September 23, 2025 • 12 mins
Your systems are solid. Your team is prepped. The project plan is ready to roll.
But then your client goes quiet. Approvals stall, decisions get delayed, and suddenly they become the bottleneck.
In this episode of The OBM Show, I’m diving into what to do when clients stall and how you, as the OBM, can lead with clarity, and confidence. Because here’s the truth: bottlenecks are just opportunities for leading differently.
Here’s what we cover:
• Why bottlenecks happen (and what they reveal about leadership gaps)
• How to name pause points clearly without creating tension
• Tools and systems to make decision-making fast and simple
• Boundaries that protect your timelines and keep projects on track
• How to step into the CEO gap so your client feels supported, not pressured
Whether you’re just starting out or already established as an OBM, this episode will give you the tools and mindset shifts you need to turn frustrating delays into opportunities to lead.
------------------------------
Thanks for tuning in to The OBM Show - your go-to podcast for Online Business Managers and entrepreneurs who want to scale strategically and sustainably.
If this episode resonated with you, be sure to follow the show and leave a review. It helps more aspiring and established Online Business Managers find this content and grow their businesses with confidence.
✨ Ready to take the next step?
Grab your free OBM Starter Kit → obmschool.com/starter
Explore more tools and trainings → obmschool.com/resources
Learn about becoming a CPD-certified Accredited Online Business Manager → obmaccreditation.com
🧭 Not sure where to start?
Find out your OBM Archetype and get personalized next steps → obmschool.com/quiz
📺 Prefer to watch?
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Until next time, keep building the business behind the business.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SarahNoked (00:00):
Welcome back to the OPM show.
I'm your host, Sarah Noquette.
And today we're diving into aconversation that hits close to
home for so many of us onlinebusiness managers.
And that is what to do whenyour client becomes the
bottleneck.
Now, you know what I'm talkingabout.
The project plan is polished.
The team is prepped.
(00:20):
You are ready to roll.
And then radio silence, right?
Your client disappears into theether, leaving your click up
board past.
baked and your team twiddlingtheir thumbs.
It's like trying to steer a carwith no driver or worse, one
who keeps slamming the brakeswithout telling anybody why.
(00:42):
Okay, it's maddening.
And let's be honest, it's oneof the most frustrating parts of
being an OBM because you'reshowing up with leadership,
you're showing up with systems,with strategy, and somehow
you're the one stuck waiting onSlack for a reply about a
decision that should have justtaken five minutes.
It's not just inconvenient,it's demoralizing because deep
down you care you're investedyou're trying to keep momentum
(01:05):
you're trying to deliver resultsand make the business run and
instead of being the calm andthe chaos your client is the
chaos okay this episode is forevery OBM who's been there for
the ones nodding along thinkingyes Sarah this was literally me
on Tuesday and for those of youwho are wondering whether you
are allowed to do somethingabout it I'm here to say not
(01:27):
only are you allowed but you areexpected to because when your
client becomes the bottleneckthat's your cue to step in as
the leader not to fix them butto shift the way the business
moves and today we're going totalk about exactly how to do
that with confidence withclarity and with a dash of
cheeky obm energy Welcome to theOBM Show, the podcast that
(01:54):
pulls back the curtain on whatit really takes to thrive as an
online business manager and helpbusinesses scale without
burning out.
I'm your host, Sarah Noked,agency owner, OBM mentor, and
founder of OBM School.
I've been working in the backend of online businesses since
2009, building systems, managingremote teams, and mentoring
(02:17):
OBMs who make businesses runlike clock work.
Now, I've seen what works, whatdoesn't, and the messy middle
that no one talks about.
Here, we get real about thetools, strategies, and stories
that drive sustainable success,plus the tech mishaps, growing
pains, and lessons learned alongthe way.
(02:39):
If you're ready to stopspinning your wheels, step into
your leadership role, and seewhat actually happens behind the
scenes of thriving businesses,you're in the right place.
Let Let's get started.
Let's be real.
This happens more than we liketo admit.
You've got the systems, you'vegot the team, you've got the
plan, but your client is stuckin decision paralysis,
(03:03):
overwhelmed or simplyunresponsive.
And now you're left holding thebag.
And I want to say right out ofthe gate, this doesn't mean your
client is bad or that you'redoing anything wrong.
It means that you're dealingwith a leadership gap and that's
where the OBM comes in.
So this episode is for you.
If you've ever found yourselfasking how do I manage up?
(03:23):
How do I lead when the personI'm supposed to support won't
get out of their own damn way?
And how do I make sure thatinaction doesn't derail
everything that we've built?
So let's start with why thiseven happens, okay?
So high-level CEOs, they arejuggling a million trillion
things.
They are those visionaries,those creatives, those founders.
(03:43):
They thrive in big ideas.
But the day-to-day, thatday-to-day grind ain't so much
their jam.
And when the When pressurebuilds, the first thing to go is
decision-making capacity.
Suddenly your detailed click-upplan is waiting on a single
slack message.
Your team can't move forwarduntil the client approves the
(04:05):
budget and you're stuck inlimbo.
So what do you do?
First things first, you nameit, but not in a confrontational
way because that ain't ourstyle, right?
You want to try something like,hey there, dear client, I
noticed we're hitting a pausepoint on the project.
timeline, I want to make sureyou're supported to move
(04:25):
forward.
Can we look at where thebottlenecks are happening and
realign on decisions that needto be made?
So very simple, but this, myfriends, is your stepping into
the OBM role as the operationsleader, not just the executor.
And yes, it most definitelywill feel a bit awkward at
first, especially if you'vealways been in reactive mode.
(04:49):
But naming what's going on in aclear, professional, and
empathetic way sets the tone fora productive reset.
Now the second important thingto do here, if your client is a
bottleneck, is create containersfor decision making.
So if you're relying, and Iknow a lot of the times this
happens, on scattered messagesand loose end follow-ups, your
(05:12):
client's bandwidth will beshocked before they even start.
So use tools like Loom.
You know me, you guys can headon over to theobmschool.com for
tools webpage to see our entiretech stack, but you know I am a
sucker for a good screencast.
In fact, inside of our OBMaccreditation, we really
(05:33):
leverage this to present projectplans because it really does
let you be able to send clearoptions.
I would create a decisiondocument, right?
Like with choose A or choose Bprompts and build a system where
the client can review and replyin five minutes instead of
(05:54):
needing an hour.
So one of our acceleratorgrads, Renee, her client was
notorious for ghosting onapprovals.
So Renee, in her OBM way, builta beautiful weekly decision
dashboard in Notion.
Every Monday, Renee sends aloom screencast walking the
client through the week'spending items.
(06:16):
How smart is this?
And her client reviews it whiledrinking coffee on One Tuesday
morning and suddenly approvalstart flowing bottleneck
cleared.
So this is the kind of solutionthat doesn't just solve a
problem.
It elevates your role in theeyes of the client and that my
(06:36):
friends is why I'm here.
You are not just chasingupdates.
You're creating systems thatmake it a hell of a lot easier
for the business to operateefficiently.
Now another trick I've seenwork wonders is embedding in
your client's calendar CEO time.
And while you're at it, putthis in your calendar as well.
(06:57):
A 30-minute protected windowevery week where the CEO knows
this is when decisions need tobe made.
You hold this space, you prepthe doc, and you, OBM, guide the
conversation.
Then you have a really goodspace to answer these concerns.
Now, the third piece is settingboundaries around delays.
(07:20):
This is a big one.
Because when the client becomesthe bottleneck and you just
keep absorbing the delays, youare reinforcing this sick
dynamic.
But you're reinforcing thisdynamic that obviously serves
you, does not serve you as anOBM.
So instead, build pause pointsinto your contracts.
(07:41):
Have language like if projectdecisions are not made within X
days, timelines will shiftaccordingly and rescheduling
fees may apply.
This is not intended to be athreat.
So if it comes across that way,my biggest apologies.
This is not a threat.
(08:01):
It is structure.
It is about creating clarity.
It also shows your client thattime is a resource and that
indecision costs.
And when the client sees that,they tend to move quicker.
Don't you, OBM, underestimatethe power of naming these
(08:22):
boundaries out loud.
It might sound like, so dearclient, I want to make sure we
are protecting the integrity ofthe timeline.
If we are delayed pastWednesday, and even as I'm
saying this, I hear Tovi Veeder,our OBM, I hear her voice in my
mind, which is so funny.
So I want to make sure that weare protecting the integrity of
the timeline.
If we're delayed pastWednesday, we need to shift the
(08:44):
the rest of the calendaraccordingly.
You're not threatening.
You're just pointing out theobvious.
Now, the fourth thing is I wantyou to step into the CEO gap.
This is like a nice place tobe.
So sometimes your clientdoesn't need another reminder.
They need a recommendationbecause they're overwhelmed.
(09:04):
So here's my next step.
Start with, hey, dear client,here's my suggestion.
Let's go with option B, whichkeeps us on track and within
budget Let me know by Wednesdayor I'll plan to move forward
with that.
And that is why OBMs becomeirreplaceable because of the
secret.
CEOs are relieved when you takeinitiative.
(09:27):
They are looking for somebodywho can think just like a
partner, not just execute likean assistant.
So let me tell you aboutsomebody else in our community
who really embodies this.
So her name is Megan.
So Megan was working with ahigh profile business coach who
had a massive following, but shezero internal structure.
And Megan's job was to lead theback end of a group program
(09:51):
launch.
But every decision, pricing,platform, delivery was stuck in
the CEO's head.
And after three weeks of tryingto extract answers through
endless Slack threads, Meganbooked a very simple 30-minute
call, created a visual roadmapwith color-coordinated options
(10:12):
and said, hey, Dear client, Ineed you to pick a lane so that
I can execute.
The CEO chose, the team moved,the launch made six figures, and
Megan got her bonus incentiveoff the launch for hitting the
goal.
Now, if you've ever felt likeyour job is being the reminder
(10:34):
instead of the strategist, thinkabout how you can borrow
Megan's approach.
What's one area of yourclient's business that stuck
because they haven't made a callon a certain thing.
Could you package theiroptions?
Could you offer a clear pathforward?
Remember that your client'sbottleneck moment is your
(10:54):
leadership moment.
It's the space where you stopbeing the person who helps out
and becomes the person who movesthe business forward.
And if you're wondering how tobuild that confidence, that
structure and that strategicpresence, this is what we teach
inside of OBM School.
It's not just about systems.
It's about the energy and thelanguage of leadership.
It's about building the muscleto hold space for a CEO without
(11:19):
collapsing into the chaos.
And I'll say this as well.
One of the most powerful thingsI see about students inside of
OBM school is co-working.
Yes, co-working.
It's not about productivity.
It's about community.
It's where our OBMs gather tosay, this is where I'm stuck.
This is the convo I'm about tohave with a client.
(11:40):
Help me hold the boundary.
Be my sounding board.
It's where leadership ispracticed out loud in real time
with real support.
And before I wrap, I want toleave you with this.
You are not powerless when yourclient is the bottleneck.
You have the tools, you havethe insight, and you, my
friends, have the authority tomove things forward with
(12:04):
clarity, with calm, and withconfidence.
If you're just getting started,I'm going to leave a bunch of
practical, easy to use resourceslinked below this video and in
the podcast show notes or youcan just head on over to
obmschool.com forward slashresources to grab them all in
one place and if you're ready tostep fully into your leadership
reposition your role and startgetting paid like a strategic
(12:26):
partner grab my obm starter kitit is packed with tools and
templates that are really goingto help you level up you can
find it at obmschool.com forwardslash starter thank you for
tuning in to the obm show ifthis episode gave you a fresh
perspective send it to a fellowobm who needs to hear it
Subscribe, leave a review, andremember, leaders don't wait for
(12:47):
permission.
They build momentum.
I'll see you in the nextepisode.
Welcome back to the OPM show.
I'm your host, Sarah Noquette.
And today we're diving into aconversation that hits close to
home for so many of us onlinebusiness managers.
And that is what to do whenyour client becomes the
bottleneck.
Now, you know what I'm talkingabout.
The project plan is polished.
The team is prepped.
(00:20):
You are ready to roll.
And then radio silence, right?
Your client disappears into theether, leaving your click up
board past.
baked and your team twiddlingtheir thumbs.
It's like trying to steer a carwith no driver or worse, one
who keeps slamming the brakeswithout telling anybody why.
(00:42):
Okay, it's maddening.
And let's be honest, it's oneof the most frustrating parts of
being an OBM because you'reshowing up with leadership,
you're showing up with systems,with strategy, and somehow
you're the one stuck waiting onSlack for a reply about a
decision that should have justtaken five minutes.
It's not just inconvenient,it's demoralizing because deep
down you care you're investedyou're trying to keep momentum
(01:05):
you're trying to deliver resultsand make the business run and
instead of being the calm andthe chaos your client is the
chaos okay this episode is forevery OBM who's been there for
the ones nodding along thinkingyes Sarah this was literally me
on Tuesday and for those of youwho are wondering whether you
are allowed to do somethingabout it I'm here to say not
(01:27):
only are you allowed but you areexpected to because when your
client becomes the bottleneckthat's your cue to step in as
the leader not to fix them butto shift the way the business
moves and today we're going totalk about exactly how to do
that with confidence withclarity and with a dash of
cheeky obm energy Welcome to theOBM Show, the podcast that
(01:54):
pulls back the curtain on whatit really takes to thrive as an
online business manager and helpbusinesses scale without
burning out.
I'm your host, Sarah Noked,agency owner, OBM mentor, and
founder of OBM School.
I've been working in the backend of online businesses since
2009, building systems, managingremote teams, and mentoring
(02:17):
OBMs who make businesses runlike clock work.
Now, I've seen what works, whatdoesn't, and the messy middle
that no one talks about.
Here, we get real about thetools, strategies, and stories
that drive sustainable success,plus the tech mishaps, growing
pains, and lessons learned alongthe way.
(02:39):
If you're ready to stopspinning your wheels, step into
your leadership role, and seewhat actually happens behind the
scenes of thriving businesses,you're in the right place.
Let Let's get started.
Let's be real.
This happens more than we liketo admit.
You've got the systems, you'vegot the team, you've got the
plan, but your client is stuckin decision paralysis,
(03:03):
overwhelmed or simplyunresponsive.
And now you're left holding thebag.
And I want to say right out ofthe gate, this doesn't mean your
client is bad or that you'redoing anything wrong.
It means that you're dealingwith a leadership gap and that's
where the OBM comes in.
So this episode is for you.
If you've ever found yourselfasking how do I manage up?
(03:23):
How do I lead when the personI'm supposed to support won't
get out of their own damn way?
And how do I make sure thatinaction doesn't derail
everything that we've built?
So let's start with why thiseven happens, okay?
So high-level CEOs, they arejuggling a million trillion
things.
They are those visionaries,those creatives, those founders.
(03:43):
They thrive in big ideas.
But the day-to-day, thatday-to-day grind ain't so much
their jam.
And when the When pressurebuilds, the first thing to go is
decision-making capacity.
Suddenly your detailed click-upplan is waiting on a single
slack message.
Your team can't move forwarduntil the client approves the
(04:05):
budget and you're stuck inlimbo.
So what do you do?
First things first, you nameit, but not in a confrontational
way because that ain't ourstyle, right?
You want to try something like,hey there, dear client, I
noticed we're hitting a pausepoint on the project.
timeline, I want to make sureyou're supported to move
(04:25):
forward.
Can we look at where thebottlenecks are happening and
realign on decisions that needto be made?
So very simple, but this, myfriends, is your stepping into
the OBM role as the operationsleader, not just the executor.
And yes, it most definitelywill feel a bit awkward at
first, especially if you'vealways been in reactive mode.
(04:49):
But naming what's going on in aclear, professional, and
empathetic way sets the tone fora productive reset.
Now the second important thingto do here, if your client is a
bottleneck, is create containersfor decision making.
So if you're relying, and Iknow a lot of the times this
happens, on scattered messagesand loose end follow-ups, your
(05:12):
client's bandwidth will beshocked before they even start.
So use tools like Loom.
You know me, you guys can headon over to theobmschool.com for
tools webpage to see our entiretech stack, but you know I am a
sucker for a good screencast.
In fact, inside of our OBMaccreditation, we really
(05:33):
leverage this to present projectplans because it really does
let you be able to send clearoptions.
I would create a decisiondocument, right?
Like with choose A or choose Bprompts and build a system where
the client can review and replyin five minutes instead of
(05:54):
needing an hour.
So one of our acceleratorgrads, Renee, her client was
notorious for ghosting onapprovals.
So Renee, in her OBM way, builta beautiful weekly decision
dashboard in Notion.
Every Monday, Renee sends aloom screencast walking the
client through the week'spending items.
(06:16):
How smart is this?
And her client reviews it whiledrinking coffee on One Tuesday
morning and suddenly approvalstart flowing bottleneck
cleared.
So this is the kind of solutionthat doesn't just solve a
problem.
It elevates your role in theeyes of the client and that my
(06:36):
friends is why I'm here.
You are not just chasingupdates.
You're creating systems thatmake it a hell of a lot easier
for the business to operateefficiently.
Now another trick I've seenwork wonders is embedding in
your client's calendar CEO time.
And while you're at it, putthis in your calendar as well.
(06:57):
A 30-minute protected windowevery week where the CEO knows
this is when decisions need tobe made.
You hold this space, you prepthe doc, and you, OBM, guide the
conversation.
Then you have a really goodspace to answer these concerns.
Now, the third piece is settingboundaries around delays.
(07:20):
This is a big one.
Because when the client becomesthe bottleneck and you just
keep absorbing the delays, youare reinforcing this sick
dynamic.
But you're reinforcing thisdynamic that obviously serves
you, does not serve you as anOBM.
So instead, build pause pointsinto your contracts.
(07:41):
Have language like if projectdecisions are not made within X
days, timelines will shiftaccordingly and rescheduling
fees may apply.
This is not intended to be athreat.
So if it comes across that way,my biggest apologies.
This is not a threat.
(08:01):
It is structure.
It is about creating clarity.
It also shows your client thattime is a resource and that
indecision costs.
And when the client sees that,they tend to move quicker.
Don't you, OBM, underestimatethe power of naming these
(08:22):
boundaries out loud.
It might sound like, so dearclient, I want to make sure we
are protecting the integrity ofthe timeline.
If we are delayed pastWednesday, and even as I'm
saying this, I hear Tovi Veeder,our OBM, I hear her voice in my
mind, which is so funny.
So I want to make sure that weare protecting the integrity of
the timeline.
If we're delayed pastWednesday, we need to shift the
(08:44):
the rest of the calendaraccordingly.
You're not threatening.
You're just pointing out theobvious.
Now, the fourth thing is I wantyou to step into the CEO gap.
This is like a nice place tobe.
So sometimes your clientdoesn't need another reminder.
They need a recommendationbecause they're overwhelmed.
(09:04):
So here's my next step.
Start with, hey, dear client,here's my suggestion.
Let's go with option B, whichkeeps us on track and within
budget Let me know by Wednesdayor I'll plan to move forward
with that.
And that is why OBMs becomeirreplaceable because of the
secret.
CEOs are relieved when you takeinitiative.
(09:27):
They are looking for somebodywho can think just like a
partner, not just execute likean assistant.
So let me tell you aboutsomebody else in our community
who really embodies this.
So her name is Megan.
So Megan was working with ahigh profile business coach who
had a massive following, but shezero internal structure.
And Megan's job was to lead theback end of a group program
(09:51):
launch.
But every decision, pricing,platform, delivery was stuck in
the CEO's head.
And after three weeks of tryingto extract answers through
endless Slack threads, Meganbooked a very simple 30-minute
call, created a visual roadmapwith color-coordinated options
(10:12):
and said, hey, Dear client, Ineed you to pick a lane so that
I can execute.
The CEO chose, the team moved,the launch made six figures, and
Megan got her bonus incentiveoff the launch for hitting the
goal.
Now, if you've ever felt likeyour job is being the reminder
(10:34):
instead of the strategist, thinkabout how you can borrow
Megan's approach.
What's one area of yourclient's business that stuck
because they haven't made a callon a certain thing.
Could you package theiroptions?
Could you offer a clear pathforward?
Remember that your client'sbottleneck moment is your
(10:54):
leadership moment.
It's the space where you stopbeing the person who helps out
and becomes the person who movesthe business forward.
And if you're wondering how tobuild that confidence, that
structure and that strategicpresence, this is what we teach
inside of OBM School.
It's not just about systems.
It's about the energy and thelanguage of leadership.
It's about building the muscleto hold space for a CEO without
(11:19):
collapsing into the chaos.
And I'll say this as well.
One of the most powerful thingsI see about students inside of
OBM school is co-working.
Yes, co-working.
It's not about productivity.
It's about community.
It's where our OBMs gather tosay, this is where I'm stuck.
This is the convo I'm about tohave with a client.
(11:40):
Help me hold the boundary.
Be my sounding board.
It's where leadership ispracticed out loud in real time
with real support.
And before I wrap, I want toleave you with this.
You are not powerless when yourclient is the bottleneck.
You have the tools, you havethe insight, and you, my
friends, have the authority tomove things forward with
(12:04):
clarity, with calm, and withconfidence.
If you're just getting started,I'm going to leave a bunch of
practical, easy to use resourceslinked below this video and in
the podcast show notes or youcan just head on over to
obmschool.com forward slashresources to grab them all in
one place and if you're ready tostep fully into your leadership
reposition your role and startgetting paid like a strategic
(12:26):
partner grab my obm starter kitit is packed with tools and
templates that are really goingto help you level up you can
find it at obmschool.com forwardslash starter thank you for
tuning in to the obm show ifthis episode gave you a fresh
perspective send it to a fellowobm who needs to hear it
Subscribe, leave a review, andremember, leaders don't wait for
(12:47):
permission.
They build momentum.
I'll see you in the nextepisode.
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