“Break Every Problem Into Small Pieces”—Steve Chiama’s Engineering Secret for Business

What happens when years in corporate America teach you how to make money—for someone else’s business—but leave you wondering if you could do it for yourself? In this episode of Cut The Tie, host Thomas Helfrich sits down with Steve Chiama, a business coach with ActionCOACH Western Fairfax, to talk about scaling companies, pricing correctly, and cutting the tie to the false security of corporate jobs.

Steve shares how he shifted from engineering and running profit centers in Fortune 500 companies to becoming a business coach who helps owners scale from six to seven figures—and beyond. With 15 years of coaching experience and more than 140 businesses transformed, Steve knows what it takes to build a profitable, sustainable company.

About Steve Chiama

Steve Chiama is a business coach with ActionCOACH, serving clients across the U.S. His background spans 38 years in corporate America, including leadership roles in engineering, customer service, and profit center management. Today, he brings that hard-won knowledge to entrepreneurs and small business owners, guiding them through proven systems to achieve the growth, profitability, and lifestyle they imagined when they first started their business. Whether it’s refining processes, pricing for profit, or building teams that can scale, Steve’s mission is to help owners step out of “doing everything” and into running a business that works for them.

In this episode, Thomas and Steve discuss:

• Cutting ties with corporate security
  After nearly four decades in corporate roles, Steve realized the “security” of a paycheck wasn’t so secure after all.
• Why most small businesses stay small
  Steve explains why 96% of businesses never get past $1 million in revenue, and why only 0.4% ever hit $10 million. 
• Pricing, value, and paying yourself first
  Steve breaks down why paying yourself first, building margin into pricing, and scaling through others is the only way to achieve lasting profitability.

Key Takeaways

• Corporate jobs aren’t secure—your skills are
  Layoffs can erase “security” overnight. Real stability comes from knowing how to create results yourself.
• Break problems into small pieces
  Steve’s engineering mindset: solve challenges step by step, then reassemble into a working whole.
• Most businesses fail by undervaluing themselves
  Undercharging and overworking kill profitability. Pay yourself first and charge what you’re worth.
• 10x growth requires systems, not hustle
  Working harder won’t scale. Build processes and delegate to grow beyond your own time.
• Coaches drive accountability
  Knowledge without action fails. Coaching ensures consistency, follow-through, and momentum.

Connect with Steve Chiama

📎 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevechiamabusinesscoach/
🌐 Website: https://westernfairfax.actioncoach.com

Connect with Thomas Helfrich

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutthetie
📎 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfich
🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
📧 Email: [email protected]
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