This episode of the System Saved Me® podcast, Sandra Booker, a seasoned Fractional COO & founder of Sidekick COO, shares about the essential metrics that every business owner must monitor to ensure thriving operations. Her and I both know that anxiety can kick in when you hear the word metrics; however, Sandra's expertise promises to demystify this aspect, providing clarity on what data truly matters.

She is incredible at not overwhelming you with a CVS receipt list of metrics to track, but what ACTUALLY matters. (Hint: it's not vanity metrics). Enjoy this episode - especially for my fellow systems folks!

MORE ABOUT SANDRA BOOKER:

Sandra Booker, Founder of Changemaker Inc. (home to Sidekick COO and The VA Studio) and creator of Scale Society, is a mentor, Fractional COO and growth strategist. She specializes in helping overworked, overwhelmed, multi-hatted entrepreneurs become the CEOs of sustainably scalable, and powerfully profitable businesses. 

After helping local businesses thrive, and receiving accolades in her community (like the 40 Under 40 award) Sandra turned her attention to the world of online service providers, and her clients have included familiar names like Chanti Zak, Tarzan Kay, and Laura Belgray. In her (efficiently used) spare time, she teaches others how to build and grow their own 6-figure virtual assistant practices and is on a mission to create a million jobs by helping her clients and students scale their businesses.

Sandra Booker's Website

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Sandra Booker's LinkedIn

Sandra Booker's YouTube

Sandra Booker's Threads

TIMESTAMPS:

00:12 - Understanding Metrics: The Numbers Behind Your Business

02:11 - Understanding Metrics for Business Success

06:28 - Understanding Cash Flow Management

11:46 - Understanding Business Metrics: Leading vs Lagging Indicators

14:22 - Getting Started with Metrics Tracking

Brigitte Lyons returns to the System Saved Me® podcast to discuss an unique approach to hiring that enabled her to build a highly effective team that never missed a single deadline for 2 consecutive years. Throughout this episode, Brigitte speaks to why skills aren't enough and how the alignment of a candidate's mindset and behaviors with the demands of the role is huge. She shares the impact of behavioral assessments and constructive feedback discussions during the hiring process, which serve not only to gauge candidates' capabilities but also to evaluate their fit within a specific organizational culture.

This episode is particularly beneficial for entrepreneurs and small business owners who have faced the discouragement of previous hiring mistakes and are looking for a systematic method to cultivate a team that thrives in a collaborative environment. Join us as Brigitte unpacks practical strategies that can be immediately implemented to enhance your hiring processes and foster an incredible team.

MORE ABOUT BRIGITTE LYONS:

Brigitte Lyons is an operations + leadership consultant who believes that building a business that can run without you is better for EVERYONE -- even if you never intend to sell or step away from yours.

When she founded her last company, she built a business to support her goal of full-time travel, which she was able to sell 3 years later. 

Brigitte Lyons Website

Brigitte Lyons Instagram

Brigitte Lyons Threads

Brigitte Lyons LinkedIn

Brigitte's Freebie

TIMESTAMPS:

00:10 - Hiring Strategies for Success

01:25 - Building Your Dream Team: The Breakthrough Hiring Hack

07:35 - Improving Hiring Practices for Remote Work

13:21 - Evaluating Candidates: The Importance of Assessments

16:57 - Creating Positive Work Environments

This podcast episode revolves around the importance of delegating effectively and empowering team members to make independent decisions. Can I get an amen?! Introducing Brigitte Lyons, a seasoned expert in operational support, who shares her unique insights drawn from her own entrepreneurial journey, including selling her agency. Brigitte shares how to align team members' judgment with the overarching values and goals of the organization, so it fosters a culture of autonomy and accountability. This is for you if you currently have a team and want to stop being the one who has to delegate and decide - this is a goodie!

MORE ABOUT BRIGITTE LYONS:

Brigitte Lyons is an operations + leadership consultant who believes that building a business that can run without you is better for EVERYONE -- even if you never intend to sell or step away from yours.

When she founded her last company, she built a business to support her goal of full-time travel, which she was able to sell 3 years later. 

Brigitte Lyons Website

Brigitte Lyons Instagram

Brigitte Lyons Threads

Brigitte Lyons LinkedIn

Brigitte's Freebie

TIMESTAMPS:

00:12 - Introducing Brigitte Lyons: A Unique Backstory

04:12 - The Delegate and Decide Role in Business

10:01 - Establishing Team Context and Values for Decision Making

18:59 - The Three C's of Team Development

21:16 - Empowering Team Collaboration

Zhara-Marie Henry returns to the podcast to share valuable insights on planning for maternity leave as an entrepreneur, emphasizing that family planning is deeply personal and can encompass various life changes beyond just having children. She introduces her B-A-B-Y framework, designed to help entrepreneurs navigate their unique maternity leave needs while aligning with personal and business goals. Zhara-Marie encourages listeners to reflect on their long-term aspirations, assess their current situations, and prioritize flexibility in their operations. Throughout the conversation, she highlights the importance of building a strong support network and seeking guidance from others in similar situations. By breaking down the steps and addressing both personal and professional facets, Zhara-Marie aims to empower entrepreneurs to create a balanced approach to family planning.

MORE ABOUT ZHARA-MARIE HENRY:

Meet Zhara-Marie Henry, a lawyer turned Online Business Manager who lives by the mantra, "Life is made for living." She finds inspiration through travel and immersing herself in diverse cultures.

Zhara’s professional journey began in the traditional legal realm, but the entrepreneurial bug bit her threw her in another direction. After a few pivots, the one that speaks to her soul the most is operating in the capacity of an Online Business Manager, blending her legal expertise with an operations-driven mindset.

She specializes in helping service-based professionals streamline their operations, manage teams, and execute major projects. Zhara firmly believes that while "winging it" might get you to stage one, scaling to new heights requires solid systems and processes.

Zhara-Marie's Website

Zhara-Marie's Instagram

Zhara-Marie's LinkedIn

Zhara-Marie's YouTube

Zhara-Marie's Threads

Zhara-Marie's Freebie

TIMESTAMPS:

00:11 - Starting Your Dream Maternity Leave

03:29 - Planning for Family Changes as an Entrepreneur

07:26 - Assessing Your Goals and Future Planning

14:01 - Maternity Leave Planning: The Next Steps

14:40 - Maternity Planning and Support Networks

Zhara-Marie Henry joins Jordan Gill to discuss the essential roadmap for maternity leave planning specifically tailored for entrepreneurs. The episode introduces the B-A-B-Y framework, designed to help business owners navigate the complexities of taking time off while ensuring their businesses remain sustainable. Zhara-Marie emphasizes the importance of breaking down personal desires and expectations surrounding maternity leave, adjusting business operations, building a solid plan, and ultimately yielding control to trusted team members. This insightful conversation addresses the common fears and misconceptions entrepreneurs face when considering maternity leave and provides actionable steps to prepare for this significant life change.

MORE ABOUT ZHARA-MARIE HENRY:

Meet Zhara-Marie Henry, a lawyer turned Online Business Manager who lives by the mantra, "Life is made for living." She finds inspiration through travel and immersing herself in diverse cultures.

Zhara’s professional journey began in the traditional legal realm, but the entrepreneurial bug bit her threw her in another direction. After a few pivots, the one that speaks to her soul the most is operating in the capacity of an Online Business Manager, blending her legal expertise with an operations-driven mindset.

She specializes in helping service-based professionals streamline their operations, manage teams, and execute major projects. Zhara firmly believes that while "winging it" might get you to stage one, scaling to new heights requires solid systems and processes.

Zhara-Marie's Website

Zhara-Marie's Instagram

Zhara-Marie's LinkedIn

Zhara-Marie's YouTube

Zhara-Marie's Threads

Zhara-Marie's Freebie

TIMESTAMPS:

00:11 - Navigating Maternity Leave for Entrepreneurs

03:06 - Introducing the Baby Framework: Maternity Leave Planning for Entrepreneurs

10:09 - Transitioning Towards Maternity Leave Planning

14:55 - Transitioning to Yielding: Letting Go of Control

16:58 - Planning for Maternity Leave: A Personal Journey

This episode of the System Saved Me podcast focuses on the importance of nurturing your email list to double your revenue through effective email marketing strategies. Jenn Green is back to discuss the essential components of a nurture funnel, emphasizing how to build relationships with your subscribers and prepare them for purchasing decisions. You will learn about the critical elements of a nurture email sequence, including introductory emails, value-driven content, and addressing objections. Jenn shares insights on how to create engaging interactions that lead to conversions, highlighting the significance of storytelling and social proof. By the end of the episode, you’ll have actionable tips to enhance your email marketing efforts and keep your audience engaged and ready to buy.

More about Jenn Green:

Meet Jenn Green, certified funnel pro, copywriter, and your soon-to-be list-building bestie. She helps service-based businesses double their revenue with emails because when women make more money they change the freaking world. She's helped business owners break through income plateaus, even crush $100K+ launches, and fall in love with email marketing (yes, it’s possible!).

Jenn's Website

Jenn's Freebies

Jenn's Facebook

Jenn's Instagram

Jenn's LinkedIn

Jenn's Threads

Jenn's YouTube

TimeStamps:

00:11 - Nurturing and Selling Your Email List

00:57 - Introduction to Nurture Funnels

09:27 - Understanding and Improving Your Nurture Funnel

14:53 - Creating an Evergreen Funnel for Continuous Sales

16:54 - Introduction to Email Marketing Strategies

Are you looking to double your email list without relying on social media? Jenn Green takes the reins this week, sharing her insights on effective email marketing strategies. She emphasizes the importance of focusing on email over social media, highlighting data that demonstrates how email marketing yields significantly higher engagement and conversion rates. Jenn explains her approach to creating mini, medium, and large lead magnets to attract quality subscribers at different stages of their buyer journey. By promoting your lead magnets as vigorously as your main offerings, you can significantly grow your list and ultimately increase your revenue. Tune in for actionable tips and strategies that can transform your email marketing efforts.

More About Jenn Green:

Meet Jenn Green, certified funnel pro, copywriter, and your soon-to-be list-building bestie. She helps service-based businesses double their revenue with emails because when women make more money they change the freaking world. She's helped business owners break through income plateaus, even crush $100K+ launches, and fall in love with email marketing (yes, it’s possible!).

Jenn's Website

Jenn's Freebies

Jenn's Facebook

Jenn's Instagram

Jenn's LinkedIn

Jenn's Threads

Jenn's YouTube

Timestamps:

00:12 - Growing Your Email List

02:01 - The Power of Email Marketing vs Social Media

10:46 - The Three Stages of Email Marketing

12:35 - Strategies for Effective Lead Magnets

22:01 - The Importance of Lead Magnets in Email Marketing

In this episode of the System Saving Podcast, I had the pleasure of welcoming back Emily Williams from Creatives Catalyst. We dove into the concept of uncovering hidden revenue in your business—specifically, how you can find up to $100,000 without needing to chase new leads or clients.Emily shared her "chase the breadcrumbs" methodology, which emphasizes auditing your current client value as the first step. She provided a compelling case study of a client who discovered an additional $60,000 in revenue simply by reassessing her pricing structure and letting go of underpaying clients.

More about Emylee Williams:

Emylee Williams is the founder of Creative's Catalyst and your resident "lazy" business strategist in Kansas City. After co-founding and scaling a multi-million dollar agency to serve 30,000+ students globally, she now helps 6-figure agency founders package their expertise into high-value advisory offers. Translation? She shows you how to make more money without working more hours.

Creatives Catalyst Website

Emylee's Hidden $100k Freebie Link

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

YouTube

Threads

Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Introduction to Hidden Revenue

00:01:05 - Chase the Breadcrumbs Methodology

00:02:24 - Understanding Your Current Revenue

00:03:07 - Common Misconceptions About Scaling

00:04:21 - Step 1: Audit Current Client Value

00:06:06 - Case Study: $60K in Revenue

00:07:23 - Step 2: Leverage Existing Relationships

00:08:28 - Value Add Check-In Conversations

00:09:41 - Strategic Partnership Exploration

00:11:07 - Direct Referral Requests

00:13:34 - Key Elements for Successful Conversations

00:15:41 - Tracking and Accountability

00:16:55 - Step 3: Optimize Current Operations

00:18:29 - Action Steps for Finding Hidden Revenue

00:19:21 - Advanced Strategies for Revenue Growth

00:24:49 - Choosing Your Path Forward

00:25:10 - Conclusion and Call to Action

In this episode of the Systems Saved Me® podcast, I had the pleasure of handing the mic over to Emylee Williams, the founder of Creatives Catalyst. Emily dives deep into the concept of transforming your service-based business into a high-ticket advisory offer, emphasizing that scaling doesn't necessarily mean taking on more clients or deliverables. Instead, she shares her journey of going from zero clients to booking out her calendar and achieving 20K months by repositioning her expertise.

More about Emylee Williams:

Emylee Williams is the founder of Creative's Catalyst and your resident "lazy" business strategist in Kansas City. After co-founding and scaling a multi-million dollar agency to serve 30,000+ students globally, she now helps 6-figure agency founders package their expertise into high-value advisory offers. Translation? She shows you how to make more money without working more hours.

Creatives Catalyst Website

Emylee's Clarity Call Link

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

YouTube

Threads

Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Introduction to High-Ticket Advisory Work

00:01:03 - Transforming Your Service Business

00:02:50 - The Importance of a Gentle Pivot

00:04:38 - Common Struggles of Service-Based Business Owners

00:07:06 - Finding Opportunities for Growth

00:08:10 - Developing a 'Lazy Business' Model

00:08:31 - Step 1: Productizing Your Delivery

00:10:07 - Auditing Your Current Service Delivery

00:12:24 - Creating Standardized Processes

00:14:19 - Step 2: Packaging Up Your Strategy

00:15:51 - Separating Strategy from Implementation

00:19:14 - Step 3: Positioning Your Expertise

00:20:27 - Pricing for Impact, Not Time

00:22:00 - Case Study: Transitioning to Advisory Work

00:24:06 - Conclusion and Call to Action

00:25:40 - Closing Remarks and Next Episode Teaser

In this episode of the System Saved Me® Podcast, I share my vision for the next 6 months and provide an update on my life and business. I share about my new initiative called "Borrow My Podcast," where smart business owners from my community will have the opportunity to host a 2-episode miniseries, sharing their unique systems and insights. This shift allows me to focus on connecting with my community while reducing the pressure of creating solo content every week.

I also reflect on some personal challenges, including the recent loss of my last two grandparents, which has brought grief to the forefront of my life. As I navigate this difficult time, I'm entering what I call "stealth mode," focusing on backend work and leveraging ads for lead generation while prioritizing my health and well-being.

Additionally, I share my newfound ability to create micro-tools using AI coding tools, which has been an exciting revelation amidst personal struggles. I'm also thrilled to announce that I'll be speaking at seven events this year, a significant increase from previous years, and I discuss the importance of sharing my unique experiences rather than just how-to content.

MENTIONS:

Borrow My Podcast

Shannon McKinstrie