January 4, 2026 • 27 mins
Book a Booked-out Blueprint here.
We break down how solo consultants build simple systems that match their brains, document on the fly, and hire without chaos. Pamela shares a step-by-step approach to roadmapping, capturing SOPs, and finding the right people at the right time.
• defining what to keep in your zone of genius
• mapping workflows into automations, templates, and personal touches
• creating roadmaps for clean hand-offs and onboarding
• documenting as you go with Loom, Scribe, and AI notes
• hiring before the red zone and setting expectations
• contractor versus employee trade-offs for small teams
• interviewing for communication, learning style, and culture fit
• building a living library of SOPs to reduce rework
• taking small weekly steps that compound
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Pamela King
Pamela King is a Small Business Optimizer who helps ambitious entrepreneurs replace sticky-note systems and late-night chaos with operations that actually run. Think of her as a temporary fractional Chief of Staff who rolls up her sleeves and works inside the business, not a consultant who drops a plan and disappears. She helps founders reclaim time, streamline teams and tools, and build systems that stick—without killing the creative spark that got them here. The result: fewer fires, clearer decisions, and growth that doesn’t come with burnout.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:36):
I'm Serena Off Block.
This show is made for soloconsultants who want to get
booked out without burning out.
If you've ever thought, I justwant this to feel easier, you're
not alone.
Around here, we focus on simple,sustainable growth that actually
fits into your life so growthfeels doable instead of
overwhelming.
SPEAKER_01 (00:55):
I'm Pamela King and I'm a small business optimizer.
So think about as like ashort-term fractional chief of
staff.
So what I bring to the table ispart operations, part
communication, um, some stafftraining and development, and
just some of that otherhousekeeping behind the scenes
kinds of things.
(01:15):
I was actually a public schoolhistory teacher for 15 years.
So I'm most deeply trained inworking with a variety of
learners and building systemsthat help people succeed based
on their brain and theirapproach to things instead of
them bending to my way.
SPEAKER_00 (01:31):
I love that.
I think that's the biggestproblem that a lot of us have is
that like there's these systems,these frameworks, these
templates that we're meant tofollow, but we all think a
little bit differently.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (01:46):
And that's it.
So, you know, I love operationsand workflows, but to me, a
workflow is how you get frombeginning to end.
So can it be a tool?
Absolutely.
But it's also just habits andsystems and, you know, sort of
setting yourself up for successand finding what works for you
and your specific brain.
(02:06):
72% of entrepreneurs either havea neurodivergence or a mental
health condition.
So it is a large percentage ofpeople.
And so finding ways to supportthem and give them the tools
they need is what is really I'mso passionate about.
And to me, that's what'sexciting, rather than once
again, uh following a template,following a framework that they,
(02:28):
you know, buy from a, you know,a third party.
And it's like, once I buy thisplanner, my life's gonna change.
And we all know that's just notthe case.
SPEAKER_00 (02:35):
Yeah, that's the same way with like a notebook.
Like I just got the perfectnotebook.
Oh, I'm gonna be the A plusversion of myself, man.
That's it.
That's it.
SPEAKER_01 (02:45):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (02:47):
Um, okay, so let's talk about, we're gonna talk
specifically in terms of smallteams and solo entrepreneurs.
Now let's first talk about whatsystem do like how do
entrepreneurs who are workingeither alone or with a VA build
(03:07):
out systems to work better forthemselves.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (03:11):
Um, and I I will tell you, a lot of people who
work with me, that's theconversation that we first have.
Or I've met people who say, Oh,I tried to have a VA and it
didn't work.
Chances are that means therewasn't enough framework or
training behind it.
Um, so typically when I workwith somebody, again, because I
want everything to be reallycustom and fit you and your
(03:34):
ways, I ask people, what do youwant to keep?
And I think that's important.
So often people start with whatthey want to pass off or give
away.
Maybe, but I think it's moreimportant to focus on your zone
of genius.
So keep those things that lightyou up, the stuff that's really
exciting, the stuff that reallymoves the needle.
Then those other things thatkind of weigh you down.
(03:56):
That's where we can kind of worktogether.
And first step of working withme is always building out a
roadmap.
From there, we kind of roadmapout what you want to hand off.
And then we can create whetherit's a checklist, a template,
uh, an SOP, a video, any ofthose things so that you can
confidently hand that off.
Because that's what happens iswhen people feel they've done
(04:18):
the training or they've showedsomebody all the I've already
showed them that.
Did it get captured?
Do they feel confident askingquestions?
Is there something they canrefer back to?
That's usually the gap thathappens and really um the
difference between a reallysuccessful onboarding and one
that maybe doesn't work out.
SPEAKER_00 (04:39):
Okay, I want to start from the top.
Since the first thing that yougo over with them is what do
they want to keep?
When they decide what they wantto keep, is there some do you
work with them to figure out howdo we systematize that thing
that I want to keep so it worksmore efficiently?
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (04:59):
And so, you know, we'll drill down on what are
those pieces like I I have amaster's degree in curriculum
and instruction, which is thescope and sequence.
It is map it.
So whether that's a pacingguide, a curriculum for a
classroom, or how you want torun your business.
So it is all about breakingthings down, drilling down to
(05:20):
what can we systematize, whatcan we automate, what can we
make a template?
And then what are the piecesthat maybe needed to be a little
more personalized?
Or what are the parts that lightyou up and you want to really
customize and lean into?
And so once we have thatframework, then we can step out
and say, well, if these are thethings that you're ready and
(05:41):
willing to pass off, who do wegive that to?
And then we kind of build out anops map of, okay, well, maybe I
need a graphic designer.
Well, maybe I need anaccountant.
Well, maybe, and then you cankind of figure that out because
so often people wait tillthey're drowning and then they
say, Well, I'm I'm hiring a VAand you just kind of throw
things at them.
(06:01):
Yeah.
But that may not be in theirskill set, or maybe you bring
somebody on from like Fiverr orsomething, but what's in their
skill set, what that they thinkis in their scope versus what
you think is in your scope.
Those are all those disconnectsthat if you don't have that
framework first, you're gonnamake it clunky and challenging
(06:21):
for both of you, all of you.
Baby girl, I've done that.
All of us have, so many of ushave.
It's just, and it's, you know,it feels so natural, and that's
what it is.
It's like, I can't keep my headabove water, I've got to get
this off my plate.
And I understand that.
But whether it's successful andsmooth and really sets you up
(06:42):
for success, or if you stillhave to do a million check-ins
and a million follow-ups, orsay, don't send it till I've
looked over it, are you reallymaking your life easier and
better?
SPEAKER_00 (06:52):
That is such a good point.
I have been in multiplepositions where like I hired
early and I was good to gobecause I had the time to
onboard them and bring them injust like piece by piece.
And those were the bestengagements.
And then I've had situationswhere I ended up getting a lot
(07:13):
of clients at one time like, ohshit, and I needed to hire fast.
And those always ended up beingchaotic because I didn't have
the time to properly onboardthem.
Sure.
SPEAKER_01 (07:25):
Well, and and you know, that's what's so hard.
And then people get in theirhead when they say, Well, I'm
not ready yet, or things, I'vegot to get stuff sorted.
I would say part of what thatshould be is capturing as you
go.
So if you are in a season ofgrowth and you're bringing
somebody on, you know, maybe usescribe, maybe use a make a loom
(07:48):
video, you know, what use yourAI note taker, whatever it is,
to capture things as you gorather than waiting and saying,
well, someday down the road whenthings calm down, I'm gonna
document all this or I'm gonnaget it all, you know, or people
are like, I got it all up here.
I hear that so often.
(08:08):
And you gotta get it out ofthere.
SPEAKER_00 (08:11):
Yeah, you're gonna get stuck if it stays right
here.
SPEAKER_01 (08:16):
Absolutely, and for so many reasons, you know,
whether that's the ability tosuccessfully uh document and
hand it on, or if it's, youknow, you get sick or something,
or if you ever want to try andsell your business, you gotta
get it out of there.
So once you get it on paper andyou've got it properly
documented, that reduces thatfriction.
(08:36):
Then, you know, your staff cango back and re-watch the video
or go back through the stepsinstead of them having to ask
you or say, hey, I spent fourhours in there and I couldn't
figure this out.
Meanwhile, you're like, fourhours?
You know, like that thatdisconnect happens more than we,
you know, care to admit.
And it doesn't have to be thatway.
(08:56):
So as you're going, as you'reexplaining, make sure you're
capturing.
Don't just rely on somebody totake notes or being or just you
saying, like, you with me?
Okay.
You know, like people will sayyes, especially because they're
new and they want to please youand they want to seem like
they're really successful.
And doing that extra at thebeginning and documenting it
whether you ever need it or not,is better to have it than not
(09:19):
have it.
SPEAKER_00 (09:20):
Yeah, that's really smart.
And I'm glad you brought up likeyour AI note takers will do a
lot of the lifting for you.
If you're recording yourselfdoing the thing, it usually will
write down action steps for you,a summary of what you did, a
transcript.
So it becomes a lot easier.
The best tutorial that I createdwas when I was trying to train
(09:43):
my son on a how to edit mypodcast.
Oh, cool.
So my 12-year-old was askingquestions in the video, and I
was going through it.
So then it really was like,well, now explain it to me like
I'm five.
You know that phrase?
It was exactly like that becauseI was explaining it to a kid.
(10:04):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (10:05):
And that's it.
And and that's a great point,too, is when you're doing that
and capturing it,over-explaining, being extra
specific really helps.
So if you say, here in the leftcorner, you'll see this shape
rather than clicking move on tonext, you know, like because it
it is like you said, explain itlike you're five.
And once you have those thingscaptured, you can always update
(10:26):
them, add to them.
But building that out and havingthat library of tools is only
going to serve you well,especially because, you know,
companies grow and change,things change.
Maybe that person gets promoted,somebody else is taking on those
tasks.
Um, you know, there's a lot ofreasons why you don't just say,
oh, well, we've already donethat.
Well, we already have thattraining, or that person already
(10:46):
knows how to do that.
That's relying a lot on oneperson, assuming that there
aren't changes.
SPEAKER_00 (10:53):
Yes.
Okay.
So I just want to recap whatwe've gone over so far.
So the first thing is to figureout what it is that you want to
keep and systematize it whereveryou can.
The second piece is figuring outwhat is it that you want to hand
off to someone else and kind ofmind mapping what kind of people
(11:17):
would need to take that on, whowould the hired need to be, or
what skill sets would they need?
And then as you're going, asyou're doing the thing that
they'll need to do, recordyourself.
And you can use tools likeScribe, Loom, your AI note taker
to be able to record it, butalso map out the steps that
(11:39):
you're doing.
Now, is Scribe one of those umlike op specific ones that
creates the SOP for you?
I know there's tools out therethat do everything.
SPEAKER_01 (11:49):
It does, it does.
And I like that one, you know,because I like keeping costs low
and you can be scrappy.
There are different levels.
There's a free version, there'sa more expensive version,
depending.
But um it, you know, it dependson what you're going for.
But if it's something you'rekeeping in-house and you don't
mind if it's watermarked withtheir things, you can use the
free version and that'll you'llget a lot of mileage out of
(12:10):
that.
And then yes, it does, and it'llit makes um screen captures too.
So like it'll say, like, clickhere, type this here, and it'll
do the screen grabs with theinstructions.
SPEAKER_00 (12:20):
Okay, that's awesome.
I haven't used it, but Iremember seeing the ad.
I was like, I must find a usefor that.
unknown (12:26):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00 (12:27):
I'm a tech junkie.
I will test everything that Irun across.
SPEAKER_01 (12:31):
That's awesome.
And and it's and that's great,but not everybody likes to do
that.
And I'm not and some people arelike, well, and they're like, I
just learned this one.
Why am I doing this one?
So uh I would say, Lilum, ifyou're more video, um, I like
Scribe personally because I dolike screen captures and
written-out instructions.
And I think that is so universaland something you can give to
(12:55):
somebody.
SPEAKER_00 (12:56):
And if I really ideally you would capture a
video while you're doing that tohave to ask, does it record the
video too and do the otherpieces?
Um, scribe does not, at leastnot as of right now.
SPEAKER_01 (13:08):
You know, things update, you know, in six months
from now it may have thatcapability, but uh no.
So okay.
SPEAKER_00 (13:16):
Um, okay.
So we know how to figure outwhat to keep, what to give away,
how to onboard them.
How do we find the right people?
SPEAKER_01 (13:28):
That challenging part.
I will say I wish I had a magicwand for everyone.
I believe so deeply in the powerof networks.
I think, you know, sometimeswe're just out here and we're
trying to keep costs low.
And so we're just kind oflooking.
I I think that can be good, butyou can also make some missteps
(13:48):
or have some negativeexperiences.
Uh, like I know of a good friendwho just had to switch video
editors because of, you know,that kind of relationship.
So I would really work yournetwork, talk to the people you
know, put those kind of thingsout there on, you know,
obviously we met throughLinkedIn.
I think there's something to besaid about where you get to see
(14:08):
the person's personality andknow who you know in common,
reach out to them because andand I would have conversations
because it's it's two parts,right?
You know, we've all heard thatadage that, you know, you can
train skills higher forpersonality and attitude.
And and I think that is truebecause you want a person who um
(14:29):
is a good fit, is culture fit.
But at the same time, if you'renot a teacher, how much time are
you gonna set aside to trainthis person?
Or do you want somebody who canpick up those skills and take it
and run with it?
Or can do something that youcan't do?
So, like you said, videoediting.
Do you want to have to mastervideo editing and teach it to
somebody?
Or do you want somebody who cantake it and run with it?
SPEAKER_00 (14:53):
Yeah.
And while a larger team orcorporation might be willing to
do that, a solo entrepreneur ora small team, they don't have
the budget usually or thecapacity to want to train
someone into that.
SPEAKER_01 (15:11):
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
And so, you know, that's what Ijoke.
So often I hear that when peopleare working with me.
They're like, oh, well, she'slovely, but like maybe they even
have an existing team member,but that person's not competent
with new tech, or that personwas hired for a certain role.
And as things have grown orchanged or evolved, maybe they
(15:32):
don't feel as competent.
There are there are ways that wecan help with that gap.
And I definitely love helpingwith that, the staff training
and development piece.
But if you're early days and youare making hires, it is you want
that 50-50.
You want to find somebody who'sgot a portfolio, who's got some
skills, who's got some good um,you know, recommendations and
(16:54):
also has that personality piece.
Because if you just hire for oneor you just hire for the other,
you're gonna find yourself in adeficit.
SPEAKER_00 (17:02):
Yeah.
Yeah, that's fair.
It's it you need to find, like,especially if you have a team
already, you need to findsomeone who will be a
personality fit.
So they aren't like goingagainst the grain with the rest
of the team and changing thevibes.
SPEAKER_01 (17:23):
Absolutely.
And honestly, that should bepart of your onboarding.
Those should be the questions.
It should be a conversationbecause they should be able to
ask you too.
But things like what's yourpreferred method of
communication?
And, you know, obviously, likeif you're working with a
freelancer, you can't expectthem to have nine to five
availability in the same way,um, you know, as if they were an
(17:43):
employee.
So, you know, having thosethings, asking about their
learning style, are they morevisual?
Um, you know, kind of talkabout, well, are these
check-ins?
Does this feel likemicromanaging or does this feel
like I care?
The more you do that at thebeginning, that's gonna make
clarity instead of A, you're notgonna have to wait for mistakes
or gaps.
(18:04):
And you can alwaysover-communicate in the
beginning and then you can kindof roll it back.
But I would set yourexpectations of do you have
in-person meetings or do youhave, you know, it's more
emails?
Do you want, do you expect themto be available?
Do you need Slack or not?
All of that, that, you know, asBrene Brown tells us, right?
Clear is kind.
The more we can communicate thatas part of the interview
(18:28):
process, you can also see, like,are they gonna fit?
Here's what they're expected.
Any, and they get to decide ifthey want to work with you,
which is, you know, the otherhalf of the equation.
SPEAKER_00 (18:38):
Yeah, that makes sense.
Let's take it back one steppre-hire.
Sure.
So, how does an entrepreneurknow that it's the right time to
hire someone?
SPEAKER_01 (18:52):
Oh, well, the answer is don't wait till you're in the
red zone.
So many of us wait till it is,you know, we're not sleeping,
we're hanging on by ourfingernails, we're missing
deadlines, or work's gettingproduced, but it's not quite at
the quality we want.
Ideally, you don't wait tillthat point.
Usually, especially if thatperson is, you know, you know,
(19:14):
well, I would say taking it asfurther step back, even from
that, as we talked about, onceyou start mapping those things
out, you can design your jobposting better because you'll
have a true, clear understandingof what you want that role to
look like and what skills youneed.
Then kind of put that out there.
And if that person is reallysuccessful, they're gonna free
(19:38):
up enough time for you.
You should be able to, you know,get that income.
You should be able to close moreclients, have more
conversations, do morenetworking, send more DMs,
whatever you're doing, thoseincome generating things.
So I so many people wait becausethey're scared that they won't
be able to sustain the hire orthat the budget isn't gonna
(19:59):
always be there.
If you set that person up forsuccess, they're gonna free up
enough time that you should haveno problem making that income in
other places and they more thanmake up for themselves.
SPEAKER_00 (20:10):
Yeah, I think that fear comes a lot when you're
doing when you're hiring likepart-time, an internal employee
rather than a contractor.
So that brings my next question.
When should you hire someone aslike a true employee versus
(20:32):
having a contractor or afreelancer?
SPEAKER_01 (20:35):
Well, I mean, that's gonna be a really case-by-case
basis.
I don't have a magic answer.
And honestly, probably aconversation to have with your
accountant because there are somany, you know, like the tax
implications and theexpectations of a salary,
payroll.
Um, are you gonna then be, youknow, an S Corp versus an LLC?
(20:56):
Like there's a there's a lot ofpieces that I can't speak to,
but those are conversations tohave.
But I think it's important tohave those conversations on the
earlier side, just even have itin the back of your mind rather
than waiting to the point whereyou're bursting at the seams.
SPEAKER_00 (21:12):
Yeah.
I have had those conversationswith my uh accountant, and she
said, as long as possible, keepthem contractors.
SPEAKER_01 (21:22):
I I think that is smart, and especially right now,
you know, the the economy iskind of fluctuating for all of
us.
It is.
Easier to do that because it isit is huge when you start hiring
an employee and there areexpectations of benefits, there
are expectations of salary, thethe time commitment is
(21:44):
different.
Um, you know, your your taxeschange.
I would say in general, I wouldwait, but it really depends on
you know those all those othernuances.
Some people want to switch to anS-corp very early.
SPEAKER_00 (21:58):
Yeah.
And I have an S-corp.
She still says don't hire.
Um the S-Corp is a nice like taxshelter.
It it puts you into a differentcategory for taxes.
But um I the other thing withhiring is you can't ebb and flow
(22:20):
like you would as a typicalearly to mid entrepreneur.
You're you're gonna have alittle bit of roller coaster
happening, but you're stuck atthe same pay rate, whether you
have the work or not, if youhave that employee.
SPEAKER_01 (22:38):
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
So, you know, it depends.
I mean, but the thing is too,sometimes there's talent that
wants something more steady.
So there's that too.
If you find a really greatperson and you want to be sure
you keep them, that could alsobe part.
So that's it.
It's a nuanced conversation.
And that's what I love about thework I do.
(22:59):
Um, and and what I really enjoyis that people bring me on.
Typical engagement is like sixto eight months because once
these frameworks are there, youdon't need my help at the same
level.
So it is kind of looking atthat, taking these snapshots,
having these deeperconversations, sort of
untangling the mess.
(23:20):
And then from there, you don'tneed me at that same level of
commitment.
And of course, we still docheck-ins and you know, we can
do little tune-ups here andthere.
But, you know, I always say it'sshort-term contract, but
long-term impact.
SPEAKER_00 (23:34):
Yeah, that makes sense.
You're doing a lot of theinitial foundational work that
they need in order to be able toscale.
And then once they get there,they're in a different position.
Absolutely.
They graduated.
Um, is there anything else thatyou want the audience to know
(23:54):
about how to betteroperationalize their small
business?
SPEAKER_01 (24:00):
I would say that you can do it in small pieces.
I think what happens is peopleget overwhelmed or they think
they'll do it someday when theyhave time.
And as we know, those days nevercome.
So something is better thannothing.
Progress is progress.
And so even if it is just, youknow, once a week capturing
something small, making achecklist, a template.
(24:22):
If it's three steps or more, Isay it should be documented.
So it can be something as easyas a post-it, or if you want to
play around with, you know, anAI tool or some other way of
capturing it, there's that too.
But doing those little piecescompound over time.
And that's how you ease thatburden on yourself.
SPEAKER_00 (24:40):
Yeah.
I love that first step of justdocument as you're going.
So you have them available forwhen you are ready to hire.
It's there.
And it doesn't have to beperfect.
SPEAKER_01 (24:52):
It doesn't have to be slick.
You know, that's it.
Don't get in your head aboutlike, oh, well, if I'm filming
it, it has to be this way.
That's not the case.
Yeah.
Have it and whether you updateit or you make changes, but
start with what you have anddon't get in your head.
SPEAKER_00 (25:06):
Perfect.
So one, who do you work with?
How can people work with you andwhere can they find you online?
Certainly.
SPEAKER_01 (25:14):
Um, so I am on LinkedIn.
I think we're gonna have that inthe show notes, which, you know,
thank you.
I have uh a lead magnet I'd loveto share with them.
It's a uh time audit where theytrack their time.
And then my gift to them is anhour where they can either they
can analyze the data thatthey've gathered on their own or
they can schedule that hour withme and I'll help them look
(25:34):
through and find some of thosesneaky time thieves and really
see when you're like, how wherehow is it already five o'clock
or where did this day go?
We really can kind of dig intothat.
That's awesome.
Um thank you.
Yeah, uh, I'm on LinkedIn.
Obviously, I'd you know love toconnect with anybody there.
I usually work withentrepreneurs who are either a
solopreneur who want to tightenthings up operationally so they
(25:57):
can stay a solo act, or maybethey have a few people they want
to start hiring, or maybe have ateam up to let's say five or
seven, usually freelancers,contractors, those kinds of
things, but they still feeleverything's falling back on
them.
Chances are that's because we'rekind of missing those
operational background thingswe've talked about.
And uh, I love to work with themin those short-term couple month
(26:20):
contracts.
We can either do done with youor done for you options.
SPEAKER_00 (26:24):
Awesome.
And that describes pretty mucheveryone who listens to this
show.
So perfect.
If this episode made things feela little more doable, I'd love
to help you take the next stepwith the booked out blueprint.
It's a practical, low pressuresession to clarify your offers,
your marketing, and whatactually moves the needle.
You can book yours through thelink in the show notes.
(26:44):
You don't have to figure it outalone.
I'm Serena Off Block.
This show is made for soloconsultants who want to get
booked out without burning out.
If you've ever thought, I justwant this to feel easier, you're
not alone.
Around here, we focus on simple,sustainable growth that actually
fits into your life so growthfeels doable instead of
overwhelming.
SPEAKER_01 (00:55):
I'm Pamela King and I'm a small business optimizer.
So think about as like ashort-term fractional chief of
staff.
So what I bring to the table ispart operations, part
communication, um, some stafftraining and development, and
just some of that otherhousekeeping behind the scenes
kinds of things.
(01:15):
I was actually a public schoolhistory teacher for 15 years.
So I'm most deeply trained inworking with a variety of
learners and building systemsthat help people succeed based
on their brain and theirapproach to things instead of
them bending to my way.
SPEAKER_00 (01:31):
I love that.
I think that's the biggestproblem that a lot of us have is
that like there's these systems,these frameworks, these
templates that we're meant tofollow, but we all think a
little bit differently.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (01:46):
And that's it.
So, you know, I love operationsand workflows, but to me, a
workflow is how you get frombeginning to end.
So can it be a tool?
Absolutely.
But it's also just habits andsystems and, you know, sort of
setting yourself up for successand finding what works for you
and your specific brain.
(02:06):
72% of entrepreneurs either havea neurodivergence or a mental
health condition.
So it is a large percentage ofpeople.
And so finding ways to supportthem and give them the tools
they need is what is really I'mso passionate about.
And to me, that's what'sexciting, rather than once
again, uh following a template,following a framework that they,
(02:28):
you know, buy from a, you know,a third party.
And it's like, once I buy thisplanner, my life's gonna change.
And we all know that's just notthe case.
SPEAKER_00 (02:35):
Yeah, that's the same way with like a notebook.
Like I just got the perfectnotebook.
Oh, I'm gonna be the A plusversion of myself, man.
That's it.
That's it.
SPEAKER_01 (02:45):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (02:47):
Um, okay, so let's talk about, we're gonna talk
specifically in terms of smallteams and solo entrepreneurs.
Now let's first talk about whatsystem do like how do
entrepreneurs who are workingeither alone or with a VA build
(03:07):
out systems to work better forthemselves.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (03:11):
Um, and I I will tell you, a lot of people who
work with me, that's theconversation that we first have.
Or I've met people who say, Oh,I tried to have a VA and it
didn't work.
Chances are that means therewasn't enough framework or
training behind it.
Um, so typically when I workwith somebody, again, because I
want everything to be reallycustom and fit you and your
(03:34):
ways, I ask people, what do youwant to keep?
And I think that's important.
So often people start with whatthey want to pass off or give
away.
Maybe, but I think it's moreimportant to focus on your zone
of genius.
So keep those things that lightyou up, the stuff that's really
exciting, the stuff that reallymoves the needle.
Then those other things thatkind of weigh you down.
(03:56):
That's where we can kind of worktogether.
And first step of working withme is always building out a
roadmap.
From there, we kind of roadmapout what you want to hand off.
And then we can create whetherit's a checklist, a template,
uh, an SOP, a video, any ofthose things so that you can
confidently hand that off.
Because that's what happens iswhen people feel they've done
(04:18):
the training or they've showedsomebody all the I've already
showed them that.
Did it get captured?
Do they feel confident askingquestions?
Is there something they canrefer back to?
That's usually the gap thathappens and really um the
difference between a reallysuccessful onboarding and one
that maybe doesn't work out.
SPEAKER_00 (04:39):
Okay, I want to start from the top.
Since the first thing that yougo over with them is what do
they want to keep?
When they decide what they wantto keep, is there some do you
work with them to figure out howdo we systematize that thing
that I want to keep so it worksmore efficiently?
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (04:59):
And so, you know, we'll drill down on what are
those pieces like I I have amaster's degree in curriculum
and instruction, which is thescope and sequence.
It is map it.
So whether that's a pacingguide, a curriculum for a
classroom, or how you want torun your business.
So it is all about breakingthings down, drilling down to
(05:20):
what can we systematize, whatcan we automate, what can we
make a template?
And then what are the piecesthat maybe needed to be a little
more personalized?
Or what are the parts that lightyou up and you want to really
customize and lean into?
And so once we have thatframework, then we can step out
and say, well, if these are thethings that you're ready and
(05:41):
willing to pass off, who do wegive that to?
And then we kind of build out anops map of, okay, well, maybe I
need a graphic designer.
Well, maybe I need anaccountant.
Well, maybe, and then you cankind of figure that out because
so often people wait tillthey're drowning and then they
say, Well, I'm I'm hiring a VAand you just kind of throw
things at them.
(06:01):
Yeah.
But that may not be in theirskill set, or maybe you bring
somebody on from like Fiverr orsomething, but what's in their
skill set, what that they thinkis in their scope versus what
you think is in your scope.
Those are all those disconnectsthat if you don't have that
framework first, you're gonnamake it clunky and challenging
(06:21):
for both of you, all of you.
Baby girl, I've done that.
All of us have, so many of ushave.
It's just, and it's, you know,it feels so natural, and that's
what it is.
It's like, I can't keep my headabove water, I've got to get
this off my plate.
And I understand that.
But whether it's successful andsmooth and really sets you up
(06:42):
for success, or if you stillhave to do a million check-ins
and a million follow-ups, orsay, don't send it till I've
looked over it, are you reallymaking your life easier and
better?
SPEAKER_00 (06:52):
That is such a good point.
I have been in multiplepositions where like I hired
early and I was good to gobecause I had the time to
onboard them and bring them injust like piece by piece.
And those were the bestengagements.
And then I've had situationswhere I ended up getting a lot
(07:13):
of clients at one time like, ohshit, and I needed to hire fast.
And those always ended up beingchaotic because I didn't have
the time to properly onboardthem.
Sure.
SPEAKER_01 (07:25):
Well, and and you know, that's what's so hard.
And then people get in theirhead when they say, Well, I'm
not ready yet, or things, I'vegot to get stuff sorted.
I would say part of what thatshould be is capturing as you
go.
So if you are in a season ofgrowth and you're bringing
somebody on, you know, maybe usescribe, maybe use a make a loom
(07:48):
video, you know, what use yourAI note taker, whatever it is,
to capture things as you gorather than waiting and saying,
well, someday down the road whenthings calm down, I'm gonna
document all this or I'm gonnaget it all, you know, or people
are like, I got it all up here.
I hear that so often.
(08:08):
And you gotta get it out ofthere.
SPEAKER_00 (08:11):
Yeah, you're gonna get stuck if it stays right
here.
SPEAKER_01 (08:16):
Absolutely, and for so many reasons, you know,
whether that's the ability tosuccessfully uh document and
hand it on, or if it's, youknow, you get sick or something,
or if you ever want to try andsell your business, you gotta
get it out of there.
So once you get it on paper andyou've got it properly
documented, that reduces thatfriction.
(08:36):
Then, you know, your staff cango back and re-watch the video
or go back through the stepsinstead of them having to ask
you or say, hey, I spent fourhours in there and I couldn't
figure this out.
Meanwhile, you're like, fourhours?
You know, like that thatdisconnect happens more than we,
you know, care to admit.
And it doesn't have to be thatway.
(08:56):
So as you're going, as you'reexplaining, make sure you're
capturing.
Don't just rely on somebody totake notes or being or just you
saying, like, you with me?
Okay.
You know, like people will sayyes, especially because they're
new and they want to please youand they want to seem like
they're really successful.
And doing that extra at thebeginning and documenting it
whether you ever need it or not,is better to have it than not
(09:19):
have it.
SPEAKER_00 (09:20):
Yeah, that's really smart.
And I'm glad you brought up likeyour AI note takers will do a
lot of the lifting for you.
If you're recording yourselfdoing the thing, it usually will
write down action steps for you,a summary of what you did, a
transcript.
So it becomes a lot easier.
The best tutorial that I createdwas when I was trying to train
(09:43):
my son on a how to edit mypodcast.
Oh, cool.
So my 12-year-old was askingquestions in the video, and I
was going through it.
So then it really was like,well, now explain it to me like
I'm five.
You know that phrase?
It was exactly like that becauseI was explaining it to a kid.
(10:04):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (10:05):
And that's it.
And and that's a great point,too, is when you're doing that
and capturing it,over-explaining, being extra
specific really helps.
So if you say, here in the leftcorner, you'll see this shape
rather than clicking move on tonext, you know, like because it
it is like you said, explain itlike you're five.
And once you have those thingscaptured, you can always update
(10:26):
them, add to them.
But building that out and havingthat library of tools is only
going to serve you well,especially because, you know,
companies grow and change,things change.
Maybe that person gets promoted,somebody else is taking on those
tasks.
Um, you know, there's a lot ofreasons why you don't just say,
oh, well, we've already donethat.
Well, we already have thattraining, or that person already
(10:46):
knows how to do that.
That's relying a lot on oneperson, assuming that there
aren't changes.
SPEAKER_00 (10:53):
Yes.
Okay.
So I just want to recap whatwe've gone over so far.
So the first thing is to figureout what it is that you want to
keep and systematize it whereveryou can.
The second piece is figuring outwhat is it that you want to hand
off to someone else and kind ofmind mapping what kind of people
(11:17):
would need to take that on, whowould the hired need to be, or
what skill sets would they need?
And then as you're going, asyou're doing the thing that
they'll need to do, recordyourself.
And you can use tools likeScribe, Loom, your AI note taker
to be able to record it, butalso map out the steps that
(11:39):
you're doing.
Now, is Scribe one of those umlike op specific ones that
creates the SOP for you?
I know there's tools out therethat do everything.
SPEAKER_01 (11:49):
It does, it does.
And I like that one, you know,because I like keeping costs low
and you can be scrappy.
There are different levels.
There's a free version, there'sa more expensive version,
depending.
But um it, you know, it dependson what you're going for.
But if it's something you'rekeeping in-house and you don't
mind if it's watermarked withtheir things, you can use the
free version and that'll you'llget a lot of mileage out of
(12:10):
that.
And then yes, it does, and it'llit makes um screen captures too.
So like it'll say, like, clickhere, type this here, and it'll
do the screen grabs with theinstructions.
SPEAKER_00 (12:20):
Okay, that's awesome.
I haven't used it, but Iremember seeing the ad.
I was like, I must find a usefor that.
unknown (12:26):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00 (12:27):
I'm a tech junkie.
I will test everything that Irun across.
SPEAKER_01 (12:31):
That's awesome.
And and it's and that's great,but not everybody likes to do
that.
And I'm not and some people arelike, well, and they're like, I
just learned this one.
Why am I doing this one?
So uh I would say, Lilum, ifyou're more video, um, I like
Scribe personally because I dolike screen captures and
written-out instructions.
And I think that is so universaland something you can give to
(12:55):
somebody.
SPEAKER_00 (12:56):
And if I really ideally you would capture a
video while you're doing that tohave to ask, does it record the
video too and do the otherpieces?
Um, scribe does not, at leastnot as of right now.
SPEAKER_01 (13:08):
You know, things update, you know, in six months
from now it may have thatcapability, but uh no.
So okay.
SPEAKER_00 (13:16):
Um, okay.
So we know how to figure outwhat to keep, what to give away,
how to onboard them.
How do we find the right people?
SPEAKER_01 (13:28):
That challenging part.
I will say I wish I had a magicwand for everyone.
I believe so deeply in the powerof networks.
I think, you know, sometimeswe're just out here and we're
trying to keep costs low.
And so we're just kind oflooking.
I I think that can be good, butyou can also make some missteps
(13:48):
or have some negativeexperiences.
Uh, like I know of a good friendwho just had to switch video
editors because of, you know,that kind of relationship.
So I would really work yournetwork, talk to the people you
know, put those kind of thingsout there on, you know,
obviously we met throughLinkedIn.
I think there's something to besaid about where you get to see
(14:08):
the person's personality andknow who you know in common,
reach out to them because andand I would have conversations
because it's it's two parts,right?
You know, we've all heard thatadage that, you know, you can
train skills higher forpersonality and attitude.
And and I think that is truebecause you want a person who um
(14:29):
is a good fit, is culture fit.
But at the same time, if you'renot a teacher, how much time are
you gonna set aside to trainthis person?
Or do you want somebody who canpick up those skills and take it
and run with it?
Or can do something that youcan't do?
So, like you said, videoediting.
Do you want to have to mastervideo editing and teach it to
somebody?
Or do you want somebody who cantake it and run with it?
SPEAKER_00 (14:53):
Yeah.
And while a larger team orcorporation might be willing to
do that, a solo entrepreneur ora small team, they don't have
the budget usually or thecapacity to want to train
someone into that.
SPEAKER_01 (15:11):
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
And so, you know, that's what Ijoke.
So often I hear that when peopleare working with me.
They're like, oh, well, she'slovely, but like maybe they even
have an existing team member,but that person's not competent
with new tech, or that personwas hired for a certain role.
And as things have grown orchanged or evolved, maybe they
(15:32):
don't feel as competent.
There are there are ways that wecan help with that gap.
And I definitely love helpingwith that, the staff training
and development piece.
But if you're early days and youare making hires, it is you want
that 50-50.
You want to find somebody who'sgot a portfolio, who's got some
skills, who's got some good um,you know, recommendations and
(16:54):
also has that personality piece.
Because if you just hire for oneor you just hire for the other,
you're gonna find yourself in adeficit.
SPEAKER_00 (17:02):
Yeah.
Yeah, that's fair.
It's it you need to find, like,especially if you have a team
already, you need to findsomeone who will be a
personality fit.
So they aren't like goingagainst the grain with the rest
of the team and changing thevibes.
SPEAKER_01 (17:23):
Absolutely.
And honestly, that should bepart of your onboarding.
Those should be the questions.
It should be a conversationbecause they should be able to
ask you too.
But things like what's yourpreferred method of
communication?
And, you know, obviously, likeif you're working with a
freelancer, you can't expectthem to have nine to five
availability in the same way,um, you know, as if they were an
(17:43):
employee.
So, you know, having thosethings, asking about their
learning style, are they morevisual?
Um, you know, kind of talkabout, well, are these
check-ins?
Does this feel likemicromanaging or does this feel
like I care?
The more you do that at thebeginning, that's gonna make
clarity instead of A, you're notgonna have to wait for mistakes
or gaps.
(18:04):
And you can alwaysover-communicate in the
beginning and then you can kindof roll it back.
But I would set yourexpectations of do you have
in-person meetings or do youhave, you know, it's more
emails?
Do you want, do you expect themto be available?
Do you need Slack or not?
All of that, that, you know, asBrene Brown tells us, right?
Clear is kind.
The more we can communicate thatas part of the interview
(18:28):
process, you can also see, like,are they gonna fit?
Here's what they're expected.
Any, and they get to decide ifthey want to work with you,
which is, you know, the otherhalf of the equation.
SPEAKER_00 (18:38):
Yeah, that makes sense.
Let's take it back one steppre-hire.
Sure.
So, how does an entrepreneurknow that it's the right time to
hire someone?
SPEAKER_01 (18:52):
Oh, well, the answer is don't wait till you're in the
red zone.
So many of us wait till it is,you know, we're not sleeping,
we're hanging on by ourfingernails, we're missing
deadlines, or work's gettingproduced, but it's not quite at
the quality we want.
Ideally, you don't wait tillthat point.
Usually, especially if thatperson is, you know, you know,
(19:14):
well, I would say taking it asfurther step back, even from
that, as we talked about, onceyou start mapping those things
out, you can design your jobposting better because you'll
have a true, clear understandingof what you want that role to
look like and what skills youneed.
Then kind of put that out there.
And if that person is reallysuccessful, they're gonna free
(19:38):
up enough time for you.
You should be able to, you know,get that income.
You should be able to close moreclients, have more
conversations, do morenetworking, send more DMs,
whatever you're doing, thoseincome generating things.
So I so many people wait becausethey're scared that they won't
be able to sustain the hire orthat the budget isn't gonna
(19:59):
always be there.
If you set that person up forsuccess, they're gonna free up
enough time that you should haveno problem making that income in
other places and they more thanmake up for themselves.
SPEAKER_00 (20:10):
Yeah, I think that fear comes a lot when you're
doing when you're hiring likepart-time, an internal employee
rather than a contractor.
So that brings my next question.
When should you hire someone aslike a true employee versus
(20:32):
having a contractor or afreelancer?
SPEAKER_01 (20:35):
Well, I mean, that's gonna be a really case-by-case
basis.
I don't have a magic answer.
And honestly, probably aconversation to have with your
accountant because there are somany, you know, like the tax
implications and theexpectations of a salary,
payroll.
Um, are you gonna then be, youknow, an S Corp versus an LLC?
(20:56):
Like there's a there's a lot ofpieces that I can't speak to,
but those are conversations tohave.
But I think it's important tohave those conversations on the
earlier side, just even have itin the back of your mind rather
than waiting to the point whereyou're bursting at the seams.
SPEAKER_00 (21:12):
Yeah.
I have had those conversationswith my uh accountant, and she
said, as long as possible, keepthem contractors.
SPEAKER_01 (21:22):
I I think that is smart, and especially right now,
you know, the the economy iskind of fluctuating for all of
us.
It is.
Easier to do that because it isit is huge when you start hiring
an employee and there areexpectations of benefits, there
are expectations of salary, thethe time commitment is
(21:44):
different.
Um, you know, your your taxeschange.
I would say in general, I wouldwait, but it really depends on
you know those all those othernuances.
Some people want to switch to anS-corp very early.
SPEAKER_00 (21:58):
Yeah.
And I have an S-corp.
She still says don't hire.
Um the S-Corp is a nice like taxshelter.
It it puts you into a differentcategory for taxes.
But um I the other thing withhiring is you can't ebb and flow
(22:20):
like you would as a typicalearly to mid entrepreneur.
You're you're gonna have alittle bit of roller coaster
happening, but you're stuck atthe same pay rate, whether you
have the work or not, if youhave that employee.
SPEAKER_01 (22:38):
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
So, you know, it depends.
I mean, but the thing is too,sometimes there's talent that
wants something more steady.
So there's that too.
If you find a really greatperson and you want to be sure
you keep them, that could alsobe part.
So that's it.
It's a nuanced conversation.
And that's what I love about thework I do.
(22:59):
Um, and and what I really enjoyis that people bring me on.
Typical engagement is like sixto eight months because once
these frameworks are there, youdon't need my help at the same
level.
So it is kind of looking atthat, taking these snapshots,
having these deeperconversations, sort of
untangling the mess.
(23:20):
And then from there, you don'tneed me at that same level of
commitment.
And of course, we still docheck-ins and you know, we can
do little tune-ups here andthere.
But, you know, I always say it'sshort-term contract, but
long-term impact.
SPEAKER_00 (23:34):
Yeah, that makes sense.
You're doing a lot of theinitial foundational work that
they need in order to be able toscale.
And then once they get there,they're in a different position.
Absolutely.
They graduated.
Um, is there anything else thatyou want the audience to know
(23:54):
about how to betteroperationalize their small
business?
SPEAKER_01 (24:00):
I would say that you can do it in small pieces.
I think what happens is peopleget overwhelmed or they think
they'll do it someday when theyhave time.
And as we know, those days nevercome.
So something is better thannothing.
Progress is progress.
And so even if it is just, youknow, once a week capturing
something small, making achecklist, a template.
(24:22):
If it's three steps or more, Isay it should be documented.
So it can be something as easyas a post-it, or if you want to
play around with, you know, anAI tool or some other way of
capturing it, there's that too.
But doing those little piecescompound over time.
And that's how you ease thatburden on yourself.
SPEAKER_00 (24:40):
Yeah.
I love that first step of justdocument as you're going.
So you have them available forwhen you are ready to hire.
It's there.
And it doesn't have to beperfect.
SPEAKER_01 (24:52):
It doesn't have to be slick.
You know, that's it.
Don't get in your head aboutlike, oh, well, if I'm filming
it, it has to be this way.
That's not the case.
Yeah.
Have it and whether you updateit or you make changes, but
start with what you have anddon't get in your head.
SPEAKER_00 (25:06):
Perfect.
So one, who do you work with?
How can people work with you andwhere can they find you online?
Certainly.
SPEAKER_01 (25:14):
Um, so I am on LinkedIn.
I think we're gonna have that inthe show notes, which, you know,
thank you.
I have uh a lead magnet I'd loveto share with them.
It's a uh time audit where theytrack their time.
And then my gift to them is anhour where they can either they
can analyze the data thatthey've gathered on their own or
they can schedule that hour withme and I'll help them look
(25:34):
through and find some of thosesneaky time thieves and really
see when you're like, how wherehow is it already five o'clock
or where did this day go?
We really can kind of dig intothat.
That's awesome.
Um thank you.
Yeah, uh, I'm on LinkedIn.
Obviously, I'd you know love toconnect with anybody there.
I usually work withentrepreneurs who are either a
solopreneur who want to tightenthings up operationally so they
(25:57):
can stay a solo act, or maybethey have a few people they want
to start hiring, or maybe have ateam up to let's say five or
seven, usually freelancers,contractors, those kinds of
things, but they still feeleverything's falling back on
them.
Chances are that's because we'rekind of missing those
operational background thingswe've talked about.
And uh, I love to work with themin those short-term couple month
(26:20):
contracts.
We can either do done with youor done for you options.
SPEAKER_00 (26:24):
Awesome.
And that describes pretty mucheveryone who listens to this
show.
So perfect.
If this episode made things feela little more doable, I'd love
to help you take the next stepwith the booked out blueprint.
It's a practical, low pressuresession to clarify your offers,
your marketing, and whatactually moves the needle.
You can book yours through thelink in the show notes.
(26:44):
You don't have to figure it outalone.
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Saskia Inwood woke up one morning, knowing her life would never be the same. The night before, she learned the unimaginable – that the husband she knew in the light of day was a different person after dark. This season unpacks Saskia’s discovery of her husband’s secret life and her fight to bring him to justice. Along the way, we expose a crime that is just coming to light. This is also a story about the myth of the “perfect victim:” who gets believed, who gets doubted, and why. We follow Saskia as she works to reclaim her body, her voice, and her life. If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal Team, email us at betrayalpod@gmail.com. Follow us on Instagram @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.
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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. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com