Chris Ulmer owns Crystal Coast Graphics, a bowling center, a food truck, commercial properties, Airbnbs, and more — and he's done it without sacrificing his marriage or his sanity. In this episode, Jared sits down with Chris to talk through the real mechanics of scaling: when to diversify (and when NOT to), how to escape being the bottleneck in your own business, why he fires customers, and how to work with your spouse without blowing up your home life.

⏱ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 — Intro
2:30 — Filling market gaps in Eastern NC
6:30 — Internal growth vs. chasing new customers
8:30 — Don't be a Super Walmart
14:30 — Chris's other businesses (bowling, food truck, properties)
16:40 — What new entrepreneurs miss most
19:15 — "Time is what you can't get back"
22:00 — Working with your spouse
25:30 — The "hats" concept from Rocket Fuel
33:00 — Resentment, presence, and the phone problem
41:00 — "80% done by somebody else is 100% awesome"
42:15 — Hiring: 70% consistent beats 110% erratic
50:50 — Growing slow, growing the right way
55:50 — "Words of decapitation"
1:01:50 — The Rebecca Falcone AI story
1:08:00 — Why "cheaper" never wins
1:18:30 — Firing a customer (the boat wrap story)
1:21:00 — "If you don't want to burn it down once a week..."
1:32:40 — Rapid Fire: the $250K tax fine
1:38:30 — Advice for new entrepreneurs

🔗 GUEST
Chris Ulmer | Crystal Coast Graphics
crystalcoastgraphics.com
Facebook: Crystal Coast Graphics

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