What if the reason you're stuck isn't mindset—or even procrastination? What if you're just solving the wrong problem? In this episode, I’m talking with Cat Mulvihill, creator of the Momentum Framework—a diagnostic tool that helps you figure out exactly why you’re stalled out in your business and what to do about it. Whether the block is a skills gap, an energy mismatch, or a lurking fear, Cat’s approach helps you pinpoint the true cause so you can move forward without forcing it. We explore why ...
Jun 17, 2025•43 min•Ep. 120
What if your brand voice didn’t live solely inside your head? What if it was a system —a tool that helped you write faster, delegate confidently, and create calm across your business? In this episode, I share how I took my brand voice from “just a vibe” to a repeatable, documented system with the help of voice strategist Justin Blackman. We dig into how building a voice guide changed the way I write, collaborate, and scale. If content creation feels like a bottleneck—especially when you're not t...
Jun 03, 2025•39 min•Ep. 119
Most advice about scaling a service business means giving up the work you love or cranking your rates until clients walk away. But what if you could grow your revenue with your clients—without adding more to your plate? In this episode, Susan revisits a standout 2019 interview with business coach Lacey Sites, who doubled her revenue without taking on a single new client. Lacey did it by shifting to a revenue-sharing compensation model —one that ties her income directly to her clients’ success. I...
May 06, 2025•32 min•Ep. 118
Tired of hitting a wall with your client-based business? You don’t have to build a course or start a membership to scale. In this episode of Calm is the New KPI , host Susan Boles talks with Janet Alexandersson—an international licensing lawyer and founder of Piggy Bank Legal—about how licensing can become a powerful, margin-creating revenue stream for service-based business owners. If you've ever wondered how to productize your existing client work without burning out or shifting your entire bu...
Apr 22, 2025•40 min•Ep. 117
You’ve duct-taped your service business together with tools and automations. But now things are breaking, you’re chasing Zapier errors, and client delivery is starting to feel like a drag. What if the next step wasn’t hiring a team or flattening your services—but turning your system into the service? In this episode, we're geeking out with Dylan Kinder, founder and CEO of DataCose, about how service-based businesses can scale by transforming parts of their delivery into software. We explore how ...
Apr 08, 2025•38 min•Ep. 116
Eliminate Sales Calls? Yes, Really. What if your entire sales process could feel human, high-touch, and not require a single call? This week on Calm is the New KPI , I’m joined by Becky Pierson Davidson, founder of Affinity Collective, a product strategy agency for community-driven businesses. Becky shares how she’s turned the traditional, time-consuming sales process on its head—closing $15K+ client engagements with zero sales calls. Instead of long proposal timelines, back-to-back Zooms, and g...
Mar 25, 2025•39 min•Ep. 115
Business is personal—so why do we so often separate relationships from our work? In this episode, Tara Robertson, leadership coach and DEI consultant, shares why she set a KPI around the number of new friends she makes this year. We explore how measuring relationships impacts not only joy but also business sustainability. Tara realized that working alone was draining her energy, so she made a bold decision: she would never go into an organization alone again. Instead, she’d co-lead, collaborate,...
Mar 11, 2025•29 min•Ep. 114
We all want our work to resonate—but how do we know if it actually does? In this episode, I sit down with storytelling and speaking expert Jay Acunzo to explore the concept of resonance over reach and how we can track something that feels inherently unmeasurable. Jay shares his Unsolicited Response Rate (URR) framework, a KPI designed to measure whether your ideas truly connect with your audience. If you're tired of vanity metrics and want to focus on making an impact, this conversation is for y...
Feb 25, 2025•51 min•Ep. 113
Managing client relationships is one of the biggest challenges of running a service-based business. Expectations, boundaries, and communication all play a role in whether an engagement runs smoothly or goes off the rails. So, how do you actually know if you're doing a good job? Karen Sergeant has a solution: a Client Report Card. This system helps her measure and manage client relationships proactively, identifying potential issues before they become problems. As a fractional COO, Karen has spen...
Feb 11, 2025•38 min•Ep. 112
In this episode of Beyond Margins , we explore the concept of calmer KPIs with guest Kendall Cherry, founder of The Candid Collective. Kendall shares her innovative metric, “Fresh Content Inked,” and how it has transformed her content creation process, business systems, and sales cycle—all while doubling her income. We geek out about how to build sustainable systems that create spaciousness in your business, reduce overwhelm, and prioritize what truly matters. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: ...
Jan 28, 2025•46 min•Ep. 111
In this episode of Beyond Margins , Susan dives into the heart of goal-setting, breaking free from default metrics and focusing on what truly matters to your business and life. She shares her own approach to prioritizing calm as a core business metric and gives a behind-the-scenes look at how she set and tracked a single impactful goal in 2024—taking 12 weeks off to rest (spoiler: she surpassed it). Susan explores: Why default metrics like revenue targets may not align with your values. How to s...
Jan 14, 2025•12 min•Ep. 110
How do you reduce urgency in a world where urgency is so deeply embedded? How do you market yourself and your work in a way that is anti-oppressive? We're continuing in our mini-series on my calmer framework for a calmer business. This week, we're focused on reudcing urgency and techniques for anti-oppressive marketing. We're joined by Natalia Sanyal, an anti-oppressive copywriter and brand messaging strategist. She’s worked with billion-dollar businesses like Apple and Lululemon, New York Times...
Dec 17, 2024•50 min•Ep. 109
We live in a society obsessed with productivity and working more, so how can we lean into rest? What are the benefits of building rest into our businesses? And how can we begin to do that? We're continuing in our mini-series on my calmer framework for a calmer business. This week, we're focused on rest. Rest is often a challenge for us go-getters, solopreneurs, and entrepreneurs. But, it's essential to stop burnout, stay creative, and have a truly calm and sustainable business. We're joined by J...
Dec 03, 2024•47 min•Ep. 108
Why are efficient systems so essential for building a calmer business? And how do you go about finding the right systems and processes for yourself? We're continuing in our mini-series on my calmer framework for a calmer business. This week, we're focused on my favorite aspect of my CALMER framework -- efficient systems. We dive into the importance of understanding our own processes before building systems, and then explore some of the many ways our individual systems can look. We're joined by A...
Nov 19, 2024•46 min•Ep. 107
What if you could build in more space to your business? An extra day off? More time to strategize? Less urgency and more rest? We're continuing in our mini-series on my calmer framework for a calmer business. This week, we're diving into margins -- financial margins, capacity margins, and energetic margins -- to decrease urgency and burnout and create calmer, more sustainable businesses. We're joined by Nathalie Lussier, an award-winning entrepreneur who has been making websites since she was 12...
Nov 05, 2024•43 min•Ep. 106
Taking care of people in or around your business isn't the default when it comes to business and what we're taught business should be. How is this way of doing business actually hurting us? And, how can we change our systems to be more authentically people-first? We're continuing in our mini-series on my calmer framework for a calmer business. This week, we're diving into lens of care and how operating with a lens of care can decrease panic and urgency in our daily work. We're joined by Heather ...
Oct 22, 2024•41 min•Ep. 105
Can we create calm workplaces that are not only remote, but also asynchronous? And can we do it while avoiding micromanaging from afar? We're continuing in our mini-series on my calmer framework for a calmer business. This week, we're diving into autonomy. Why is autonomy essential for a calmer business? What does an autonomous work environment even look like? And how can you apply some of the best systems and tips for creating an autonomous environment into your own business. We're joined by re...
Oct 08, 2024•41 min•Ep. 104
How can defining your business values and success more clearly lead to a calmer operation? This episode kicks off our miniseries on deconstructing the common elements that all calm businesses share. We're starting with the most foundational element: clarity. Clarity in business is often summarized by a simple yet powerful term: "freedom from ambiguity." In today’s discussion, Susan Boles explores how achieving clarity in your business's values, goals, and communications can lead to more engaged ...
Sep 24, 2024•9 min•Ep. 103
What if you could design a business that inherently operates on calm, not chaos? What are the essential elements to make this possible, and how can they be systematically incorporated into your business model? As we dive into our new series on creating calmer businesses, we explore the foundational elements that make businesses serene and sustainable. Each episode of this series will deconstruct a key component, starting today with an overview of what it takes to design a business for calm. So, ...
Sep 03, 2024•10 min•Ep. 102
Can grants really fund your service business? This episode wraps up our deep dive into unique funding options for service businesses, exploring an often overlooked resource—grants. Meet Danielle Desir Corbett. She's a former grants administrator turned 4x grant-funded creative entrepreneur. She curates a monthly newsletter called "Grants For Creators," which shares funding opportunities for U.S. creatives and small business owners like grants, accelerators, pitch competitions, and more. Danielle...
Aug 20, 2024•22 min•Ep. 101
In this special 100th episode of Beyond Margins, host Susan Boles delivers her first solo discussion on utilizing debt thoughtfully to fund service businesses. Drawing from her experience as a fractional CFO, she explores the benefits and strategic uses of debt, shares real-world examples, and provides practical tips for business owners facing cash flow challenges or looking to seize growth opportunities. (00:00) - Introduction to Business Funding Options (00:37) - Celebrating 100 Episodes: A So...
Aug 06, 2024•11 min•Ep. 100
Do you need funding for your business but loathe the idea of giving up a piece of your company to someone else? I get it. You built this baby with your own two hands, most likely giving up nights, weekends, early mornings, and time with your friends and family to do it. So the idea of handing over part of that to someone who wasn’t sweating it out with you might make you feel pretty uncomfortable. The good news is, you don’t have to. There are other funding options that can provide the financial...
Jul 23, 2024•50 min•Ep. 99
Cash is only easy to come by when you don't really need it. When things are going well, banks are happy to finance loans and lines of credit, and investors are easy to find when you're profitable and growing quickly. But we all know things aren’t always going well. For service-based businesses, where our products aren’t widgets but more often the intangible value of our brains and experiences, we tend to think that outside funding just doesn’t apply to us and our business model. But the truth is...
Jul 09, 2024•39 min•Ep. 98
Consider this scenario: a key employee unexpectedly needs to take an extended leave. Is your business financially and structurally prepared to handle that without a hitch? This is a challenge many small businesses face, and it's crucial to be prepared. As we wrap up our series on sabbaticals, leaves, and breaks, we will examine the policies and financial planning that underpin them. To guide us through this topic, we have the privilege of hearing from Kate Tyson, a seasoned professional from Wan...
Jun 25, 2024•50 min•Ep. 97
What happens when you unexpectedly need to step away from your business's operations? How can you prepare your business not just to survive but to thrive, even when key team members are away? In our continuing series on planning for leaves, sabbaticals, and breaks from your business, we’re shifting our focus from the personal side to the backbone of any business: operations. Layla Pomper, creator of Process Driven, joins me to delve into the empowering process of building operational resilience ...
Jun 11, 2024•39 min•Ep. 96
How do you step away from your business for a necessary break without losing momentum or compromising your values? Deciding to take a leave or sabbatical, and then figuring out the best approach for you, how to maintain client relationships while you're away, or even ensuring you have enough financial security during your break are all complex challenges that many of us face. As part of my exploration of breaks, leaves, and sabbaticals and all of the different ways you can plan for them, I’m tal...
May 28, 2024•46 min•Ep. 95
Sometimes, you just need a break. I know I did. What was meant to be a quick breather turned into a transformative journey of two and a half years . The show (and my company) emerged with a new name, a new look, and a new perspective on what truly sustains a business— and a life . I say that I took a break from my business. But the reality is that I broke . I realized that I was burnt out to the point where I was physically, psychologically, and emotionally impaired. In this episode, I share the...
May 14, 2024•49 min•Ep. 94
Break the Ceiling is now Beyond Margins. I’m excited to bring back the show and introduce you to people thinking about operations, finance, and business-building with calm as their top KPI. Do you know someone who could use a little more calm in their business? Someone who wants to think beyond margins? Share the show with them! And make sure you follow or subscribe in your favorite podcast app. *** Honestly, I don’t really want to 10x my business. There. I said it. I want interesting work, enou...
May 01, 2024•4 min
I wanted to give you an update on what's going on with Break the Ceiling. Over the last two years, I've released almost a hundred episodes of Break the Ceiling. I've put out so many episodes that I'm really proud of, and I've talked to a ton of really amazing business owners. Thank you so much for listening and hanging out here with me, geeking out on the backend of running a business. I wanted to let you know that we're going on hiatus, so we won't be releasing any new episodes for a while. I w...
Aug 03, 2021•2 min•Ep. 93
Boundaries are all about setting guidelines for how you work. From your very first interaction with a client or a prospect, you're giving them hints about how you work or even explicitly setting expectations for how you'll work together. So if you take four days to respond to their request for information, they might have the impression that you're a little slow. React immediately, and they'll think you're always available. What choices we make about where our boundaries are–or aren't–can have a...
Jul 27, 2021•31 min•Ep. 92
