Why Every Entrepreneur Needs an Integrator to Truly Scale
Running a business can feel like juggling flaming torches while riding a unicycle. You’re balancing sales, operations, finances, hiring, marketing, and everything in between. For many entrepreneurs, this constant juggling leads to burnout, stalled growth, and a business that can’t function without them.
Below is a breakdown of why this role is essential and how you can start implementing it in your own business.
The Visionary vs. the Integrator
Every business has two core sides:
The Visionary: the big thinker, idea generator, risk-taker, and long-term strategist
The Integrator: the planner, organizer, implementer, and steady executor
Most entrepreneurs naturally fall into the visionary category. They dream big and push boundaries but they struggle with consistency, detail work, follow-through, and day-to-day operations.
That’s where the integrator comes in.
An integrator takes the visionary’s ideas and turns them into action, making sure the right people, systems, and processes are in place. They are the glue that holds the business together.
Jake calls himself a “serial integrator,” and he made one thing extremely clear:
No business scales without an integrator.
Not at 5 employees, not at 10, and certainly not beyond.
Why Entrepreneurs Burn Out Without an Integrator
One of the most compelling points Jake shared is this:
Most business owners try to grow using hustle, not structure and hustle eventually breaks.
When everything lives inside the owner’s head, the business becomes chaotic. Decisions are made reactively. Team members constantly need direction. Basic tasks fall through the cracks. And the business can never outgrow the capacity of the owner’s time.
Jake explained that even companies with just a few employees desperately need someone who can step in and own operations. Whether you follow a system like EOS or your own version, the structure must exist.
Without one, the business becomes bottlenecked, and the bottleneck is always the owner.
The Power of Systems and Processes
One major theme of the episode was the importance of documenting systems.
Many entrepreneurs believe they don’t have time to create systems, but the truth is the opposite:
You don’t have time NOT to.
Documented processes create consistency. They allow new hires to get up to speed faster. They reduce errors. And most importantly, they make it possible for your integrator to take things off your plate.
Jake stressed that systems don’t have to be perfect. They just need to exist. Once documented, they can be improved over time.
Action Steps to Start Scaling with an Integrator
Here are practical steps any entrepreneur can take to start transforming their business:
1. Identify or Recruit Your Integrator
Look within your current team for someone who:
Loves structure
Thrives on organization
Follows through
Has strong communication skills
Enjoys managing people or operations
If you don’t have that person in-house, start telling your clients, network, and friends that you’re looking. Great integrators often hide in plain sight.
2. Start Delegating Small but Consistently
Choose 3–5 tasks you can delegate immediately.
These could include:
Scheduling
Email management
Collecting payments
Ordering materials
Creating checklists
The goal is to slowly transition out of the day-to-day so you can focus on leadership and growth.
3. Document One System Every Week
Pick a recurring task and create a step-by-step process for it.
Examples:
How you onboard a new client
How you estimate a job
How you schedule a project
Within a few months, you’ll have the foundation of a real operating system—one your integrator can run for you.
Scaling a business isn’t about working more hours or pushing harder. It’s about building structure, bringing in the right support, and freeing yourself from the tasks that hold you back.
Bringing in an integrator could be one of the most transformative decisions you ever make and not just for your business, but for your life.
Resources
Grab Brad's tell-all book: The Contractor Profit Blueprint
