From $3 Million to $10 Million: The Success Story of Alexx Leyva

In 2015, Alexx Leyva was living in Thailand with his wife when a phone call changed everything. Alexx’s mother informed him that his father, who had built a small business, had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and early onset dementia. With no retirement plan and his father’s health declining, the business was in jeopardy. Alexx and one of his brothers decided to step in and help.

Alexx put his own entrepreneurial ventures on hold and dove headfirst into his father's company. Although his father had achieved significant success, the business lacked structure and systems, relying heavily on his father’s leadership. Overwhelmed and inexperienced, Alexx sought guidance, and it was during this time that he discovered Scaling Up by Verne Harnish. Inspired by the book’s practical framework for scaling businesses, Alexx immersed himself in its teachings. Recognizing the need for additional support, he and his brother turned to Growth Institute’s executive education, which became the catalyst for transforming their family business into a thriving, scalable enterprise.

In this interview, Alexx Leyva shares how the Growth Institute's tools, strategies, and expert guidance not only helped him scale Infinity Software from $3 million to $10 million in annual revenue, ultimately leading to its sale for eight figures. Discover how Alexx and his team successfully scaled their impact while reducing drama.

What role did Growth Institute play for your company?

Growth Institute and Scaling Up played an instrumental role in the success of our business. When we took over my dad's company, it was generating $3 million annually, but we were stuck. There were no clear systems, and much of the company was dependent on my dad, who was dealing with health issues. It was a difficult and overwhelming time for us, especially because we lacked experience running a business at that scale. 

After discovering Scaling Up, everything changed. The framework provided us with the tools and strategies to transform the business. We implemented systems, created clear roles, and started tracking KPIs. With the help of Growth Institute's programs, we scaled our business from $3 million to $10 million in annual revenue. Eventually, we sold the company for eight figures, retired my parents, and improved the lives of our employees. Growth Institute helped us reduce drama, increase team happiness, and create sustainable growth. It was the foundation for everything we've accomplished since then.

How have you ensured your company’s success since you started?

We didn’t grow up learning about business. My parents had me and my siblings young, and they struggled to make ends meet. Entrepreneurship wasn’t something my dad expected us to take part in. When his health began to decline, we were thrown into managing the business out of necessity. I started as the lowest-paid employee, and honestly, my dad didn’t expect much from me. But as my brother and I started solving problems, we gained more responsibility.

What made the difference was our commitment to learning and implementing strategies like those in Scaling Up. We didn’t know everything at first, but we kept pushing, learning from Growth Institute, and figuring things out as we went. It wasn’t an easy road, but the combination of persistence and following a structured approach led to our success. Today, we're applying the same lessons to build a portfolio of companies, all run on the principles we learned from Scaling Up.

How did you find Scaling Up?

Before Scaling Up, I had read countless business books, but most of them felt too theoretical. They were interesting, but I struggled to apply their ideas to the day-to-day challenges of running a business. When I came across Scaling Up by Vern Harnish, it immediately stood out. Unlike other books, it offered not only the knowledge but also practical steps on how to implement the strategies into your company. 

What really made the difference was when I combined the book with the Growth Institute’s Master Practitioner program. The focus wasn’t just on learning the theory but on implementing it, with the support of experienced coaches. Growth Institute's programs are all about execution, and that’s what we needed. We didn’t need more information—we needed better implementation, and that's exactly what Growth Institute helped us do. The clarity in both the content and the execution stood out and made Scaling Up different from anything else I had encountered.

What was most beneficial about Growth Institute’s hybrid model?

For me, the content was the most beneficial part. Coming from a training background, I value having the right material, and Growth Institute provided just that. The master business courses dive deeper into the concepts covered in Scaling Up and other essential business books, offering different perspectives through video content and discussions with experts. Hearing Vern Harnish explain concepts in his own words brought a lot of clarity that I might have missed just reading the book.

The second most valuable part was the coaching. Having access to experienced coaches who could answer our questions and guide us through the implementation process made a huge difference. The coaches were incredibly talented, and their insights helped us avoid mistakes and accelerate our progress. Finally, the community aspect provided support and connection with other entrepreneurs facing similar challenges, which helped reinforce the lessons we were learning.

What’s the greatest benefit of having coaches support you?

The coaches at Growth Institute are true experts in their fields, and that's rare in the world of online courses. Many other courses are taught by people who have never actually done what they're teaching. At Growth Institute, the coaches have real-world experience, and they guide you through the implementation process, not just hand you a blueprint and leave you to figure it out on your own. 

One example that stands out is when we applied the topgrading hiring method. Before, we trusted our gut in interviews, and we were wrong about 80% of the time. After taking the topgrading Master Practitioner course and working with a coach, we completely reversed that. We went from an 80% failure rate in hiring to an 80% success rate, which had a massive impact on our business. The coach didn’t just teach us topgrading; they helped us implement it until we became experts ourselves.

What challenges prompted you to seek expert guidance?

When I stepped into the business, there was no structure or clear roles. My dad’s health was deteriorating, and the COO/HR manager had just quit. I was thrown into handling HR and didn’t know how to manage people or hiring. That’s when I realized I needed guidance. Growth Institute and Scaling Up gave me the tools to start solving these problems, from clarifying roles to improving our hiring process. 

I started as a marketing assistant, then HR assistant, and eventually moved into the COO role as I learned how to implement these systems and organize the business. Growth Institute gave us clarity where none existed, and that was the key to turning things around.

How did you handle resistance during the implementation process?

When I joined the company, many employees saw me as the owner’s son, assuming I was there because of nepotism. I was young and inexperienced, so it was difficult to gain their trust. To overcome this, I focused on showing them that I genuinely cared about improving their work lives. I communicated how Scaling Up could solve their frustrations—bringing structure, clarity, and opportunities for growth.

We had to terminate most of the original employees who weren’t aligned with the changes we were making, but the ones who stayed, like our current CEO, thrived under the new systems. Implementing Scaling Up wasn’t easy, but by communicating the benefits and leading by example, we got buy-in from the right people and created a more successful organization.

How implementing the right tools improve you and your team?

Running a poorly structured business was not only stressful for the team, but it was also taking a physical toll on me. I lost 40 pounds from the stress of trying to manage a disorganized company. Scaling Up gave us the tools to implement structure and clarity, which reduced stress across the board. 

Once we had the right systems in place—like proper meeting rhythms, KPIs, and clear roles—the team started thriving. Not only did the company perform better, but our employees were happier, healthier, and more engaged. As business owners, we have a responsibility to create environments where our team members can succeed and grow, and Scaling Up helped us build that kind of company.

What were the 3 main challenges to see results in your company?

The first challenge was setting the right direction for the company. We needed to get clear on our strategy, our 10x advantage, and who our ideal customers were. Once we had that clarity, the second challenge was implementing the right execution systems—daily huddles, weekly meetings, KPIs, and tracking goals. Getting everyone aligned and on the same page was tough, but it was crucial for our growth.

The third challenge was hiring the right people. Once we clarified our hiring process and used tools like topgrading, we were able to bring in the right talent to help us scale from $3 million to $10 million in revenue.

How does Growth Institute differ from other business education companies?

Growth Institute stands out because it offers not just content, but content from top experts in a structured, actionable format. Many other business courses are either too theoretical or too disorganized. Growth Institute brings everything together, so you’re not left trying to figure out how different concepts fit into your business.

Another key difference is the focus on implementation. It’s one thing to learn a new strategy, but it’s entirely different to successfully execute it. Growth Institute combines education with the support needed to implement the lessons into your business, even when you're overwhelmed with day-to-day operations. This balance of knowledge and execution is what helped us scale our company while staying on top of everything.

How did the Scaling Up four decisions help you in leading your business?

Scaling Up’s four decisions—People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash—gave us a clear roadmap. For Strategy, we used the One-Page Strategic Plan to keep everyone aligned with our big picture goals. For People, we developed clear roles and mapped out our organizational structure. The Execution piece helped us structure our meetings and huddles, while the Cash decision ensured we managed our finances efficiently.

We trusted the Scaling Up framework completely, even when it was hard. We committed to following it without tweaking it until we truly understood it, and that made all the difference. Once we got good at using these systems, the company ran smoothly, and we were able to grow without the chaos.

What advice would you offer for those hesitant about joining Growth Institute?

If you’re unsure about joining Growth Institute or taking the Scaling Up program, my advice is simple: just go for it. The investment you make in the right education will pay off in ways you can’t imagine. For us, it made the difference between staying stuck at $3 million and building a company worth eight figures. Growth Institute’s courses are designed to help you implement what you learn, and that implementation is what will truly transform your business.

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