Welcome! I’ve prepared this short interview with some of the most common questions I get about myself, systems and the work I do.
How long have you been doing what you do and how did you get to be a Systems Engineer?
From the time I was very young I have enjoyed the creative process to turning chaos into order. Whether rearranging the food in the shopping cart or color coding my closet, I thrive on organization.
Systems are like puzzles, the process of taking each piece and making it fit to create a beautiful picture. And sometimes when you think the right piece is in place, when more of the picture fills in individual pieces may move.
I built systems in the corporate world for years from developing a socially conscious decision matrix for conserving resources and recycling to a tracking system in accounting allowing my company to budget monthly expenses with incredible accuracy.
So why work with entrepreneurs?
The defining moment came during a six month review at a new job where I had worked diligently to create processes that were saving me time and the company money. In this review what do you think I heard?
a) we’ve never had anyone as good as you in this position
b) you’re so efficient it’s taking you less time to get the work done
c) we’re cutting your hours and thus your pay by 20%
d) all of the above
Yep, d). No joke. And I could easily see that in corporate life the vision was short sighted, that saving a very small amount on salary today was more important than saving thousands of dollars on operations every month.
I decided to find a business where I could drastically improve the operations of a company, systems that would pay off every single month, and in an industry where those skills were valued. Our online businesses are similar to corporations in that we need structure and sustainable systems. I work with conscious, evolutionary entrepreneurs – a concise way of saying entrepreneurs who recognize and embrace the ever changing nature of business.
As an evolutionary entrepreneur myself, I like to move quickly. Nothing is more enthralling than learning a task, practicing the process and creating a system. Systems allow us to grow business without spending more and more time performing the essential tasks required to do business.
Who are your clients exactly?
I work with people like you who are running a business with a strong online component who love what they do and have big goals but need to figure out how to make those goals happen. The professionals I work with come from a variety of fields:
- Health Coaches
- Business mentors
- Marketing experts
- SEO and Social Media consultants
- Communication specialists
- Productivity coaches
- Fitness coaches
- Copywriters
- Financial experts
- Graphic designers
- Lawyers
- Chiropractors
What if you haven’t worked in my field?
I firmly believe that every business can benefit from systems to support their daily business and many of the systems I coach on are not industry specific. It’s actually to your benefit that others in your industry are not getting this type of support because you’ll be able to incorporate proven techniques that work in online business, often ahead of the crowd.
How are you different than other “system coaches?”
Some system coaches and creators only work in ONE industry, which is great if you want to stay narrow. But, as some of the most successful entrepreneurs know, you often have to look outside your industry for inspiration. What are chiropractors doing that I could adapt for my copy writing business? What kind of marketing do successful coaches do that may work well for my lawyer business? It’s all about standing out among your competitors and being unique, not copying what every other VA or marketer on the block already has in their business.
Other coaches run the gamut from “here’s a list system for you to implement” to “I’ll do it for you” and neither is optimally effective. It’s not enough to know the outcome, often we need to know the steps which will differ depending on your stage of business, industry and goals. And while the done for you approach is nice, yet pricey, it fails to recognize that if you’re not involved in the process and creating what YOU need in your business then you won’t actually USE the systems you’ve purchased.
These 1 day models that have you creating “everything you need” in a single session sound compelling but when it comes time to implement you know that you can’t do it all at once. Additionally, systems are meant to grow and evolve with the business, change over time and adapt to your needs. It’s not a “one and done” system that you can check off your list and then ignore. Getting ongoing support from some coaches can be expensive though.
There are some rock stars out there who are known for working with the multimillion dollar clients we all want to become building the systems that we all want in our business. The problem is they approach all potential clients as if they have the multimillion dollar budget for this critical support.
If you’re not prepared to invest $10,000 in systems coaching but know that you need systems to build your own million dollar business then it’s time that we talk.
We are firmly committed to serving the online and small business entrepreneur who is building the business with measured steps balancing all that lies ahead. Kelly has created an amazing opportunity to serve entrepreneurs who are ready for individualized coaching, step by step customized checklists, resource guides that you need when you need them and close accountability to get it all done.
And it won’t break your bank.
What exactly is your Playbook creation system and what does it include?
Playbook is another term for a Standard Operating Procedure, Manual, or Team Guide. It’s a series of documents and files that tell the story of your business: how you serve clients, when you send an e-zine, what happens when you’re invited to speak at an event. The Playbook will develop as we work together and identify exactly how you work best in your business.
It’s not about conforming you to MY way of working or even how every other person in your field operates. This is about you and creating the systems and structures that support you. This practice not only gives you a reference for your daily and weekly business practices but makes it clear for your entire team to give you the support you need.
The Playbook we’ll create for your business will not only express what you need better than you could communicate but also help you hold your team accountable to exactly what you want accomplished.
How quickly can I expect results?
As with most programs, this relates very closely to the action you take. Unlike other programs, we won’t move on week by week leaving projects unfinished. You can expect to be held accountable to the action steps that will create results in your business but if you do not do the work, you will not see results.
While I love it when my clients are working quickly to get results in their business, I do not work with clients who are in a constant rush or experience “the house is on fire!” constantly in the business.
Couldn’t you just do it all for me?
I do offer full service implementation and invite you to contact my team if you’re interested.
However, I learned early on after joining my university Debate Team that it’s not enough to know myself how to do something. In the beginning I was unaware that it was a highly competitive activity and I’d be competing against others with considerably more experience. So just like in business, I learned from the experts who were winning and modeled them, eventually ranking 4th in the nation in my division for 2 years running.
The only reason my partner and I were so successful is because we learned ourselves instead of simply parroting what our coaches had told us. Just like in business, you need to understand the process and be able to pivot when something does not go as planned.
While I loved winning, the most fulfilling part of my collegiate debate experience was not winning national championships, it was coaching and teaching others. There’s something incredibly rewarding to see others learn how a strategy works, adapt it to their style and execute it with precision.
What kind of entrepreneur do you work with best and what will be expected of me?
I prefer to work with established businesses that have products or services that they are currently offering. If you’re preparing to launch a telesummit, program, private coaching or event and need support to make sure everything runs smoothly then we will work well together.
My programs and support is build for the person who knows where they’re going and is ready for the custom, detailed path to get there. I expect my clients to take consistent action to accomplish the recommendations that we discuss. I also work best with clients who are unafraid to speak up with their questions, requests and concerns so that we can address all that you need in the moment.
Who do you NOT work with?
These programs are not designed for the large corporation or franchise business. I also do not work with the person who does not yet know what they will offer to their clients. If you are in that place I can refer you to some great programs to build your foundation for business.
As we work together we will put into place assets you need to work effectively and leverage your time. So if you are financially desperate and not bringing in enough income to comfortably afford making those investments then I suggest we do not work together yet. In the meantime, I do invite you to join my email newsletter so you can get weekly tips on systems you can develop which will, in part, bring in more clients and save you time and money.
Another type of person who I do not work with is the person who chronically experiences a victim mentality that manifests with excuses and whining. I choose to work with clients who have a no-excuses approach to their business and who take on the challenges ahead of them with gusto.
Has this worked with other entrepreneurs?
Absolutely! You can see a cross section of my clients here and you’re welcome to contact them for more information.
What are you programs, exactly?
I currently offer private systems coaching which is detailed here and we encourage you to get more information by contacting the team for your complimentary discovery session.