Stop Guessing: Build Operational Clarity That Scales | Kati Peterman

What if the biggest gap in your business isn't strategy — it's structure?

In this episode of the Wickedly Branded Podcast, Beverly Cornell sits down with Kati Peterman, founder of Your FRX, to unpack how fractional executive leadership helps founders close the operational gaps that quietly stall growth.

Kati shares the story of the pivot that launched her business, when her team told her, "we will go where you go" and how that moment of trust shaped her approach to core values, structure, and leadership. Together, Beverly and Kati dive into why data (not fear) should drive your decisions, how real collaboration beats the "me monster," and why knowing your KPIs can hand you back your freedom.

Key Marketing Topics

1. Clarity and Core Values Are Non-Negotiable

Core values aren't wall decorations, they're the filter for every hire, fire, and big decision. When your values are truly clear, even the hardest choices become an easy yes.

2. Data Beats Fear Every Time

Imposter syndrome and doubt show up most right when you're leveling up. Pulling real data, your "glimmers" of evidence, lets you separate genuine risk from noise and move forward with confidence.

3. Collaboration Is a Win-Win, Not a Me Monster

The best partnerships come from asking what the other person needs, not just pushing your own message. Leading with fulfillment and curiosity turns collaboration into lasting, referral-generating relationships.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:11

Did you know that more than 36 million small businesses in the United States, making up 99.9% of all US businesses, are small businesses? That means there are millions of founders carrying very big dreams, big pressure, and way too many operational gaps they were never meant to solve alone. Welcome to the Wickedly Branded Podcast. I'm your host, Beverly Cornell, and the founder here at Wickedly Branded. And today I am joined by Katie Peterman. She is the founder of Your FRX, where she offers fractional executive fractional executives to fill the gaps inside growing companies across industries and sizes. Katie helps business owners fix the structure and the operations so the founder's original dream can actually happen. And I believe, like when you need the structure and the foundation, Katie, I feel like when you have that, that's when you can scale. So her business began during a major pivot when the company she was leading had to shift quickly. And her team told her, we will go where you go. That moment became the foundation for your FRX and revealed the kind of leader Katie is, steady and trusted and deeply committed to building happy and supportive teams. So today we're talking about fractional leadership, core values, operational structure, visibility, and what it takes to build a business where the dream can actually work for you. Katie, welcome to the Book of the Branded Podcast.

SPEAKER_00 1:32

Thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_01 1:34

I am excited to dive in because I am a structure girl. I love systems and foundations and having the right people in the right seats and all the things. And it takes a bit to get there. And I know that it took you a bit to get here. So talk about what sparked your business, how that pivot happened, and how you came to your FRX.

SPEAKER_00 1:54

Yeah, absolutely. I'm happy to hear that you enjoy and appreciate operations. Being a creative, that's not necessarily the thing that we see. A little bit of pulling teeth. So it makes me really happy to hear that someone in your field at a very high level of being a creative appreciates that. Yeah, I'm super fortunate. What you mentioned is exactly how it went down. We had reached a point, one of the assets that I managed in private equity, they were just going to roll up with another sale and they were moving on and pivoting. So we were going to give all of our team their clients and say, hey guys, go ahead, take your clients, start your own journeys. We appreciate it. And my team, I love them. It makes me emotional every time. But they just said, Well, Katie, why don't you do it? And I hadn't really thought about that because I am by heart a number two. I'm an operator. I'm not a dreamer or a visionary. I'm not pulling out all these new ideas all the time. And so I hadn't even really considered that. And I was looking, and then another one chimed in and was like, Yeah, like it's like nothing has to change. You've been running the company, anyways. And I was like, oh wow, I feel appreciated. I feel like, and so I just did it. I just did it. I was like, these people trust me, I trust them. I have a really awesome team. It is the same system. And this is why everyone gets started, right? Is you get to do it the way that you want to do it for a while. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:16

Yeah. The way you want to do it. I think it's actually extraordinary because a lot of our entrepreneurs don't have the belief system in them to make that decision. And that's a like a big leak, right? And so that kind of proof helped you like realize I am an entrepreneur. I can do this that maybe you wouldn't have had alone. So I love that story that your team was like pushed you over the edge of, okay, let's do this. It's not about fear and entrepreneurship.

SPEAKER_00 3:43

So there is. And I think that it's one of those weird things, right? It's just another identity label and it's been tossed around, overused. It's a buzzword, like, oh, I'm an entrepreneur, I'm an entrepreneur, right? And it's like to you or to someone else, like you have to figure out what that means. I think sometimes it gets like a little hyped up, and it's like everyone could say they're an entrepreneur, but are you gonna like follow through on the idea? Are you gonna execute? Are you gonna like get out there and and make it happen?

SPEAKER_01 4:13

Oh, that's so good. I have a couple clients that I I work with and they're dreamers, right? They are they actually are a little bit of um squirrel syndrome where they're like next next shiny object, right? Entrepreneurs inherently like to build things. So it is hard to stay focused for sure and stay driven because you have to be self-driven, you have to be focused, you have to be accountable, you have to um you have to be all the people sometimes in the beginning, for sure. And that's why I think so many businesses don't last past a couple of years or five years. When we looked at the statistics, right?

SPEAKER_00 4:46

They're Geno Wickman and Vern Harnish, right? They're the gods. OS. And so he coined it perfectly. You have visionaries and you have integrators, and that really allowed people to identify, right? And that's a huge step. It's a huge step in branding, right? What do we can I say? What swim lane? Can I be like, yes, that's me? And Gino did such a good job explaining it so people understood the role between visionary and integrator, right? A dreamer or operations and get it done and why we have those myths matches on language. And he did such a good job with that. But yes, the new ideas, all of I think that really ego can get in the way sometimes, and that's really tough to deal with when we're dealing with owners. But really, when we're working with a lot of people and we've worked with 3,200 teams the past five years, which is awesome. I see a lot of fear, and this is someone's vision and their dream and their baby. They're trying to do everything that they can to, on the flip side, keep themselves safe. And so that fear comes out in a crunchy, not always the best way, where it's like, fine, I'll do it myself. I got me this far. And I think it's a protection mechanism a little bit and a safety mechanism. And so when you meet people where they're at with that fear, and then you show them that you're supporting them, not trying to change the dream, it goes a lot further and they're a little bit open-minded to operations versus, oh, this isn't fun anymore.

SPEAKER_01 6:16

Yeah, I do think that there's like you guys have a bad rep, you guys need a marketing, you need a PR campaign around operations being a little bit sexier and more fun, right? Have systems to help me actually breathe in my business. Systems are space is space for you. And when you know it, when it's predictable and you know what's gonna happen, and you can train easier, you can let go easier, you can delegate easier. When you have systems, like it is literally a game changer for an entrepreneur. So I'm yeah, systems, I'm a systems gal. I am, I dig it, I love it. And you're right, like I think I kind of balance both, but I am oh, I'm an organized, I'm an organized person. I I think because I have ADHD, it's like the way that I compensate for that being a little bit unpredictable. So I like the predictability of a system and an operation is incredibly powerful for scaling and also space in your business.

SPEAKER_00 7:14

And everything that lives in your head, that pressure that builds up, like, oh, it's all on me, like I I've done it this way, I know how to get it done. Because you do started this as an owner and an entrepreneur, and and you do have a way of getting it done, but the system can help you from everything that lives in your head actually be on paper. So you get to let that go and you get to stop being a dependency, you know, for other people. Um, and it really takes off that pressure, it takes off that like overload of a lot of things, and that's where it like starts to create like a little bit of peace. So systems can actually bring some peace into the day-to-day, which people are like, you're creating chaos, you're over here, it's a new idea every 10 seconds, and you're like, Why are you guys not excited? I came back from a conference with a new idea, and they're like, Oh no, she came back from a conference with a new idea. And all those things that live in your head and create that pressure, and people are like, Oh no, if you put it on paper, it makes the world a better place.

SPEAKER_01 8:14

It it really does, and it creates space for other things to happen too, I believe. Once you get the things out of your head. So I have a similar way with our clients. We do like a 90-minute interview where we ask a mountain of questions. It's called the Brand Spark experience. And in that, we talk about where they've been, where they are, where they're going, the challenges they've experienced, just getting the picture of them. And we ask some really um deep questions too. But the idea is to get all that out of their head, everything that they've been doing, everything they've not, you know, written down, everything that they've been dreaming about. What if this could do, what would happen? And when you do that, when you are able to remove that from your head, it allows you to have space to think about implementation or just think about another system or how you can make something better. Because now you have like a framework from which to like launch from. And when it's all just nebulous in there, like it's overwhelming. 3 a.m. wake up is a real thing when you have it all just in your head. And it's like coming up. Oh, here. It was like it's annoying. So annoying. Sorry. I have it off on my phone, but it somehow came through here. So I apologize.

SPEAKER_00 9:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:22

Um, okay, so let me ask you the question again and then you can you can answer it. So this idea of uh the way you started your business was like through this this combination of pressure and pivoting and loyalty. And I think that those experiences of how we kind of kind of like making a diamond, the pressure of all that creates how we kind of show up as leaders in our businesses. And when you start a business, you have like this vision and I and your EOS, so core values are gonna be really important to you. How did that process help you really develop your core values and your vision for the company?

SPEAKER_00 11:03

Yeah, I think that, you know, great. And just to stay on uh core values, because not a core value, it it's something that you're passionate about, you know? Um, and so our core values, because that's what we have taught and that's what our team teaches, and we talk about it, we've had time to develop like each person on the team, Jim, Angie, Katie, Kevin, like I know what their core values are, they know what mine are. And just because we have the company core values doesn't mean that we don't have our own. We all have our, they all have our own and we have them deeply. Um, and that really made the decision so easy. And this is why core and val core values are so important. Because if you don't have the right people on your team supporting your dream with the mission, and if your core values are not aligned, when you're presented an opportunity the way that I was, it wasn't on a silver platter, right? But life gave it to me on a silver platter, not the way that I would have wanted, not something I would have chosen for myself, but my team gave it to me. And if I wasn't clear on my core values in that decision, and if they weren't clear on theirs, and I, because it was just a no-brainer, I said yes, and I knew it was going to be hard and scary. And the pressure was I love these people so much that I want to provide for them. Make sure if I say yes and I do this, that I also provide for them. And because I know what commitments and what loyalty they're giving me by doing this and following me and supporting me and launching this together. But because we had our core values aligned, it was such an easy yes. It was just such an easy yes. I was like, okay, let's do it. I know exactly who I'm working with. And that is such a good feeling to be like, I know what I'm working with, I know what's going on. And when a company or when a brand has their core values and they're dialed in and you say, tell me a little bit about your core values, and you see them talk about it and they're excited and it means something to them, that's a clear, that's a clear yes. Or sometimes you're like, oh, that's interesting. Okay. I need I haven't considered that. But core values are so important. I could talk about that all day long.

SPEAKER_01 13:12

It's a great topic of conversation because I have to limit sometimes my clients and their core values because they come up with it come to me with 10 in it. Our core values, I'm curious because I you hear them all the time. And I really pushed my team. We co-developed this, um, our core values, but I really pushed my team about this. I said, I don't want to be integrity. I don't want those are overused and they're empty and that they're not us and they're not wickedly branded at all. So let's look at like the things. And I actually said to them, what am I harp on you about? What matters to me? What am I OCD about? What am I always like coming to you for? What am I always like saying that this is important? What am I always put backing back up against? Did we do this thing? And so they kind of came to me with how I come to them and said, This is what I think they should be. And from there, we have three core values honor, which is a it's more than just integrity. My husband's in the military. And if you think of honor as a military service person and how you show up and how you dress and how you present yourself and how you are accountable, you do the right thing, you have your buddies, your buddies back. You have it's much more than just integrity. It's all of those things. It's an old-fashioned term, but I still think is very relevant today. So honor, honor your commitments, honor yourself, honor each other, honor the client. There's all of those things in there. It changes every day. The algorithms change every day, the tools change every day, AI changes every day. And so I agree with you. And every you need to do that. So, what are your core values? Like, where did how did you come up with those?

SPEAKER_00 14:42

Yeah, I think that it's really a time of self-reflection. And I think you really have to be intentional with them, which obviously you are. And just like you went through that, you have to be able to explain what it means to you. Mine is purpose, integrity, and results. So you have to remember we're inside of someone's company, right? And that's typically what people seek me after. I want them to know who I am, but I also want them to understand what it's gonna be like inside of their company. And when teams and people understand, like, hey, I'm not coming in to give you 30 extra hours of work a week. I'm here to micromanage you and do this. I'm coming in with purpose. And everything that I give you, I'm gonna explain what that purpose is. I have a purpose in doing this. And because I'm clear on the purpose, I'm respectful of your time. And I also want someone to know what the purpose is because I want them to be respectful of my time, right? That's really important to me is hey, I'm not coming in here and I'm not working with teams that are not open-minded. Because guess what? I'm not a dentist, I'm not trying to pull teeth all day. I have no desire about what happened when you were five, which means you have a bad attitude and you don't want help. Right. I have and so purpose is like, hey, we're on the same page. There's a reason to do this, right? There's a purpose for you, there's a purpose for me. It's intentionality, it's very clear, and it kind of breaks down that wall. And then integrity is they have to trust us and the entire team that we are going to do the right thing for their business, right? Not for us, not for results, not for a five-star review, not for any of that. We're actually going to do the right thing for their company. And it's a huge trust wave, right? Bringing on an executive that you haven't worked with the past three, five, eight years, you don't have previous camaraderie with from another company. You're bringing in someone and you're trusting them, right? This position as a COO or a high-level executive coming into someone's company, we got to get things going. There's got to be some trust going in there. And we've got to get, we've got to get results in there. We've got to get it going. Yeah. Integrity, that is a huge one, knowing that we're going to do the right thing for their company. Even if they don't like to hear it, we tell them that is, hey, sometimes integrity means that we're going to tell you, believe is the right thing and you might not like it. And then that's your choice. But we told you so. And then if we decide, hey, it's not a good fit because we don't see the ability to move forward, then we also let them know. Us is results. We will agree and we will we make 30 commitments on what those results need to look like. And then that way we're constantly on the same page, we're on the same track, right? We're going down the same direction. Everyone knows what the expectation is. There's no gray area for assumptions, which you can have two really amazing people who have really amazing different backgrounds and they're giving all and they're playing super hard. But if they don't communicate what the result and the outcome needs to be, they could go completely different directions. And now both amazing people are really unhappy, all because we didn't have a conversation about it. So we start beginning of the month with talking about what the result is for the next 30 days, the desired outcome, and then we stick to that.

SPEAKER_01 18:08

So that I love that. I love that. The trusting thing is huge. And I think, like for myself and even for most of the founders that I work with, Katie, I feel like um trust is huge. We oftentimes ask our clients, we say it to them, we say, you have to trust us, like we're a pilot on a plane. We have to have a general direction we're gonna go. We have we know where we want to land the plane, right? We've all agreed on that. And I need you to like trust me to drive the plane because I've been doing it for 30 years, and that you can sit there. And if I need something from you, you're gonna give it to me. And we agree on that together. So that giving that give and take. But you're right, people have been doing it all on their own. And to give that trust to anybody is really hard. And people have been burned too, right? So we have to undo some of that in the process. But I think if you're upfront with people about how your process works and you're upfront about the results that we both have agreed upon, it does assuage some of the fear. But anytime you level up, anytime you're gonna do the hard things, the brave steps, the the things that are gonna push you forward, fear, doubt, perfectionism, and posture syndrome are all gonna like show up and it's information that you're that you are leveling up. Like this is happening. So it's it's all natural and very normal to have those fears because it matters to you. It matters to you.

SPEAKER_00 19:30

So you know what really helps with all of those, because I see entrepreneurs and owners go through it all the time with imposter syndrome and fear. And when you're starting to have that spiral, um, I know it's not their favorite, but what really minimizes that and helps it go away is data. Just do a little data check to see if it's even a possibility or a reality. Did not let it go. You don't deserve to sit there. Like get some data, take the emotion out of it. You don't have to sit in fear, you don't have to have imposter syndrome. Comparison is the devil, right? Just get the data, get the numbers, and go from there and then make a plan with the data.

SPEAKER_01 20:10

So you use data. I actually in my book I talk about that. I'm really synthia and at the end of summer or like early fall. I call them glimmers, I call it evidence, right? So you can be numbers for sure. It can be marketing research, it could be um target audience information, like your ICP is your ideal client profile, if that's even a valid or viable um place for you. But it also can be people you've helped and the stories that they have. And so testimonials can be glimmers. There's evidence of your magic. And if you don't lean into the evidence, you can spiral really fast. So I say you have to keep a jar of your glimmers, whether it's a folder on your on your computer or maybe it's a bunch of pictures of testimonials or something that somebody sent to you to remind you of your magic. And that can help you really refocus your why and focus your purpose and give you kind of get around the fear sometimes. Like this is bigger than my fear, and I don't want to get in my own way of doing this really amazing thing for other people. And it like that, yes, this is viable in whatever way you're going with it.

SPEAKER_00 21:16

So and that's huge, it's a huge culture piece that I think a lot of companies just kind of like they get in the day-to-day, they get on the hamster wheel and they keep going. But those glimmers, those wins, the success story, the like what's happening from the employee perspective, like you need to have that in your weekly team meetings. Like, just as much as your team needs the glimmers and the wins and and evidence, like everybody needs in their day to like really start off strong. And so I think like culturally wise, it makes such a huge difference when you're looking at the testimonials, like, hey guys, we just had a new five-star review come in with the whole company, you know. Like let everyone know that you guys just got another five-star review, even if it was like we had a good time, you know. Great, they had a good time, amp it up.

SPEAKER_01 22:08

It's powerful. And it I think it also recenters your purpose, right? When you hear the testimonials, when you see the five stars, what we're doing is working and it's actually making a difference. And it's just confirmation and affirmation of the work we do every day. We spend a lot of time at work doing these things, Katie. And if it's not like acknowledged anyway, either by your superiors or by the clients, like I have testimonials woven into my process. Like it's it's actually part of the service that we give. They don't even know they're giving a testimonial when we get a testimonial and we ask for the testimony, and we say, Can we use this as a testimonial later? Like, we really like integrated in into the process, so it's very natural, doesn't feel forced and doesn't feel fake, and doesn't feel any of those things.

SPEAKER_00 22:49

Stage in a really large platform for some really big brands. Everyone in their cutting was throwing the kitchen sink at me for collaborations. And it's like, what are you gonna offer? Like, what does that do for us? I get what this does for you. Of course, you want the stage. So does everyone. And sometimes I wanted to be like, hey, get in line, you know, this person over here, too. And people just didn't come in collaboration. I think one of the easiest ways to come in for collaboration that a lot of people miss is. Is fulfillment, right? What is something that you can fulfill to their audience, their message, their brand, whatever it may be? What's something that you can fulfill and take fulfillment off of their plate and do for them with this collaboration? What are they trying to accomplish? Like I purposely went and did personal research, not just what's out there for you for this. And I will, I also today, even though you're giving me this amazing platform to talk on with an amazing audience that you've created and crafted with exactly who I want to talk to, which is like a bunch of badass women, right? I also need to be able to get it. And so what did I ask you about today? I asked you about your book. And then now what are we naturally talking about? We're talking about your book. And this is your baby, and this is your podcast. And even though you're giving an amazing opportunity to talk about myself, it has to be reciprocal and we have to collab. And I have to be just as interested in you and the things that are going on in your baby and your business. So you feel like, wow, she gets it. She understands what I'm working on. She understands in my audiences and where I'm going. But a lot of people will just come in one-sided and it absolutely kills collaboration. Even if you're coming in with like passion and excitement, and you're like, I can't wait to get my message out to the world. And what does the other person want? What's going on in their life right now? What are they trying to accomplish in their business that you're asking for space in? Right. So collaboration is very important. And I wish people were just a little bit more thoughtful and a little bit more considerate of how do I make this a win-win? And if you're not sure, ask. Ask.

SPEAKER_01 25:03

How can I help you? What can I do to help you grow or support you in this? Absolutely. And sometimes people don't know what to ask for because no one's asked them for that. You can, I think that the even with the branding we do and some of the marketing messaging we do, it's very clear. When you're clear about who you serve, when you're clear about the transformation you offer, when you're clear about what that next step looks like, it's easier to make those asks because you know this is what's gonna help you. So that gives you confidence. It gives you confidence in spaces you wouldn't normally have confidence to make the ask. And the worst thing they can do is say no. And I remember my mom, my mom, she told me like a long time ago, and I'm an only child, so I like to get my way. And it didn't always get my way, but I like to get my way. And I remember mom saying to me, you can always ask. You have nothing right now. And if you ask, you might have something. Yeah. You're not gonna lose anything if you ask. You might be sad because you didn't get it, but it you didn't lose anything. So to ask is really, I'm just gonna I'm not necessarily a Facebook ads fan or a Google Ads fan. There's certain businesses I can work for, but for most of my small business owners that I work with, I'm like, you don't need to do that. You can send send somebody flowers. We all work with women. Women love flowers.

SPEAKER_00 26:17

Wouldn't you love to get flowers from somebody, Katie? Oh, some of the best gifts are yes, just flowers, random things, candles. Yes, absolutely. Please don't send me another stress ball. And I I do not want a pair of socks. I I'm not gonna hang. I always find it so strange when like someone and I appreciate it, like because maybe it's really important to them. But when some like third party vendor sends me like a family photo, you're like, just like whatever it is. I'm like, that's strange. Like, you're not going on my fridge, so where do you think this is going? We're not there yet, Paul. Like, like, you know, it's just and it's like, look, that took a lot of money, time, and effort. And you have your kids' faces on this thing. Yes, right. Just send me a candle instead. Like, sit down, you know, like stop with all the stress balls. And the blah blah blah. And it's like, well, hold on, what's the purpose of that? Right. And then exiting. Yes, you're going to exit eventually. So what does that look like? But if you're not trying to like exit and sell something and get this massive exit, you don't need to go there. Then we look at the five pillars. So marketing sales, finance, leadership, and operations. We group marketing sales together because it's so important. And again, I'm not doing, and our team is not doing what your team does and what you do at a very high level. We're just coming in as an executive and we're providing strategy. So we're plugging someone in when we've identified the gap of like what they're doing. We will plug someone like you into the picture and say, hey, this is what you actually need. Because so people are one, one of the gaps. They're not aware of what phase of business they're in, right? They don't even know. And like, hey, startup is like not a thing, like, oh, we're a startup and we're this and we're that. A startup is a predetermined amount of time and a predetermined amount of money. That's all you make a commitment, you have a round of funding, or you fund it till it gets to a certain point. And if it doesn't hit those, and if it doesn't become operational and a proven product or service or whatever it is, it's time to pull the plug. Like you cannot stay in startup for forever.

SPEAKER_01 28:22

You can't.

SPEAKER_00 28:23

And people just stay there and they stay in this like grind in the hustle culture. And it's like you really can only do that so long. So one of the gaps, they're not even aware of what phase of business they're in. They have no idea, no plan of when they're gonna get out of that phase. The second one is they're not consistently assessing those pillars. And when we're not assessing those pillars, and again, let's say best case scenario, right? You have the perfect rock stars in each department in customer service, in finance, in marketing, in sales. You just have the absolute best people and the world goes. But if you are all not rowing in the same direction, these five amazing people are just gonna have different plans and you're gonna be like, what did we accomplish this year? We spent so much money. Why are you working on a new software platform? And why are you developing a new product that doesn't align with this software platform? And why did we just invest in XYZ ads that doesn't match up with this software platform or this new product? And everybody's trying to launch these big ideas. Like you've got to come in, right, as the owner and like it is your vision. They're not making a new vision, they're not coming up with new ideas on new massive, grandiose ideas. Now they can't they are adding to it, absolutely. There's collaboration, there's input, there's experience, but they're not casting the vision of the entire company. Like you've got to own that and anchor it down, you know? And a lot of people are just kind of like they're like, Well, I have the rock star, so go ahead, go at it, go do your thing. And it's like, no, no, no, no, no. Are you now putting the whole direction of the company in someone else's hand and you're just gonna like sit and chill and not, and then you're gonna explode?

SPEAKER_01 30:12

No, expectations are huge. You need to have clear expectations, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:17

So assessing those, and then what we do to help with the clear expectations is we assign KPIs, right? We five to seven KPIs for each department. They all have to be contributing to the same thing. One thing that makes us very different versus like the traditional EOS model. The traditional EOS model, like yes, you'll get data, you'll get those things kind of in place, but um, they can be a little um, again, going in different lanes. We focus and we go through this process to determine the one KPI that the entire company needs to work around, right? So we call it the brick, um, but it's one KPI that everyone's KPIs need to tie into. So everyone has a very clear expectation for the outcome that's not just revenue. We don't just take revenue and work backwards from there and say, okay, think of some ideas that are going to contribute to revenue. But um, so first thing was identifying the gap of what phase of business they're in and continuously doing that. Assessing the gaps of the five pillars, marketing, sales, finance, leadership, and operations. Um, and then the the last one is just communication. So this goes into a lot, whether it's the company or chart or whether it's meeting structures. A lot of communication is just so messy. And people think, well, because I communicate this way, I'll just communicate to everyone this way. Or because I needed it this time, then everyone has to conform to that time. So we come in and we customize meeting structures and communication styles, and then we review that like with the org chart of, hey, this is how it's going to work together. But, you know, communication is a huge gap. The five pillars is a huge gap, and the five phases is um, it always blows my mind that people don't know what phase they're in.

SPEAKER_01 32:10

It's interesting because we really we're we're a brand, I'm a brand evolution strategist. So you have to understand where you are in your evolution as a business owner to understand where you're evolving to. So I say they they're either like freelancer, their builder, their authority, or their legacy.

SPEAKER_00 32:23

For owners that are, I have heard this time and time again, right? They're like payroll keeps me up at night, or they're like, I don't know, I hired all these people and I don't even know what they do all day. I hear that so often, like, I don't know what they do all day. And look, maybe for your audience, maybe you have two or three people and maybe they're even one, a VA, just one VA. Yeah. And or maybe you have five, maybe you have 10, maybe you have 15, maybe you have 30, right? But if you're responsible for payroll and you have that feeling of, I don't even know what they do all day, if you had KPIs, you would know what they do all day. And it wouldn't matter how they got it done or how long it took. It's did they get it done or not? Yep. On track or you off track. So those, again, a lot of those fears, a lot of those things that are keeping people up and making them, oh, I don't I don't know where this is going. I don't know if we're getting the results, or I don't know if we're gonna hit our goals or not for the quarter. And it's like, well, you could know if you want. Yep. If you wanted to, you could know. So, do you want to know how to do it? Can we put some KPIs in place? Now are you listening? Now are you with me? So yeah, it's it can really be that easy.

SPEAKER_01 33:27

Yes, it really does. It's amazing. So let me ask this question. I always ask this to every single everybody who comes on the show. You're gonna talk about marketing a little bit. What has been the biggest, like how have you developed your brand and what's been some of one of the biggest challenges that you're facing right now?

SPEAKER_00 33:42

Yeah, I think just full transparency on that, right? Because everyone's gonna go through these struggles, is there's a lot of different directions that we can go right now. And I feel overwhelmed with choices, right? I know the paid ad strategy that we could do in the direction that we go. It's obviously for high ticket and for a recurring high ticket. The cost is very high, it's very competitive. There's a lot out there. You have a lot of people in the operation space, right? There's a lot of you could come from a mindset of competitiveness. I try to always choose to stay in a mindset of abundance. And so, look, we don't need everybody. There's always enough out there for everyone. Who do we need? Do we want? I now get to be specific and choosy, which is great. Um, but we could go the paid ad strategy. We could, there's there's a bunch of new platforms out there. Um, AI is changing every day. Some clients really like it, some don't. Um we we're just overwhelmed with with choices right now. Like we have some people that are like, hey, we want to take you on a platform and we want you to have an online course and we want you to do this, and um, you should have a free community and just, you know, kind of what you said, all these different options for for lead gen. That's what it is. It's it's lead gen. I really like uh partnerships and where we're like part of someone's fulfillment. Um, speaking opportunities for me are always the best and it makes the most sense on conversion, which is great. Um, and then referrals. Uh, we have a really amazing uh referral program because I want to be the top of everyone's mind. And for the referrals, it's safer, right? Because I am only um dishing out once we actually have the customer, but which like Facebook, Meta, all of that, it's just such a crapshoot. Like you can spend and have no idea if you're gonna get the client or not. And then really, I'm in just this like unique evaluation of what is the purpose. And I I've been getting on all these like AI calls and these platforms and all this other stuff. And you have to really think of like where someone is. You know, if you have a product or service, when I talked about those five phases and where someone wants to go, like listening to you, and you just set it too so someone could really identify their their service with you is okay, she's not looking for some massive exit. I get on with these AI companies and they're like, well, we could scale you up to this, this, and this. And what if you had 240 clients? And I'm like, I don't want to do that. And they're like, Well, what do you want to do? And it's like, I just want to make money with my friends and have fun.

SPEAKER_01 36:30

Absolutely. What is enough? I guess that's the thing you have to determine. What is enough?

SPEAKER_00 36:35

And just like you and on your vacation, I went to Greece for two weeks um in the middle of our launch, right? Like in the middle of our launch, and I went to Greece for two weeks and I had a great time and I wasn't worried about a damn thing.

SPEAKER_01 36:47

Wasn't worried about a damn thing. That's the freedom. That's that's that's the level you want to get at. Because if because if you have 240 whatevers, what does that mean for you? And right, it doesn't even sound right. I totally agree with you. And the numbers we have were really simple too. Like that's gonna help you grow. And and when you are top of mind because you sent them a sparkly envelope or whatever that is for your brand, when you're top of mind, that changes everything, right? So I wouldn't tell you to go do that. I wouldn't tell you to compete. I would say, even like if you want to work with badass women, that needs to be on your website. Like, don't hide that. Like, really, and maybe you want badass women who aren't afraid of AI. So if that's something you use in your in your service and you know it can help with them, then they have to be open to that, then you might want like badass women who who want to harness AI in their operations. And like that language needs to be part of it on the podcast who I want to be in partnership with, collaboration with, who I want to work with in some way, shape, or form, because I'm gonna spend an hour with you and I'm gonna get to know you. And then I have a relationship with you, and now I can support you on LinkedIn and who knows where the relationship will go. But I'm intentional about the people I spend time with. I'm intentional about this podcast for that particular reason. There's a bunch of really amazing women doing some really cool things. How can I elevate them? And then how can they be in my circle? Yeah. So it may even be like a podcast, Katie, where you invite the people who are your very leads to come on your show and you have this amazing conversation about some aspect of art operations or something. And then you develop the relationship, and that rich relationship grows through connections and whatever, and how you develop call where we just connect, like and give, like, like I went to Greece. If you need tips on how and I just came back from the UK, if you want a tip on what to do in London, I'm gonna be able to help you out. Here's the best places I ate. I wouldn't give those kinds of tips, not like, oh, let me tell you about this marketing thing. Like, no, no, no. I want like to like connect with really amazing women. I happen to know somebody who is who runs a safari in Tanzania. If you're looking to go to Tanzania, I can hook you up with Scott. He's got this amazing, amazing program. Like that's the kind of relationships I want to build where we connect as humans. So um it it it can evolve even further as it develops and grows and gets some sophistication to the to the relationships, but that's really like you have to like build a base and then grow from there. But there's there's so many opportunities for you, Katie, that I would hate for you to put that money into an ad. I'm not saying don't do it, but I just I've seen so many people do it and they literally like it was thousands of dollars that just was out. So um I'd love to talk to you about that further if that's something you want to explore for sure. Because there's there's so many things you could do that would be way more fun, way more fun for you and your team and all the things. So don't do so. The last question I ask everybody, Katie, is the question of what does it mean to you to be wickedly branded? And how do you think you show up or your team shows up uh as that? And is there a tip or a piece of advice that you that you've learned along the way about showing up more wickedly branded?

SPEAKER_00 40:06

Yeah, I think it really ties into everything that we've talked about. You know, you have have said it, um, and I I I just think it's so important of um sorry, uh being clear with being kind, right? Like being clear is being kind is is a message. It's a keynote that I deliver to a lot of companies. I tailor it to them. But I think like being wickedly branded is being extremely clear, right? And being exactly who you are and being authentic. Um, and I think that um you have to do the process of self-discovery. You can't just keep going and going and going and going. You have to take those moments for self-discovery so that way you can be authentic and you can be wickedly branded.

SPEAKER_01 40:51

I love that. It's so good. Self-discovery can be really hard though, because you have to make space and time. And sometimes you're so close to the trees, the forest, that you can't even see the tree, right? So it's hard sometimes for self-discovery, and you're so busy doing that you're not being.

SPEAKER_00 41:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:06

And that can be really hard and and the busyness is loud. Like we live in a very noisy society. Instagram is telling you this, and this is telling you this. Like everybody's telling TikTok is saying you need this, this creating you know, supplement or whatever. So it gets a little bit challenging when um you'd like to connect, what you would like to connect on.

SPEAKER_00 41:29

Sure, you can always go to our website if you just want to talk to someone on the team. They absolutely can get you started. There's a whole like connect now um section, of course. Um, but really connect with us on LinkedIn. We have a free bi-weekly community call um that people are allowed to join for business owners. And we I teach, that's it. I just teach, I teach operations and all the things, and people come with problems and QA, and we love it and we have fun and we're vulnerable and we share what's working and what's not.

SPEAKER_01 42:00

I love that. I love the free community, get to know, get to know Katie, get to know her team, get to know how they work so that that builds the trust that you have. Maybe there's more to do with that, Katie. Okay. So um, that's great. I am so glad that you came on the show, Katie. It's been a really lovely conversation. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00 42:18

Yes, thank you so much. This has been so fun, and I'm glad that we, you know, we geek out on some similar things, but you also are wickedly branded and just uniquely you, and I really appreciate that.

SPEAKER_01 42:29

Thank you. I really appreciate that too. Um, this has been a fun conversation for those of you who are maybe scared of operations, or you maybe you like geeked out like me and Katie. That we we know the systems are powerful and that this can maybe light a little fire on you, maybe give you some new ideas and maybe inspire you to take some brave step or some small action today to get clear. Maybe create a KPI, maybe create a process or a system. But here's the thing that matters the most in any of this is that your work matters, your message matters, and the world needs to hear you what you have to say. So marketing isn't just about visibility, it's about the impact you make. It's the impact you can make on your team, the impact you can make with your clients and systems and operations and all those things can help magnify the impact that you're making. So I want you to um think about how you can connect all those things together and can grow in a way that feels like enough for you. So keep showing up, keep sharing your brilliance, keep getting clearer, and keep making magic in the world. And if you ever feel stuck, Katie and I are here. We would love to help you. You don't have to do it alone, despite how lonely entrepreneurship can be. You don't have to do it alone. We're here to help you turn your spark into a wildfire. And until next time, I want you to dare to be wickedly branded.