Why You’re Still Stuck in the Day-to-Day (And How to Break Free)

by faye.eScale Smart, Grow Fast PodcastPosted on Comments are Disabled

Why You’re Still Stuck in the Day-to-Day (And How to Break Free)

If you’re a founder or business leader still caught in the weeds—managing calendars, answering emails, and putting out fires—you’re not alone. But staying stuck in the day-to-day is not the cost of building a successful company.

In a recent episode of Scale Smart, Grow Fast, host Harley Green sat down with Ken Wimberly, founder of Laundry Luv and a serial entrepreneur with over two decades of experience. Ken has mastered the art of scaling with systems, service, and soul—without burning out.

Preferred listening on the go? Catch the full podcast episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Here’s what you’ll learn from his journey—and how you can apply it today.

🚧 The Trap: Doing Everything Yourself

Ken’s early entrepreneurial days were all hustle, no structure. Like many founders, he thought doing it all was the only way to succeed.

The breakthrough came when he realized: you can’t scale if you’re the bottleneck.

🧰 The Tools That Changed Everything

To escape the grind, Ken implemented the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)—a game-changing framework that helped him align his team, define roles, and lead with clarity.

He also built a powerhouse team of virtual executive assistants. One VA has been with him for over 12 years, helping run four different companies.

“If you don’t have an assistant, you are the assistant.” – Ken Wimberly

💡 Daily Huddles = Daily Clarity

Ken starts each day with a 15-minute huddle to align priorities and check in personally with his team. These meetings, inspired by Dan Martell’s Buy Back Your Time, are followed by focused 1-on-1s.

Short. Consistent. Game-changing.

🕒 Calendar Blocking = Time Ownership

Ken “weaponizes” his calendar using color-coded time blocks for deep work, family, strategy, and more. His VAs overlay this framework to protect his focus and maximize every hour.

📈 KPIs That Reflect Purpose

At Laundry Luv, impact is more than a buzzword—it’s a business metric. His team tracks:

  • 📚 Books given to kids
  • ❤️ Lives positively touched
  • 🛠️ Community engagement initiatives

Because when your business is built to serve, the profits follow naturally.

🔄 Want to Scale Without Burnout?

If you’re tired of being the bottleneck:

  • Build systems like EOS
  • Hire before you’re “ready”
  • Empower your team with clarity
  • Track what really matters
  • Start small—with a daily huddle

📬 Connect with Ken Wimberly

🔗 Learn more about Laundry Luv: https://www.laundryluv.com/
🔗 Connect with Ken and access free tools: https://www.kenwimberly.com/ 

Ready to stop drowning in daily tasks and start leading with focus?

💼 Book a discovery call with Workergenix and find your Ultimate Executive Assistant today.

Like what you read? Get weekly insights on scaling, efficiency, and profitability—straight to your inbox. Click here to subscribe.

Transcript

Harley Green:
Hey everybody. Welcome back to Scale Smart, Grow Fast. Today we’re going to talk about what if scaling a business didn’t mean burning out or compromising your values? Today’s guest, Ken Wimberly, is proof that growth doesn’t have to come at the cost of your soul. He’s the founder of Laundry Luv, a modern community-centered laundromat brand, and a serial entrepreneur who spent 20 years building scalable businesses rooted in legacy, leadership, and purpose. In this episode, you’ll learn how to systemize for freedom, lead with clarity, and grow a business that makes you proud. Ken, welcome to the podcast. Maybe you can tell us a little bit more about your background as an entrepreneur.

Ken Wimberly:
Hey Harley, thanks for having me. I’ve been looking forward to this. Entrepreneurially, it’s almost all I’ve ever done. I spent a short stint in the Navy in the middle of college. When I graduated, I had my first and only two jobs. One was in the insurance and investment business. From there, I launched a pizza startup. It wasn’t a full franchise, more like a quasi-licensed brand. It failed, oddly, because of real estate issues, which is ironic since I spent the next 20 years in real estate.

After that failure, I worked briefly for about a year as a GM at a restaurant. Then it was into the rest of my entrepreneurial career, which for decades was in the commercial real estate business. I started as a broker in land brokerage, then moved into investment sales. Through that, I got affiliated with the Keller Williams Network, ended up becoming a Keller Williams franchise owner, and started buying real estate. That led to buying a shopping center. We were looking for tenants and realized it would be ideal for a laundromat. We tried to find a laundromat operator and couldn’t, so my partners and I decided to become the operator ourselves. That was the beginning of Laundry Luv.

We wanted to do something different. Laundromats were often gross, dingy, unstaffed, not places for families. We wanted to be the opposite. We aimed to be the family-friendly laundromat—the Chick-fil-A of laundromats. So we created dedicated children’s play spaces in every location. We bring in books, promote childhood literacy, read to kids, and give away books. We do something for our communities every single month. It’s been a blessing—a way to make an impact, have purpose, and build a thriving business.

Harley Green:
That’s an amazing story. I love how it sounds like you learned from some of the challenges or failures that you faced early on, pivoted, took that knowledge, and then made it your special skill or unique advantage. I’d love to hear, what are some of the turning points you experienced with your approach to scaling business?

Ken Wimberly:
One of the most important is the team. Having the right people in the right seats doing the right things is imperative. We’ve got both a physical and virtual team. Virtually, we have team members from around the world. Physically, I’m in Fort Worth, Texas. My partner’s in Austin. We have team members and stores in multiple cities. COVID helped everyone embrace remote work and how to build remote teams. That’s been a game changer.

The other big thing is implementing EOS—the Entrepreneurial Operating System. Not just dabbling, but full-on implementation. We hired an EOS implementer who comes in quarterly. We use all the tools properly. It has streamlined our business, helped define the right seats, identify the right people, and assess whether they want the job, can do the job. It’s been a huge win.

Harley Green:
I love that you brought that up because one of the questions I was going to ask was what systems you use for your hybrid teams. You’ve got people all over the world and you answered it with EOS. That’s something we’ve also implemented. I also love how when we were coordinating this podcast, you immediately brought in one of your executive assistants. I’d love it if you could share your thoughts on leveraging executive assistants for founders and business leaders. A lot of people think it’s easier to do it themselves or don’t want to give up access to their inbox. What are your thoughts?

Ken Wimberly:
The first hire we need to make is the executive assistant. If you don’t have an assistant, you are the assistant. Managing your inbox alone is hours of time. My calendar too. That’s been harder for me to give away, but now during my morning huddle with my EA, I just say, “Davidson, add this, change this, move this meeting.” It saves so much time.

He coordinates everything. Instead of emailing back and forth to change a meeting, Davidson handles it. That alone saves hours. But there’s more—Davidson is a master at graphic design. That’s his core skill set. He handles my presentations, branding materials, and more. Right now, he’s building a brand book for Laundry Luv. He’s so good. Sure, I could do it, but it would take forever and wouldn’t be nearly as good. My time is better spent on deep thinking and vision for the company.

He also manages my social media. I was telling him yesterday—it’s like listening to my own voice when he posts. He watches my podcasts, listens to my language, and uses AI tools for clips. He’s become that good. Then there’s Melissa, my first VA hire 12 years ago. She’s now my wife’s primary EA. She’s been with us through four companies. Melissa and Davidson are like family to me. Every morning, we do a huddle: me, my wife, and our two VAs. We each share something we’re grateful for, then the three main priorities for the day, and if we need help. Then we go into our 1:1s—me with Davidson, my wife with Melissa.

We use Dan Martell’s “Buy Back Your Time” format. The 30-minute morning structure gets us aligned and moving fast. It’s been crucial. I can’t say enough about the importance of bringing on a VA or EA.

Harley Green:
I love that you brought up morning huddles and check-ins. Many people struggle with VAs because they don’t do regular check-ins. They treat them like a black box. I’m curious—what strategies or mindset shifts helped you build trust with your team and allow them to take ownership?

Ken Wimberly:
It’s an evolution. Like with any hire, they come in not knowing anything. They need to be trained. When I first hired Melissa, I wasn’t great at training her. But once I had an in-house admin take over her training, it got way better. When Davidson came on, Melissa trained him. Every team member needs proper training and oversight. The daily huddles are critical. I didn’t use to do them, but I’ve learned to implement them. I also R&D a lot—rip off and duplicate. If I see a model working, I adopt it.

My partner Skyler had another great system—Friday one-on-ones with each team member. It’s a check-in: how are they doing personally, with family, health, etc. If something’s wrong, that’s all we focus on—how to help. If things are good, we move on to weekly goals, what got done, communication, and support needs. It’s not robotic—I know the questions, and we have a natural conversation. Sometimes I lead, sometimes my wife. It builds a deeper relationship beyond just business.

Harley Green:
I’m glad you brought up checking in with employees on a personal level because so many times that side isn’t talked about. There’s often no natural opportunity to bring it up in traditional business meetings, and that can lead to negative performance, burnout, or turnover. As business owners, there are often simple solutions—time off, a small adjustment, support—that can make a huge difference. We’ve seen major improvement in our business by doing the same thing.

Speaking of balance and helping people, you’ve got a lot going on. In addition to Laundry Luv, you’re still active as a commercial real estate investor. How do you balance your time between your different endeavors?

Ken Wimberly:
The first thing I do is weaponize my calendar. Everything goes on it. If someone looked at my calendar, it might overwhelm them, but for me it creates clarity. I know exactly what I’m supposed to be doing at any given time. Most of my time is spent on Laundry Luv. We’re growing, franchising, building stores, and supporting franchisees, so it requires a lot of focus.

I still do real estate investments with partners, but I don’t do brokerage anymore. I do maintain referral relationships because people still see me as the real estate guy. Again, it all goes on the calendar. It’s color-coded—Laundry Luv, real estate, personal, family. Date nights with my wife are on there. My kids’ sports events are on there. Everything is intentional.

Davidson helps manage my calendar. He knows what’s coming in and how to prioritize it. I also mapped out what I call my ideal calendar. I took this from Dan Martell. I mapped out everything—from my early morning personal routine, workouts, family time, deep work blocks, and flex time.

Davidson has this overlay of my ideal calendar, so he knows not to schedule meetings during deep work time. That alone took a few hours to build, but once it was done, everything started flowing better.

Harley Green:
I love that. We do something similar with time blocking. How often do you revisit that ideal calendar? Do your priorities shift enough that you need to adjust it, or does it give you enough flexibility?

Ken Wimberly:
There’s enough flexibility built in. The reality of my calendar doesn’t always match the ideal perfectly. Some days require full-day commitments, travel, or discovery days. But the ideal calendar serves as a guide. When I’m traveling or in all-day meetings, that takes priority. Having a framework helps me return to balance faster.

Harley Green:
You mentioned EOS earlier, so I’m sure you’re big on KPIs. What are some of your favorite metrics that tell you when systems are working—or when something’s off?

Ken Wimberly:
EOS has been incredible for that. As a team, we defined the KPIs that truly matter. We revisit them annually to make sure they’re still relevant. For my role, it’s about pipeline—how many people are active and how many are moving toward meaningful engagement.

Because we’re community-focused, we also track impact. We track how many books each store gives away to children every week. We track how many lives we’ve positively touched. That wasn’t always on the scorecard, but we realized if it’s important, we should measure it. Our store managers report these numbers weekly, and it’s powerful.

Harley Green:
I’d love for you to share one of those stories—how you’ve impacted lives in the community and what effect that’s had on the business.

Ken Wimberly:
One example is our Thanksgiving dinner giveaway. We give $50 grocery gift cards so families can have a Thanksgiving meal. We hear stories every year from people who say they wouldn’t have had Thanksgiving dinner without it.

Every August, we do back-to-school backpack giveaways. With our vendors’ support, we provide hundreds of backpacks filled with supplies. Families line up outside the store. Kids are excited, parents are relieved. It’s incredibly meaningful.

Another story that always moves me involves Clay, our first store manager and now Director of Facilities. We call him the Minister of Love. One day, he noticed a customer who was visibly upset. The man was being evicted and his truck was broken down. Clay didn’t hesitate. He spent hours helping him move his belongings so they wouldn’t be lost. Clay is in his 60s, moving furniture without question. Stories like that happen every week. Sometimes it’s just showing up, seeing people, and doing something small that makes a big difference.

Harley Green:
That’s incredibly inspiring. For those listening who might be interested in Laundry Luv, what makes an ideal franchisee or operator?

Ken Wimberly:
We look for people who want to work with a team and appreciate structure and systems. You don’t have to do it alone, but you do need to be aligned with leadership and service. Some business or leadership experience helps—marketing, accounting, operations. Veterans are a great fit for us. My partner and I are veterans, and we support them heavily.

This is a profitable business, but profit isn’t our first driver. We believe in doing good by doing good. The more good we do, the more good comes back.

Harley Green:
We feel the same way. As we wrap up, what’s one shift business leaders can make this week to free up their time and feel more in control?

Ken Wimberly:
Get comfortable with delegation. Ask your team to bring three potential solutions when they bring you a problem. That teaches them to think critically and solve problems on their own. Over time, you stop being the bottleneck, and the business starts running smoothly.

Harley Green:
Ken, where can listeners connect with you and learn more about Laundry Luv?

Ken Wimberly:
You can visit LaundryLuv.com—L-U-V—to learn about the business and franchise opportunities. For more about me, go to KenWimberly.com. I share a lot of free resources there—systems, documents, and tools that help streamline business and life.

Harley Green:
To our listeners, if you got value today, hit follow and subscribe, leave a rating, and share this episode with someone who needs it. Thanks for tuning in to Scale Smart, Grow Fast. Until next time, keep scaling smart.

How to Avoid Hiring Mistakes When Scaling Your Business (with Lynn Talbott)

by faye.eScale Smart, Grow Fast PodcastPosted on Comments are Disabled

How to Avoid Hiring Mistakes When Scaling Your Business (with Lynn Talbott)

Hiring during a growth phase can feel like a scramble. You’re stretched thin, juggling sales, operations, and your team — and suddenly you need someone yesterday. But rushing the hiring process can quietly sabotage your company’s momentum.

In a recent episode of the Scale Smart Grow Fast podcast, host Harley Green sat down with Lynn Talbott, founder of The Bookkeeper’s Coach, to break down how to avoid the most common hiring pitfalls that hurt growing businesses.

Preferred listening on the go? Catch the full podcast episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Here are the top takeaways every founder needs to hear:

1. Your First 5 Hires Are Make-or-Break

Lynn compares early hires to “cornerstones” of your company. They shape your culture, pace, and scalability. Hiring someone who can’t grow with your business — even if they solve an immediate pain point — will cost you more in the long run.

✅ Tip: Think 3–5 years ahead when hiring. Choose people who can evolve with the company, not just fill a gap today.

2. Don’t Just Delegate—Lead

Founders often struggle with delegation — or worse, fall into abdication (handing something off and walking away). Lynn emphasizes the need to develop leadership in your team. Your hires should lighten your load, not add to it.

✅ Tip: Hire with leadership potential in mind. Can they take ownership, or will you be babysitting?

3. Culture Fit > Technical Fit

Many entrepreneurs rush into hiring someone with the right skills — but overlook cultural alignment. That’s a fast track to team dysfunction.

✅ Tip: Define your mission, values, and team vibe. Then hire people who live them, not just talk the talk.

4. Watch Out for the “Halo Effect”

One of the biggest mistakes? Letting your gut override structure. Entrepreneurs often make a snap judgment and then spend the rest of the interview convincing themselves the candidate is “the one.”

✅ Tip: Use structured interviews with behavioral questions. Stick to a checklist. Don’t wing it.

5. Don’t Hire Just Because You “Trust” Someone

Hiring a friend, family member, or neighbor because you “trust” them — not because they’re qualified — is a common trap Lynn warns against.

✅ Tip: Trust is great, but competency and fit are non-negotiable. Hire based on merit, not convenience.

6. Hire Slow, Fire Fast

If you realize you’ve hired the wrong person, act quickly. Avoid dragging out the pain — it affects your team, your culture, and your momentum.

✅ Tip: Have open conversations early. If it’s not working, make the call and move forward.

Final Thought: Structure Doesn’t Have to Feel “Corporate”

Many founders resist structure, thinking it will kill their creative edge. But according to Lynn, a bit of structure — especially around hiring — actually frees you up to lead and grow.

🔗 Resources & Links

💼 Tired of hiring in panic mode or doing everything yourself?

Book your free discovery call with Workergenix and discover how an Ultimate Executive Assistant can help you escape hiring chaos, delegate smarter, and scale your business with less stress.

Like what you read? Get weekly insights on scaling, efficiency, and profitability—straight to your inbox. Click here to subscribe.

Transcript

Harley Green: Hey everybody, welcome back to the Scale Smart Grow Fast podcast. Growing your business doesn’t have to come at the cost of burnout or chaos. In this episode, Lynn Talbott, a successful founder who scaled and sold her seven-figure bookkeeping firm, shares the most common pitfalls leaders make when scaling and how to avoid them. From hiring too quickly to holding on to work that should be delegated, Lynn offers clear, hard-earned insights to help business owners grow sustainably and build a company they actually enjoy running. Welcome to the podcast. How are you doing today?

Lynn Talbott: I’m doing great. Thank you for having me, Harley.

Harley Green: That’s our pleasure. So Lynn, tell us a little bit more about your background. Tell us about your bookkeeping firm that you started and how you got through that and what brought you to what you’re doing today.

Lynn Talbott: Yes, so I’m sort of a serial entrepreneur. I got a human resources degree and went out and did the corporate world like most people do when they graduate from college. I was in HR. I really liked it, but I knew I always wanted to own my own business. So when I started my business, I called it HR Business Solutions, because I was going to help people with their back-end office doing human resources and maybe some bookkeeping. I started doing HR and found out quickly that entrepreneurs and startups don’t really want to talk to people about HR. They have their own way of doing things and they like to feel like they can make those HR decisions. I don’t need somebody telling me what to do. So quickly my HR Business Solutions company became more of a bookkeeping company simply because that was the need. And that’s what we do as startups—we shift when we have to, right?

Harley Green: I got that. Good pivot there.

Lynn Talbott: Yes. Over the years, I’ve helped hundreds of entrepreneurs at the startup level with their messy HR and bookkeeping—anything in the back office—helping them hire, figure out job descriptions, create handbooks, just creating some structure around when they’re ready to scale. Because when you start to scale, you get pulled in a lot of directions. I find the entrepreneur can get a little bit caught up in “I can do everything. I wear all the hats. I make all the decisions.” There’s something about being an entrepreneur that makes you feel like you can do everything, that you’re just Superman and you have all the answers. But what happens is a couple of years down the road, they find, “Wow, I didn’t do the right hire or I didn’t set up my back office right and now I’m scaling and trying to do a thousand things, but I might not have the right people in place.”

Harley Green: Yeah, I think we’ve all seen and experienced that. One thing you’ve mentioned before is how the first few hires—maybe the first five—can really make or break a business. What makes those early decisions so high-stakes?

Lynn Talbott: Your early hires set the tone for the culture, the pace, and how your business is going to go. I always say your first four hires are like your cornerstones—your building blocks. What does your company need so that you can delegate, be successful, and scale? That involves thinking three years, five years, or ten hires down the road. We all scale at different times. But if you don’t hire the right people at the right time, it can really cost you. You’re too busy growing and you can’t afford to hire the wrong people—those who need to be babysat, or who are constantly battling with you, or aren’t helping you build your dream. One of the top issues I see entrepreneurs make is not taking those first hires seriously. They might hire quickly to fill a need—data entry, marketing, etc.—and while the person might have the skills in the moment, they may not be able to grow with your company long-term.

Harley Green: That’s really impactful. And you mentioned rushing into that first hire because you’ve got this pain point—let’s say marketing, right? You get the marketing person. What are some tips or strategies you’d share with leaders to slow it down a little and make sure that hire is strategic and the right one?

Lynn Talbott: One of the mottos I use is “Hire slow, fire fast.” I remember when I moved from corporate HR to owning my own business, I thought I knew everything and I could hire whoever I wanted. Even with my skills, background, and a degree in HR, I still didn’t heed that advice. I’d find somebody outgoing with great skills, do a quick interview, and off they go. Later, I’d find out they weren’t a culture fit. They were battling things internally. Every startup has a culture—and that culture is you, the entrepreneur. It’s everything you stand for and what you want your company to be. You have to ask, “Is this person going to fit my culture, or am I going to battle with them forever?” Toxic hires can poison your company and bring it down quickly. Entrepreneurs often realize it too late.

Harley Green: What are some tools or interview strategies you recommend to ensure a good culture match? We know how to evaluate technical skills. Are there particular methods for culture?

Lynn Talbott: That’s a great question. It’s hard to discern if you haven’t defined your culture, mission, and vision. I’m assuming your listeners have done that before hiring. They need to remember those during interviews—”Is this person able to meet those goals? Can they fit into this culture?” What I often see is entrepreneurs winging it. They trust their gut. They get on Zoom or a phone call and just start talking. That leads to what we call in HR the “halo effect.” Maybe you liked their resume or talked to them previously. You already decided you want to hire them. So instead of vetting them, you’re convincing them to work for you. You’ve put a little halo on them. No matter what they say, you pivot around it. They may not have the soft skills, the culture fit, or the ability to grow with you. That halo effect is real. It’s happened to me, and it can happen to anybody.

Harley Green: This goes back to how entrepreneurs often think they can do everything—including hiring. Is there a time or situation when it’s better to delegate the hiring to someone else like a professional recruiter?

Lynn Talbott: It depends on who you’re hiring. If you need an operations manager to run everything, yes, you might want to go outside. If it’s a marketing person or virtual assistant, you can probably do that yourself. But even then, you need some guidelines. Before hiring, define the job. What exactly are you hiring for? Is it just marketing, or do you also need someone to manage your CRM, do backend office work, or maybe even sales? When I say things like “job description” to entrepreneurs, they often say, “I left corporate to get away from people like you telling me I need an HR department.” I get it. HR has changed, and structure can feel stifling. But even a quick task list—something simple—can help you focus on who you’re hiring for. Tools like ChatGPT can help with that. And you’ll often think of more tasks while creating that list. Hire someone who can do that job or grow into it. Not everyone will come in ready to do the perfect job.

Harley Green: You’ve worked with teams that skipped defining roles. What problems show up when expectations aren’t clear from the start?

Lynn Talbott: I often get called in as a fractional HR person to talk to employees or departments who are disgruntled. Why? Usually because they don’t have clear roles. They have “free flow”—which entrepreneurs love—but once your company grows beyond 10 people, that starts to cause conflict between departments. People compete for the owner’s attention. If you don’t have the right leadership in place, you’ll be pulled in every direction. If you hire too fast, you might miss hiring people with the leadership skills you’ll need a year from now. If no one owns their tasks or department, you end up spread too thin. Those early hires need to take control and truly manage their areas.

Harley Green: That makes sense. And it leads into the next question. Entrepreneurs often hear “HR” and cringe—it’s not what they got into business for. So how should they think about culture while building a team without becoming too corporate?

Lynn Talbott: Everyone will have their own opinion and culture style. There’s no one-size-fits-all. But the owner sets the tone. What do you stand for as an entrepreneur, and how do you share that with your team? One company I worked with gave their team books that reflected their culture. They’d have lunch meetings to discuss them and give PTO for finishing the book. It was well received. It created open conversations and stronger communication. Not everyone will love that, but it worked for them. The key is to be intentional.

Harley Green: That’s a great example of strong culture. If someone has their culture in place and their team aligned, what’s the next step to build a strong interview process? How do they grow the business fast without hiring mistakes?

Lynn Talbott: Don’t wing it. Use an interview sheet with specific questions. In HR, we use behavioral questions—past behavior predicts future behavior. Ask how they handled certain situations, or how they performed under pressure. If you ask about a past role and they start with, “My boss was terrible,” believe them—that’s how they’ll treat you too. Their answers reveal how they behave, not just what skills they have.

Harley Green: Great segue into red flags. What are some red flags founders shouldn’t ignore, especially when desperate for help?

Lynn Talbott: One big red flag is hiring people close to you. It’s common—your spouse, child, mother, or sister-in-law doing your marketing because she’s a stay-at-home mom. Founders often say, “I can trust her, I’ll teach her.” That usually turns into chaos. Just because someone is trustworthy or nice doesn’t mean they’re qualified. I’ve had to “rescue” many startups because a family member was doing the books but didn’t know what they were doing. Avoid hiring just based on trust or familiarity.

Harley Green: Let’s move to another area—handing off tasks. At what point should a founder bring in a right-hand person, like an executive assistant or COO?

Lynn Talbott: As soon as possible. You’re already working 40, 50, 60 hours a week. You need to lead, sell, and drive vision—not clean up CRMs on weekends. The biggest mistake is not delegating. We tell ourselves, “I can do it in 10 minutes,” and push things to Saturday. But by Monday, you’re too busy again. If you want someone to be your operations manager, CFO, or take over finances, develop leadership early. Hire people who own tasks, not those who push them back to you. Delegate soon and develop leadership beneath you.

Harley Green: Great advice. As we wrap up, what’s your top advice for a founder who realizes they’ve hired the wrong person? How can they recover without losing momentum?

Lynn Talbott: Be honest. Sit down and talk to them. If you’ve had open conversations before, this will be easier. If you hate confrontation and want them gone, it’s tougher. But don’t let someone stay if they’re not pulling their weight, fitting your culture, or helping you grow. Hire slow, fire fast. Say, “This isn’t working, I’m going in a different direction.” And make it clean. Have someone else cut off access to systems. Laws vary by state, but act quickly before things escalate.

Harley Green: Lynn, you’ve shared incredible strategies today. If people want to connect with you, what’s the best way?

Lynn Talbott: You can find me at coachingbookkeepers.com. We have a training circle where we coach bookkeepers to scale and sell their bookkeeping firms.

Harley Green: 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 business owner or colleague—it could be just what they need right now. Thanks for tuning in. See you on the next one.

How to Build Marketing Systems That Run Themselves (Without Burning Out)

by faye.eScale Smart, Grow Fast PodcastPosted on Comments are Disabled

How to Build Marketing Systems That Run Themselves (Without Burning Out)

Running a business shouldn’t mean running yourself into the ground.

In the latest episode of Executive Edge Live, Harley Green, Founder of Workergenix, sat down with four powerhouse leaders to explore one transformational idea: marketing that runs itself.

If you’re a founder, executive, or growth-minded leader tired of wearing all the hats, this conversation is your blueprint for reclaiming your time while driving predictable, recurring revenue.

Preferred listening on the go? Catch the full podcast episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

What Does “Marketing That Runs Itself” Actually Mean?

Frank Jones of OptSus Marketing broke it down early: it’s not about magic or passive income myths. It’s about separating effort from results by building systems that generate leads and nurture prospects without requiring your daily input.

Melanie Asher of Omicle emphasized the difference between timely and timeless marketing. You automate the timeless—the foundational brand and lead systems that work today, tomorrow, and a year from now.

Start With the Basics Before You Automate

Before automation, you need infrastructure. Frank highlighted key essentials:

  • A conversion-optimized, mobile-responsive website
  • Consistent SEO-driven blog content
  • Daily presence on relevant social platforms

Why? Because automation only scales what already works.

Eric Carrell of DoFollow.com added the importance of audience alignment: your site, your messaging, and your brand should reflect the expectations of your ideal customer—especially if you’re charging premium prices.

Know Your Data, But Focus on What Matters

Alex Hammerschmied of AutomateThis made it clear: “Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity.” He and Melanie both warned against obsessing over vanity metrics (likes, impressions) and instead urged founders to track metrics that directly tie to profit: leads, conversions, and actual sales.

Automation Is Not a Shortcut, It’s a Strategy

Automation works after you’ve done the hard work of:

  • Validating what converts
  • Understanding your ideal client persona
  • Creating messaging that resonates

Then, use email funnels, paid ads, and AI-powered repurposing tools to scale those systems.

Frank put it simply: “Start creating long-form content you enjoy, then repurpose it into multiple formats to collect real data and refine from there.”

Pro Tip: Don’t Skip the ICP Work

Eric’s biggest advice? Talk to 10-15 of your ideal clients to understand how they make decisions and where they consume content. That intel should guide everything—from your ads to your content to your messaging.

Final Advice from the Experts:

  • “If you wouldn’t hire someone untrained, don’t launch untested automation.” – Alex
  • “Just because you can automate it doesn’t mean you should.” – Melanie
  • “Define success by what drives profit, not what looks good on paper.” – Frank

How to Connect with the Panelists

Frank Jones – Founder, OptSus Marketing
Website: https://optsus.com
Newsletter: Grow with OptSus (weekly tips for small business growth)

Alex Hammerschmied – Co-founder, AutomateThis & ArztAPI
Website: https://automatethis.pro
 Email:
YouTube: AutomateThis

Eric Carrell – Founder, DoFollow.com & Pocket Capital
Website: https://dofollow.com
LinkedIn: Eric Carrell

Melanie Asher – Founder & Fractional CMO, Omicle LLC
Website: https://omicle.com

Workergenix helps busy executives delegate smarter and scale faster with highly skilled, AI-leveraged executive assistants.

🧠 Ready to reclaim 15–30+ hours a week?
👉 Schedule a free discovery call

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Transcript

Harley Green:
All right, hi everybody. Welcome to the Workergenix Scale Smart Grow Fast Executive Edge live session. This month, we are talking about marketing systems that run themselves. We really want to focus on how you can help your business with recurring revenue and having recurring marketing systems. We’ve got a panel of experts here who are going to share some incredible tips. I’m excited to dive right in. I’m Harley Green, the founder and CEO of Workergenix, where we help executives and leadership teams stay focused on high-impact activities by delegating the rest to highly skilled AI-leveraged ultimate executive assistants. Today’s conversation is about growth. It’s going to help growth-focused leaders get the information they need. We’re talking about marketing systems that run themselves—systems that bring in leads and revenue without requiring constant effort from you or your team. Our panelists are going to share proven ways to create predictable revenue, leverage automation tools, and free yourself from the marketing grind. I’m honored to be joined by an incredible group of experts who have each built scalable marketing solutions in their own businesses and for their clients.

First, we’ve got Frank. He’s the founder of OptSus Marketing and the creator of the OptSus Website Bundle. Frank helps businesses build automated SEO content and social foundations that consistently drive results. With nearly 30 years of experience and a background teaching at six universities, he’s helped companies grow 2X to 24X by mastering the essentials first.

Next, we’ve got Alex. He’s an automation specialist and co-founder of multiple businesses. From school dropout to architect to automation innovator, Alex specializes in healthcare data, process automation, and market automation for industries like pharma, insurance, and health tech startups. As a co-founder of ArztAPI, AutomateThis, and hartmut.io, he’s passionate about making automation both accessible and transformative.

Next up, we’ve got Eric, founder of Pocket Capital and DoFollow.com. Eric runs Pocket Capital, a holding company investing in early-stage digital services, and DoFollow.com, a link-building and AI visibility company for B2B SaaS. He brings firsthand experience in scaling visibility, growth, and recurring revenue through smart marketing infrastructure.

And last, but certainly not least, we have Melanie, a fractional CMO and founder of Omicle LLC, blending mindset, brand clarity, and operational efficiency. Melanie works with leaders ready to scale. She is a sought-after speaker and international author of three books on culture-driven brands and brings deep insight into how to align brand, culture, and systems for sustainable growth.

Thank you, everyone, for joining us. I’m going to dive right in. What does marketing that runs itself mean to you and why is it so important for business leaders today?

Melanie Asher:
I’ll start this one. I love the whole concept of marketing that runs itself because so often it’s perceived that marketing is something you can outsource to the cheapest person. And the reality is, you get what you pay for with marketing. Marketing that runs itself is credible, it’s directly targeted to your audience, and it connects with them. It shortens the sales cycle and reduces the amount of day-to-day management time needed to consistently generate results.

Harley Green:
Love that. Anyone else want to add?

Eric Carrell:
Yes. In the past, we built marketing systems that required people to play various roles. With today’s technology and AI advancements, it’s easier to build systems that you set up once and they run themselves every month. It’s a lower lift with greater returns.

Frank Jones:
I want to address the skeptics. When the title of this event was released, I got pushback that “marketing that runs itself” sounds like passive income—a Holy Grail that magically delivers checks to your mailbox. But those of us working online know that “mailbox money” comes from work done at some point. It’s about detaching the work from the revenue. You build systems that you can check in on from time to time. You’re leveraging your effort to create something that delivers results even when you’re not actively involved.

Melanie Asher:
Yes, I describe it to clients as timeless versus timely. Timeless content is usable today, tomorrow, and even three years from now with minimal tweaking. Timely content, on the other hand, is relevant today and maybe tomorrow, but usually not next week. Timeless content can be automated effectively. Timely content can’t.

Alex Hammerschmied:
Exactly. Frank used the term “system.” In all the automations we build, the most important thing is to clearly identify what you want to automate and why. You need to walk through your whole marketing process, often multiple times, to understand what’s working. That’s the only thing worth automating. It’s like building a car before designing the factory assembly line.

Frank Jones:
Yes, I had a conversation yesterday where someone wanted to set up an email marketing automation system. Their goal was simply to not send emails themselves. They wanted a system to send them—but had no idea what to send or what results they wanted. That’s the problem. First, figure out what works. Then automate it. Don’t automate something that doesn’t already work.

Melanie Asher:
Right. It’s much harder to fix broken automation after the fact.

Alex Hammerschmied:
Exactly. Eric mentioned earlier that automation is viable now, especially with AI. You can create systems that learn from feedback loops—open rates, click-throughs, etc.—but you still need a baseline. You have to know what outcome you’re aiming for.

Harley Green:
Yes, I’m hearing a theme: master the basics first. Then you can layer in AI, VAs, automation, and more. Frank, since you focus on mastering the basics, what should businesses have in place before implementing advanced automation?

Frank Jones:
That’s exactly why I created our website bundle. This isn’t a sales pitch—it’s about the essentials. Everything costs either time or money. You can DIY these basics. Every business needs a responsive website that drives goals—leads, sales, conversions. I still see websites that are unusable on mobile. Over 60% of traffic is mobile, so this is huge.

Once you have a solid website, publish new content weekly. Post on social media daily. These are foundational. Without data—365 social posts and 52 blog posts—you have nothing to measure or refine. Most businesses don’t do this.

Eric Carrell:
Also, build your website with your buyer in mind. If you’re charging premium, the site should feel premium. Do ICP research, define buyer personas, understand KPIs your audience cares about. Have a unique POV and proprietary methodology. Your website should show who you are, what you stand for, and how you solve specific problems.

Alex Hammerschmied:
Yes, treat each marketing asset as an employee working 24/7 for you. If you don’t train your team properly, they won’t convert leads. A chef can’t sell shoes in a shoe store. Assets need the right messaging and tools to perform.

Frank Jones:
Exactly. Many small businesses haven’t even considered personas. We use forms and AI prompts to help them generate those personas based on their own answers. Clients don’t need to start from scratch—they can respond to options and refine from there. Use tech to reduce friction and move people through your funnel faster.

Melanie Asher:
Yes, I see the same thing. Companies are experts in their fields, but they forget to speak the customer’s language. They describe problems from their perspective, not how the customer sees them. If your messaging doesn’t match how people search or what algorithms reward, you won’t be found.

Alex Hammerschmied:
Right. In automation, everything is built on data—but most of it is useless. Focus on actual outcomes: leads, conversions, sales.

Melanie Asher:
Exactly. You can have thousands of page views, but if you’re being ranked as spam, that data is misleading. Numbers don’t lie, but they don’t tell the full story either. Understand the context.

Frank Jones:
I’ve worked with enterprise clients where I had to ask repeatedly: “If this metric goes up, down, or stays the same—what will you change in your business?” If the answer is nothing, then that metric doesn’t belong on the dashboard.

Harley Green:
Alex, where should people begin once they have the basics down?

Alex Hammerschmied:
It depends on your niche. For our automation company, we don’t do lead gen on the website because there are only a finite number of potential customers. But if people are actively searching for your service—like e-commerce or local services—you should absolutely collect leads on your site. Drive traffic via paid ads, offer a white paper or incentive, follow up with an email sequence to gauge interest.

Frank Jones:
Agreed. If you’re lucky enough to have e-commerce, optimize for actual purchases. But for most, leads are the closest KPI tied to revenue. Start there. Work backwards from revenue to build your system.

Melanie Asher:
Yes, and don’t confuse B2B with B2C. Many B2B businesses fail because they set expectations like a B2C funnel. In high-ticket B2B, your site supports sales rather than generating leads directly. Understand your sales cycle.

Alex Hammerschmied:
Right. People idolize brands like Red Bull or Starbucks without understanding their scale and strategy. Red Bull runs a full media company for brand awareness alone. You can’t replicate that. Focus on what drives profit in your business.

Frank Jones:
Profit matters more than revenue. I spoke with someone spending $10K a month on marketing. They needed $100K in new revenue just to break even. If you don’t understand your margins, you won’t know whether marketing is working.

Melanie Asher:
Also, don’t confuse marketing with advertising. Ads are short-term. Marketing is the full system. And when you stop ads, your visibility drops unless you’ve built organic traction. Platforms like LinkedIn reward engagement. My rule: for every 1 post you publish, engage meaningfully with 5 others.

Alex Hammerschmied:
Exactly. That’s why I don’t like social media—it’s time-intensive and hard to automate. I prefer paid ads and content that performs long-term. My early YouTube videos still bring in leads today. That’s automation.

Harley Green:
Let’s go around for a lightning round. What’s your best advice for leaders who want to start marketing automation this quarter?

Eric Carrell:
Understand where your ICP consumes content and how they make decisions. Don’t start with SEO or ads. Start with conversations. Learn what influences them. Then you’ll know which channel and message will actually convert.

Melanie Asher:
Just because you can automate doesn’t mean you should. Be intentional. Write for your best, most profitable client—the one you love working with. Speak directly to them.

Alex Hammerschmied:
Start with one small automation. Stick with it until it works. Don’t bounce to the next shiny thing. Get one win, one sale, then iterate.

Frank Jones:
Lay the foundation. Start with long-form content you enjoy. Use tools to repurpose it, distribute across platforms, and collect data. Define “perfect” based on what drives sales, not complexity.

Harley Green:
Incredible advice. Final round—where can people connect with you?

Melanie Asher:
Connect on LinkedIn at Melanie Asher, or visit omicle.com for bonus resources and my podcast.

Eric Carrell:
Follow me on LinkedIn at Eric Carrell or check out dofollow.com for resources.

Alex Hammerschmied:
Email me at alex@automatethis.pro or visit automatethis.pro. Also, check out our YouTube channel: AutomateThis.

Frank Jones:
Subscribe to my weekly email “Grow with OptSus” at optsus.com. I share one actionable marketing tip each week.

Harley Green:
Thank you all! To our audience, thank you for joining us. Don’t forget to check out our free masterclass Delegate to Dominate at workergenix.com. See you next time on Executive Edge Live!

6 Habits Every CEO Needs to Scale Without Burnout

by faye.eScale Smart, Grow Fast PodcastPosted on Comments are Disabled

6 Habits Every CEO Needs to Scale Without Burnout

Scaling a business isn’t about grinding harder—it’s about leading smarter. In this episode of Scale Smart Grow Fast, operations strategist and host of the CEO Amplify podcast, Donna Dube, breaks down six powerful habits that help business owners step into true CEO mode, reclaim their time, and grow sustainably.

Listen to the full conversation on your favorite platform:
[Spotify] | [Apple Podcasts]

1. Protect Your CEO Power Hour

Set aside one non-negotiable hour each week to review metrics, define top priorities, and align your calendar accordingly. This ritual turns reactive chaos into proactive leadership.

2. Know the Difference: Maintenance vs. Growth

Maintenance tasks (bookkeeping, social posts, admin work) keep the wheels turning. Growth tasks (sales, partnerships, visibility) drive revenue. Your calendar should reflect that difference—with you focused on growth.

3. Measure Your Time ROI with the CEO Score

Determine your ideal revenue goal, divide it by the weeks you’ll work, and assign values to your tasks. The goal? Spend more time in $1K and $10K-level activities—not $10 jobs.

4. Start Delegating Before You Feel Ready

Even if you’re bootstrapping, you can start small. Audit your tasks to eliminate what’s unnecessary, automate what you can, and delegate what requires a human touch. Five hours a week can make a massive difference.

5. Trust Through Systems, Not Guesswork

Document key processes, provide clear expectations, and let your team run with it—even if it’s 80% “your way.” Progress beats perfection every time.

6. Build Scalable Systems

Your business needs 3 core systems: Marketing, Sales, and Client Delivery. Create rinse-and-repeat workflows with templates, assets, and checklists to reduce friction and grow with ease.

“If you insist on doing everything yourself, you’re also agreeing to stay where you are.” – Donna Dube

📥 Download Donna’s CEO Power Hour Playbook: https://ceoamplify.ca

🔹 Want to Multiply Your Energy—and Scale Without Burnout?
You don’t have to do it all. Workergenix executive assistants help streamline your tasks, protect your CEO time, and keep your growth systems running—so you can focus on what truly moves the needle.

Schedule a discovery call to reclaim your time, delegate smarter, and scale without burnout.

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The Financial Blind Spots Holding Your Business Back (And How to Fix Them)

by Harley GreenScale Smart, Grow Fast PodcastPosted on Comments are Disabled

The Financial Blind Spots Holding Your Business Back (And How to Fix Them)

As a business owner, you’re focused on growth, delivering results, and keeping your customers happy. But if you’re not keeping a close eye on your finances, you could be leaving money on the table—or worse, losing it without realizing it.

In a recent episode of the Scale Smart, Grow Fast Podcast, we sat down with Cheryl Heller, founder of Pillar One Consulting, to discuss how entrepreneurs can take control of their financial health, eliminate hidden inefficiencies, and make smarter business decisions.

Listen to this episode on the go! Tune in on your favorite services and never miss valuable insights to help you scale smarter and grow faster.

🎧 Cash Flow Mistakes That’s Costing You – Spotify

🎧 Cash Flow Mistakes That’s Costing You – Apple Podcasts

Why Most Business Owners Struggle with Finances

Many entrepreneurs avoid their financials, only checking in when tax season rolls around. But waiting too long can lead to poor cash flow management, unexpected expenses, and missed opportunities for growth. Cheryl’s advice? Start by removing the emotion from your numbers.

“Your financials are just data—use them to inform your next steps, not as a source of stress.”

By regularly reviewing financial reports, you can spot unnecessary expenses, optimize pricing, and create a long-term strategy for scaling your business.

Key Financial Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)

✅ Pricing Without Data – Too many business owners set prices based on competitors instead of their own costs and profit margins. Calculate your true costs before setting a price.

✅ Cash Flow Neglect – Profit on paper doesn’t always mean money in the bank. Understanding cash flow ensures you have the funds needed for growth, payroll, and unexpected expenses.

✅ Ignoring Receivables – A slow-paying client can quietly drain your business. Implement systems to track outstanding invoices, enforce payment terms, and follow up on late payments consistently.

✅ Overlooking Recurring Charges – Small, unused subscriptions add up over time. Reviewing your expenses monthly can prevent unnecessary spending and increase profitability.

How Business Owners Can Regain Control

1️⃣ Check Your Numbers Monthly – Don’t wait until tax time. Set aside time each month to review key financial reports like your cash flow statement and profit margins.

2️⃣ Implement Smart Systems – Use QuickBooks, Excel, or other tools to track spending, monitor revenue trends, and forecast future needs. If you don’t have time, delegate financial tracking to an AI-powered executive assistant who can ensure accuracy and consistency.

3️⃣ Know Your KPIs – At minimum, track your gross margin (profit after direct costs) and days sales outstanding (how long it takes clients to pay). These numbers impact your bottom line more than you think.

4️⃣ Build Financial Reserves – Unexpected downturns happen. Having a cash reserve of at least 3-6 months of expenses can protect your business from disruptions.

Want to Scale Without Financial Stress?

Getting a grip on your finances is one of the smartest moves you can make as a business owner. If financial overwhelm is holding you back, our Ultimate Executive Assistants at Workergenix can take bookkeeping, invoicing, and expense tracking off your plate—so you can focus on growth.

Take control of your business finances and free up your time—schedule a discovery call today to see how our AI-powered executive assistants can help you streamline operations and scale smarter.

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Fractional COOs: The Key to Scaling Your Business Without Burnout

by Harley GreenScale Smart, Grow Fast PodcastPosted on Comments are Disabled

Fractional COOs: The Key to Scaling Your Business Without Burnout

As a CEO, founder, or business owner, you understand the constant challenge of balancing daily operations with big-picture growth. You didn’t build your business to get stuck in the weeds—but without the right operational support, that’s exactly where you can end up. Enter the fractional COO: the strategic solution for leaders ready to scale without burnout.

Mallory Smith, entrepreneur and fractional COO, shared her journey on the Scale Smart, Grow Fast Podcast. With experience in biotech, cosmetic chemistry, sales, and entrepreneurship—where she built and sold a seven-figure sign company—Mallory now helps seven-figure businesses streamline operations and scale sustainably.

🎧 Prefer to listen on the go?

✅ How a Fractional COO Helps You Scale – Spotify

✅ How a Fractional COO Helps You Scale – Apple Podcasts

What is a Fractional COO?

A fractional COO (Chief Operating Officer) provides high-level operational leadership on a part-time basis. Instead of hiring a full-time executive, you get access to experienced leadership without the long-term commitment or cost.

Who Needs a Fractional COO?

Fractional COOs aren’t for startups still finding their footing. They’re ideal for:

  1. Seven-Figure Businesses in Growth Mode: Struggling to manage rapid expansion? A fractional COO brings structure and systems so you can keep scaling without chaos.
  2. Owners Preparing to Step Back: If you’re ready to reduce hands-on involvement or planning an exit, a fractional COO ensures your business runs smoothly and remains valuable to future buyers.

How a Fractional COO Adds Value

  • Operational Clarity: They assess your operations, identify inefficiencies, and implement systems that scale.
  • Employee Alignment: They ensure your team is aligned with the company’s vision and processes, creating a self-sustaining operation.
  • Strategic Delegation: They help you delegate effectively, freeing up your time to focus on growth and leadership.
  • Business Scalability: They implement processes that allow your business to grow without the bottlenecks caused by owner dependency.

What the Engagement Looks Like

According to Mallory, fractional COOs typically work 5–8 hours per week with business owners. The relationship is designed for long-term transformation—most engagements last around two years. The goal? Build a business that no longer depends on the owner’s daily involvement.

Overcoming Common Challenges

The biggest obstacle? Mindset. Business owners are often deeply attached to how things have always been done. A fractional COO challenges these norms, bringing fresh perspectives and new strategies. While change can be uncomfortable, it’s necessary for growth. As Mallory puts it, “You’ll never get somewhere new by doing the same old things.”

Advice for Businesses Not Ready for a Fractional COO

Not quite at the seven-figure mark? Start here:

  • Master Your Financials: Know your profit and loss statements inside out. Look for ways to cut costs and improve profit margins.
  • Identify Your Worth: Understand your hourly value. Delegate tasks that don’t meet that rate—a skilled virtual assistant can handle bookkeeping and admin work.
  • Clarify Your Vision: Define where you want your business to go. What are your core values? How do you want your business to feel and function? Vision guides operations.

Real Results: A Success Story

Mallory shared the story of a business owner who couldn’t step away, overwhelmed with manual payroll and daily operations. After implementing automation and delegating low-value tasks, the owner finally took a stress-free vacation to Hawaii—with the business running smoothly in her absence.

Conclusion: Is a Fractional COO Right for You?

If you’re running a seven-figure business, losing sleep over operational challenges, or dreaming of scaling without sacrificing your time, a fractional COO might be the solution. They help you reclaim your time, streamline operations, and position your business for sustainable growth—or a profitable exit.

At Workergenix, we believe in scaling smarter, not harder. If you’re ready to stop managing and start leading, explore how our solutions can help you find the right operational support.

If you’re ready to scale smarter, streamline operations, and step back from the daily grind, schedule a discovery call with Workergenix today and see how the right operational support can take your business to the next level—without the burnout.

Like what you read? Get weekly insights on scaling, efficiency, and profitability—straight to your inbox. Click here to subscribe.