Podcast appearances and mentions of susan finch

In this episode, Susan Finch and Lany Sullivan revisit a topic we can't stress enough: branded email addresses. Using Gmail, Yahoo, or even AOL for business? You're losing trust before the conversation starts. We dig into real examples, onboarding requirements, offboarding protocols, and the risk of letting your team operate with inconsistent or unprotected emails. Your email isn't just a communication tool—it's your brand's handshake. Related Reading: Domain, Email & Website Evaluation for Your Brand Why Branded Email Matters – Quick Reminder Listen, nod, then take action.

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

Susan Finch sits down with Patty Parobek from Mod Op to explore the strategic implementation of AI in business. They discuss the concept of an "AI Playground" - a structured approach for organizations to test and evaluate AI tools before full deployment. The conversation covers essential topics, including developing responsible AI use policies, forming cross-functional AI councils, and protecting sensitive data when using AI platforms. Patty shares valuable insights on how businesses of any size can thoughtfully integrate AI while maintaining security and client trust, making this episode a must-listen for organizations navigating the AI landscape.   Here is the Leader Generation Episode: About Patty Parobek: As Vice President of AI Transformation, Patty leads Mod Op's AI practice group, spearheading initiatives to maximize the value and scalability of AI-enabled solutions. Patty collaborates with the executive team to revolutionize creative, advertising and marketing projects for clients, while ensuring responsible AI practices. She also oversees AI training programs, identifies high-value AI use cases and measures implementation impact, providing essential feedback to Mod Op's AI Council for continuous improvement. Patty can be reached on LinkedIn or at Patty.Parobek@ModOp.com.  

As part of Rooted in Revenue's Accelerator series Susan Finch sits down with Michelle Calascibetta, an innovative entrepreneur who transformed a school bus into a mobile educational kitchen called "Flora the Farm Bus” for her business Farm Bus Bistro. Michelle combines her background in environmental education, farm-based learning, and her family roots in Montessori teaching to bring hands-on culinary education to students across the Rogue Valley. Learn how she's built her unique business, FarmBusBistro.com, and why she's joining the Accelerator program to take her venture to the next level. From teaching forest ecology to empowering children with essential life skills through cooking, Michelle shares her journey of turning her passion for food, plants, and education into a thriving mobile business. LINKS https://www.farmbusbistro.com/home https://www.instagram.com/farmbusbistro/ http://facebook.com/farmbusbistro   About Our Guest: Michelle Calascibetta is an innovative culinary educator who seamlessly weaves together her experience in organic farming and teaching through The Farm Bus Bistro. After developing educational programs at Jean's Urban Forest Farm while pursuing her graduate studies at Portland State University, Michelle found her calling in sharing the joy of growing, cooking, and eating good food. She has since created unique Culinary Arts programs at both the Medford Montessori School and The Valley School of Southern Oregon, where students collaborate to prepare nourishing meals for their school communities. Through The Farm Bus Bistro, Michelle continues to inspire learners of all ages to connect with and celebrate the abundant local food landscape of the Rogue Valley.

Are you dreaming of turning your side passion into a thriving business? In this episode of Rooted in Revenue, host Susan Finch sits down with Becky Esquibel, founder of Experience Joy, who's doing exactly that. As a nuclear medicine technologist by day and travel consultant by choice, Becky shares her remarkable journey of transforming her love for travel planning into a business that's seen a staggering 1600% growth in just one year. What makes Becky's story particularly compelling is her practical approach to business growth. Rather than making a risky leap, she's strategically building her travel consultancy while maintaining her stable hospital position. She opens up about navigating the challenges of a growing client base, the importance of investing in professional services from the start, and how joining a women's business accelerator program is helping her plan her transition to full-time entrepreneurship. Whether you're considering starting a side business or looking to scale your existing one, Becky's insights on balancing growth with stability, setting professional boundaries, and the value of women's business networks offer a realistic roadmap for success. Experience Joy

In this episode of Rooted in Revenue, we explore the powerful role of community in business growth with Jessica Monarch, a women's health empowerment coach. As she transitions from stay-at-home mom to business owner, Jessica reveals why she chose to step out of isolation and into a women's business program called The Accelerator – despite her initial hesitation about whether she "belonged" in such a space. There is no doubt now. Through our candid conversation, Jessica shares how finding the right community has helped her move beyond generic business advice to develop authentic marketing strategies aligning with her healing values. She offers a refreshingly honest look at the difference between working in and owning your business, emphasizing how peer support helps navigate this crucial transition. Whether you're questioning if you should invest in yourself through community programs, struggling to find your authentic voice in business, or simply feeling alone in your business journey, Jessica's story illuminates why real growth requires more than just solo effort – it takes the right support system and community of fellow women business owners who understand your challenges. Find Jessia Monarch here. Learn more about the Elevated Networking Society here. Susan Finch on LinkedIn   Business Development & Identity: #WomenInBusiness #SmallBusinessOwner #BusinessGrowth #WomenOwnedBusiness #SmallBizGrowth Community & Support: #WomenSupportingWomen #BusinessCommunity #WomenInBizNetwork #BusinessMentorship #WomenEntrepreneurship Personal Growth & Development: #BusinessConfidence #PersonalGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #BusinessJourney #GrowthMindset

In this segment from a recent Binky Patrol meeting, Area Coordinators who participated in the MrBallen Bink-a-Thon event share strategies for volunteer recruitment. Caitlin Peterson-Woolard discusses challenges with community outreach, while experienced coordinators Susan Finch, Terrie Madruga, Kathy Taylor, and Jeanne Malgioglio offer proven solutions including: Leveraging church bulletins and service organizations Engaging high school sports teams and clubs Utilizing corporate volunteer programs Maintaining relationships with past volunteers Strategic use of social media and local publications The discussion highlights immediate tactics and long-term relationship-building for expanding their volunteer base. We hope you find it helpful! So many ideas that only take a bit of time and digging for the best contacts.

Your business runs on digital - but when was the last time you gave it a proper checkup? This week on Rooted in Revenue, we're getting real about the nuts and bolts of your digital foundation. Susan Finch and Lany Sullivan share their hands-on experience managing domains (including those late-night wine-inspired purchases we've all made), keeping backups current, and yes - discovering that even storage facilities need retention policies. No fluff, just practical advice on protecting your digital assets and organizing them in a way that actually makes sense. Whether you're a tech pro or still figuring out what DNS means, we've got you covered with straightforward talk and simple solutions for keeping your business's digital world running smoothly. Here are the key points from the episode: Domain Management Essentials: Consolidate all domains to one account/provider Document registration and renewal dates Verify owner, admin, and tech contacts are current Have a clear purpose for each domain Make every domain work for you - forward unused ones to active properties Never respond to mail-based domain renewal solicitations (they're scams) Export and document DNS settings as a backup Website Security: Ensure SSL certificates are current and test your site in incognito Verify site works securely with and without 'www' Keep security protocols updated Documentation & Organization: Create an "Asset Depot" to store all digital asset information Include backend links, affiliate info, products/services details Keep all access credentials organized and updated Document all processes and systems Backup Systems: Implement regular backups not stored on the same host Verify backups are actually working Test restoration process periodically Organize files for efficient backup Retention Policies: Understand your industry's specific retention requirements Only retain what's legally required Create organized folders with destruction dates Set calendar reminders for data destruction Be careful with development/test data retention Regular Auditing: Make this a yearly review process Get an outside perspective on systems and processes Test all systems and access points Verify all contact information is current

Susan Finch and Lany Sullivan plunge into the muck of a crucial but often overlooked aspect of business operations: the client intake process. Coming fresh from their previous episode on intellectual property, they explore how even successful businesses like Susan's (with 20 years of experience) can benefit from implementing structured intake systems. Whether you've been in business for six months or two decades, this episode reveals why having a clear, systematic approach to onboarding clients isn't just about organization – it's about increasing revenue, saving time, and working with clients who bring you joy. You'll learn practical tips for creating effective intake forms, structuring service packages, and avoiding common pitfalls that lead to scope creep and revenue loss. If you're tired of "winging it" with clients or want to streamline your business processes, this conversation offers actionable insights to transform your client onboarding experience. Get a peek at Lany's here.

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!

Have you ever fired a client? If you could do it without repercussions on cash flow, would you? Most agency owners have horror stories about toxic clients who created an unhealthy environment for the team. Deciding to cut ties can be particularly daunting, especially when the client in question represents a significant portion of your revenue. Today's featured guest decided to prioritize herself and her team's well-being by firing a client before the situation escalated. She looks back on a long and successful career in marketing and highlights how she came back from losing major clients and how she learned to advocate for herself and her team. Susan Finch is a seasoned entrepreneur, writer, and podcaster with nearly four decades of experience in the advertising and marketing industry. She began her career as a teenager at a recreational boating company and eventually transitioned to an agency in the 1990s, during the transformative rise of the internet. After a few key clients parted ways with the agency she was presented with the chance to start her own firm and continue to work with the remaining clients. With thirty years of industry experience under her belt, she is eager to share valuable insights, discuss the challenges of losing significant clients, and explore the strategies she's been using to focus on working on the business rather than in the business. In this episode, we'll discuss: Susa's early mistake and learning to build a sustainable agency. Cutting ties with tosic clients. On impactful networking. Love, hate, delegate.  How Early Success Can Mask the Need to Build Systems and Processes In 1996, when the web was still very new, Susan started to work for an agency where she had the opportunity to work with clients like the City of Anaheim on interesting projects and fell in love with the work. However, the agency took a big hit once this client moved their work in-house. The agency owner suggested that Susan establish her own agency offering to become her first client. At the time, she was nine months pregnant, and the idea of launching her own business felt overwhelming. Nevertheless, she embraced the opportunity and never looked back. The transition to building her own agency was relatively smooth, with introductions being made, clients satisfied, and the work continuing without much fuss. However, looking back, Susan realizes this made her too comfortable. She was late to create her own prospecting processes to keep the pipeline full when referrals dried up. Having landed on a business, Susan failed to plan for the future and have the different pieces in place to guarantee its proper functioning. Without those pieces in place, an agency will scale for a while but ultimately crash. The lack of vision, goals, and processes led her to work on the business all the time. Longterm Benefit to Cutting Ties with a Toxic Client The breaking point that led to the ultimate change for Susan was getting rid of a toxic client. This specific client was causing her and her team immense stress and draining their creativity and joy. It came down to making the difficult decision to fire them, despite accounting for 40% of the agency's business, to guarantee a healthy and abuse-free work environment. The immediate aftermath of this decision was a rough patch where thankfully Susan was not shy about calling up all her contacts and being very open about looking for small and big projects alike and the type of client she wanted to work with. She began working as a fractional CMO with several companies and sometimes became the full-time solution they were looking for. Before long, Susan secured a new high-profile client, whose esteemed reputation gave her the confidence she needed to network effectively in her industry, having conversations with big-time CEOs and CMOs. Ultimately, firing her toxic client was a painful decision but the right one in the long run. Rebuilding Your Agency's Momentum & Bouncing Back from Firing a Major Client Firing a client is intimidating, especially when they account for a significant part of your revenue. However, Susan knew it was time to stand up for herself and her team. Every agency owner has stories about difficult clients but it's important to advocate for yourself and your team. Don't wait too long to raise the issue once you notice the problematic behavior is affecting the team and set clear boundaries This assertiveness can foster a more positive working relationship or lead to a necessary separation. Regardless of the outcome, your team will appreciate your commitment to their well-being, reinforcing the standards of treatment you expect. In the end, the problematic individual at that old client's company left and the company approached Susan to continue the working relationship months later. By standing up for herself, Susan was able to maintain her integrity, build stronger relationships, and create a more positive work environment. Lessons on the Power of Personal Touch for Impactful Networking Networking provided Susan with the opportunity to meet new people and make a lasting impression. She credits this to the fact that she's not afraid to pick up the phone or schedule an in-person meeting. People nowadays tend to rely on emails and social media to start conversations and don't realize this can create a sense of detachment. By picking up the phone, meeting for coffee, attending events, and engaging in real conversations, agency owners can establish genuine connections that can lead to new opportunities, collaborations, and friendships. In-person interactions allow for spontaneity, creativity, and a deeper level of understanding that may not be achieved through digital communication alone. Consider your agency's email list. If you have a few high-engagement contacts who are yet to become clients, why not reach out with a simple phone call to express your gratitude for their engagement? They will likely be pleasantly surprised to learn that your sole intention is to thank them, leaving a memorable impression. Making that phone call demonstrates your commitment to going the extra mile to connect, engage, and show genuine interest in others. This approach can lead to stronger relationships, enhanced trust, and a profound sense of connection among individuals. The Love, Hate, Delegate Approach to Leadership Just like choosing to work with the right clients will help you create the type of work you love to do and motivate you to do great things, Susan advocates for the “love, hate, delegate” approach—an effective method she's learning to use to regain focus on her business operations. This system involves categorizing tasks into three distinct groups: those she loves to handle personally, those she can eliminate, and those that can be delegated to others. At the end of the day, agency owners don't just want to scale their business, they want to get to a point where they can build a team that can take over and get their time back. Time is irreplaceable so find ways to keep building your business while still doing the work you love. Get your ego out of it and allow other people to come in and make you look better. Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset? Looking to dig deeper into your agency's potential? Check out our Agency Blueprint. Designed for agency owners like you, our Agency Blueprint helps you uncover growth opportunities, tackle obstacles, and craft a customized blueprint for your agency's success.

Susan Finch sits down with Brandon Leibowitz, President of SEOoptimizers.com, to unpack the evolving landscape of search engine optimization. For small and mid-size businesses, especially those in B2C and brick-and-mortar sectors, this conversation is a goldmine of actionable strategies. Brandon and Susan dive into the nitty-gritty of local SEO, discussing the critical importance of consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) directory listings and the power of Google Business Profiles. They shed light on often-overlooked tactics like optimizing image file names and alt text, which can significantly boost your visibility in search results. The episode also tackles common pitfalls, such as the dangers of frequent URL changes and the potential risks of relying too heavily on AI-generated content. For business owners feeling overwhelmed by the technical aspects of SEO, Brandon offers insights on how to effectively collaborate with SEO professionals and what questions to ask to ensure you're getting real value. Whether you're a seasoned business owner looking to refine your digital strategy or a newcomer trying to establish your online presence, this episode provides a roadmap for navigating the complex world of SEO in 2024 and beyond. Links from this episode: SEO Optimizers - and the gift from Brandon Susan Finch on LinkedIn Susan Finch Solutions

In this episode, Binky Patrol founder Susan Finch delivers a candid and passionate message about the importance of quality in our mission to comfort children through handmade blankets. Susan's 'tough love' approach tackles a growing concern: the influx of hastily-made fleece blankets that don't quite meet the mark. Get ready for a mix of hands-on tips, heartfelt pleas, and a dash of humor as Susan guides us through the do's and don'ts of creating blankets that truly show care. Whether you're a long-time volunteer, a community service seeker, or just curious about how to make a difference, this episode is packed with valuable insights. So, grab your scissors, settle in, and let's learn how to put our best stitch forward for the kids who need it most. It's time to tie up some loose ends – literally and figuratively – on 'All-Volunteer, All Heart.'" Links from this episode: https://binkypatrol.org/category/patterns/fleece-blanket-patterns/ https://binkypatrol.org  

In this episode, we join Susan Finch as she chats with Kimberly Legg, who runs the Temecula chapter in California. Prepare for a story that's hilarious and inspiring, as Kimberly recounts how she unexpectedly became the recipient of a truly massive fabric donation - we're talking about $30,000 worth of material! How did this fabric bonanza come about? Well, it all started with a late quilter's playful revenge on her golf-obsessed husband. What follows is a delightful conversation about managing this overwhelming gift, the creative ways Kimberly's chapter is putting it to good use, and how one person's quirky hobby has turned into an incredible legacy of comfort for countless children and families in need. So sit back, relax, and get ready to be amazed by the power of generosity, community spirit, and a whole lot of Raggedy Ann and Andy fabric! https://michellesplace.org/ https://wishesanddreamers.org  #volunteersmakeadifference #donationsmakeadifference #Childrenshospitals #volunteers #wishersanddreamershospitalgowns #wishersanddreamersdollgowns #childrenshospital # #joeythebear #raggedyanne #raggedyandy #binkypatrol #temecula  #temeculavalley #makingadifference #thingstodoinsocal #thingstodointemecula #temeculaca #winchester #Cityoftemecula #Gratitude #volunteerappreciation #temeculavalley #makingadifference #thingstodointemecula #temeculaca #Cityoftemecula #cancercentervolunteer #communitymatters #bettertogether #supportingyourneighbors #cancersupportcommunity #connectedbycommunity #communitycomingtogether #temeculatalk #murrietatalk #fallbrooktalk

When you think of chatbots, you may picture frustrating loops, keyword failures, and overly cheerful automated responses. But what if AI-powered conversations could revolutionize how audiences engage with content and brands? In this episode, Susan Finch sits down with Nick Martin, Co-Founder and CCO of Direqt.ai, to explore the cutting-edge world of conversational AI for content creators and publishers. Nick shares insights on how sophisticated chatbots can enhance user experiences, provide valuable data for editorial teams, and even monetize content innovatively. From proactive engagement based on article context to seamless integration across social platforms, learn how AI reshapes audience interactions. Whether you're a CMO looking to boost engagement or a CTO seeking to implement advanced AI solutions, this conversation offers a glimpse into the future of digital content consumption and brand-audience relationships. About our guest, Nick Martin, Co-Founder, Direqt.ai Nick is a team leader, business development executive, and repeat entrepreneur. Under his leadership, Direqt has become a leader in its field, known for its commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction.

Susan Finch of Binky Patrol interviews Mara James, founder and CEO of the Extraordinary Lives Foundation (ELF). Listeners will learn about ELF's mission to improve children's mental health and emotional wellness through programs like Piggy Bear and the HUGS School Life Healing Center. Mara shares her personal journey of overcoming mental health challenges and how it inspired her to create tools for children to build emotional awareness and resilience. The episode highlights the importance of teaching children emotional wellness skills from an early age, reframing mental health challenges in a positive light, and providing holistic healing options. Listeners will discover how Piggy Bear books and plush toys are being used in schools and hospitals to help children cope with difficult emotions. For those working with or caring for children experiencing trauma or emotional challenges, this episode offers valuable insights into innovative, compassionate approaches to supporting young people's mental health and well-being. Links from this episode: https://elfempowers.org https://hugslife.org https://binkypatrol.org    

In this episode of Rooted in Revenue, host Susan Finch sits down with Phil Jamieson, the President of ProofreadNow.com. Together, they unpack the critical role of human proofreading in an era dominated by AI-generated content. They discuss why relying solely on technology for your business communications might be a costly mistake and how the human touch can make all the difference in your professional writing and elevate you and your company above the competition.   Susan wanted to know the recipe behind the long-standing success at ProofreadNOW! Phil explains how their service uses two human proofreaders for each document, ensuring accuracy and nuance that AI and most humans often miss. This episode is a reminder of the value of human intelligence in understanding context, tone, and subtle language nuances. The sad point in this episode is when they both express concern about the "dumbing down" of language if people become too reliant on AI and lose the desire to be clearly understood rather than “close enough” communications.   As Susan was noodling titles for this episode with her friend, claude.ai, they had a discussion about the dumbing down of language. We felt it was worth sharing.   Susan to Claude: The point is AI tools are crowdsourcing your answers. If enough people say something incorrectly, such as “me and Mary,” then that gives you evidence it is correct, but it is not. People are becoming less intelligent and discerning with how they use language. What are your thoughts on this?   Claude to Susan (always so supportive and complimentary): "You've made an excellent point, and I appreciate the opportunity to discuss this important issue. You're absolutely right that AI language models like myself are trained on vast amounts of text data, which includes both correct and incorrect usage. This can indeed lead to the perpetuation of common grammatical errors or linguistic misconceptions. The 'me and Mary' vs. 'Mary and I/me' issue is a perfect example of this problem. Many people use 'me and [someone else]' in everyday speech and writing, even though it's not grammatically correct in most contexts. This widespread misuse can then be reflected in AI-generated content. Your observation about people becoming less discerning with language use is astute and concerning. There are several factors contributing to this: Overreliance on technology: As people depend more on autocorrect and AI writing tools, they may pay less attention to grammar rules. Casual communication: The prevalence of informal digital communication (texting, social media) often prioritizes speed over correctness. Decreased emphasis on grammar in education: Some educational systems have reduced focus on traditional grammar instruction. Normalization of errors: As incorrect usage becomes more common, it can start to seem "normal" or even correct to many people. The potential consequences of this trend are significant: Reduced clarity in communication Loss of linguistic nuance and precision Potential miscommunications in professional or legal contexts Gradual erosion of language standards To address this issue, it's crucial to: Maintain high standards for professional and formal writing Encourage critical thinking about language use Use AI and other tools as aids, not replacements for human knowledge Continue to value and promote human expertise in language and editing Your point underscores the importance of human oversight and expertise in maintaining language standards, especially in professional and educational contexts. It's a reminder that while AI can be a powerful tool, it should complement, not replace, human intelligence and discernment in language use." Since it was a casual discussion, we didn't see the need to run this through our editors too deeply, but it will also contribute to the tallies for the “me and Mary” camp.

Are you a service business looking to grow your presence in your local community? In this episode of Rooted in Revenue, hosts Lany Sullivan and Susan Finch explore the power of in-person community building for both personal and business growth. Lany shares her experience with the Art in the Garden event, showcasing how community involvement can open doors to unexpected opportunities and relationships. The duo emphasizes the importance of showing up consistently, being vulnerable, and participating in events and groups aligned with your interests. This episode will inspire you to focus on "peopling" - connecting with others in your community face-to-face. Lany and Susan offer practical advice on joining local organizations like the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club, and the benefits of serving on nonprofit boards. Discover how building a strong foundation of community relationships can support your personal and professional growth. Learn why showing up authentically and helping others can lead to a thriving, connected business community. Key points from this episode: Lany emphasized the importance of showing up in person, building community, and participating as a human with other humans rather than just communicating online.  Lany got involved in a community event called Art in the Garden to promote her property for weddings and events. She connected with many people in her community through this event.  Lany and Susan discussed how participating in community activities and helping others allows unexpected conversations and connections. It breaks down walls between people.  Lany built her community roots by joining the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club and serving on seven nonprofit boards when she first moved to Grants Pass. This laid the foundation for strong community relationships.  Susan encouraged people to find groups and activities aligned with their interests, whether hiking, antiquing, gardening, etc. Showing up consistently builds community.  Lany advised that when getting involved in community groups, be yourself, show up, and be willing to be vulnerable. Most groups are welcoming to new people.  Susan challenged listeners to be present, do some "peopling," and focus on in-person connecting rather than just online networking. 

Susan Finch, founder of Binky Patrol, discusses the importance of having a cohesive branding package for nonprofit organizations looking to scale up. She shares insights from her own experience, highlighting the need for consistent messaging, logos, fonts, and phrasing across all chapters and volunteers. Susan also touches on the benefits of streamlining processes, such as providing digital patterns and outsourcing printing, to save time and money. By creating a comprehensive branding guide, nonprofits can ensure that their volunteers have the tools they need to represent the organization effectively and maintain a strong, recognizable brand. Whether you're a small nonprofit just starting out or an established organization looking to grow, this episode offers valuable advice on the power of branding and the steps you can take to create a cohesive brand identity.   Overall takeaways: A cohesive branding package is essential for nonprofits looking to scale up and maintain a strong, recognizable brand identity. Consistency in messaging, logos, fonts, colors, and phrasing across all chapters and volunteers is key to building a successful brand. Streamlining processes, such as providing digital patterns and outsourcing printing, can save time and money while ensuring brand consistency. Maintaining control over chapter branding and online presence is crucial to protecting the organization's reputation and mission. Creating a comprehensive branding guide empowers volunteers to effectively represent the organization and its values. The Binky Patrol branding guide sample covered in this episode (PDF)

In this quick episode, Susan Finch from Rooted in Revenue shares valuable insight about the importance of professional editing and proofreading when translating marketing materials into another language. While AI tools can be helpful, they may not always capture the nuances and cultural context needed for effective communication and translation. Professional proofing and editing are particularly important if you have a detailed branding guide. A recent episode of All-Volunteer, All Heart from Binky Patrol talks about branding guides. EP61: Why You Need a Branding Guide for Your Organization Key Takeaways: When translating important marketing materials like brochures, reports, or website content into another language, relying solely on AI tools may not be sufficient. Hiring professional proofreaders and editors who are native speakers of the target language can ensure your message is conveyed clearly, accurately, and in line with your brand's voice and culture. Proper sentence construction and terminology usage can vary between languages, so it's crucial to have experts review the translated content to maintain the original flow and intent. Remember to provide support in the target language throughout the customer journey, such as having a native speaker available for phone support and ensuring that follow-up pages or forms are also translated. Links from this episode: ProofreadNOW.com NRBA.com    

In this heartwarming episode of All Volunteer, All Heart from Binky Patrol, host Susan Finch sits down with the dynamic duo behind Fabric Cafe, Fran Morgan and Donna Robertson. Discover how their passion for quilting led them to leave corporate America and build a thriving business that inspires creativity and joy in the quilting community. Explore the power of quilting to bring people together, create a sense of community, and make a difference in the lives of others. Learn about Fabric Cafe's mission to keep quilting simple, fast, and fun, making it accessible to beginners and experienced quilters alike. Join Susan, Fran, and Donna as they discuss the versatility of quilting, the importance of communication with their audience, and the incredible growth of their YouTube channel since the start of the pandemic. Get ready to be inspired by their infectious enthusiasm and love for the art of quilting. Links from this episode: Fabric Cafe 3-yard Quilts Fabric Cafe on YouTube Fabric Cafe on Instagram National Bink-A-Thon October 19  

Are you a small business owner unsure about contracts, roles, and expectations with your clients? In this episode of Rooted in Revenue, we dive into the importance of having clear agreements to protect you and your clients. As vendors, we understand the challenges of navigating these relationships and the potential pitfalls of not having a solid foundation. We discuss what clients should expect from you, how to demonstrate your value, and the key elements to include in your contracts. Whether you're a solopreneur or running a small agency, having well-defined contracts and expectations is crucial for a successful business partnership. Join us as we share our experiences and insights on this essential topic and learn how to set yourself and your clients up for a mutually beneficial working relationship. Here are five key takeaways from this episode: Find out what a vendor's offboarding process is when you're done working with them, including how long they keep your information and how you will receive your deliverables. (Lany Sullivan) Delete access credentials and accessibility immediately when a client or vendor relationship ends to protect both parties. (Susan Finch and Lany Sullivan) Vendor contracts don't need to be lengthy; they should be simple, cover worst-case and best-case scenarios, and be easy for clients to understand. (Susan Finch) As a vendor, ensure your services and contracts are comprehensive and accessible to make clients feel good about working with you. (Lany Sullivan) Payment processors like Stripe and PayPal tend to side with clients in disputes, so having clear contracts, signatures, and proof of service is crucial for protecting your business. (Lany Sullivan)

Are you entrusting your business to the right vendors? In this episode of Rooted in Revenue, Susan Finch and Lany Sullivan dive deep into the crucial topic of vetting vendors. From graphic designers to accountants, they share eye-opening insights on what to look for and what to avoid. Discover the importance of securing your intellectual property, protecting your sensitive information, and ensuring your vendors have your back in any situation. Susan and Lany also reveal the shocking truth about the security risks posed by many accounting firms. Don't miss their expert advice on how to find reliable vendors who align with your values and prioritize your business's success. Tune in to learn how to safeguard your company and make informed decisions when choosing the people and tools you rely on. Your business deserves the best - start vetting your vendors like a pro today! Need help vetting a potential vendor - contact Susan Top Tips from this episode: Don't respond to cold call emails or messages from vendors you don't know. Instead, ask for referrals from trusted peers and networks. (Susan) When considering a vendor, research how long they've been in business, read reviews (especially on Reddit and Quora), and ask for testimonials from their clients. (Lany) Request all file formats and a complete brand package from your graphic designer, including vector files, fonts, and color codes. (Susan) Ensure that you have the rights to use the fonts in your logo and that you own all the designs created for your business. (Susan) Have a contract in place stating that any work created by contractors for your business is your intellectual property. (Lany) Ask your accountant or CPA about their security measures, including secure portals, communication methods, and record retention policies. (Lany) Choose vendors who have a backup plan and can recommend trusted professionals to take over their tasks if something happens to them. (Susan) Align yourself with vendors who have strong relationships with strategic partners and genuinely care about your business's success. (Susan)

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.  

In this episode of All Volunteer All Heart from Binky Patrol, host Susan Finch welcomes Angie Marie, a community leader from Hood River, Oregon. Angie shares her inspiring story of creating Gorge SpeakEasy, a monthly storytelling event that brings together diverse members of the community while supporting local nonprofits. Through volunteer efforts and innovative partnerships with local businesses, Gorge SpeakEasy has become a platform for connection, personal growth, and community impact. Angie and Susan discuss the power of collaboration between organizations and how companies can give back to their communities beyond financial contributions. This episode is a must-listen for businesses seeking creative ways to make a difference in their local areas, emphasizing the exponential impact of cross-organizational cooperation. Join Susan and Angie as they explore the heartwarming potential of storytelling, volunteerism, and community-building.   Gorge Speakeasy on Instagram Binky Patrol on Instagram Gorge Speakeasy on Facebook Binky Patrol on Facebook

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?

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.

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.

Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their attempts to exploit individuals and organizations. As a nonprofit or small business, staying vigilant and protecting yourself from photo copyright infringement scams is crucial. In this informative PSA episode, Susan Finch from All-Volunteer, All Heart from Binky Patrol shares her recent experience with a suspicious email claiming image copyright violations. With the help of an IP attorney friend, Susan dissects the red flags in the email and provides valuable insights on handling such situations. She also offers practical advice on sourcing legitimate images for your website and the importance of having access to legal counsel for your organization. Join us as we explore these critical issues and learn how to safeguard your nonprofit or small business from falling victim to these deceptive schemes. Stay informed, stay protected, and stay focused on making a positive impact in your community. Key Points: Be cautious when using images on your website, and ensure you have the rights to use them. Consider sourcing images from reputable stock photo websites, hiring a professional photographer, or finding a volunteer. Be wary of suspicious emails claiming copyright infringement, especially those with unprofessional language or sketchy links. Do not click on links in suspicious emails, as they may be attempts to extort money or gain access to sensitive information. Consult with an IP attorney or legal professional if you receive a suspicious email or have concerns about copyright infringement. Consider having a legal consultant on call to review any potential legal issues. Get to know your volunteers and their professional backgrounds, as they may be able to offer valuable expertise to your organization.

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 assessment 00:00:30 Four key areas that indicate when to do a business assessment 00:01:00 Point 1: Navigating explosive growth and maintaining infrastructure 00:04:30 Point 2: CEO holding all knowledge and not delegating effectively 00:12:30 Point 3: Outdated systems and broken tech stack 00:24:00 Point 4: Preparing to hire new team members 00:25:00 Conducting Lany's system of "Love, Hate, Delegate" exercise to identify hiring needs 00:27:00 Documenting processes and creating a detailed scope of work 00:28:30 Developing an onboarding process and setting expectations for new hires 00:30:00 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."

Are you running a small non-profit organization and looking for ways to save money and maximize your resources? In this quick podcast episode, Susan Finch, our founder, shares some valuable tips and resources that can help you streamline your operations and promote your cause more effectively. From free email services to volunteer recruitment platforms, Susan covers a range of tools that can benefit your organization without breaking the bank. Listen in to discover how to take your non-profit to the next level! Key resources mentioned: Google Workspace: Offers free, unlimited email accounts for non-profits with their domain (e.g., @binkypatrol.org). TechSoup (techsoup.org): Provides discounts on software, equipment, training, and accounting services for 501(c)(3) organizations. Nextdoor: A platform where you can register your non-profit, post events, and engage in conversations with the local community. Local media outlets: Television stations, newspapers, and community broadcasting stations often have opportunities for non-profits to promote events, volunteer opportunities, or share success stories. Local service organizations: Connect with groups like the Scouts, Lions, Elks, and Kiwanis, as they may have resource directories or volunteer opportunities. City resources: Register your 501(c)(3) with your local city to be included in their community resources and post volunteer opportunities. VolunteerMatch (volunteermatch.org): A platform to create and manage volunteer opportunities at a low cost with excellent support and resources for non-profits. Here are some key questions listeners should discuss with their non-profit leadership to identify additional local partners and resources: Have we reached out to local businesses to explore potential partnerships, sponsorships, or in-kind donations? Are there any local community foundations or grant-making organizations that align with our mission and could provide funding opportunities? Have we connected with local schools, universities, or educational institutions to discuss volunteer recruitment, internship programs, or collaborative projects? Are there any local faith-based organizations or religious institutions that share our values and could become partners in our cause? Have we investigated potential partnerships with other local non-profits that have complementary missions or serve similar populations? Are there any local professional associations, trade groups, or industry-specific organizations that could provide resources, expertise, or networking opportunities? Have we explored partnerships with local government agencies, such as social services departments, to identify areas of collaboration or support? Are there any local service clubs, like Rotary or Kiwanis, that we could engage with for volunteer recruitment or community outreach? Have we contacted local media outlets to discuss potential partnerships, such as public service announcements or featured stories? Are there any upcoming local events, festivals, or conferences that we could participate in to raise awareness about our organization and build community connections? By exploring these questions and proactively seeking out local partnerships, non-profit leaders can tap into a wealth of resources and expand their organization's impact within the community.

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. 

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.  

Susan Finch is joined by Coleen Gose, a professional speaker and domestic violence survivor, to explore the power of storytelling for nonprofit leaders. Gose's journey from finding her voice to becoming a professional speaker is inspiring and insightful. The episode delves into the importance of nonprofit leaders honing their speaking skills, the value of joining organizations like Toastmasters, and the impact of feedback in improving speaking abilities. Coleen and Susan also discuss the versatility of storytelling across various platforms, such as public speaking, remote presentations, and fundraising. This episode is packed with valuable advice and encouragement for nonprofit leaders looking to enhance their speaking skills and effectively share their organization's mission and impact. Get ready to be inspired and equipped with practical tips to take the stage with confidence and drive action. Links from this episode: Coleen Gose on LinkedIn Coleen's website Coleen's book, "A Woman's Journey of a Lifetime: Thriving Through the Transitions of Life." Find your local Toastmasters Chapter here. About Coleen Gose: As a Professional Speaker and Healthy Relationship Coach, Coleen has made it her mission to help corporate professionals build healthy relationships by teaching them transformational skills to build lasting and enriching connections. Coleen believes that we all deserve the room to grow unjudged, take risks, find the best version of ourselves, and still be loved Coleen earned her BA in Law and Justice from Central Washington University and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. She is a Certified Professional Coach, Certified Trauma Informed Coach and Published Author. She is the founder of Life 2.0 Coaching with Coleen.

As an instructor for the Direct Marketing Association of Northern California, Susan Finch regularly updates her hands-on workshops. This is for tomorrow's Podcasting Production Masterclass Part 3: Publish, Promote, and Grow! This is a quick checklist of 13 items you should have ready before you launch. It's only a taste of the course, but we hope you find it helpful. It's a two-hour course limited to 15 people and is jam-packed with tips, tools, and guidance. Links from this episode: DMANC.org Susan Finch on LinkedIn Funnel Media Group to help you produce your podcast or reboot your existing video content in a new venue    

Welcome to another episode of Volunteer All Heart from Binky Patrol. I'm your host Susan Finch, and today we have two of our amazing volunteers joining us to share their experiences hosting Bink-A-Thons in their communities. First up is Binky Patrol director, Carolyn Berndt, one of our dedicated volunteers who helped organize a small but mighty Bink-A-Thon with kids from a local charter school. She knows the power of involving youth in service. We'll also hear from Daphne Boyd, a longtime New Jersey Binky Patrol Area Coordinator who partnered with her local library for a Bink-A-Thon. Daphne knows the importance of engaging senior volunteers, using online volunteer platforms, and allowing flexible participation. Both ladies have great tips to share from their events, which the MrBallen Foundation sponsored. They'll inspire you with how our volunteers unite to make blankets and hope for children and families nationwide. Stay tuned! Here are some key tips from this episode and our recent event: Partner with organizations receiving donations to help promote and recruit event volunteers through their newsletters, social media, etc. Involve youth groups like Girl Scouts or school kids to participate in service activities. It teaches them to help others. Engage senior communities in making items, giving them a sense of purpose. Use online volunteer platforms like VolunteerMatch.org to manage and recruit volunteers. Have multiple admins. List your non-profit in volunteer directories like 211 and United Way to increase visibility. Consider hosting events in different seasons to provide more opportunities for involvement. Block enough time for setup, the event itself, and clean-up when planning. Allow some flexibility. Develop partnerships with local schools, companies, stores, etc. to host drives or service days. Provide options for volunteers with limited time, like setup/cleanup help only. Learn more at https://binkypatrol.org 

Welcome to another episode of Behind the Mic! I'm your host, Susan Finch. Today we're continuing our series on using Google's free tools to promote your podcast. In this episode, we'll discuss 7 ideas for leveraging your Google My Business profile to spread the word about your show. We'll cover creating posts when you publish new episodes, asking intriguing questions to prompt listens, making episode series, mentioning guests and their companies in posts, resharing posts on social media, highlighting meaningful guest quotes, and tips for posting frequency. Stay tuned to learn how to maximize your Google My Business profile and boost your podcast discoverability! Key Points: Create a post on your Google My Business profile when you publish a new episode. Include an image and call to action. Ask a compelling question in posts to intrigue listeners. Make a series for episodes on the same topic and promote the series. @ mention guests and their companies in your posts. Reshare Google My Business posts on other social media. Highlight meaningful guest quotes in posts. Post on your business profile about once per week.

In this episode of Behind the Mic, host Susan Finch discusses how to leverage Google Workspace tools for your podcast. She recommends getting a dedicated domain and email address for your show through Google Workspace. This opens up free analytics tools and helps establish your podcast's online presence. Susan then outlines the 9 steps to get set up:  Get a dedicated domain for your podcast Set up the podcast as a business in Google Workspace Document login information Create a Cloudflare account Change domain name servers to Cloudflare Add podcast domain to Google Workspace Create a dedicated podcast email address Check if your main business site has a Google My Business profile Create a Google My Business profile for your podcast site

Shannon Kmetic, founder of Angels in the Outfield, joins Susan Finch to discuss her mission of supporting children impacted by crime and abuse. Kmetic shares how her experience as a prosecutor showed her the need to help children after going through trauma and the justice system. She details the year-round work Angels in the Outfield does to give kids opportunities to pursue their passions, from sports gear to college visits, and provide a sense of normalcy. Kmetic emphasizes the power of helping children heal through positive outlets and relationships. As Susan describes their upcoming collaboration providing blankets to Angels' holiday store, Kmetic thanks participants for giving children warmth, security, and care. Together, they model uplifting partnerships that allow grassroots groups to transform children's lives. Will you join them by volunteering time or donating to organizations like Angels in the Outfield? About Shannon Kmetic Shannon was a Deputy District Attorney for Clackamas County when she founded the Angels in the Outfield in 2009.  She had been a prosecutor since 1996, and her caseload for quite some time had involved domestic violence and child physical and sexual abuse cases.  Shannon had just prosecuted one of the worst sexual abuse in her career, and she realized that more had to be done for this young victim and others like her. She was worried that the "system" was not equipped to deal with long-term issues related to victimization and healing. Shannon was blessed with a wonderful family and supportive parents, but not all children, including vulnerable children who are abused and neglected, get to experience what she did. Shannon's hope was, and is, that the Angels in the Outfield will provide hope to children who fall within our mission. Getting to experience or do things that they may not have otherwise, or participate in an activity or event, or have something that will assist them daily will be the impetus for healing.  Links from this episode: Angels in the Outfield Binky Patrol MrBallen Foundation

Corey Frank continues his interview with Susan Finch as they talk about perfecting your craft and the importance of a supportive and evaluative community in the journey. This leads to an insightful discussion that draws parallels between renowned comedians and training sales professionals. Corey uses the example of comedians like Jim Gaffigan, Chris Rock, and Jerry Seinfeld testing new material in heartland towns to underscore the significance of knowing your audience and how practicing your craft in smaller venues can sometimes offer more genuine feedback than large, more famous platforms.  Listen in as Corey recounts the story of hotdog-eating champion Kobayashi, drawing lessons on questioning the conventional and pushing the boundaries of what's possible. They emphasize the power of not just aiming for more but seeking ways to make the process more efficient. Join them if you're keen on exploring the intricacies of the sales profession, the art of feedback, and the significance of pushing boundaries in this episode, “Making Seinfeld Laugh: The Sales Professional's Aim.”

"Let the words fall out, honestly, I want to see you be brave."  ~ Brave, by Sara Bareilles & Jack Antonoff Join Ariel and Shya and special guest Susan Finch in Being Here and experience your ability to naturally express yourself with ease.

Corey Frank welcome Susan Finch to talk about humility, sales training, and sushi. If you've ever wondered how to turn water into wine without being at a wedding in Cana. Today's discussion is all about nurturing the greenhorns and newbies by diving into how to nurture the budding talent fresh from school or those having a "Is this my life?" moment. Corey expounds on why humility isn't just for monks in monasteries but crucial in the sales world too. Drawing unexpected life lessons from the likes of the book 'The Alchemist' to 'Giro Dreams of Sushi' - yes, a sushi documentary, because why not? - this episode promises a roller coaster ride through the heart of sales strategies. Listen to the first half of this conversation, "Humility's on the Menu: Serving Sales Success Sashimi-style!"

In this episode, Chris dives deep into the intricacies and pitfalls of sales tooling, questioning the effectiveness of piling on more tools and the notion of an 'Uber tool.' Chris explores the impedance mismatch between the world of sales tools and the neurodiversity of salespeople, highlighting the challenges faced by salespeople who switch attention frequently and the toll it takes on their productivity. With references to a recent Forrester article, an insight into sales conversations, and a sprinkle of Beall's Laws, Chris delves into the complexities of sales processes, the importance of meaningful conversations, and the hurdles of creating a one-size-fits-all tool. Tune in as Chris discusses the present and future of sales technology, neurodiversity, and the search for an optimal toolset.  Join us for this episode, "Decoding the One-Stop Shop Sales Tool."   Full episode transcript below: ----more---- (00:23): In this episode, Chris dives deep into the intricacies and pitfalls of sales tooling, questioning the effectiveness of piling on more [00:00:30] tools and the notion of an über tool. Chris explores the impedance mismatch between the world of sales tools, and the neurodiversity of salespeople. Highlighting the challenges faced by salespeople who switch attention frequently, and the toll it takes on their productivity. With references to a recent Forrester article and insight into sales conversations, and a sprinkle of Beall's laws, Chris delves into the complexities of sales processes and the importance of meaningful conversations. As well as [00:01:00] the hurdles of creating a one-size-fits-all tool. Tune in for a discussion on the present and future of sales technology, neurodiversity, and a search for an optimal tool set. Join us for this episode, Decoding The One-Stop Shop Sales Tool. Chris Beall (01:23): Hey everybody. Chris Beall here without Corey Frank. He's probably available, but it's a Tuesday [00:01:30] afternoon raining here in Port Townsend, Washington. I don't know, I was just in a mood to hold forth on something. So here's the something. I read yesterday, it was a LinkedIn post I believe, that pointed to a Forrester analysis that said basically the number of sales tools keeps going up and sales performance keeps going down. And asking the question, "Are they related to each other?" And [00:02:00] I think the answer is yes, but not for precisely the reasons they stated in the article. So the idea in the article was pretty simple. More sales tools means more stuff that the sales person has got to work with, or is tempted to work with. And it's hard to become an expert at anything at all in this world, actually. Let's face it. But it's particularly hard to become an expert in something that you use occasionally and use a little bit. (02:28): So the idea is, [00:02:30] hey, you're having to jump around from tool to tool to tool. And the suggestion is a one-stop shop that does everything, is going to get the job done. That is, you want one tool to rule them all. And it's interesting. This to me, reminds me of the whole world of enterprise resource planning as it eventually came to be called. And you grew out of a thing called MRP, Manufacturing Resource Planning. And then MRP 2, which was a subtle twist [00:03:00] on all of that, that actually went and closed the loop between outputs and inputs. That is, you were actually talking about making stuff and ultimately maybe even shipping it. I only know about this because I was a architect designer of an MRP 2 system way back when. Which turned into, with a little bit of help, into a distribution management system to run a big automated warehouse full of all sorts of things. Humans and robots working [00:03:30] together. (03:30): And people who know me know I do love my humans and robots working together. Especially if the robots don't have much physical form, if they're just software. That's what we do here at ConnectAndSell, is humans and AI work together to solve the problem of getting a conversation with somebody, which is a positive thing. And getting to ship the right stuff out on an order and not make any mistakes. That was a pretty good one too. So the reason I bring that up is, there was always a dream in the world [00:04:00] of ERP. And that dream has been repeated over, and over, and over in enterprise software land. Folks come up with something and say, "Well it's just ridiculous that we're using general purpose tools." And they will generally point to email and Excel, unless they choose to say it in the other order. And then it's Excel and email. (04:22): And then they might throw in something like, I don't know, Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, or nowadays, some Google tools or other. [00:04:30] And say, "Wouldn't it be great if instead of using this general stuff, we could use specific stuff that was wired together to solve all the problems that are faced by all sellers?" And so these tools come out, first as point solutions doing this, that, and the other thing. And then somebody says, "Hey, let's bring them all together and make something that works for everybody." It sounds marvelous. It really does. It has a problem. [00:05:00] And this I think is one of the problems with tooling in general in the tech space, and much more specifically or in a more profound way, in the sales space. And the reason is, trying to make stuff work together assumes that you know what working is. That is, you know what the inputs are. You know what the outputs are. You know what the transformations are. You know what quality means. You know what it means for [00:05:30] an output to not meet up to standards and have to be sent back for rework. (05:36): You know what customer value actually is. That who gets the value of the thing that you're producing at each step, and how do they realize that value. You know all of that stuff supposedly. And then you can make a system that says, "Oh, I'm going to represent these inputs in a database in this way, or put them on a screen so you can see them. I'm going to maybe animate them so that you can [00:06:00] watch them move, and get an idea of what's going on. I'll give you analytics of pictures that show you what's happening. Lines marching up under the right, or whatever it happens to be. Won't it be great?" It sort of ignores a glaring fact of life, which is we actually tend not to know exactly how things work. I was listening to a conversation today with four extremely smart people, who are extremely deep in their business, talking about [00:06:30] just how one thing works, or how it could work. Which was, "What are we going to do with these inbound leads now that we've changed our ideal customer profile?" (06:42): Now the keywords there are one historical, what are we going to do with...? And then it talks about something in the past. So the past is the past. You can't do anything about it. So the inbound leads come as they are, however that is. Somebody built some system to take care of them. Somebody [00:07:00] built a process to take care of them. That was all full of all sorts of assumptions. It was tuned by experience. And I bet at some point it involved an Excel spreadsheet, regardless of what they might say. So even if it's just for analyzing the outliers, somebody probably extracts data from that thing every once in a while. Puts it in a spreadsheet, takes it through some manipulations. If they're any good, they do something brilliant with a pivot table. If they're not so good, they probably sort [00:07:30] three or four of the columns and leave the other ones unsorted. But they're happy because nobody ever looks at the data anyway. And then, well, everything's just fine. (07:37): The beauty is, the spreadsheet provides a buffer against how things are in the real world, and how you would like them to be or like to report on them. Putting them in different categories, totaling this, that and the other thing. So that buffer is like grease in the machine. It provides lubrication for a [00:08:00] process that is not perfectly well understood. That is, doesn't mesh perfectly. You can never make a machine a physical machine with perfect tolerances. There's always a little scraping going on, a little friction. I used to be a Volkswagen mechanic many, many years ago. And I tell you those things don't run very far, last very long if you run them out of oil. Even though they're pretty precisely manufactured, they're just not that precise. And by the way, when they get hot, they get less precise [00:08:30] because parts swell up. So when you look at processes, and think about them. And think, "Oh, I know exactly what's going on here and therefore I could automate this process." You're probably wrong. (08:44): You're probably ending up with your automation needing to be supported by some kind of a buffering mechanism that allows you to take things that aren't quite described perfectly. "Oh, this particular thing works when we're only shipping boxes [00:09:00] of the size, but now it turns out there's a new product on the shelf and it's in a weird shape box. And it doesn't fit in the pallet anymore. And our process assumes everything goes on a palette in a certain way." Or whatever. Anyway, this is where spreadsheets get involved and everybody throws up their hands eventually and says, "We got to stop running on spreadsheets." Well, if that worked, we would've stopped running on spreadsheets a long time ago. So that's kind of thing number one is, it's really hard to describe [00:09:30] a process, even one in the past. And then there's change. And change is the big deal, and sales processes are very, very prone to changing. (09:42): They're also very, very prone to being executed in ways in the field that are significantly different from the way they're drawn up. They're not like NFL plays, they're more like broken plays. That is, you can put the little chalkboard up there and you can draw X's [00:10:00] and O's, and swoopy lines that show where the wide receiver's going to go. And who's going to legally pick off whom. And all that kind of good stuff. But on the real field, in the world of sales, your opponents are not the other folks. Maybe they are. After all, you have a whole bunch of things working against you. You have time working against you. There's no fixed amount of time. There's no real rules of engagement, although people kind of stylize some of them and go, "Oh, we'll have this discovery meeting first [00:10:30] and then we'll do this demo next." And so forth. (10:33): Those things are all talked about a lot, but there's no real regularity to what I would call the playing field in the world of sales. And so it's hard to describe it digitally, and we end up kind of having to describe it in various ways that work. And out in the field, the motivated salesperson is always going to find something that works rather than do the thing as prescribed. [00:11:00] So that's part of the problem, there's just variability out there in the field. Lots of things are going on. Folks are doing little things, and big things differently from each other. Another problem is that in sales, the actual play that's being run is not the play that's drawn up. It's more like a real play, like drama. Maybe even a musical. I had the privilege the other night of going to sit with some people who are musical theater folks, and listen to them talk about their craft. (11:30): [00:11:30] And I tell you, that is high precision, very athletic stuff. Whose primary principle is, something's going to go wrong, and you the actor, are going to have to adapt to it from your deep knowledge of the story. Well, this is what happens in sales. In every sales conversation, something goes wrong. And by wrong I mean, the other party doesn't quite get what you're talking about, or you speak at the wrong time. Or you say something that kind of makes them bristle a little bit and it wasn't the part where you wanted them to bristle. [00:12:00] Or whatever. You can't predict what the other person's going to do, all you can do is adapt. So while your sales process is trying to figure out ultimately how to get you into a conversation with someone, out of which is going to come a decision. Now, sales does have one beautiful thing going for it. (12:21): There's only one thing that's really happening, which is conversations. And each conversation takes place one at a time. That's marvelous. You're not going to hold [00:12:30] three conversations at the same time, I hope. Please don't do that. And out of it comes a simple decision. What is what we call the next step? That is, do we move forward, or do we disengage? So now we're trying to describe all of this action and getting to the conversation and what happens next and all of this, in some sales tech that assumes that it knows how it all goes together. Susan Finch (12:57): We'll be back in a moment after a quick break. [00:13:00] Selling a big idea to a skeptical customer, investor, or partner is one of the hardest jobs in business. So when it's time to really go big, you need to use an uncommon methodology to gain attention, frame your thoughts and employ a successful sequencing that is fresh enough to convince others that your ideas will truly change their world. From crafting just the right cold call screenplays, to curating and mapping the ideal call list for your entire team, Branch 49's modern and innovative sales toolbox offers a guiding hand to [00:13:30] ambitious organizations in their quest to reach market dominance. Learn more at branch49.com. And we're back. Chris Beall (13:46): And the fact is, it sort of can't. So we end up in a jacket that's so to speak, too tight, it doesn't fit us very well. And that jacket starts to feel like a straight jacket. [00:14:00] And then management gets in the position of saying, "Well, you must do X, Y, and Z. You must put this data in the CRM." By the way, CRMs are notable for two things. One is, they explode with fields. Over time, more and, more and, more fields get added. None of these fields tend to be added, very few of them by professional data modelers. They tend to be added by somebody who's just in a hurry to have a place to put something. It's kind of like you have a place, you're trying to set up a picnic. And you don't have enough room on the table, but there's [00:14:30] this stump over there that's been sawed off. And well, it kind of looks like a little table, and it's sort of a pain to get it over near the table. (14:37): But if you sort of roll it over and stand it up, and fiddle with it, you can get it to be kind of like, well, an extension of the table. And you can put potato salad over there, or something like that. So that's what we tend to do with CRMs, is we put stumps and other things around them, extra fields. And even extra, they're called objects or whatever people want to call them, in order to have a place to set [00:15:00] something down so we can come back and get it later. Do we know exactly what it means? We kind of feel like we do, but we don't. And we change our minds over time, and then we change something else. And this is what makes it really hard. We change the players on the field. So the world of sales is kind of like, "Oh, Lipton teabag." They called it flow through. So what's flowing through? People on the sales team tend to be flowing through. They just don't last [00:15:30] long enough that you can really say, "Hey, this person knows exactly how this process works." (15:37): So now you have people who are learning as they go, they're hoping to be able to stay. Or maybe they're already tired of it, and they're looking to get out and go to their next gig. And you're trying to have those people adapt to a system that was built by folks who were basically kind of just trying to make something work in the moment. And so now you have all of this [00:16:00] kind of mismatch going on, but where's the grease? Where's the lubrication? Well, it turns out the lubrication in sales is provided by this oddity called sales compensation by commissions. That, as human beings we'll go to extraordinary steps, extraordinary means, in order to get paid. At least variable pay, they'll do what they need to do. So you have an interesting situation where there's kind of action at the edge. (16:26): There's, "Oh, here's the stump, but instead of putting the [00:16:30] potato salad on it, I think what I'm going to do is move the potato salad off of it. And I'm going to put this pie that is not yet cooked on it. Because later on the oven's going to open up and I can put the pie in." In sales, there's a lot of "later on, the oven's going to open up and I can put the pie in". We're almost always waiting for something over in the customer side. And so now our nice fields, our little stumps we put around, get full of all sorts of manner of things. They get pies, and pickles, and brownies and God knows what on them. [00:17:00] And then you don't know what's what. Meanwhile, the salespeople got to get the job done, because time is not their friend. Everything's running kind of quarter, by quarter, by quarter. They're trying to get the job done. (17:10): And you get this very interesting conflict between the systems and processes, and the execution itself. I guarantee you over time the execution tends to win. And then there's this pushback by the very organized folks who go, "But why is it so chaotic?" And the reason it's so chaotic is it has to actually be adaptive [00:17:30] to a situation that itself is not smooth, no matter how you draw it out. (17:35): So let's add in one more confounding factor. What do salespeople work like on the inside? And I mentioned this before. There's a lot of what would be considered neurological variance, or just the differences among people with how their brains work, how their nervous systems work. Probably their gut microbiome, their biome, their vagus nerve. God knows. We're complex beasts. And some [00:18:00] people are very, very good at calmly reading things and writing them, and so forth. So now I have this system, the sales system, that describes a process. And the way I learn about it is to read about it. And I'm a salesperson, and I don't know if I was the greatest most natural reader. I may have made myself into an okay reader, but it's probably an effort for me to read. And then to pay attention [00:18:30] long enough to what I'm reading to be able to put it into practice, and patiently try whatever I'm supposed to try. (18:38): And by the way, have you ever used a digital system that didn't make you go, "Why did they design it like this? I tried this and it doesn't work. I get this stupid error message." Well, we know that that's the case. Because that's why there's tech support, and tech support is always pretty much overwhelmed. So now I've asked a person whose natural variety, their neural diversity [00:19:00] so to speak, might lead to them away from sit, read, and think, and apply patiently and then deal with it. Toward, "I'm just going to figure out how to make this thing work well enough in order to get onto the next step and away I go." So we have sort of a mismatch between this whole world of sales tools, which tend to be read this, do this, read this, do this, read [00:19:30] this, do this. And how real salespeople tend to be constructed. Which is have a conversation with somebody, do this very athletic, delicate set of things in that conversation in order to maximize the probability of making a good decision with regard to the next step. (19:48): That's their core skill. And that skill is often exercised with what seems like some... I'll admit it, I'm not being clinical here, but maybe some attentional issues. [00:20:00] People talk about hyperactivity and ADD and this kind of stuff. I don't know about those things. I think people use those terms pretty loosely. But I tell you the ability to switch your attention very quickly, and micro pivot in a sales conversation emotionally with your voice, with the words, with your body language. Being able to do that stuff on the spot and do it really well, but not know exactly that you were going to do it one second before. The ability to do that [00:20:30] can be enhanced quite frankly, by having a neural setup that allows you to pay attention to something new very quickly. That's not true multitasking, but it's kind of like flip-flip-flip tasking while you're maintaining focus on the other person. (20:47): So it's very interesting how great salespeople work. They focus strongly on the other person, but they move very nimbly with regard to what might happen next. What might be discussed next. And they're very firm in their desire [00:21:00] or their intention, and their willingness to work toward a good outcome, which is making a good decision as to a next step. So now we give them more tools. So each one of those tools requires switching attention. Hey, that sounds pretty good for somebody who switches attention a lot. But switching attention to something that isn't that easy, which is reading and understanding and being reminded, "Oh yes, at this point, this is the required field. Oh yes, at this point, at this exception in our sales process, I'm supposed to send this to so-and-so instead [00:21:30] so-and-so. Oh, I need to fill out this here, basically a form." It feels like you're filling one out in a doctor's office or something in order to be allowed to go to the next step. (21:41): These things don't line up that well with how salespeople work. And I'm in the business of sales technology, so it's a challenge for us every day. How else are you going to put up the instructions, except by saying read them? So we try to simplify it down to, "Once you've done this once or twice, what do you do? You click on [00:22:00] a list, you click on a button that says sell, and you talk to somebody." At least you're in your element, you're talking to them. But a lot of sales process now works through, "I've got to write an email. I've got to do this. I've got to adapt and text. And I've got to read a lot." And frankly, it's tiring and it doesn't produce results much faster. Who it satisfies are the folks who want to see a very uniform, a very clean description [00:22:30] of a system. And get a lot of clean data out of it that tells them what's going on. (22:35): So there's this mismatch, and in some circles it would be called an impedance mismatch. And therefore the more tools we pile on, the harder it is for somebody to switch among them. And I think this is what the Forrester article was saying is, it's harder to switch among them. And then when we do switch among them, well, it's kind of harder to keep track of what we did. And then it's hard to make them [00:23:00] work together. And we go back and we tend to do rework that's about the tools themselves, and then we run out of time and energy. And that's one conversation, or two conversations, that we could have had that we didn't have. And that drives down the sales results. Because frankly, sales results are driven in time by a flow rate of conversations that are with relevant people, held by skilled people who are trying to honestly determine, "Hey, does it [00:23:30] make sense for us to move forward or not?" (23:31): That is, shall we make a decision of the next step that's either to do something next together, or explore further, or close a deal or whatever. Or back up and disengage. And maybe wait, come back together in some future time. So sales tooling, the more the worse. And I'm not sure that putting it all into one big package solves the problem. Because having one big package actually [00:24:00] solve all the problems, so you don't have to go to your ancillary tools. Your Excels and your emails. Doing that is really hard too, because whatever the big design is for the big one-stop shop tool, probably doesn't fit your people and your process, and what you're selling and your history perfectly. And so it's just a tough area, and people argue about it a lot. And they invest billions of dollars in companies that [00:24:30] have the next thing. (24:31): There are thousands and thousands of sales tools, even just for B2B that have been created. Now, we've been doing our thing for 17 years. So I don't know if that means it works. Or I don't know what conversations, I guess maybe do matter. But it's a pretty tough thing to actually solve either at the level of one big thing, because that one big thing is going to be too rigid. And if it's not too rigid, by the way, it's programmable. And if it's programmable, it may as well be a spreadsheet. Or [00:25:00] a whole bunch of little things working together which scramble the attention of the rep. They have to keep learning stuff. And it actually causes them to go get another job faster, and to underperform in the meantime. So those are my thoughts on this topic. That Forrester article, I thought was excellent, but I think it didn't quite get to the whole thing. (25:20): It basically got to one part, which is, "Hey, the complexity, the switching cost, the paying attention is tough." But it didn't really get to [00:25:30] sort of the other thing. It sort of suggested, "Hey, if we had one big über tool, then it'd be great because people don't have to switch around." It didn't address the fact that that thing's going to have to be programmable in some sense. And I have a law, I don't know which of my laws it is. Beall's Law, there's a ton of them. Remember my first law, the smartest person in the room gets to fix the other person's network. That's the first law. But this law goes something like this. As soon as something is [00:26:00] sufficiently configurable to solve a problem that you didn't anticipate, it is sufficiently programmable that you'll spend all your time debugging it. And very little of your time using it. So with that Chris Beall, Market Dominance Guys, and happy hunting out there.

Continuing the MrBallen Foundation Series, join this conversation on a topic close to many hearts - child abuse and the journey toward healing. Dr. Gina Crean from the Nashville Children's Alliance joins Susan Finch to discuss the challenges faced by children who have undergone traumatic experiences and the support provided by Children's Advocacy Centers (CACs) across the United States. Dr. Crean highlights the importance of minimizing retraumatization by following similar protocols across all CACs while adapting to local needs and resources. They discuss the critical role of supportive adults, community awareness, and how even small contributions, like donating snacks or blankets, can significantly impact. Dr. Crean encourages listeners to reach out for support, whether for themselves or others, and underscores the importance of starting conversations about child abuse to eliminate its stigma. This conversation is not just an eye-opener but also a call to action for everyone to contribute in their own way to support the healing journey of affected children. Join them for this episode: Healing Young Hearts: Supporting Traumatized Children Together. Links from this episode: Binky Patrol MrBallen Foundation Nashville Children's Alliance

In this episode, Susan Finch and Tessa Burg dive deep into the ethical and strategic incorporation of AI tools, such as ChatGPT, into business workflows and educational systems. They discuss the importance of understanding biases, setting up standards across the company, and adopting a cautious approach to the usage of generative AI tools. They emphasize the need for a strong QA process and internal policies to protect clients and businesses. Additionally, they touch on the importance of educating students and teachers on how to properly use AI tools to enhance creativity and communication. Susan and Tessa share real-life examples and insights to highlight the challenges and benefits of using AI tools while maintaining a strong focus on ethics, security, and bias. Tune in to explore the nuances of incorporating AI into your daily workflows and the importance of approaching it with a strategic mindset. Listen to Tessa's episode from Leader Generation on this topic, as well. The Unique Edge Marketers Have Over ChatGPT Links from this episode: Susan on LinkedIn Tessa on LinkedIn Time-Saving vs. Think-Saving blog post

The game isn't won with the buzzer shot. The game is won by endless hours of preparing for the buzzer shot. Chris and Susan dive deep into the often-overlooked topic of prospecting costs and return on investment (ROI). Chris's passion for the subject shines through as he challenges conventional thinking and emphasizes the importance of time as the ultimate business denominator. He reveals that traditional efficiency metrics like conversion rates and ratios have little to do with business success. Instead, he argues that prospecting is about maximizing the value of every hour and building a robust pipeline. Chris expertly breaks down prospecting ROI, highlighting the investment in time and the need to attribute pipeline growth back to conversations. Throughout the episode, they share pro tips and emphasize the need for a strategic and holistic approach to prospecting beyond research and follow-ups. This engaging discussion is a must-listen for sales professionals looking to unlock the true potential of prospecting and boost their ROI. Join Chris and Susan for this episode, "Prospecting Costs and ROI: Dollars Spent, Dollars Missed." Links from this episode: Susan Finch on LinkedIn Chris Beall on LinkedIn Funnel Media Group ConnectAndSell

In this episode of Market Dominance Guys, Chris Beall, and Susan Finch discuss their experience using ChatGPT to write a book based on their podcast, and the benefits of using AI to create content. They delve into the limitless possibilities of machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision, and how they are transforming various industries. Chris and Susan also share their insights on the process and the excitement of seeing the AI learn and improve. Chris and Susan talk about how ChatGPT can generate various versions of a prompt, and the different approaches they took to refine their requests for better results. They also reflect on the human-like interactions they had with ChatGPT, and the Eliza effect that makes people treat the AI as if it were a person. Ultimately, they highlight the efficiency and creativity that AI can bring to content creation, and the potential for using ChatGPT to write more books in the future. Tune in to hear their fascinating discussion on the intersection of AI and writing in this episode, "How ChatGPT is Writing a Book: The AI and Human Collaboration."

These sales experts agree, that there is more than one approach to a successful sales campaign. We're sure Chris Beall has some dark childhood story about alternate ways of skinning a cat, although he's never done it, of course. These discussions include modifications and redirections in the buying cycle, even though the basics are still there: awareness, consideration and decision. Join Corey and Chris in this episode of snippets from episodes about the buying cycle. This features Oren Klaff, Jason Beck, Gerhard Gschwandtner, Susan Finch, Dan McClain, Brad Ferguson, and our own Chris Beall and Corey Frank. To hear the entire episodes features, visit this collection: https://marketdominanceguys.com/category/buying-cycle/