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

The Crisis Killing Service Organizations - And How to Save Them

Rotary clubs, Lions International, Chambers of Commerce, and countless other service organizations are dying. Membership is aging out, younger generations aren't joining, and traditional models that worked for decades are failing spectacularly.

In this eye-opening episode of Rooted in Revenue, host Susan Finch and guest Miguel de Jesus tackle this crisis head-on. Miguel, a seasoned executive who went from East Harlem public housing to building $2B in revenue at Paychex, brings decades of organizational leadership experience. Susan, running a nonprofit in Oregon while watching service organizations struggle, offers frontline perspective on what's not working.

Together, they dissect why Monday noon meetings don't attract busy professionals anymore, how ego-driven leadership kills organizations just like it kills companies, and why value propositions matter more than tradition. But this isn't just about problems - it's about solutions.

Discover how to reach students before they graduate, why "actionists beat activists" with younger generations, and how organizations can adapt their models without losing their mission. Whether you're leading a Rotary club, Chamber of Commerce, or any community organization, this conversation offers a roadmap for survival and growth.

The future of community service depends on leaders willing to evolve. Are you ready to adapt?

1. Traditional Models Failing - Monday noon meetings and old networking styles are driving away modern professionals and younger generations
2. Value Proposition Crisis - Service organizations can't answer "what's in it for me?" beyond giving opportunities that don't resonate with everyone
3. Student Engagement Opportunity - Reaching college and high school students creates future members but requires new approaches and connections
4. Actionists Over Activists - Younger generations want hands-on, tangible impact projects rather than traditional meeting-heavy service models
5. Leadership Adaptation Required - Organizations need strategic thinking, not just tactical fixes, to survive the membership crisis

Community Connection Missing - Modern mobility and lack of traditional community structures require intentional relationship-building approaches

Miguel de Jesús: Miguel de Jesús transformed from growing up in East Harlem public housing to becoming a powerhouse business executive. His strong family foundation and early discipline through music and sports provided the launching pad for extraordinary career success.

After attending Long Island University and Columbia's MBA program, Miguel joined Xerox and rapidly advanced through executive roles. At Paychex, he helped grow the company from $40 million to over $2 billion in revenue while leading 1,500+ team members.

Today, Miguel is a sought-after business coach, keynote speaker, and trainer specializing in emotional intelligence and AI-influenced business practices. He serves military special operations personnel transitioning to civilian careers through the Honor Foundation and recently completed five years as Director of Business Development at Cal State University San Marcos.

His core values—compassion, competence, achievement, and helping others—drive everything he does as he teaches leaders how to lead with both humility and results.

Your son just graduated college with excellent grades, but can't get past the "AI robot" screening resumes. Meanwhile, companies like Nike are using AI filters as their first hiring step, eliminating potentially brilliant candidates before any human ever sees them. What's going wrong with this approach?

In Part 2 of our series with Frederic Lucas-Conwell, President of GRI (Growth Resources Institute), we dive beyond traditional resume screening into the world of AI-enhanced behavioral profiling. While most companies use AI to filter OUT candidates based on keywords and credentials, GRI uses AI to understand HOW people actually function in roles.

Frederic reveals the fundamental flaw in asking for "perfect" candidates and shares how behavioral intelligence helps you spot the hidden characteristics that drive revenue performance—especially in candidates who might not have the perfect resume. We explore why recent college graduates with stellar academics are being eliminated by systems that can't see their potential, and how companies can identify candidates who are ready to quit their current jobs (and how to attract them).

Susan shares a real-world example of interviewing two best friends using GRI's approach, demonstrating how behavioral insights create instant trust and reveal traits that would never appear on a resume. This isn't just about hiring—it's about seeing what your eyes cannot see.

Connect with Frederic Lucas-Conwell:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/flucasconwell/

https://gri.co

https://x.com/griplatform

https://www.linkedin.com/company/griplatform

Most hiring managers are drowning in resumes, conducting endless interviews, and still ending up with costly mis-hires that drain productivity and morale. What if the problem isn't finding good candidates—it's understanding what you actually need before you start looking?

In this episode of Rooted in Revenue, host Susan Finch sits down with Frederic Lucas-Conwell, President of GRI (Growth Resources Institute), to explore how behavioral intelligence is revolutionizing the hiring process. Unlike traditional personality tests or gut-feeling interviews, GRI's approach uses objective, nuanced assessments to help organizations understand not just who people are, but how they actually function in specific roles.

Frederic reveals why so many job descriptions ask for "Mr. or Mrs. Perfect" and how this backwards approach leads to expensive hiring mistakes. We dive into the true financial impact of poor hiring decisions—from wasted interview time to costly three-month turnovers—and how behavioral intelligence can help you identify mismatches in weeks instead of months.

Whether you're a CEO struggling with team performance, an HR professional tired of hiring misses, or a manager trying to get the best out of your existing team, this conversation offers practical insights into building high-performing organizations through a better understanding of people.

Connect with Frederic Lucas-Conwell:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/flucasconwell/

https://gri.co

https://x.com/griplatform

https://www.linkedin.com/company/griplatform

When Frank Scavo sent me his latest article about consulting skills, I knew we had to dig deeper. After 20 years of working together—first as his client, then as colleagues—we've lived the collaborative consulting model he champions. In this conversation, we explore why seasoned executives often struggle to transition into consulting, the critical difference between having authority and wielding influence, and why the best consulting relationships blur traditional boundaries. Frank shares hard-won insights from his 50-year career, including the fascinating failure of his "retread model" and what it really takes to move from telling people what to do to helping them discover solutions together.

Links from this episode:

Frank Scavo on LinkedIn

The Enterprise Spectator on Substack

Arabella Penrose Books

"Flawless Consulting" by Peter Block

Previous episode we refer to.

Growth Resources Institute

Binky Patrol