How One 7-Figure Amazon Seller Doubled Revenue by Building a Team and Letting Go

Are you running your Amazon business, or is your business running you? It’s a question many successful 6 and 7-figure sellers grapple with. You started for freedom, for growth, for the vision. But somewhere along the way, your passion got buried under the sheer weight of daily operations. You’re constantly putting out fires, struggling to get anything meaningful done, and watching competitors move ahead while your growth stalls.

You’re tired of the grind, the stress, and the feeling that your business owns you, not the other way around. You know deep down that another productivity hack isn't the answer. What you need is time, mental clarity, and the ability to step back and work on your business, not just in it.

That’s exactly where Ben found himself. A successful Amazon seller who scaled his business to seven figures in just two years. Yet, instead of enjoying his success, he was buried. He was doing everything solo: product creation, managing shipments, customer service—you name it. The joy was gone, replaced by endless battles and the daily grind. Ben faced a critical choice: sell it all, or find a new way forward.

He chose to transform. By systemizing operations, learning to hire and delegate, and trusting his team, Ben not only streamlined his business but also nearly doubled his revenue, launched new products, and expanded into Europe. His story isn't just inspiring; it’s a powerful roadmap for every Amazon seller feeling stuck. Let's dive into how Ben did it and what you can learn from his journey.

The Solo Grind: A Common Amazon Seller Story

Ben's journey began at the end of 2019, right before the world changed. COVID-19, unexpectedly, fueled his growth. He scaled his Amazon business rapidly, hitting around $900,000 in revenue within 18 months to two years. He was launching successful products, especially around Christmas, and saw significant wins.

But underneath the impressive numbers, a familiar problem brewed. "I started to not really enjoy the business anymore," Ben shared. "I was just like, yeah, is this really for me? Should I be looking at selling?"

Does that resonate with you? You’ve built something amazing, achieved incredible revenue, but the passion has dimmed. You might feel trapped, doing tasks that no longer excite you, just to keep the wheels turning. Ben was living this reality, handling every single aspect of his business himself:

• Product research and development: The creative, high-value part he actually enjoyed.

• Contacting suppliers: Essential, but time-consuming and often repetitive.

• Dealing with suppliers: Negotiating, problem-solving, follow-ups.

• Creating box labels: A low-value administrative task.

• Managing PPC: Crucial, but demands constant attention and optimization.

• Handling customer service: Fire-fighting, often reactive and draining.

"Pretty much everything related to the business from low-value tasks to high-value tasks, I was doing," he recalled. This isn't just busy work; it’s a recipe for burnout. You become the ultimate bottleneck, limiting your business's potential because there simply aren't enough hours in the day for you to do everything effectively.

The Real Cost of Doing It All Yourself

When you're the only one keeping your Amazon business afloat, the problems multiply:

• Stalled Growth: Your business isn't expanding because you lack the capacity to focus on new product launches, market research, or strategic partnerships. You see competitors pulling ahead, and your market share stagnating.

• No Time, All Chaos: You’re constantly reactive, putting out fires instead of planning. Strategic projects gather dust. Deadlines are missed. Your personal life suffers as long hours yield little meaningful progress. You feel rushed, unprepared, and always one step behind.

• Overwhelm and Stress: Being solely responsible for every decision, big or small, leads to anxiety and expensive mistakes. You can't mentally disconnect. Burnout becomes a constant shadow, affecting your health, sleep, and even your decision-making quality.

• Lost Passion: That initial drive that pushed you to build a 6 or 7-figure business starts to fade. You feel like an employee, not the visionary entrepreneur you set out to be. Motivation drops, procrastination rises, and the business that once excited you now feels like a trap.

Ben felt the immense time and mental energy drain. "I was waking up each day," he explained, "I knew I had to do my one thing, which was product development, but then I knew there was like all this other stuff I needed to get done as well. And then sometimes all that other stuff would start to filter over into the morning." This "huge baggage" prevented him from focusing on what truly mattered for growth.

It’s a common paradox for entrepreneurs: you start for freedom, but your growing business ends up owning you.

The Crossroads: To Sell or to Scale Differently?

Ben was at this critical point. He even explored selling his business. But when the timing wasn't right, he decided to forge a new path. He recognized that simply enduring the status quo was not sustainable. He needed a fundamental shift in how he operated.

This shift began with a simple but profound realization: he couldn't do it all alone anymore. He needed a team. He needed systems. He needed to delegate.

His journey of transformation started when he connected with a mentor and joined a program (like the one Scaleport offers). This laid the foundation for building processes and assembling a team, fundamentally changing how he approached his Amazon business.

Overcoming the Fear of Letting Go

For many Amazon sellers, the idea of bringing someone else into their "baby" – their business – is daunting. The fear of things getting "messed up" or losing control is very real. It's a significant mental hurdle.

Ben experienced this too, but he discovered something critical: "You don't really know until you've done it." He learned that many of these fears are bigger in our minds than in reality. Just like overcoming the fear of losing money on product launches, once you face it, you realize you're more resilient than you thought.

The real revelation for Ben came when he saw his team not just doing tasks, but excelling at them, often even better than he could. "When you hand over stuff to people, and they not only do it well, but they do it better than how you could do it, then it gives you this strength… you restructure that belief based on new evidence," he emphasized. This fundamental shift in belief is crucial for any entrepreneur looking to scale.

Ben’s Blueprint: A Step-by-Step Path to Delegation

So, how did Ben go from a solo operator to a leader with a high-performing team? He followed a systematic process, which you can adapt for your own business:

Step 1: Identify Your Time Sinks

Before you can delegate, you need to know what to delegate. Ben started by tracking his time, using tools like Toggle to see exactly where his hours were going. This isn’t about judging yourself; it’s about understanding your current operational reality.

• Actionable Takeaway: Start a time audit for a week. Use a tool like Toggl, Clockify, or even a simple spreadsheet. Log every task you do and the time it takes. You'll quickly see patterns and identify repetitive, low-value tasks that consume too much of your day.

Ben quickly realized a large portion of his time was consumed by supply chain management. This was a critical area, but also one that didn't require his unique entrepreneurial skillset.

Step 2: Document and Systemize Your Processes

Once you've identified a task area to delegate, the next step is to break it down. You can't hand over a chaotic mess and expect success. You need clear, repeatable systems.

Ben meticulously documented every single step involved in his supply chain, mapping it out using tools like Asana or process maps. This means:

• Writing down all steps: From contacting suppliers to creating box labels.

• Mapping the flow: Visualizing the sequence of actions.

• Testing it yourself: Running through the documented process to ensure it's efficient and accurate. This also helps you refine it before anyone else touches it.

"It's just more plug-and-play for that sort of thing," Ben noted, referring to having clear processes. This ensures consistency and makes onboarding new team members much smoother.

• Actionable Takeaway: Pick one time-consuming area from your audit. Document every step you take to complete tasks in that area. Create a simple checklist or a more detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Test it out yourself to refine and simplify it.

Step 3: Filter for the Right Talent

With processes defined, the next challenge is finding the right person. This isn't about finding someone exactly like you; it’s about finding someone who can execute the documented processes with precision and dedication.

For supply management, Ben prioritized attention to detail and organization. He designed his hiring process to filter for these traits:

• Filter questions: Asking questions in applications that require careful reading and adherence to instructions. Ben used a "slight mistake" in the application to test attention to detail and problem-solving.

• Trial tasks: Assigning small, real-world tasks that mimic the job's demands. This gives you a practical look at their skills and work ethic.

• Paid tasks for temporary hires: This was a massive learning for Ben. Instead of jumping straight to full-time, he made the role temporary (e.g., three months) and paid them for specific tasks. This allows you to truly observe their performance in a live environment without a long-term commitment.

"A lot of people will come out and say, yeah, I'm brilliant, I can do all of this, and give you really good, like, sophisticated answers to questions, which were written by ChatGPT especially now," Ben warned. Paid trial tasks cut through the noise. They show you what candidates actually deliver.

• Actionable Takeaway: When hiring, create a multi-stage filter. Include a small, paid trial task relevant to the role. Consider a temporary, probationary period before making a full-time offer. This allows both you and the candidate to assess the fit.

Step 4: Onboard and Communicate Clearly

The process doesn't end with hiring. Effective onboarding and continuous communication are key to success. Ben learned the hard way with his first supply manager, who eventually left due to mistakes. The second hire, Chingley, was a different story.

What made Chingley so successful? Her "paranoid" attention to detail, especially about avoiding stockouts. Ben realized his mistake with the first hire was not communicating clearly "what really good looks like."

"You have to repeat something like 10 times before anyone listens," Ben noted. This isn't about nagging; it’s about consistent reinforcement of key priorities and expectations. For Chingley, he drilled in: "We cannot go out of stock. We can't go out of stock. It's the worst thing. We can't go out of stock."

He also ensured she understood the importance of using tools like Asana and checklists correctly. This reinforces the systems you've built and ensures accountability.

• Actionable Takeaway: Be explicit about your expectations. Define "what good looks like" for each role and task. Communicate core priorities repeatedly. Ensure your team understands and consistently uses the systems and tools you've put in place (like Asana checklists).

Key Takeaways from Ben’s Hiring Journey

Ben's experience offers invaluable lessons for any Amazon seller ready to build a team:

1. Go Slower, Especially at First: It's exciting to find a promising candidate, but resist the urge to rush. Take your time with trial tasks and temporary assignments. This allows you to observe their strengths and weaknesses and see how they integrate with your existing processes and team. A slow, deliberate approach minimizes costly hiring mistakes.

2. Volume Matters – Keep the Funnel Full: Don't wait until you're desperate to hire. Ben keeps job posts open and continues interviewing, even when he's not actively looking. This builds a pipeline of potential talent. When a truly great candidate comes along, you'll know it, and you'll be ready to bring them on board immediately.

3. Set the Bar and Stick to It: If no candidate meets your minimum criteria, don't settle. It's better to repeat the hiring process than to hire someone who isn't up to the task. Hiring the wrong person often creates more work and stress than doing it yourself.

4. Embrace Temporary Roles and Paid Tasks: This is a game-changer. It allows you to "test-drive" candidates in a real work environment. You get to see their actual performance, reliability, and how well they follow instructions and processes.

5. Focus on Strengths and Integration: Once hired, understand your team members' strengths and how they "plug into the rest of the team." Delegate tasks that align with their abilities, allowing them to excel and bring out the best in everyone.

The Future: Reclaiming Your Entrepreneurial Vision

By implementing these strategies, Ben successfully moved from the daily grind to a more strategic role. His revenue nearly doubled, he launched new products, and expanded into Europe – all because he had the capacity and mental space to focus on growth. He shifted from simply doing everything to leading his business.

This isn't just about making more money; it's about reclaiming your time, reducing stress, and rediscovering the joy of entrepreneurship. It’s about moving from survival mode to creative mode. Imagine having the freedom to:

• Focus on product innovation and expansion.

• Explore new markets and sales channels.

• Mentor your team and foster a thriving culture.

• Spend more time with family and friends.

• Enjoy the life you built your business for.

You're a business owner, not an employee in your own company. By systemizing, building, and trusting your team, you can transition from a doer to a manager, and ultimately, a true leader in the game of entrepreneurship.

Ready to transform your Amazon business and step into the leader you were meant to be?The path to scaling and true freedom starts with systemizing your operations and building an efficient, high-performing team. If Ben's story resonated with you, and you're ready to break free from the bottleneck of your own time, reach out to Scaleport. We're here to help you develop the systems, processes, and team strategies to make your vision a reality. Let's talk about how you can stop putting out fires and start building the Amazon empire you always dreamed of.