How to Eliminate Chaos and Build a Business That Runs Without You | Featuring Susan Fennema
Most small business owners hit a wall—not because of market conditions or lack of talent—but because they’re still at the center of every decision.
In the latest episode of Scale Smart Grow Fast, Susan Fennema, Chaos Eradicating Officer, Beyond the Chaos, breaks down exactly how to remove owner dependency and turn chaos into clarity. With 30+ years of operational experience and co-author of Efficiency Amplified, she shares the mindset shifts, systems, and steps that help owners scale smart—without burning out.
Preferred listening on the go? Catch the full podcast episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
🚩 Warning Signs of Owner Dependency
- You can’t take a real vacation without your business crumbling.
- You’re constantly firefighting and exhausted.
- Every decision runs through you.
- Your best team members are either unclear or leaving.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone—and it’s fixable.
🛠️ First Steps to Operational Freedom
- Track Your Time: Write down everything you do in a week—daily, monthly, even the tasks you hate.
- Identify Low-Value Work: You’re likely doing $20/hour tasks as a $300/hour CEO.
- Start Delegating: Begin with part-time help (VA or project manager) and record quick Loom videos to train them.
- Build Basic Systems: Start small—like creating an offboarding process. It’s the most overlooked yet crucial one.
- Use Project Management Tools Correctly: Trello, Asana, ClickUp all work—if you implement structure.
🧠 Mindset Shifts That Matter
- Your team can do it better—if they know what success looks like.
- Letting go isn’t losing control; it’s gaining capacity.
- Peace and clarity don’t mean your business is failing—it means it’s working.
🔄 From Chaos to a Saleable Business
Most owners who “want out” can’t sell because they are the business. Susan explains how systematizing operations not only gives you your life back—it turns your business into a real, sellable asset.
💡 Time Management That Works
- Calendar block your strategic time—and honor it.
- Hold “office hours” to reduce constant interruptions.
- Shut off email/social notifications and check them intentionally.
🎁 Want to Know Where You Stand?
Susan offers a free Operations Audit to help you identify your biggest operational gaps.
👉 beyondthechaos.biz/operations-audit
Feeling buried in tasks that pull you away from growth? Our executive support helps you reclaim time, focus, and control.
👉 Book My Discovery Call
Bottom Line:
If you’re doing everything yourself, you’re not running a business—you’ve built a job. It’s time to scale smart. Start by watching the full episode for practical strategies you can implement this week. 🎥 Watch now on YouTube 🔗 https://youtu.be/wfjBpwiUkdE
Transcript
Harley Green
Hey everybody, welcome back to the Scale Smart Grow Fast podcast. Too many businesses hit a ceiling because the owner is still at the center of every decision. In this episode, Susan Fennema, chaos eradicating officer at Beyond the Chaos and co-author of Efficiency Amplified, shares how to eliminate operational chaos, build scalable systems, and finally break free from day-to-day dependency. With 30 plus years of operational expertise, Susan offers practical strategies to help business owners reclaim their time and lead with clarity. Susan, thank you so much for being on the podcast. How are you doing today?
Susan Fennema
Thank you so much for having me. I’m doing great and excited to get this week going.
Harley Green
Love it. Susan, can you tell us more about your background? What gave you this operational expertise and what made you decide to help businesses with their operations?
Susan Fennema
I’ve always been wired for organizing. As a child, I would sit with a jar of buttons and organize them by color and size. Throughout my career, I worked for small business owners in roles that were always process-oriented. I was focused on taking the load off the owner, simplifying, and streamlining operations.
In 2016, I started looking for what I thought would be my last job, but I realized I could serve multiple owners at once instead of committing to one. That’s when Beyond the Chaos transitioned from a side gig into a business dedicated to helping owners eliminate chaos and build freedom into their operations.
Harley Green
Owner dependency is a major roadblock to growth. What are some of the biggest warning signs that a business is too dependent on its owner?
Susan Fennema
The biggest red flag is if the owner can’t take a vacation without everything falling apart. Other signs include exhaustion, constant firefighting, and being the bottleneck for every decision. Team members feel stuck because they need approval to move forward, which leads to frustration and turnover.
We also see owners frustrated with clients, team members, and even family because they’re burned out. Many say they want to sell their business and walk away. But once they create processes and hand off work, they usually rediscover their love for the business and start growing again.
Harley Green
Some listeners might be realizing they don’t have to live with those stressors. What inspired you to start focusing on eliminating chaos?
Susan Fennema
I started in project management, making projects more efficient. But I quickly saw how much relief that gave owners, so I went deeper. I began looking at the entire flow—how leads come in, how proposals turn into projects, how work is delivered, and how to build repeatable systems that create more clients.
Owners should focus on relationships, strategy, and growth, not daily details. With systems in place, it’s easier to hold teams accountable and identify who’s performing well. Many owners start businesses because they love their craft, but get trapped in details. Fractional operations support—like project managers or integrators—helps free them up without the cost of a full-time COO.
Harley Green
That makes sense. For business owners who want to make their business more enjoyable or even more saleable, what are the first steps they should take?
Susan Fennema
Start by writing down everything you do in a week, then add monthly, quarterly, and annual tasks. Include tasks you hate as well. Next, estimate what you’d pay someone else to do those tasks. Most owners, worth $200–$300 an hour, are spending too much time on $15 tasks.
Those are the first things to delegate or stop doing. Document how you do them with a simple video or outline. Then bring in part-time support like an assistant or project manager. Offloading those tasks frees you to focus on higher-level work.
Harley Green
That’s a great point. Owners often hesitate to delegate because they don’t enjoy those tasks themselves.
Susan Fennema
Exactly. But there are people, like us, who love operations. Processes may feel like bureaucracy, but they’re what actually set you free.
Harley Green
You’ve mentioned several ways to eliminate chaos. Can you walk us through a few that create the foundation for scaling?
Susan Fennema
The first is process development. Clear processes make delegation and accountability easier, and they create a structure for addressing problems without conflict.
The second is project management. Many owners try tools like Trello, Asana, or Monday and give up, but the problem is usually implementation. With the right setup, these tools help deliver projects consistently.
The third is using time intentionally. Owners often get trapped in email or constant interruptions. The key is structuring your day to reduce distractions and focus on high-value work.
Harley Green
What are some tactical tips for managing time more intentionally?
Susan Fennema
Calendar blocking is essential. Schedule time to work on the business and treat it like a client appointment. Office hours are another great tool. Instead of constant interruptions, team members know when they can come to you.
Turn off notifications, step away from email, and use project management tools to track work instead of your inbox. Even small changes here can dramatically improve productivity.
Harley Green
How do you help owners move from reactive to proactive in their operations?
Susan Fennema
It starts with reducing emergencies. Once things calm down, some owners panic because they feel less needed. That’s where reviewing your numbers and focusing on strategic questions comes in. Use that newfound time to think about sales, growth, or improving the business instead of constantly firefighting.
Harley Green
In your book Efficiency Amplified, what’s one system or process every growing team should prioritize first?
Susan Fennema
Offboarding. Onboarding is important, but offboarding is usually an emergency. If someone leaves suddenly, you need to know what accounts they had access to, what passwords to revoke, and how to notify the team. Having that process in place prevents chaos and protects the business.
Harley Green
What are some mindset challenges owners face when trying to let go?
Susan Fennema
One is believing they’re the only ones who can do it right. In reality, with the right direction, team members often do it better. Another is the adrenaline rush of firefighting—when that’s gone, owners can feel lost. Adjusting both mentally and physically is part of letting go.
Harley Green
How can leaders maintain their vision while still empowering employees?
Susan Fennema
Every company has a culture, intentional or not. Leaders need to clearly communicate the vision and values, especially in virtual or hybrid teams. At Beyond the Chaos, we send framed value statements to employees as a daily reminder. Celebrating employees who embody the vision reinforces it across the team.
Harley Green
For owners still caught in the weeds, what’s one action they can take this week to start building more freedom?
Susan Fennema
Start that activity spreadsheet. Document what you’re doing every day, then identify what can be delegated. Operations isn’t one-and-done, it’s ongoing—like finance. But starting with that step is the path to freedom.
Harley Green
Susan, thank you so much for sharing these invaluable tips with our audience today. If people want to learn more or get in touch, what’s the best way?
Susan Fennema
I’d like to offer an operations audit to everyone listening. It’s a form that helps you evaluate how you’re operating and where we can help. Go to beyondthechaos.biz/operations-audit.
Harley Green
Fantastic, thank you for that. For those listening, if you got value from this episode, hit like and subscribe so you don’t miss future strategies to help you scale smarter. Share this with a colleague who might benefit, and if you’re on a podcast platform, leave us a quick rating. Thanks again for tuning in, and we’ll see you on the next one.
Susan Fennema
Thanks, Harley.