Rooted In Revenue

Time management is more critical than ever, especially with the rise of AI tools and virtual assistants. Properly tracking and documenting how you spend your time can lead to significant benefits, from increased productivity to smoother delegation and onboarding. In this episode of Rooted in Revenue, hosts Susan Finch and Debi Davis dive deep into the future of time management and its intersection with AI. They discuss practical strategies for optimizing your time, such as using customized systems, recording detailed process videos, and establishing efficiency baselines. Whether you're a solopreneur or managing a team, this episode will provide valuable insights to help you maximize your most precious resource – time. Tune in now to learn how to stay ahead of the curve in the age of AI-driven productivity.
Links from this episode:
Paymo time management system
Full Series
Susan Finch:
https://linkedin.com/in/susanmfinch
https://susanfinch.com
Debi Davis
https://3dcommunicationsai.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/3d-communications-3d-debi
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLgktQiDXVOfYd8NydFLlw 
 

Are you a real estate broker on the brink of a major change? Whether you're considering leaving a franchise to establish your brand, or switching franchises, this transition can be both exhilarating and daunting. The key to success lies in meticulous planning and preparation. In this episode, Susan shares her expertise to guide you through the critical steps you need to take before leaping. Susan provides a small portion of a comprehensive checklist to ensure a smooth transition from establishing your unique branding elements to evaluating your current online assets and vendor relationships. It's enough to get you started and slow you down.
Don't let the excitement of change overshadow the importance of a well-executed plan. Tune in now to learn how to confidently navigate this transformative journey and set your brokerage up for long-term success. Special shout-out to the NRBA members.
Need help? Here are some of the services Susan Finch offers.
https://susanfinch.com/services/ 
The main points of the episode and the checklist for a smooth transition include:
Establish branding elements: Choose a unique company name, logo, and domain. Set up associated email accounts.
Obtain a new MLS number for your new independent website to display listings. You may have one, but you want to ensure you can change it from being associated with the previous firm and broker.
Create a spreadsheet to track current online assets, including websites, social media profiles, and listings on various platforms. Document login information and status (keep, replace, or delete).
List team members and their contact information.
Evaluate tools in use, their costs, and renewal dates. Determine which tools to keep, replace, or delete.
Prepare new templates for presentations, contracts, and getting digital signatures.
Assess vendor relationships and inform them of the upcoming change if necessary.
Create new marketing materials: business cards, signs, leave-behinds, postcards, and flyers.
Collect and save existing client testimonials.
Develop an onboarding library for team members, outlining their responsibilities and required documents.
 

Are your business's internal controls and security measures up to par? In this final episode of our 6-part series, Lany Sullivan and Susan Finch dive deep into the importance of protecting your clients' information and your own liability. They expose common pitfalls like using sticky notes for passwords or entrusting cash transactions to a single person. Lany and Susan emphasize the critical need for secure password management, digital money trails, and multi-person verification processes. They urge listeners to examine their business infrastructure for potential risks and take responsibility for addressing them. While the process may seem daunting, our hosts reassure you that it's well worth the effort in the long run. Whether you need Lany's expertise in setting up foolproof procedures or Susan's guidance in optimizing what you already have, this episode will leave you motivated to tackle those security challenges head-on.
Catch the full series here:
Prioritize for Profitability: Establishing Foundational Systems for Business Growth
Mastering Growth: 4 Signs You Need a Business Asssessment
Love, Hate, Delegate: Transforming Your Business Through Delegation
Visionaries & Integrators: Navigating the Generalist vs. Specialist Hiring Maze
Building a Sustainable Tech Stack - Do you still use it?

This episode will give you an actionable list to evaluate your current tech stack. Lany and Susan will also give you ideas on what to look for when evaluating new pieces to your tech stack. Did you know that anything you log in to for your business is part of your tech stack? Lany will give you her strong opinions on several pieces of software and tools. Susan will give some real examples on ways to test what you are using and lock it down to make it more effective.
Questions you need to know about each piece of your tech stack assessment:
What are you using?
When are you using it?
Why are you using it?
Who has control of it?
Who has access to it?
What's your decision hierarchy?
Does your technology make sense in your day-to-day business?
Does it serve your business internally?
Does it serve your business externally?
How do your clients have access to it, and should they?
How does your team access it?
Tools mentioned in this episode:
KarbonHQ - Accounting Bookkeeping Software system - ties to QuickBooks
Google Drive - Don't forget to lock it down.
Kajabi - Monetize, Manage - Diversifying revenue streams
JotForm - vs. Docusign or PandaDoc.
Go High-Level - website management, funnels, all workflows, connect calendars, pipeline, CRM, communication for text and email, social media postings. Similar to HubSpot.
 
 

Susan Finch and Lany Sullivan dive into the crucial decision of hiring generalists or specialists for your business in this insightful episode of Rooted in Revenue. They discuss the roles of virtual assistants (VAs), online business managers (OBMs), and the importance of finding the right fit for your team. Lany emphasizes the significance of hiring based on your specific needs and goals, rather than defaulting to a VA. The duo also touches on the value of fostering a supportive and empowering work environment where team members feel comfortable questioning decisions and suggesting improvements. Tune in for valuable tips on building a team that aligns with your vision and propels your business forward.
Free Chaos to Process Guide from Lany

Are you drowning in tasks and struggling to let go of control in your business? In this third episode of the Rooted in Revenue series, Lany Sullivan and Susan Finch dive into the power of delegation and how it can lead to more time and freedom. They discuss the importance of identifying tasks you love and hate, and provide practical strategies for delegating at all levels of your organization. From overcoming the fear and vulnerability of delegating to developing trust with your team, Lany and Susan share insights on how to break free from the self-induced chaos of trying to do it all yourself. They also emphasize the importance of effective communication and empowering your team members in the delegation process. Tune in to learn how implementing "Love, Hate, Delegate" can transform your business and unlock your path to greater freedom and success.
Love, Hate, Delegate Workbook from Lany

Susan Finch and Lany Sullivan are plunging into the inky black to tackle the four crucial moments when conducting a business assessment, which is an absolute must. They'll help you identify the signs that your business is ready for a thorough evaluation, and trust us, ignoring these red flags could lead to a total "blowup" down the line – and nobody wants that!
Lany shares her expert insights on navigating the challenges of rapid growth, delegating effectively, optimizing your tech stack, and building an ideal team with high efficiency and retention. Whether you're a visionary leader or a detail-oriented executive, this episode is oozing with actionable advice to help you achieve sustainable success. Are you ready to assess, optimize, and take your business to new possibilities of scale and growth?
Some key points you may want to jump to:
00:00:00 Introduction: The importance of conducting a business assessment00:00:30 Four key areas that indicate when to do a business assessment00:01:00 Point 1: Navigating explosive growth and maintaining infrastructure00:04:30 Point 2: CEO holding all knowledge and not delegating effectively00:12:30 Point 3: Outdated systems and broken tech stack00:24:00 Point 4: Preparing to hire new team members00:25:00 Conducting Lany's system of "Love, Hate, Delegate" exercise to identify hiring needs00:27:00 Documenting processes and creating a detailed scope of work00:28:30 Developing an onboarding process and setting expectations for new hires00:30:00 The importance of taking the time to document and train properly
If you want to see this episode, it's on the Funnel Media Group channel here: https://youtu.be/V_UWOh43inM

Are you leaving money on the table in your business? If you haven't evaluated your entire customer journey from end to end, chances are there are holes that are costing you revenue. In this episode, operations experts Susan Finch and Lany Sullivan dive into why your customer journey is the key to sustainable revenue. They share examples of the broken processes they often see, and provide practical advice for establishing foundational systems that will help you shift from constantly rebuilding your business to making small pivots for long-term growth. Tune in to discover how to plug the leaks in your customer journey and build a business that works.
 
Some key points from this episode include:
Lany (5:40): "Your money is between your marketing and your referrals. It's between those two things from beginning to end and everything in between. It's the entire customer journey process."
Susan (9:40): "It doesn't do any good to just throw money at a solution, get the solution, and then not implement the work. You do have to do the work or hire somebody to do the work."
Lany (14:35): "Visionaries are all over the board... You got to rein it in and you got to really, that comes back to you got to prioritize, and it goes back to your vision, your values, your mission, your goals."
Susan (18:25): "Ideally, people are saying nice things about us when we are asleep, and we wake up, and there'll be leads in our inbox, the phone will be ringing with people. I heard. I know. You're great. Fantastic. And if you're not getting that, you are missing; obviously, you are just churning your customer base. Churn is expensive."
Lany (20:20): "My whole shtick is sustainable processes, right? Long-term sustainability. So you don't have to go rebuild and overhaul your business every two to five years. Mine is all you have to do is make micro changes and just keep shifting and pivoting as you go because your business will shift and pivot."

In this episode of Rooted in Revenue, host Susan Finch welcomes back Debi Davis, owner and operator of 3D Communications AI, for an insightful discussion on the importance of measuring and managing data to drive business growth. CEOs and CROs will find valuable insights as Debi shares her expertise on analyzing processes, improving communication, and leveraging data to make informed decisions. Discover how to effectively collect, organize, and utilize data to enhance your company's performance and stay ahead of the competition in today's rapidly evolving technological landscape. Join Susan and Debi as they explore the concept of "you can't manage what you don't measure" and provide practical advice on harnessing the power of data to achieve your business goals. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from two industry experts and take your company to the next level.
Listsen to the series here. 

Feeling scattered trying to manage and grow your business? Plagued with impulsive ideas but little follow-through? Do distractions keep you from moving forward effectively? My friend and business coach Debi Davis shares hard-won wisdom for overcoming chaos and dysfunction. If you lead or own a small or mid-size B2B company, listen in as Debi and I discuss bringing order to operations, planning, and execution. Learn a simple yet powerful three-step formula encapsulated as “frame, focus, follow through” that could transform how you structure workflows, combat shiny object syndrome, enable consistent progress tied to objectives, and make space for spontaneity. Whether dealing with hypergrowth, leadership changes, or market disruptions, every entrepreneur needs organizational discipline to drive results without burning out. Tune into my conversation with Debi to gain insider tips on getting unstuck, focused, and moving forward intelligently toward your vision. 

CEOs, are your metrics telling the whole story of your company’s health? Susan Finch poses this vital question to her guest, customer intelligence expert Laura Patterson, in this episode. Laura spotlights critical yet overlooked metrics beyond sales and profit — brand equity and customer value. These interlinked measures provide unparalleled visibility into your company’s ability to attract, retain, and expand customer relationships over time. According to Patterson, savvy executives harness these advanced analytics to steer product innovation, segment customers precisely, model business impacts, and ultimately make decisions that accelerate growth. Connecting the dots between these additional metrics and concrete outcomes gives you the power to future-proof your organization amid disruption. Will you lead with expanded metrics to propel competitive advantage? The insights in this episode equip you to do so.
The intro focuses on the bottom-line benefits of the discussed metrics for CEOs and uses Laura Patterson's expertise to compel leaders to incorporate broader intelligence. 
Links from this episode:
VisionEdge Marketing
Laura Patterson on LinkedIn
Speaking Workshop
Advisory Services
About Laura Patterson:
Laura Patterson has believed in the power of customer-centricity since childhood, when she sold chocolates door-to-door. She founded the growth strategy firm VisionEdge Marketing in 1999 to help companies reap the rewards of a customer focus. Patterson has severed as director of customer marketing and brand strategy, customer relationship manager, customer marketing initiative lead, and customer loyalty architect for companies like Motorola. An award-winning author and speaker, she shares her expertise through books, interactive workshops, research, and advisory services to boards and executives. Patterson is passionate about enabling businesses to accelerate growth through four key game-changers: better growth strategies, organization-wide customer-centricity, performance measurement, and operational excellence. With over 25 years helping companies implement these customer-first approaches, her mission remains unchanged - inspire organizations to fully leverage customer intelligence for sustainable success.
 

Do you have a revolutionary business idea but struggle with bringing it to market? Have you invested significant time and money into a product with no traction? As an entrepreneur and inventor at heart, Sushee Perumal has been in your shoes. After exiting his prior role, he was inspired to launch Flight Level 180 to provide startups and founders the capabilities in technology, marketing, and sales required to accelerate getting products from idea to market fit. In this episode, learn Sushee’s framework around alignment, rapid iterations using customer feedback, finding shortcuts, and execution to take your innovative ideas into winning products customers love. As Sushee says, “Leaders are learners,” so be prepared to have your mind opened to a new way to approach product-market validation. If you have an insatiable curiosity for what’s possible in business, you’ll discover game-changing insights from this inventive leader and certified pilot.
Links from this episode:
Sushee Perumal on LinkedIn
FlightLevel180.com
Susan Finch on LinkedIn
Funnel Media Group LLC