From W-2 Employee to Business Owner: How She 10X’d Her Insurance Agency
What does it really take to leave a W-2 job, start your own business, and build a company that grows beyond you?
In this episode of the My SBA Loan Pro Podcast, Ryan Smith sits down with Stephanie Petrickova, Principal and Founder of SSA Insurance, for an honest conversation about entrepreneurship, leadership, business growth, commercial real estate, and the mindset required to take the leap from employee to business owner.
Stephanie shares the story of how she went from working at a financial planning firm to launching her own benefits agency—and how she eventually grew the business by more than 10X.
We also dive into one of the biggest decisions she made as a business owner: buying a commercial building instead of leasing one.
▶️In this episode, we discuss:
• How Stephanie transitioned from a W-2 employee to business owner
• The risks and fears involved in starting a business
• How she prepared for six months before making the leap
• Building and growing an insurance and employee benefits agency
• How her business grew more than 10X
• Leadership, confidence, and overcoming self-doubt
• Why getting outside your comfort zone matters in business
• How to build a strong company culture
• Managing time as a growing business owner
• Delegation and hiring an executive assistant
• Building a community of fellow business owners
• Why Stephanie chose to buy commercial real estate instead of leasing
• How owning a commercial building changed her company culture
• Using commercial real estate as part of your business strategy
• Community events, networking, and business development
• Moving from working “in” the business to working “on” the business
• Advice for W-2 employees who want to become entrepreneurs
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