You’re Not Keeping the Million: Understanding Profit vs. Revenue

Why Making a Million Isn’t the Same as Keeping It

If you’re chasing seven figures but secretly wondering why it still feels hard this is for you. In this post, I’m unpacking the truth about revenue vs. profit, the mindset shifts that come with scaling, and how to figure out what kind of business you actually want to build (without guilt, burnout or comparison).

So here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Just because you made a million in your business doesn’t mean you kept a million.

And if you’re scaling without understanding that? It’ll knock the wind out of you.

In this episode, I talked about how in one of my businesses the one that looks “big,” polished and successful from the outside I made over a million pounds and only took home around £100k.

Meanwhile, in my much smaller, one-to-one consultancy business? I made £110k and kept £95k.

Let that sink in.

There’s a difference between a lifestyle business and a scale business

One gives you control, profit and peace but relies entirely on you.

The other gives you reach, leverage and longevity but eats up cash fast.

Neither is right or wrong.

But they’re very, very different games.

And what most people don’t realise is that you can’t scale to a million without building a machine.

I built that machine.

Tech. Team. Systems. Process.

All of it so I could step back and focus on what I love most.

But the machine needs feeding.

It needs cash, capacity, care.

And that means your “take home” might not grow with your revenue at least not at first.

Scaling will challenge your nervous system and your profit margins

In the early days, it feels amazing.

You sell a thing. You make money. You keep most of it.

The ROI is wild.

But as you grow, things change.

Suddenly you're investing in ads, people, platforms.

You’re onboarding hundreds instead of tens.

Your client experience needs levelling up.

Your systems start to strain.

And it’s so easy to make that mean something about you.

“Why does it feel harder now?”

“Why am I making more but keeping less?”

“Is this all a fluke?”

But it's not you.

It's just maths.

And maturity.

This is where vision matters more than vanity

You’ve got to be honest with yourself:

• What kind of business do I actually want to run?

• Am I chasing revenue goals that look good, or lifestyle goals that feel good?

• Am I ready to build something that grows even if it stretches me?

Because you can scale sustainably.

You can create systems that support you.

You can build the team, the tech, and the trust to go big if that’s what you want.

But you have to know the difference between the fantasy and the foundation.

Between the version of success that looks shiny… and the one that feels solid.

Want help building a business that’s aligned with your values — and still scales?

Here’s where to start:
✨ Take the Ideal Client Attraction Quiz
🎧 Listen to the podcast
📞 Book a call with my team