131. From Accidental Startup to Seven Figures: What It Actually Looks Like To Lead

What does it take to scale fast without losing yourself? In this episode, I’m joined by Kelly Duckworth, co-founder and CEO of The Care Collective, who went from “helping with paperwork” at 22 to building a seven-figure, bootstrapped home-care company.

Kelly shares the truth behind rapid growth (ageism, burnout, rebuilding systems) and learning to set boundaries without apology. We dive into strategy that sticks, hiring and trialling middle management, and why resilience often looks like messy iteration instead of perfection.

This conversation is part of our CEO Series on the Honest Business Podcast, where we sit down with inspiring founders to uncover what it really looks like to lead and grow a business on your own terms.

Key Points:
The glamour myth vs. real entrepreneurship (01:30)
From “helping Mum” to seven figures bootstrapped (16:37)
Boundaries, burnout, and rebuilding the business... again (27:17)
Hiring middle management: trials, probation, and trust (38:49)
“Be afraid and do it anyway” resilience without the highlight reel (49:09)
Preparing for maternity: systems, handovers, and saying no (57:43)

Connect with Kelly on...
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-duckworth-0b0484184/?originalSubdomain=je

Connect with May on...
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/may.james_/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/maylaurajames/
Website https://www.mayjames.com