What Got You to 6 Figures Won’t Get You to 7: Critical Shifts for Female CEOs
Let me guess: Your business card says “CEO”, but most days you feel more like “Chief Everything Officer”.
You’re doing everything right. Your clients love you. Your team respects you. Your business is profitable.
But for some reason, your revenue has hit an invisible ceiling.
You’ve been hovering in the same six-figure range for too long now and despite working harder than ever, that elusive seven-figure milestone remains frustratingly out of reach. Meanwhile, it feels like everyone in your Instagram and LinkedIn feeds are celebrating their “million-dollar year”.
Deep breath. You’re not alone in this revenue plateau.
This six-figure ceiling is one of the most predictable (and fixable!) sticking points for women entrepreneurs scaling their businesses. I see it every single day in my executive coaching practice.
Here’s what most business coaches won’t tell you: Getting to seven figures isn’t about working harder. It’s about changing the fundamental way you operate as a CEO.
The strategies and mindset that got you to six figures—the hustle, the personal touch, the hyper-involvement in every aspect of your business—are precisely what’s keeping you from breaking through to seven-figure success.
The good news? There are three specific shifts that can break through this ceiling, and they don’t involve adding more to your already overflowing plate. In fact, they’ll do the opposite.
Let’s dive into these game-changing shifts.
Shift #1: Implement Scalable Systems for Business Growth
The hard truth: Right now, your business is too dependent on YOU.
Every major decision requires your input. Every client interaction hinges on your availability. Every process runs through your inbox or your brain or both. You’ve become the bottleneck in your own business.
No wonder the thought of doubling your revenue makes you want to curl up in the fetal position. In your current setup, more revenue literally would mean more hours, more decisions and more work for you personally.
That’s not sustainable. And deep down, you know it.
What million-dollar female CEOs do differently:
They build businesses that can run without them being involved in every aspect. Not because they’re lazy but because they understand that true scalability requires systems that operate independently of the founder.
This means creating:
Sales systems that don’t require you to personally close every deal
Marketing systems that generate qualified leads while you sleep
Fulfilment systems that deliver exceptional results without your constant oversight
Team structures that allow decisions to be made without everything landing on your desk
One of my clients, “Sarah”, was stuck at $650K for three years straight. She was brilliant at what she did, but she was the only one who could do sales calls, onboard new clients and handle escalations. When we implemented systems and trained her team to handle 80% of what previously required her attention, her business hit $1.2M the following year—with her working fewer hours.
I recently received a text from another client that nearly made me choke on my green juice:
"Reviewed my numbers with my accountant... she literally doesn't believe what she's seeing. 670% revenue increase. Not a typo!"
Was this some overnight miracle? Hardly. This was a brilliant female entrepreneur who had been doing everything herself. What changed? She finally implemented systems that didn’t require her personal touch on every aspect of the business.
Remember: If your business can’t run without you, you don’t own a business—you own a job. And there’s a very real ceiling on how much a single person can earn trading time for money.
Shift #2: Be Obsessive About the Financial Numbers
Let me ask you something: Without checking any reports, could you tell me your exact profit margin right now? What about your client acquisition cost? Your customer lifetime value?
If you hesitated, you’re in good company. Most 6-figure entrepreneurs have a general sense of their financial picture but aren’t truly dialled into their metrics.
Perhaps you get monthly reports from your bookkeeper. Maybe you check your bank balance regularly. You might even have quarterly meetings with your accountant.
But here’s what separates 7-figure CEOs: they are obsessively intimate with their numbers. Not once a month. Not quarterly. Daily or weekly at minimum.
What successful female entrepreneurs track constantly:
Revenue by offer, channel, and client type
Profit margins (not just revenue)
Client acquisition costs
Customer lifetime value
Conversion rates at each stage of the sales process
Cash flow projections
Team productivity metrics
When you understand these numbers deeply, you can make strategic decisions that dramatically impact your bottom line—often without needing to work harder or even generate more leads.
For example, “Kate” came to me with a business doing $825K in revenue but feeling completely maxed out. Analyzing her numbers, we discovered one of her five offerings was actually losing money on every sale, while another had a 78% profit margin but only represented 15% of her revenue.
By reallocating resources to focus on her most profitable services and adjusting pricing on others, she crossed the seven-figure mark within six months—with higher profits and without adding a single additional client.
The reality is you can’t optimize what you don’t measure. And there are almost certainly profit leaks in your business right now that, if addressed, could push you over the seven-figure threshold without you having to work harder.
The tough love part: Many women entrepreneurs drastically undercharge for their services.
My clients—all female founders in professional service-based businesses with the potential for $1M+ revenue—are doing something that seems almost illegal (but isn’t):
They’re charging what they’re worth. Finally.
These are real numbers. Real businesses. Real women who decided to stop playing small. They brought their expertise and grit—I just helped them channel it into a strategy that actually works so they could increase first prices, then revenue.
Want the secret sauce to scaling your business? It’s not fancy funnels or TikTok trends. It’s about positioning yourself as the expert you already are.
Shift #3: Claim Your Personal Authority as a Female Entrepreneur
This shift might be the most uncomfortable for many women entrepreneurs, but it’s often the most transformative for business growth.
Right now, you may be hiding behind your business brand, believing its reputation should speak for itself. Perhaps you’ve convinced yourself your personal visibility isn’t necessary for growth, or maybe the thought of putting yourself out there more prominently makes you cringe.
I get it. Being the face of your business requires vulnerability. It means opening yourself up to judgment and criticism. It feels safer to stay behind the scenes.
But here’s what I’ve observed across hundreds of female clients: The fastest path to seven figures involves the founder stepping fully into their personal authority and visibility.
Why personal authority matters for scaling your business:
High-ticket clients want to work with recognized experts, not anonymous companies
Media opportunities, speaking engagements and strategic partnerships are offered to people, not brands
The most powerful marketing happens when your ideal clients feel a personal connection to you and your story
Your unique perspective and voice create differentiation in crowded markets
When you own your authority and become more visible, doors you never knew existed will open up. Think partnerships, introductions, new clients, the whole box and dice. But if you keep playing small? It’s going to keep holding you back.
One of my network, Tory, built a global PR agency from scratch in her twenties. She believed “professional” meant keeping herself in the background, anonymous in her wardrobe of LBDs.
When Tory founded her second business in her forties—as an executive coach!— she stepped forward into her power. And landed magazine coverage, a book deal, published thought leadership, spoke at industry events. Her business went gangbusters, with much of that growth coming from opportunities that specifically sought her out because of her newly established authority.
Your reluctance to fully own your expertise and be seen isn’t humility—it’s holding your business back.
Let me share something personal: I’m living for speaking engagements. The energy and vibe in those rooms? Pure magic. And strategic partnerships are my new work love language. When you find that perfect brand match, it’s like business matchmaking, but instead of awkward first dates you get explosive growth.
The key insight? Strategy isn’t a template. It’s a love story between you and your best business self.
The point isn’t to become an influencer (unless that aligns with your business model). It’s to stop hiding your expertise and to position yourself as the authority you already are.
Making These Shifts: Where to Begin Scaling Your Business
If you’re nodding along but feeling overwhelmed about where to start, let me simplify it:
1. Systems: Identify ONE area of your business that constantly requires your personal involvement and create a system to remove yourself from the process. Document, delegate and automate.
2. Numbers: Schedule 30 minutes each week dedicated to reviewing your key metrics. Start with just revenue, profit and lead sources. Get intimately familiar with these before expanding.
3. Authority: Take ONE step toward increased visibility this week. Publish that article you’ve been sitting on, reach out to that podcast host or simply share a more personal perspective on your business social channels.
The journey from 6 to 7 figures isn’t about doing a thousand new things but doing a few critical things differently.
Like … commitment. Are you in a committed relationship with your goals? Because they sure know if you’re just flirting.
My most successful clients don’t just set goals—they design their entire year like they’re planning a great love affair. We get crystal clear on what sets your heart on fire. Not the goals you think you should have. Not the ones that look good on paper. The ones that make your pulse race when you think about them.
Then? We date those goals.
Seriously. Write them down. Walk away. Come back tomorrow. Still feeling that spark? Or was it just a fleeting crush?
Things to know: You’re allowed to change your mind. Goals aren’t tattoos. Only once you decide it’s a “hell yes”, we go all in.
But. Every goal comes with a price tag. Not just money—time, energy, focus. And like any great relationship, you need to decide: Is this worth it?
These three shifts require this level of commitment. They’re not quick fixes or surface-level changes. They’re fundamental transformations in how you operate as a CEO. If you’re not ready, save that energy for another day.
Breaking Through Revenue Stagnation: You’re Closer Than You Think
Here’s something I tell every female entrepreneur who comes to me feeling stuck at six figures: You are likely just one or two strategic shifts away from breakthrough growth.
The women entrepreneurs I work with are smart, driven, and skilled. They don’t need to work harder or learn an entirely new skill set to reach seven figures. They simply need to shift their approach from founder-dependent to systems-dependent, from financially aware to financially obsessive and from professionally reserved to confidently visible.
These shifts don’t happen overnight. They require intention, vulnerability and a willingness to release control in areas where you’ve always been hands-on. But I promise you this: on the other side of these changes is not just more revenue, but more freedom, impact, and fulfilment.
Your business has already proven it can succeed. You’ve already shown you have what it takes to build something valuable. Now it’s time to transform how you operate as its leader.
The seven-figure version of your business is waiting. And the seven-figure version of YOU is ready to emerge.
Ready to Break Through Your Revenue Ceiling?
If you’re feeling stuck at 6 figures, these three shifts will change everything. And if you’re feeling the truth of these shifts in your bones but aren’t sure how to implement them in your business, I’m here to help you bridge that gap.
Working with me means you don’t have to figure this out alone. Whether through a focused Strategy Session to identify your immediate opportunities, ongoing 1:1 Coaching to guide your transformation or joining my Bold360 Mastermind (where you’ll be surrounded by other ambitious women making these exact shifts), I have your back.
The question isn’t whether you can reach seven figures. It’s whether you’re ready to become the CEO your business needs you to be.
So if you ever want to chat about … anything—literally, we can talk work ‘uniforms’ in 2025, The White Lotus, whether firefighter calendars are inappropriate or fun—reach out.