Retention

What happens after you've found that perfect addition to your team? How do you create an onboarding experience that makes new hires feel confident, valued, and ready to contribute? In the last episode, Susan and Lany walked you through establishing a solid hiring process. The topic is Beyond the Hire: Creating a Welcoming Onboarding Experience That Builds Lasting Teams.
In this second half, they explore the critical role of mentorship in successful onboarding, including how to support first-time mentors and celebrate this growth opportunity for existing team members. From day-one preparations to long-term development strategies, they share practical insights on welcoming new team members in ways that strengthen your company culture and improve retention. Whether you're managing an in-person or virtual team, these actionable steps will help you transform the critical first months of employment into the foundation for lasting success.
Key Points Checklist:
Prepare thoroughly before day one to set new hires up for success
Create comprehensive welcome materials that serve as an ongoing resource
Establish clear points of contact and communication channels
Support and celebrate team members who are becoming mentors for the first time
Assign small projects to build confidence and assess skills
Conduct regular check-ins during the critical first 90 days
Develop appropriate performance metrics for evaluation
Encourage feedback in both directions throughout the process
Refine roles based on demonstrated strengths and company needs
Create opportunities for continuous growth and skill development
 

Are you planning to bring a new team member on board? Before you start interviewing candidates, there's critical groundwork that needs to be laid. In this episode of Rooted in Revenue, hosts Susan Finch and Lany Sullivan walk you through the essential steps to prepare your business for a successful hire. From mapping out processes to setting up the right tech stack, they share practical advice drawn from years of experience working with business owners. Learn how proper preparation not only makes onboarding smoother but also sets your new team member up for success from day one.
Lany's 5 steps:
Assess business needs and identify gaps - Analyze what tasks you dislike or don't bring value, determine inefficiencies, and decide whether you need a fractional, part-time, or full-time person.
Clarify roles and responsibilities - Create a detailed scope of work outlining specific tasks, required skills, and what success looks like in the role.
Map out processes and document workflows - Create comprehensive documentation of all processes so the new hire doesn't have to ask questions, allowing for improvements and innovations constantly.
Set up tech and systems for success - Ensure all tools, access levels, communication channels, and documentation are properly prepared and organized.
Prepare training and onboarding materials - Develop a structured plan for the new hire's first days and weeks, including who they should go to for different questions and establish decision hierarchies.
Links from this episode:
Lany's article on LinkedIn
Our episode about Love, Hate, Delegate

In this episode, Susan Finch sits down with Michele A. Friedman, a talented metalsmith and jewelry designer with over 26 years of experience in the art world. From her early days studying fashion design at Parsons to becoming a full-time artist, Michele shares her journey and insights on navigating the business side of art. Discover the importance of human connection in selling art, learn strategies for engaging customers at shows, and explore the delicate balance between creativity and commerce. Whether you're an aspiring artist or a seasoned professional, this episode offers valuable lessons on turning your passion into a sustainable career.
Links from this episode:
https://www.facebook.com/MicheleAFriedmanJewelry
https://instagram.com/mafdesign1 
https://www.instagram.com/colerodgerimage/ - Michele's photographer
https://pjlabarge.com - wildlife sculptor
https://joyridejewelry.com  How we met
Michele's bio - in her words:
My jewelry results from my desire to incorporate color, pattern, and texture into my work without setting stones. The color was to be from an alternative source. Through trial and error and consideration of many materials, I concluded that wool felt perfect. The material is durable, pliable, and possesses a rich, saturated color and a hint of texture. I manipulate the felt into shapes and set them like stones into my oxidized sterling and 18k Bi-metal jewelry. This is a technique that I developed on my own to suit my needs.
I have always had a Metal line of jewelry, which has evolved over time. In June 2020, I finally added my Metal line online for purchase and have added a number of pieces since. It is comprised of oxidized sterling silver, 18k Bi-metal, and now some 14k vermeil pieces, too. The Metal line can easily be worn with the FELT line as many common design elements and components exist. 
I am inspired by graphic, product, furniture design, and architecture. Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and Vasily Kandinsky are among my many influences. I love Modern Art and Design. 
I am a native Chicagoan. I attended Parsons School of Design in New York City. I currently reside in Chicago with my husband John and our two cats, Rosie and Zero. When I am not on the road, I love to travel abroad with my husband, visiting art museums, absorbing cultures, and eating great food!

Learn how to turn churn into an opportunity for improvement and build stronger, longer-lasting customer relationships. Steve Hazelton from Sturdy.ai joins us for the second half of this conversation. Whether you're running a small business or leading a large corporation, this episode is packed with practical strategies you can implement right away to boost customer retention and drive sustainable growth. 
Don't miss out on these insights, which could shake up how you’ve been doing it—if you are honest in your reflection—and then help you revolutionize your approach to customer retention, which will naturally lessen churn!
Listen to the first half of this conversation here:
Retention Reimagined: How Everyone in Your Business Can Create Loyal Customers
About Steve Hazelton:
Steve Hazelton is a three-time SaaS founder and revenue intelligence guru. Steve initially founded Newton Software, which was purchased by Paycor, the 4th largest payroll provider in the United States. 
Steve launched Sturdy in 2020 and acts as its CEO and Head of Product. Sturdy is a business intelligence solution that orchestrates information trapped in customer-facing systems like Emails, Tickets, Chats, Phone Calls, CRMs, and CSPs so that every team can access, search, and discover the knowledge they need to protect and grow revenue.
Links from this episode:Sturdy.ai,Steve's LinkedInSturdy's LinkedIn

Steve Hazelton, CEO of Sturdy.ai, challenges the norm of churn prevention, advocating instead for organization-wide retention strategies. He introduces Sturdy.ai, a tool that consolidates fragmented customer data into actionable insights. Hazelton reveals counterintuitive truths about customer loyalty, such as why complaining customers often stick around longer. He explains how to transform scattered emails, chats, and support tickets into a unified customer intelligence system, enabling every team member to contribute to retention. This episode offers practical strategies for leveraging data to enhance customer relationships and drive sustainable growth, making it essential listening for CSOs and customer success leaders aiming to revolutionize their retention approach.
About Steve Hazelton:
Steve Hazelton is a three-time SaaS founder and revenue intelligence guru. Steve initially founded Newton Software, which was purchased by Paycor, the 4th largest payroll provider in the United States. 
 
Steve launched Sturdy in 2020 and acts as its CEO and Head of Product. Sturdy is a business intelligence solution that orchestrates information trapped in customer-facing systems like Emails, Tickets, Chats, Phone Calls, CRMs, and CSPs so that every team can access, search, and discover the knowledge they need to protect and grow revenue.
 
Links from this episode: Sturdy.ai, Steve's LinkedInSturdy's LinkedIn

Communication skills are invaluable yet often overlooked. In this episode, Susan sits down with Matt Heinz, President of Heinz Marketing Inc. He's an established podcaster and marketing leader. They discuss practical ways we can become better communicators by creating and sharing our stories. They explore how opening up builds connection and trust—when we lead with vulnerability, we grant others permission to do the same. The resulting environment fosters mutual understanding between all personality types, whether analytic experts or creative collaborators. Matt and Susan examine how to reframe experiences from our past into bite-sized stories that offer wisdom. Gathering these over time not only boosts our own confidence but allows us to celebrate shared experiences with others. The ability to craft compelling stories makes communicating easier and more effective. This speaks volumes to HR facilitating healthier office cultures. Ultimately, honing our storytelling skills allows us to bridge divides and bond teams together. Tune into this insightful episode to gain tangible tools for improving how you communicate through personal stories.
A quote from Matt that speaks volumes about him:
“The definition of good work isn’t more work. It isn’t defined by doing the most work. The definition of work is about impactful work – for the work itself as well as what it enables for you and those you care about, as well as the broader communities in which we live and engage.”
Matt Heinz
President
Heinz Marketing
 

What if we viewed every employee as having untapped potential waiting to be uncovered?  Russell Kern joins Susan in this episode to discuss how shifting to strength-based coaching can profoundly transform organizations and lives. Through focusing regular conversations on nurturing strengths, managers become empowering partners in their employees' career journeys. Employees feel recognized for their unique abilities and supported to grow as individuals. Imagine the ripple effects across teams and companies when people are passionate about using their natural strengths daily. The data is clear - strength-based coaching boosts engagement, productivity, profits, and retention. They would like to hammer home that it is time to stop focusing on profits and focus on people. We hire PEOPLE to work with us for 30% of our lives. The strengths revolution starts with believing in human capabilities and caring deeply about enabling every individual to thrive. Get tips on how small changes by managers can unlock tremendous organizational success. The future is bright when we inspire greatness in one another. This is the first of several conversations to come between Susan and Russell.
 
A bit more on Strength-Based Coaching from Russell Kern:
Strength-based coaching plays a unique and critical role in developing strong teams and improving organizational financial performance. It enables each team member to learn what their greatest strengths are. In doing so, individuals can grow more in their careers by being encouraged to apply their natural abilities to their daily work. This develops a feeling of being respected and recognized for who they are and the importance of their unique contributions to the team. This further helps to increase their sense of belonging and shows support for their personal and career growth, which directly impacts their engagement at work and their team’s performance. In a study spanning 45 countries and 49,495 business units, Gallup found that strength-based workgroups saw increases in both sales and profits. And on average, these workgroups also saw:●     3% to 7% higher customer engagement●     6% to 16% lower turnover (in low-turnover organizations)●     26% to 72% lower turnover (in high-turnover organizations)●     9% to 15% increase in engaged employees●     22% to 59% fewer safety incidents Furthermore, Gallup also found that teams that focused on developing their strengths had 12.5% greater productivity and 8.9% greater profitability than teams that did not.

Psychological safety is crucial for organizations to thrive, contributing to talent retention and overall success. Companies that create a culture of psychological safety outperform those that do not. Join Susan Finch and Rob Brodo to continue their discussion on leadership simulations.
Creating a psychologically safe environment requires leaders to establish trust and make employees feel comfortable taking risks, challenging the status quo, and expressing their concerns. It involves treating everyone fairly and focusing on building self-esteem and recognition.
To be a better leader and foster psychological safety, Rob Brodo suggests five key actions:
creating a stable and predictable environment,
providing employees with options and choices,
ensuring equity in treatment,
understanding employee desires and needs,
and establishing a foundation of trust.
Repairing trust can be challenging but is possible in certain situations. It requires open communication, difficult conversations, and the leader's judgment on whether the person can be trusted again. Building trust also involves maintaining a respectful environment and avoiding mockery or humiliation.
Advantix offers simulations and programs on psychological safety that cater to both large and small businesses. These simulations provide self-reflection, learning, and action-planning opportunities to enhance leadership skills and create psychologically safe workplaces.
Links from this episode:
Adventexe.com
https://www.advantexe.com/psychological-safety-simulation 
Rob Brodo on LinkedIn and Twitter
Susan Finch on LinkedIn and Twitter
 
About Advantexe:
Advantexe Learning Solution's mission is to provide world-class Business simulation-centric Business Acumen, Business Leadership, and Strategic Business Selling talent development solutions to organizations around the world to help them execute their business strategies and achieve their goals and objectives. 
Their vision is to be the premier talent development resource partnering with their clients to close the talent gaps preventing them from flawlessly executing their strategic initiatives and achieving their short- and long-term business objectives.

Susan Finch and Rob Brodo from Adventexe delve into the crucial role of coaching in driving organizational success. Recent studies have revealed that companies with a strong coaching culture are classified as high-performing organizations, and you won't want to miss out on that kind of achievement. Rob shares invaluable insights on coaching dialogue, coaching effectiveness, and the overall approach. They debunk the misconception that each company's coaching needs are vastly unique, emphasizing the core principles that apply to leadership coaching across the board. However, they also stress the significance of aligning coaching strategies with your company's specific goals and objectives. Join them for this episode, "Skills Needed to Drive Performance Through  Effective Coaching."
Rob also invites you to read his latest post on Five Business Acument Tips to Making Yourself Indispensible.
 
Links from this episode:
Adventexe.com
https://www.advantexe.com/new-manager-business-leadership-simulation
Rob Brodo on LinkedIn and Twitter
Susan Finch on LinkedIn and Twitter
 
About Advantexe:
Advantexe Learning Solution's mission is to provide world-class Business simulation-centric Business Acumen, Business Leadership, and Strategic Business Selling talent development solutions to organizations around the world to help them execute their business strategies and achieve their goals and objectives. 
Their vision is to be the premier talent development resource partnering with their clients to close the talent gaps preventing them from flawlessly executing their strategic initiatives and achieving their short- and long-term business objectives.

Intrigued by Advantexe's business simulations, Susan welcomes back Rob Brodo from Advantexe as they explores their focus on new manager training. They both acknowledge that management failure can lead to business failure but believe it is preventable and correctable. Susan asks Rob about the challenges faced by new managers and the motivation behind creating simulations.
Rob highlights the overwhelming nature of transitioning into a management role without guidance. Advantexe's simulations allow new managers to practice essential skills like goal-setting, coaching, conflict resolution, and leading change. Susan shares insights from conversations with author Helen Fanucci, author of Love Your Team, emphasizing the need for comprehensive training to support new managers and the difficult conversations necessary to grow.
They discuss the complexities of the evolving work environment, where institutional knowledge and documentation quickly become outdated. Rob reveals that many organizations lack manuals and standardized procedures. The simulations benefit not only new managers but the entire organization by building leadership capabilities.
Links from this episode:
Adventexe.com
https://www.advantexe.com/new-manager-business-leadership-simulation
Rob Brodo on LinkedIn and Twitter
Susan Finch on LinkedIn and Twitter
Also mentioned, Love Your Team by Helen Fanucci on Amazon
About Advantexe:
Advantexe Learning Solution's mission is to provide world-class Business simulation-centric Business Acumen, Business Leadership, and Strategic Business Selling talent development solutions to organizations around the world to help them execute their business strategies and achieve their goals and objectives. 
Their vision is to be the premier talent development resource partnering with their clients to close the talent gaps preventing them from flawlessly executing their strategic initiatives and achieving their short- and long-term business objectives.

In this episode of the podcast, Susan Finch and Michelle Cramer from On Angels' Wings discuss the importance of HR support in the workplace. Michelle discusses her journey writing her book, Uncharted Grief, and her certification as a Grief Recovery Method specialist. Michelle shares her thoughts on the societal norms surrounding grief and how they impact employees in the workplace. She highlights the importance of allowing employees to grieve and the impact it can have on their health and financial well-being. Michelle also shares a story of a gentleman who struggled to find a balance between work and grieving after the unexpected death of his father. This episode sheds light on a crucial topic and highlights the importance of HR support for employees who are grieving. You’ll also hear the variations of grief, it’s not always about death. Listen in to gain insights and understanding on how to support your team and staff through the grieving process.
This episode covers a few facets of this topic:
Supporting Teams Through Grief: HR's Role in the Process
Navigating Loss in the Workplace: Expert Advice for HR
Grieving and the Workplace: Addressing Employee Needs
HR's Role in Providing Compassionate Support for Grieving Employees
Links from this episode:
On Angels' Wings - https://oawphoto.org
Susan Finch on LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/in/susanmfinch 
Michelle Cramer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellelcramer-oaw