Stop drowning in business chaos - your SOPs are the life raft you need. In this game-changing episode, Susan Finch and Lany Sullivan expose why your team's knowledge hoarding is sabotaging growth and share their proven system for creating procedures that actually get used. They reveal why writing at a 5th-grade level isn't dumbing down - it's smartening up your business operations.

From horror stories of employees creating secret binders to success stories of businesses transformed through proper documentation, this episode delivers the blueprint for organizing years of scattered procedures into one powerful system. Learn the exact folder structure, naming conventions, and review processes that turn procedural chaos into operational clarity. Whether you're a solopreneur ready to scale or managing a team that's reinventing the wheel daily, this episode provides the roadmap to document, delegate, and finally find joy in your work again.

As always, we try to give you an action list you can do on your own:

1. Create Your Hub • Set up a main folder called "SOPs," "Procedures," or your preferred name • Ensure it's in a shared drive accessible to your team • Remove individual access permissions temporarily if needed
2. Assess Current State • List all the procedures you currently have documented • Identify which team members have created their own "personal" procedures • Note any critical processes that exist only in someone's head
3. Choose Your Categories • Divide your business into main operational areas (e.g., Admin, Sales, Production) • Create main folders for each category • Keep it simple - aim for 4-7 main categories maximum

1. The Great Document Dump • Move ALL documents from subfolders into main category folders • Review for duplicates and conflicting versions • Don't panic - this temporary chaos leads to clarity
2. Establish Naming Conventions • Agree on a team-wide naming system • Include dates, version numbers, or status (TBD, Complete, Archive) • Rename all documents consistently
3. Create Missing SOPs List • For each category, list procedures that need documentation • Create placeholder documents titled "[Process Name] - TO BE COMPLETED" • Assign ownership and deadlines

1. Develop Your SOP Template • Include: Purpose, Tools Needed, Step-by-Step Instructions, Screenshots • Add revision dates at the top • Create a video component for complex procedures
2. Write Priority SOPs • Start with your "hit by a bus" procedures - the critical ones only you know • Use simple language (5th grade level) • Include where to find things, which buttons to click, what fields to complete
3. Implement Approval Process • Create a procedure for creating procedures • Establish who approves new SOPs • Set review cycles for existing procedures

1. Build the Habit • Schedule weekly SOP time • Update procedures as processes change • Archive outdated versions rather than deleting
2. Create Onboarding Materials • Develop a "Start Here" folder for new team members • Include how to navigate the SOP system • Add role-specific procedure lists
3. Regular Maintenance • Quarterly reviews of high-use procedures • Annual audit of all SOPs • Celebrate when team members create or update procedures

You earned that certification. Now what?

If you're like most professionals, you invested time and money into leveling up your expertise... only to let that shiny new credential sit quietly in your inbox, in your bank statement, rather than on your LinkedIn profile. Sound familiar?

In this episode of Rooted in Revenue, I'm sharing the exact 14-day launch plan I use with clients to transform professional certifications into credibility, conversations, and clients.

What you'll learn:

• Why the first 48 hours after certification are critical (and what to update first)
• The "badge reality check" that could be killing your credibility
• How one announcement postcard generated 10 quality conversations
• The LinkedIn "position hack" that notifies your entire network
• A complete checklist to implement in just 2 hours

Whether you just completed training, earned a designation, or achieved any professional milestone, this episode gives you the roadmap to maximize your ROI.

Episode highlights:

• [2:00] The trust signal you're not using effectively
• [5:00] Why print marketing still works in 2025
• [8:00] Your 14-day certification launch plan
• [10:00] The part-time position trick for LinkedIn visibility

Stop letting your credentials collect dust. It's time to make them work as hard as you did to earn them.

Join Susan Finch in this solo episode of Rooted in Revenue as she shares actionable strategies for maximizing your conference investment through smart pre-event marketing.

Instead of relying on generic conference-provided graphics, Susan explains how to create your own branded announcements that showcase your attendance and build anticipation. Learn how to develop a comprehensive branding package, prepare custom graphics, update your digital presence, and create specialized landing pages that convert conference connections into lasting business relationships.

From perfecting your business cards to optimizing your Google Business Profile, this episode covers everything you need to stand out at your next conference. Plus, get Susan's recommended tools for accessibility checking, scheduling, and analytics to ensure your marketing efforts deliver real ROI.

Episode Highlights:

• Creating custom pre-conference announcement graphics
• Building a complete branding package for consistency
• Updating your digital footprint before events
• Designing conference-specific landing pages
• Essential free tools for marketing effectiveness

Connect with Susan at susan@susanfinch.com or find her on LinkedIn.

Are you losing your best people and don't know why? In this final episode of our four-part series with Frederic Lucas-Conwell, founder of GRI.co, we tackle the most expensive problem in business: top talent walking out the door.

Most companies think they understand why high performers leave. They're wrong. From boardroom battles to manager missteps, Frederic reveals the behavioral mismatches that drive your best people away—and the surprisingly simple changes that can keep them engaged.

We discuss why CEOs and boards clash despite shared goals, what "engagement" really means (hint: it's not what most tools measure), and the one overlooked factor that matters more than perks, ping pong tables, or pizza Fridays.

If you're tired of expensive turnover, bland exit interviews, and watching talent walk to your competitors, this episode delivers actionable insights you can use this week. No fluff, no corporate speak—just honest conversation about what actually works.

All episodes from this series are here.

Moving your business email from one system to another sounds straightforward until it isn't. Susan learned this the hard way during a weekend-long migration that revealed every hidden complexity you never think to ask about upfront. In this episode, she breaks down the five critical questions every business owner must answer before switching email systems - questions that could save you from your own technical nightmare and budget explosion.

1. How big are your mailboxes, and where is your old mail stored? Large mailboxes with years of Sent/Deleted items cause export failures. You need to know mailbox sizes and whether users keep local PST files before you can estimate the timeline.
2. Who will be available during the actual migration for testing and approvals? Migrations require live client participation for password resets, login approvals, and testing. Without committed availability, projects stall.
3. How do your users actually access their email today? Classic Outlook, new Outlook, web-only, mobile apps - each requires different configuration steps. Mixed environments multiply complexity.
4. What domains and aliases are tied to your current email system? Hidden alias domains and Microsoft's "ownership" of domains can prevent a clean cutover to Google. You need the complete domain picture upfront.
5. Do you need to keep Microsoft Office apps or other integrations? Many businesses use Microsoft 365 for more than email. Licensing decisions affect migration approach and ongoing costs.

Subscribe to Susan's blog for a series on this topic.

Blog series on the topic of tech stacks and email migration.

Today's episode could save you 20% or more on overhead costs while boosting employee retention by up to 45%.

My guest is Alane Boyd, Co-CEO of BiggestGoal.ai and workflow automation expert with nearly two decades in tech. But here's what sets her apart: instead of forcing you into complicated project management tools you'll hate, she works with what you already use and love.

Alane's built her philosophy around "retention not replacement" - using automation to free your team for strategic work, not eliminate their jobs. She's a serial entrepreneur, three-time published author, and her tools were voted Best for Remote Work in 2022.

In this conversation, we dive into real client examples, including a 70% time reduction in podcast production workflows, why most automation fails, and the one simple automation you can implement this week. Plus, Alane gets refreshingly honest about why being the "hero consultant" doesn't work.

Links from this episode:

Alane Boyd on LinkedIn

BiggestGoal.ai

Alane Boyd on LeaderGeneration

Susan Finch on LinkedIn

Rooted in Revenue with Patty Parobek from Mod Op

Binky Patrol

SusanFinch.com

You've hired great people individually, but your team still isn't performing at its potential. Sound familiar? Most companies focus on individual talent while completely missing the multiplier effect of understanding how team members naturally function together.

In Part 3 of our series with Frederic Lucas-Conwell, President of GRI (Growth Resources Institute), we dive into "The Team Performance Multiplier"—how behavioral dynamics can accelerate revenue growth through better collaboration and decision-making. Unlike generic team-building exercises, this approach focuses on understanding the specific behavioral requirements of different types of teams and how individual dynamics create group performance.

Frederic reveals why it takes just one person to derail team performance and shares insights from working with diverse teams—from Silicon Valley startups to government agencies, accounting departments to sales teams. We explore the critical difference between adapting people to jobs versus adapting jobs to people, and why most companies wait too long to address team dysfunction.

Susan shares real-world examples from her work with startup founders who each want to hire someone to handle "the stuff they don't like to do"—revealing how misaligned expectations create hiring disasters. This conversation moves beyond surface-level team building to practical strategies for creating team alignment, building trust, and leveraging each member's behavioral strengths for maximum revenue impact.

1. Team-Specific Performance Models - Different team types (sales, accounting, startups, executive) require different behavioral dynamics and performance approaches
2. Individual vs. Group Dynamics - Analyze both personal behavioral patterns and how they interact within the team environment
3. Job-Person Fit Analysis - Determine whether to adapt the person to the job or restructure the role to match behavioral strengths
4. Energy Cost Assessment - Understand the energy required for behavioral adaptation and provide appropriate support systems
5. Alignment Before Team Building - Establish shared goals and expectations before implementing any team development initiatives