RUN LIKE CLOCKWORK: SMALL BUSINESS OPERATIONS

In this episode, Adrienne Dorison and Emily Doyle reflect on their recent coaching session with Beth Carter, The Badass Bookkeeper. Beth shared how she struggles to step out of the doing in her business — even with a team of 10 and a seven-figure business.

Adrienne and Emily dive deeper into the root of this challenge, unpacking the Four D’s (Doing, Deciding, Delegating, and Designing) and how understanding them can help business owners break free from the day-to-day grind.

Here’s what we cover:
✅ The Four D’s – Why knowing the difference between Doing, Deciding, Delegating, and Designing is key to business growth
✅ Why deciding for your team isn’t delegation (and how to fix it)
✅ How to empower your team to make decisions without you
✅ Why short-term profitability can limit long-term scalability
✅ How to balance stepping in during emergencies versus taking on too much

Plus, Adrienne and Emily share strategies to help business owners invest in their teams, strengthen employee retention, and increase long-term profitability.

Let’s get into it! 🔥

Top 5 Takeaways:

1. Master the Four D’s – Understanding the difference between Doing, Deciding, Delegating, and Designing is key to growing your business. You should be aiming to spend more time in Designing and Delegating as the CEO.

2. Deciding vs. Delegating – If your team constantly needs your input to move forward, you’re still deciding — not delegating. The goal is to empower them to handle it independently.

3. Invest in Your Team – Investing in team training and development strengthens relationships and improves retention — reducing lost productivity from turnover.

4. Hiring Timing is Crucial – Hiring too late causes burnout and lost revenue, but hiring too early drains profitability. Finding the balance is key.

5. Short-Term Profit vs. Long-Term Growth – Focusing only on short-term profitability limits scalability. Shifting into design and delegation mode is essential for long-term success.

Chapters:

00:01 – Introduction – Recap of Beth Carter’s coaching session and why getting out of the doing is so difficult
01:25 – The Four D’s Explained – Doing, Deciding, Delegating, and Designing – and how they apply to business growth
02:39 – The Problem with Deciding – Why answering questions for your team isn’t the same as empowering them
04:46 – Strategic Delegation – How to shift from deciding to delegating
07:44 – Why Design Time Matters – How high-level planning and strategy drive long-term business growth
08:18 – Investing in Your Team – How training and mentorship reduce turnover and increase efficiency
09:54 – Why You Might Not Be the Best Mentor – When to seek external training or support for your team
12:30 – When to Step In vs. Let Go – How to balance short-term help with long-term autonomy
15:40 – Hiring at the Right Time – Why hiring too late is more dangerous than hiring too early
16:24 – Next Steps and Takeaways – How business owners can apply these strategies to their business

Relevant Links:

🔗 Clockwork Book – Read the Clockwork book for a deeper dive into the Four D’s.
🔗 COO Training Program – Learn how to train your team to handle operations independently.

 Listen to Beth's Episode
Adrienne’s IG
RLC IG

In this coaching episode, Adrienne Dorison and Emily Doyle sit down with Beth Carter, the "Badass Bookkeeper" and owner of BBA Bookkeeping, to tackle a challenge many business owners face — getting stuck in the doing.

Beth shares how, even with a team of 10 and a seven-figure business, she still finds herself pulled back into production work, limiting her ability to grow and scale.

Here’s what we cover:
✅ Why business owners struggle to stop doing the work themselves
✅ How to identify inefficiencies in your team and processes
✅ When to hire versus when to improve internal capacity
✅ Balancing profitability with growth — without losing control
✅ The power of process mapping to increase efficiency and autonomy

Plus, Adrienne and Emily share strategies to help Beth streamline her business, empower her team, and reclaim her time for high-value CEO-level work.

If you’re ready to stop doing it all yourself and unlock the next stage of business growth, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways you can start using today. Hit play, and let’s get into it! 🔥

Top 5 Takeaways:

1. Stop Getting Pulled Into the Doing – If you keep getting pulled back into production work, it’s a sign of a capacity or efficiency problem — not a staffing problem.

2. Process Mapping is Key – Mapping your client workflow step-by-step will help you identify inefficiencies and eliminate wasted time.

3. Short-Term vs. Long-Term Thinking – Profitability might look better when you’re doing the work yourself, but long-term growth requires strategic delegation and scaling.

4. Team Training Increases Capacity – Investing time in mentoring and training your team will pay off in efficiency and long-term profit growth.

5. Redefine Your CEO Role – Your highest value work is in business development, not production. Protect your time for high-impact activities.

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction to Beth Carter – Meet Beth, owner of BBA Bookkeeping, and hear about her current business challenge.
02:07 – The Struggle of Getting Pulled Back Into Doing – Why business owners struggle to let go of production work.
04:46 – Identifying the Root Cause – When staffing issues are actually efficiency issues.
06:40 – Capacity Planning and Time Tracking – How to measure workload and spot gaps.
08:39 – Short-Term Profit vs. Long-Term Growth – How to balance profitability with scalability.
12:06 – The Power of Process Mapping – How to visually map out your processes to spot inefficiencies.
16:42 – Reducing Waiting Time and Handoff Delays – Why reducing wait times increases profitability.
18:52 – Increasing Team Autonomy – How to empower your team to handle more work independently.
21:53 – Mentorship vs. Correction – Why mentoring your team creates long-term value.
27:24 – Takeaways and Next Steps – Beth’s key insights and how she plans to implement them.

🔗 Camp Clockwork – Join Adrienne, Emily, and Beth at Camp Clockwork in 2025!
🔗 Clockwork Time Tracking Template – Start tracking your time to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies.

Beth’s IG
Adrienne’s IG
RLC IG

Want to be a guest for season 2? Just fill in this form!

In this episode, Adrienne Dorison and Emily Doyle reflect on a recent coaching session with Leslie Liondas, breaking down how to identify and fix the four core business bottlenecks — Attract, Convert, Delivery, and Cash Flow.

If you’ve been struggling to figure out why your business isn’t growing the way you want, this episode will help you diagnose the problem and create a plan to solve it.

Here’s what we cover:
✅ How to identify which bottleneck is holding your business back
✅ The four core business bottlenecks and how they work together
✅ Why cash flow issues can block other fixes — and how to work around it
✅ When to focus on attraction, conversion, or delivery
✅ How to balance short-term cash flow with long-term business growth

Plus, Adrienne and Emily share real-world examples and actionable strategies to help you streamline your business operations and drive sustainable growth.

If you’re ready to unlock the next level of growth in your business, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways you can start using today. Hit play and let’s get into it! 🔥

Listen to Leslie’s episode here.

Connect with us here:
Adrienne’s IG
RLC IG

Top 5 Takeaways:

1. Identify the Right Bottleneck – Fixing the wrong problem wastes time and resources. Pinpointing whether you have an Attract, Convert, Delivery, or Cash Flow bottleneck is key to business growth.

2. Solve One Bottleneck at a Time – Trying to fix multiple bottlenecks at once leads to inefficiency and stalled progress. Focus on one area until you see improvement.

3. Cash Flow Challenges Are Common – Running out of cash to fix other problems is a frequent issue. Get creative and resourceful to improve cash flow without overextending.

4. Conversion vs. Attraction Confusion – A high conversion rate with low leads means you need more traffic. A low conversion rate means you need better sales systems.

5. Don't Waste Resources on the Wrong Fix – Focus on the bottleneck that's holding back growth — improving sales scripts when your problem is lead flow won’t fix the real issue.

Chapters:

01:05 – Introduction to Leslie’s Coaching Session – Overview of Leslie’s business and why diagnosing bottlenecks matters
02:28 – The Four Bottlenecks – Overview of Attract, Convert, Delivery, and Cash Flow
04:35 – Why Cash Flow is a Common Problem – How cash flow limits the ability to solve other issues
06:10 – Diagnosing a Bottleneck – How to identify which bottleneck is blocking growth
09:28 – High Conversion, Low Leads – Why more traffic is sometimes the solution
12:06 – Increasing Capacity for Delivery – Why you need to solve delivery issues before growing your customer base
14:59 – Improving Efficiency with Current Resources – How automation and better systems can solve cash flow issues
16:46 – Focusing on the Right Fix – How to avoid distractions and focus on solving the correct bottleneck
18:52 – Testing and Iterating – Why quick wins and MVP approaches are key in early-stage businesses
20:30 – Balancing Growth and Stability – How to maintain stability while increasing business capacity

In this coaching session, Adrienne Dorison and Emily Doyle dive deep with Leslie Liondas to tackle a major challenge in her coaching business — the attract bottleneck. If you’ve ever struggled to bring in the right leads, this one’s for you!

Here’s what we cover:
✅ How to generate consistent, high-quality leads
✅ Refining your messaging so it actually converts
✅ The power of effective opt-ins (and why your freebie might not be working)

We also get into the nitty-gritty of webinars — how to make them engaging, convert more attendees, and even use AI to streamline your content creation. Plus, Adrienne and Emily break down:
👉 The balance between organic and paid traffic (and why you need both)
👉 Why building trust is non-negotiable in the coaching world
👉 How to maximize your social media presence without burning out
👉 The key to understanding what your clients really need

If you’re ready to unlock the next level of growth in your coaching business, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways you can start using today. Hit play, and let’s get into it! 🔥

Connect with Leslie here:
https://nexpathcoaching.com/home
https://liondascpa.com/

Connect with us here:
Adrienne’s IG
RLC IG
Learn more about Fractional COO here
Submit to be a guest here

Top 5 Takeaways:

1. Identify the Right Bottleneck – Fixing the wrong problem wastes time and resources. Pinpointing the actual bottleneck is key to business growth.

2. Focus on One Platform – Going all-in on one platform (like Facebook) can drive better results than spreading yourself too thin.

3. Proven Organic Success First – Don’t invest in Facebook ads until you’ve seen consistent success with organic traffic.

4. Create Effective Opt-Ins – A strong opt-in can grow your email list and nurture leads more effectively.

5. Understanding Client Needs – Listening to client pain points helps you create targeted solutions and increase conversions.

Chapters
01:52 – Identifying the Attract Bottleneck – Pinpointing the true bottleneck is essential for fixing the right problem and driving growth.
03:11 – Strategies for Attracting Leads – Proven methods for generating consistent, high-quality leads.
05:25 – Evaluating Current Messaging and Results – How to refine your messaging to improve lead generation and conversion.
13:28 – Creating Effective Opt-Ins – Building opt-ins that grow your email list and nurture leads.
18:34 – Utilizing AI for Content Creation – How AI can simplify content creation and repurposing.
24:44 – Webinar Planning and Engagement Strategies – Designing webinars to increase attendance and drive action.
29:44 – Organic vs Paid Traffic – Finding the right balance between organic reach and paid ads.
34:38 – Maximizing Social Media Presence – Strategies to increase engagement and visibility without burnout.
36:11 – Building Trust in the Coaching Industry – Why trust is essential for client relationships and business growth.
39:30 – Understanding Client Needs – Listening to client pain points to create targeted, effective solutions.

In the very first episode of CEO Help Desk, Adrienne Dorison and Emily Doyle introduce the fresh new format designed to serve overwhelmed small business owners—just like you.

Here’s the deal:
Each week, you'll hear a real business owner walk through a specific operational or leadership challenge on air with Adrienne and Emily. Then in the following episode, your co-hosts debrief and go even deeper with ideas, context, and strategies to help you apply the same lessons to your own business.

Whether you're looking to delegate more, streamline operations, or step out of the day-to-day, CEO Help Desk is your go-to coaching corner.

What to Expect:
✅ Coaching episodes with business owners in the $500K–$5M revenue range
✅ Honest, strategic conversations (with a healthy dose of humor)
✅ Tangible takeaways from every challenge we tackle
✅ Behind-the-scenes insight in our debrief episodes
✅ Opportunities to submit your own business challenge for a future episode

Think of it as part Run Like Clockwork, part Dear Work Wives — with a side of “passion for yapping,” as Emily says.

If you're ready to grow a more sustainable, scalable business without being glued to your Slack channel 24/7, hit subscribe and let’s dive in!

And if you want to be a guest, fill in this form!

Play is transformative. 

And it's essential for our personal and professional growth that we take regular breaks to play.

I know from personal experience that when I incorporated more play and whitespace into my life, my business increased exponentially. 

I had more “million dollar” ideas, bigger business growth, came up with better strategies, strengthened my relationships, and found a deeper connection with myself.

On today's episode of the Run Like Clockwork podcast, I'm joined by Shannon Claire, an international branding photographer who has worked with entrepreneurs all over the globe, creating unforgettable brands and marketing campaigns that *actually* get attention.

We discuss:

• how playfulness fosters creativity, innovation, and problem-solving skills.

• the misconception that constant work will lead to success

• why breaks are essential for sustainable growth

• why capturing transformational experiences makes for the best photos

PLUS, we announce that Shannon will be offering a limited number of mini-branding shoots while at camp!

Are you struggling to free up time, increase efficiency, and reduce key person dependency in your business?

In this episode, Adrienne Dorison interviews Alexis Kingsbury, the founder of AirManual, about his journey to creating his solution to those issues. 

Alexis discusses the challenges he faced with traditional process documentation methods and how Air Manual was born out of the need for a tool that makes it easy for teams to create and follow processes. 

This conversation explores:

• The challenges of organizing digital workspaces and the benefits of using AirManual.
• Setting realistic expectations for finding information and improving client onboarding.
• Delegating hard tasks and making better decisions.
• How to support team members and create an incredible workplace.

Clockwork and AirManual are partnering to provide a one-of-a-kind online masterclass that will guide you from feeling stuck in your operations to achieving life-changing freedom. 

So… join us Wednesday, May 8th @ 10 am Eastern for our free webinar "Clunky to Clockwork: How to Make it Easy For Your Team To Do Things The Way You Want Them Done", and get our blueprint for scalable success.

In this training you’ll learn how to:

• Unlock Efficiency: Discover how the "weakest link in the chain" method can resolve your most pressing inefficiencies.

• Empower Your Team: Learn empowering techniques and tools that foster autonomy and reduce micromanagement.

• Blueprint to Freedom: Step-by-step guidance on making your business self-sustaining for growth without constant oversight.

• Achieve Life-Changing Results: Hear real success stories from businesses that have been transformation.

• Get Immediate Impact: Leave with actionable knowledge and resources for quick, valuable changes.

To find out more and secure your space, head to airmanual.link/clockwork

This is our final episode in the Clockwork Book Club, and today we are talking to the Author of  “Clockwork, Revised and Expanded: Design Your Business to Run Itself”… Mike Michalowicz!

In this episode, we discuss:

• What Mike wishes everyone knew about Clockwork

• The biggest updates to the system since the first edition of the book

• Why people resist the Four-Week vacation, and how to combat that!

Every time we talk to Mike we always glean some new insights, and this episode is no different!

You can share your reflections with us over on Instagram --> ⁠@rlclockwork⁠

If you don't have your copy of the book yet, you can grab a ⁠physical, kindle, or audible version here.⁠

Welcome to our breakdown of Chapter 13 of Clockwork, Revised and Expanded: Design Your Business to Run Itself.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why we encounter pushback

• How Design can be just as taxing as Doing work

• Why you need to show up more when building trust 

We suggest that you read the chapter and then come listen to this episode covering pages 237-250.

If you would like access to our FREE Study and Discussion Guides, and the ability to binge the podcast instead of waiting for weekly episode drops, you can opt into a private feed here → http://www.runlikeclockwork.com/bookclub

You can share your reflections with us over on Instagram --> ⁠@rlclockwork⁠

If you don't have your copy of the book yet, you can grab a physical, kindle, or audible version here.⁠