From Small-Shop Operator to Multi-Location CEO Learning to Scale
Case Study - Shelly Petrowski
"I think so much inside the box and plug away at what I feel I can do. But hearing how other people do incentive plans, how they encourage their staff, and how they value themselves has changed how I work."
Business: Green Apple Active (Boutique + Pilates & Wellness Studio)
Industry: Retail, Fitness, Wellness, Brick-and-Mortar, Service-based
Coaching with Andrea: Started in Spring of 2025
The Challenge
Owner of Green Apple Active—a multi-business venture including a clothing boutique and wellness studio offering Pilates, reformer classes, yoga, spin, and contrast therapy—Shelly was navigating rapid expansion after 14 years of running her boutique. Running multiple locations with a team of employees, she was still operating, managing, selling, teaching, and handling day-to-day tasks across all her businesses.
"I thrive in chaos and always spread myself too thin. Although I'm excellent at building relationships with clients and customers that keep them coming back and have contributed to my growth, I still have challenges with everything else: understanding my operations platforms, being appropriately staffed, delegating, bookkeeping…"
She came into coaching with the mindset of a small-shop operator:
"I started out with such a small shop that I got used to doing all the roles. And to shift out of that has been really difficult. I try, but finding and keeping the right staff has been really difficult for me."
With rapid annual growth across both business models and multiple locations to oversee, she felt behind, overwhelmed, and unsure how to get in front of the expansion.
The Solution
After being referred by one of her Pilates instructors, Shelly signed up for an Activator Intensive with Andrea and found it so effective that she joined Ascension. She hit the ground running, attending her first retreat shortly after signing up.
"Meeting with the coaching team and other Ascension members has been the best part for me. Just having the ability to pick their brains, think through things together, and hear other people's experiences gave me ideas for incorporating their wins into my own business. I think so much inside the box and plug away at what I feel I can do. But hearing how other people do incentive plans, how they encourage their staff, and how they value themselves has changed how I work."
Shelly was surprised by the value she found in the camaraderie and connection with other members, and she's come to appreciate the industry diversity of the group:
"I came here to learn from Andrea, but it's been great to connect with the other Ascension members. It makes me feel like I can do this, too, I can thrive! I just love the regular meetings… having them on my calendar gives me the anchor I need to stay connected and move forward. And just knowing you're not alone, and we're all working through our challenges together and then celebrate together, too."
Coaching included:
Activator Intensive + Ascension Collective
Cash flow clarity and financial visibility
Structured quarterly goal setting and time management
Delegation frameworks and team role clarification
Retreat experiences and peer community support
CEO mindset development for multi-location leadership
Results (within the first six months):
Greater clarity around cash flow and day-to-day financial visibility
Adoption of structured quarterly goal setting and better time management
Increased awareness of delegation needs as the business grows
Clarification around team roles and staffing needs, stepping more into leadership
Feeling more grounded, supported, and less isolated during rapid expansion
Working toward doubling revenue with clearer systems and staffing strategy
Transformations at a Glance
| Category | Before | While Working with Andrea |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | Goals were met, and rapid growth was difficult to manage | Greater visibility into cash flow; working toward doubling revenue |
| Team | Understaffed; difficulty finding & keeping right people | Clearer understanding of true staffing needs |
| Systems | Several systems half-implemented; unclear workflows | Improved budgeting and financial management; adopting structured goal-setting, implemented delegation + incentives |
| Mindset | Overwhelmed, doing all roles, "spread thin," thriving on chaos | Learning CEO thinking; shifting goals as the business grows |
| Lifestyle | Constantly switching between multiple locations; buried in responsibilities | More clarity, more support, and growing confidence in stepping back as CEO |
"I came here to learn from Andrea, but it's been great to connect with the other Ascension members. It makes me feel like I can do this, too, I can thrive! And just knowing you're not alone, and we're all working through our challenges together and then celebrate together, too."
Shelly Petrowski
Owner, Green Apple Active