Calm is the New KPI™: Engineering Calmer Agencies & Consulting Firms

Why are efficient systems so essential for building a calmer business? And how do you go about finding the right systems and processes for yourself? 

We're continuing in our mini-series on my calmer framework for a calmer business. This week, we're focused on my favorite aspect of my CALMER framework -- efficient systems. We dive into the importance of understanding our own processes before building systems, and then explore some of the many ways our individual systems can look. 

We're joined by Amelia Hruby, a writer, educator, and podcaster with a PhD in philosophy. She is the founder of Softer Sounds, a feminist podcast studio for entrepreneurs and creatives. And sheʼs the host of Off the Grid, a podcast about leaving social media without losing all your clients.

On this episode, we learn how to create systems that work fo rus, our teams, and our clients. We also learn what the transition from work without efficient systems to efficient systems can look like, and how it all fits into creating a calmer business for everyone involved. 

Listen to the Full Episode to Hear:

1. How do you create autonomy through systems?
2. What impact can an efficient system have on business and team members? 
3. How can you operate through a lens of care using systems? 
4. Why do you need to start with a process before building systems? 

Learn more about Amelia Hruby

• Check out Amelia's Website
• Check out Softer Sounds
• Connect on Linkedin

Learn more about me, Susan Boles:

• Beyond Margins
• Connect on LinkedIn
• Connect on Threads

We value your thoughts and feedback. Feel free to share them with Susan here. Your input is not just valuable, it's crucial in shaping future episodes.

• (00:00) - Introduction to Building a Calmer Business

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What if you could build in more space to your business? An extra day off? More time to strategize? Less urgency and more rest? 

We're continuing in our mini-series on my calmer framework for a calmer business. This week, we're diving into margins -- financial margins, capacity margins, and energetic margins -- to decrease urgency and burnout and create calmer, more sustainable businesses. 

We're joined by Nathalie Lussier, an award-winning entrepreneur who has been making websites since she was 12 years old. She graduated with a degree in Software Engineering. She was the founder and recently exited AccessAlly, the digital course and membership solution for industry leaders. Nathalie has been featured in Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Success Magazine, Entrepreneur, Venture Beat, and Mashable.

On this episode, we learn how we can rethink our work so that we build in margins, and dive deep into one founder's journey to transitioning to a 4-day work week for their entire company -- with exceptional results. 

Listen to the Full Episode to Hear:

1. How to build in margins, beyond profit margins, to your business
2. What the transition to a 4-day work week can look like in practice 
3. How to experiment with and build comfortable margins for your business 

Learn more about Nathalie Lussier 

• Check out Nathalie's website
• Subscribe to The Momentum Memo
• Connect on Linkedin

Learn more about me, Susan Boles:

• Beyond Margins
• Connect on LinkedIn
• Connect on Threads

We value your thoughts and feedback. Feel free to share them with Susan here. Your input is not just valuable, it's crucial in shaping future episodes.

• (00:00) - E106 - Nathalie Lussier - FINAL EDIT

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Taking care of people in or around your business isn't the default when it comes to business and what we're taught business should be. How is this way of doing business actually hurting us? And, how can we change our systems to be more authentically people-first? 

We're continuing in our mini-series on my calmer framework for a calmer business. This week, we're diving into lens of care and how operating with a lens of care can decrease panic and urgency in our daily work. 

We're joined by Heather ONeill, the anti-capitalist business coach for tech and service businesses, and founder of UX consultancy, Pixels for Humans. She puts people over profits and believes that you can make money while doing good.

On this episode, we learn how businesses can prioritize people over profits, especially during challenging times; how to find and build community in an authentic way; and the impact of white supremacy on our default way of doing business. 

Listen to the Full Episode to Hear:

1. How businesses can measure success beyond revenue and longevity
2. How care-centric practices contribute to a calmer business environment.
3. What an anti-capitalist approach can look like in business 

Learn more about Heather ONeill:

• Pixels for Humans
• Connect on Linkedin

Learn more about me, Susan Boles:

• Beyond Margins
• Connect on LinkedIn
• Connect on Threads

We value your thoughts and feedback. Feel free to share them with Susan here. Your input is not just valuable, it's crucial in shaping future episodes.

• (00:00) - Introduction: Building a Supportive Business Community

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Can we create calm workplaces that are not only remote, but also asynchronous? And can we do it while avoiding micromanaging from afar? 

We're continuing in our mini-series on my calmer framework for a calmer business. This week, we're diving into autonomy. Why is autonomy essential for a calmer business? What does an autonomous work environment even look like? And how can you apply some of the best systems and tips for creating an autonomous environment into your own business. 

We're joined by remote-work expert, Marissa Goldberg. Marissa has managed distributed team members across 20+ countries and in 2018 founded Remote Work Prep. Remote Work Prep offers Fractional COO services and courses to help companies successfully create healthy, effective remote work environments.

On this episode, we learn how to set up employees to be their best selves and do their best job in an autonomous work environment. 

Listen to the Full Episode to Hear:

• What autonomy in a work culture means and why it is essential for building a calm company.
• The importance of clear communication, clear expectations, and the need for documentation to support autonomous decision-making.
• The necessity of intentional onboarding and training to help employees adapt to an autonomous work environment.
• Marissa's tips for managing 'overwhelming freedom' through self-management skills.

Learn more about Marissa Goldberg:

• Remote Work Prep
• Work Forward Society Community
• Remotely Interesting newsletter
• When to choose async

Learn more about me, Susan Boles:

• Beyond Margins
• Connect on LinkedIn
• Connect on Threads

We value your thoughts and feedback. Feel free to share them with Susan here. Your input is not just valuable, it's crucial in shaping future episodes.

Grab the Calm Service Design + Delivery Swipe File here

How can defining your business values and success more clearly lead to a calmer operation?

This episode kicks off our miniseries on deconstructing the common elements that all calm businesses share. We're starting with the most foundational element: clarity. Clarity in business is often summarized by a simple yet powerful term: "freedom from ambiguity." In today’s discussion, Susan Boles explores how achieving clarity in your business's values, goals, and communications can lead to more engaged employees, less turnover, and ultimately, a calmer business environment.

Understanding what success looks like and making sure everyone in your organization is on the same page can transform your business operations. Clarity reduces confusion and aligns your team's efforts towards common goals.

Listen to the Full Episode to Hear:

• Why clarity is crucial in defining business success and aligning actions with values.
• The impact of clear communication on employee engagement and satisfaction.
• Practical tips for enhancing clarity within your team, from onboarding materials to daily communications.
• How clarity in roles, expectations, and the bigger company vision can lead to more effective and autonomous decision-making.
• Steps you can take today to start improving clarity in your business, including sharing your vision of success and refining internal documentation.

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• (00:00) - E103 - CALMER Solo - Clarity

What if you could design a business that inherently operates on calm, not chaos? What are the essential elements to make this possible, and how can they be systematically incorporated into your business model?

As we dive into our new series on creating calmer businesses, we explore the foundational elements that make businesses serene and sustainable. Each episode of this series will deconstruct a key component, starting today with an overview of what it takes to design a business for calm.

So, how do you start engineering a calmer business with limited resources? Using the CALMER framework, we'll look at how these elements function as the building blocks to a less stressful and more effective business model, providing actionable insights that can empower business owners to make intentional, strategic decisions.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How clarity in roles and goals reduces stress and confusion, leading to more effective operations.
• Why autonomy in decision-making can prevent bottlenecks and enhance job satisfaction.
• The importance of a Lens of Care in prioritizing well-being over profits, affecting every aspect of business operations.
• How building in margins—financial, time, and emotional—can prepare your business for unexpected challenges.
• Why efficient systems are crucial for maintaining calm and how they can be implemented to support overall business health.
• The role of rest and reducing urgency in avoiding burnout and sustaining long-term productivity.

Learn more about me, Susan Boles:

• Beyond Margins
• Connect on LinkedIn

• (00:00) - Introduction to Calm Businesses

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Can grants really fund your service business? 

This episode wraps up our deep dive into unique funding options for service businesses, exploring an often overlooked resource—grants.

Meet Danielle Desir Corbett. She's a former grants administrator turned 4x grant-funded creative entrepreneur. She curates a monthly newsletter called "Grants For Creators," which shares funding opportunities for U.S. creatives and small business owners like grants, accelerators, pitch competitions, and more. Danielle believes creative projects should get the funding they deserve and she takes pride in handling the challenging task of locating the funds, so all you have to do is apply.

 
How do you navigate the complexities of the grant application process without getting overwhelmed? In this episode, we break down the steps to streamline your approach, making it more accessible and effective.

Listen to the Full Episode to Hear:

• Danielle’s journey from discovering grant opportunities to becoming a seasoned grant winner.
• Detailed discussions on the pros and cons of incorporating grants into your business funding strategy.
• Effective strategies for identifying and applying to grants that align with your business objectives.
• Danielle’s top tips for maximizing your time and effort when dealing with grant applications.

Learn more about Danielle Desir Corbett:

• Grants For Creators
• Connect on Instagram
• Connect on Threads

Learn more about me, Susan Boles:

• Beyond Margins
• Connect on LinkedIn
• Connect on Threads

• (00:00) - Introduction to Business Funding

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In this special 100th episode of Beyond Margins, host Susan Boles delivers her first solo discussion on utilizing debt thoughtfully to fund service businesses. Drawing from her experience as a fractional CFO, she explores the benefits and strategic uses of debt, shares real-world examples, and provides practical tips for business owners facing cash flow challenges or looking to seize growth opportunities.

• (00:00) - Introduction to Business Funding Options

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Do you need funding for your business but loathe the idea of giving up a piece of your company to someone else?

I get it. You built this baby with your own two hands, most likely giving up nights, weekends, early mornings, and time with your friends and family to do it. So the idea of handing over part of that to someone who wasn’t sweating it out with you might make you feel pretty uncomfortable.

The good news is, you don’t have to. There are other funding options that can provide the financial support you need without compromising your ownership.

Today, I’m talking with Lena West, founding director of CEO Rising, about non-dilutive funding, which is funding where you don’t give away any equity or ownership stake in your business.

Specifically, we’re going to dig into crowdfunding. As an agency or consulting firm owner, you might think crowdfunding could never be for you. But Lena has walked multiple clients through successful crowdfunding campaigns, and you might be surprised how applicable it could be to your business. Join us as we dig into the ins, outs, how-tos, and bewares of crowdfunding for service-based businesses.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How crowdsourcing changes the conversation about incentives, growth, and rewards from traditional investment sources
• How traditional VC or angel investor models actually harm businesses owned by marginalized people
• Why you should think of crowdfunding as a large-scale marketing project and develop high-quality assets accordingly
• How to develop a campaign when you’re not selling a tangible product
• Essential considerations before, during, and after your campaign
• Other potential avenues for non-dilutive funding for your business

Learn more about Lena West:

• CEO Rising
• CEO Rising RISE Overview
• https://bit.ly/CEORisingRISEOverview
• Connect on LinkedIn

Learn more about me, Susan Boles:

• Beyond Margins
• Connect on LinkedIn

We value your thoughts and feedback. Feel free to share them with Susan here. Your input is not just valuable, it's crucial in shaping future episodes.

Grab the Calm Service Design + Delivery Swipe File here

Cash is only easy to come by when you don't really need it.

When things are going well, banks are happy to finance loans and lines of credit, and investors are easy to find when you're profitable and growing quickly. But we all know things aren’t always going well.

For service-based businesses, where our products aren’t widgets but more often the intangible value of our brains and experiences, we tend to think that outside funding just doesn’t apply to us and our business model.

But the truth is that you have more options than you think. And that’s what we’ll geek out about over the next few episodes, empowering you with the knowledge and tools to explore these alternative funding avenues.

To start, I’m talking to Eda Henries, founder and managing principal of Henries & Co., a capital advisory firm. We’re digging into the ins and outs of bringing equity investment into your business, including a behind-the-scenes look at how that process unfolded for Eda in her own business.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How your long-term goals for your business inform which funding options might be suitable for you
• The different forms equity can take for a service-based business
• Why Eda says the first step to going from employee to partner is to get clear on how your goals and values align
• What projections and documents does your business need to have to seek investment
• A relatively unknown resource for small business funding
• Why you need to take the time to build relationships with the people or institutions investing in your business
• Considering acquisitions as part of growth and scale

Learn more about Eda Henries:

• Henries & Co.
• Connect on LinkedIn

Learn more about me, Susan Boles:

• Beyond Margins
• Connect on LinkedIn

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