can go.

What is the difference between a Rainmaking Entrepreneur and a CEO Entrepreneur?

A Rainmaking Entrepreneur is still involved in nearly every part of the business and often works in a reactive, put-out-fires mode. A CEO Entrepreneur has shifted to long-term strategy, makes fewer tactical decisions, and develops leaders who develop their own teams.

How can I work through the 5 Stages with Mattson Enterprise?

There are two ways: a Classroom group program alongside other entrepreneurs, or Private 1-on-1 Coaching built around your business, your stage and your challenges, with Glenn Mattson.

How do I get started?

Send a note through the contact form on this page or call 631-726-3537. The team follows up within 1–3 business days.

Ready to Move to Your Next Stage?

Tell us where your business is today and we'll help you map the shift that gets you to the next level.

1
Send us a noteShare a few details in the form.
2
We follow upOur team reaches out within 1–3 business days.
3
Map your next stageWe'll recommend Classroom or 1-on-1 coaching.

Prefer to talk now? Call us at 631-726-3537.
Want the research first? Get the executive briefing →

Source: Mattson Enterprise, Inc. client results.

Explore the pathway

Not Sure? Take the 5 Stages Assessment

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