The $20 Tasks That Were Blocking Her 7-Figure Breakthrough w/ Melissa Gaines
When Melissa Gaines and her husband Craig first set the goal to hit $1 million in revenue, it felt bold. Ambitious. Maybe even a little scary. They gave themselves three years. But instead? They crossed that milestone in under one.
Now here’s the thing—Melissa didn’t suddenly stumble upon a golden opportunity. She didn’t go viral. She didn’t land a celebrity client. What she did do was get really honest about what was keeping her stuck… and it all came down to this:
She was spending her CEO energy on $20 tasks.
In this episode of the Wedding Pro CEO Podcast, Melissa pulled back the curtain on how she transitioned from overworked wedding planner to CEO of three businesses—and how getting out of the weeds unlocked the million-dollar momentum she’d been dreaming of.
Let’s break down the key lessons (and major mindset shifts) that helped Melissa grow her revenue by 53%, systematize her company, and find the freedom she and her husband Craig had been chasing.
1. Recognize the “$20 Tasks” Stealing Your Time
When Melissa and Craig joined Wedding Pro CEO, they were in full hustle mode—driving vans, picking up supplies, writing invoices, building timelines… you name it.
“We weren’t even a year into owning the business and Brandee was like, ‘You need to have employees.’ I was like, what?!”
Yep. That was me. Because the truth is, you cannot build a 7-figure company while doing $20 tasks.
Melissa and Craig were making six trips to Sam’s Club every week and writing up purchase orders by hand. Meanwhile, they were struggling to find time to think about growth or strategy.
“You always said, ‘Is this task going to help you grow? If not, someone else should be doing it.’ That stuck with me.”
2. Hiring Isn’t a Luxury—It’s a Growth Strategy
One of Melissa’s biggest mindset shifts was realizing that hiring team members wasn’t something you do after you hit it big—it’s something you do to get there.
“It felt so scary. But I started with Sarah, my right-hand person. Put her on salary. Within a month, she said, ‘Why didn’t we do this sooner?’ And I thought… I have no idea!”
From there, Melissa brought in a sales rep, added operations support, and created defined roles across the board. She and Craig finally had the margin to start leading.
3. Let Go to Grow
Melissa admitted that handing over her beloved sales calls was one of the hardest steps. But as their businesses grew, it became impossible to manage all the client communication herself.
“You were like, ‘Why are you still doing All in the Details sales calls?’ And I was like… ‘Because I have to?’ And you were like, ‘No, you don’t.’ And I was like, what?!”
She hired Jessica to handle sales for the planning company. Then Savannah stepped in to help with the bar company. Suddenly, Melissa had the space to do what only she could do—strategize, lead, and build relationships.
4. Systematize Everything
Before joining Wedding Pro CEO, Melissa didn’t even have an org chart. Everything funneled to her. Every problem. Every task. Every question.
Sound familiar?
“I remember you saying, ‘They can’t all just come to you.’ And that was exactly what was happening.”
Together, we built org charts for each business. Defined roles. Created chains of command. Hired a middle layer of management. And just like that, the fog lifted.
Now, Melissa touches base with her team—but she’s not buried in their daily decisions.
5. Diversify to Multiply
Once the systems were humming, it was time to scale. Craig noticed they were turning away clients who wanted hosted or cash bars. So they invested in a liquor license and launched a third business: Bartenders To You.
“We thought, ‘If we make $50,000 in the first year, we’ll be thrilled.’ We hit that in the first 2-3 months.”
Then they bought their own glassware. Built their own bars. Started making those giant ice cubes for high-end cocktails. Every move added a new stream of revenue—and brought them closer to that million-dollar milestone.
“We increased revenue by 53% just by making smarter moves and getting out of the weeds.”
6. Your Business Should Fund Your Life—Not Swallow It
Hitting $1 million in revenue was never just about the money. For Melissa and Craig, it was about freedom—freedom to spend time with their girls, go on vacations, and actually enjoy the life they were building.
“Craig said, ‘I feel like I’m missing their lives.’ Now, he goes on field trips. We took a 3-week vacation to Colorado. That was our goal.”
They still work hard. There are still 12-hour days and late-night proposals. But now, they’re in charge of their time. And that’s what scaling is really about.
7. If You Work With Your Spouse, Communication Is Everything
Let’s be honest—working with your spouse isn’t all matching coffee mugs and shared dreams. It’s messy. It’s a learning curve. But Melissa and Craig make it work by having regular “state of the union” check-ins.
“We have to be able to say the hard things. We can’t brush stuff under the rug because we’re together 24/7. Communication is the glue.”
Whether they’re talking finances, vacations, or growth plans, they stay aligned—and that’s what keeps the business (and their marriage) thriving.
8. Don’t Wait Until You’re Drowning to Get Help
Melissa didn’t come to the Wedding Pro CEO program because things were falling apart. She had a thriving business. What she didn’t have was margin—the kind of clarity that helps you take your business to the next level.
“From the outside, it looked successful. But I was working every weekend and couldn’t scale. It wasn’t sustainable.”
If you’re feeling overwhelmed—even if business looks good on paper—it’s time to evaluate what’s really going on behind the scenes.
Before We Go
Melissa’s journey isn’t just about scaling revenue. It’s about scaling freedom—freedom to grow, lead, and live the life she and Craig set out to build.
“I remember thinking this million-dollar thing was years away. But once we got out of the $20 tasks, everything changed.”
If you’re ready to break through your own ceiling, take a hard look at how you’re spending your time. Your business needs a visionary—not a taskmaster.
And if you need a coach to walk with you through it? You know where to find me.
Until next time, keep chasing your version of success.
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EPISODE NUMBER 313
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