In this solo episode, I’m diving into a topic that comes up all the time with entrepreneurs and creatives: vanity metrics. It’s so easy to get caught up in likes, follows, and views—but those numbers don’t always tell the real story of how your business is doing. I’m breaking down the difference between what looks good and what actually moves the needle. I’ll walk you through how to shift your focus to meaningful metrics—like leads, conversions, client retention, and revenue—and how to build a simple scorecard to track what matters. If you’ve ever felt like you’re working hard but not seeing results, this episode is for you.
Here’s what I cover:
- Why surface-level metrics can be distracting (and even misleading)
- The truth about engagement—it’s not just public likes and comments
- How to separate busy work from work that actually drives results
- A simple way to build your own business scorecard
- Why revenue isn’t something to shy away from—it’s a core business metric
- How to make sure your tracking evolves with your goals
If you love this show, please leave us a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/ridingtandem and follow the simple instructions.
Reach out! Send your feedback and comments with this survey.
Unpacking this episode min by min:
00:00 Introduction to Marketing Mindset Shifts
01:22 Understanding Vanity Metrics
05:39 The Lie of Vanity Metrics
11:22 Tracking What Actually Moves the Needle
17:59 Building Your Business Scorecard
21:51 Conclusion and Call to Action
Related Episodes:
#67 The Secret to Effortless Marketing? It’s Something You Already Do - Marketing Mindset Shift #1
#68 The Power of ‘Less is More’ in Marketing- Marketing Mindset Shift #2
#71 The Secret to Selling More: Focus on the Outcome - Mindset Shift #3
Vivian Kvam:
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/viviankvam/
- Email Vivian - vkvam@thetandemworks.com
Tandem Works Team:
- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TandemWorksTeam
- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thetandemworks/
- Email the team: RidingTandem@thetandemworks.com
FREE RESOURCES
Shop Our Favorite Tools and Things here https://thetandemworks.com/our-favorite-things
Receive the latest news, encouragement and inspiration from Vivian to your inbox by signing up here https://thetandemworks.com/newsletter-sign-up
Riding Tandem with Vivian Kvam
A podcast from Tandem Works
Email the team: RidingTandem@thetandemworks.com
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!