Susan Finch and Lany Sullivan are plunging into the inky black to tackle the four crucial moments when conducting a business assessment, which is an absolute must. They'll help you identify the signs that your business is ready for a thorough evaluation, and trust us, ignoring these red flags could lead to a total "blowup" down the line – and nobody wants that! Lany shares her expert insights on navigating the challenges of rapid growth, delegating effectively, optimizing your tech stack, and bu...
Mar 27, 2024•33 min•Ep. 112
Are you leaving money on the table in your business? If you haven't evaluated your entire customer journey from end to end, chances are there are holes that are costing you revenue. In this episode, operations experts Susan Finch and Lany Sullivan dive into why your customer journey is the key to sustainable revenue. They share examples of the broken processes they often see, and provide practical advice for establishing foundational systems that will help you shift from constantly rebuilding yo...
Mar 19, 2024•23 min•Ep. 111
In this episode of Rooted in Revenue, host Susan Finch welcomes back Debi Davis, owner and operator of 3D Communications AI, for an insightful discussion on the importance of measuring and managing data to drive business growth. CEOs and CROs will find valuable insights as Debi shares her expertise on analyzing processes, improving communication, and leveraging data to make informed decisions. Discover how to effectively collect, organize, and utilize data to enhance your company's performance a...
Mar 12, 2024•24 min•Ep. 110
Feeling scattered trying to manage and grow your business? Plagued with impulsive ideas but little follow-through? Do distractions keep you from moving forward effectively? My friend and business coach Debi Davis shares hard-won wisdom for overcoming chaos and dysfunction. If you lead or own a small or mid-size B2B company, listen in as Debi and I discuss bringing order to operations, planning, and execution. Learn a simple yet powerful three-step formula encapsulated as “frame, focus, follow th...
Mar 04, 2024•34 min•Ep. 109
CEOs, are your metrics telling the whole story of your company’s health? Susan Finch poses this vital question to her guest, customer intelligence expert Laura Patterson, in this episode. Laura spotlights critical yet overlooked metrics beyond sales and profit — brand equity and customer value. These interlinked measures provide unparalleled visibility into your company’s ability to attract, retain, and expand customer relationships over time. According to Patterson, savvy executives harness the...
Feb 22, 2024•24 min•Ep. 108
Do you have a revolutionary business idea but struggle with bringing it to market? Have you invested significant time and money into a product with no traction? As an entrepreneur and inventor at heart, Sushee Perumal has been in your shoes. After exiting his prior role, he was inspired to launch Flight Level 180 to provide startups and founders the capabilities in technology, marketing, and sales required to accelerate getting products from idea to market fit. In this episode, learn Sushee’s fr...
Jan 18, 2024•35 min•Ep. 107
Communication skills are invaluable yet often overlooked. In this episode, Susan sits down with Matt Heinz, President of Heinz Marketing Inc. He's an established podcaster and marketing leader. They discuss practical ways we can become better communicators by creating and sharing our stories. They explore how opening up builds connection and trust—when we lead with vulnerability, we grant others permission to do the same. The resulting environment fosters mutual understanding between all persona...
Jan 04, 2024•24 min•Ep. 106
Have you ever volunteered your time to lead a professional organization or community group, only to face a tangled transition handing everything over to your successor? Between forgotten passwords, outdated contact lists, and confusing file permissions, it's enough digital chaos to make you want to resign on the spot! Well, take a deep breath and lean in. In this episode, we'll untangle the mystery of smooth leadership transitions when it comes to your online assets. With empathy, humor, and har...
Dec 21, 2023•15 min•Ep. 105
What if we viewed every employee as having untapped potential waiting to be uncovered? Russell Kern joins Susan in this episode to discuss how shifting to strength-based coaching can profoundly transform organizations and lives. Through focusing regular conversations on nurturing strengths, managers become empowering partners in their employees' career journeys. Employees feel recognized for their unique abilities and supported to grow as individuals. Imagine the ripple effects across teams and ...
Oct 31, 2023•27 min•Ep. 104
We have a highly specialized guest who will help us navigate the evolving landscape of consumer behavior as it relates to demand generation. Deanna Shimoto, with over eight years of expertise in marketing and demand generation, joins us to share insights that couldn't be more relevant to our current business climate. As Deanna aptly puts it, "Buyers, consumers in general, are spending significantly more time digging in and doing their own research." This shift in consumer behavior is transformin...
Sep 13, 2023•30 min•Ep. 103
In this episode, Susan Finch and Tessa Burg dive deep into the ethical and strategic incorporation of AI tools, such as ChatGPT, into business workflows and educational systems. They discuss the importance of understanding biases, setting up standards across the company, and adopting a cautious approach to the usage of generative AI tools. They emphasize the need for a strong QA process and internal policies to protect clients and businesses. Additionally, they touch on the importance of educati...
Aug 30, 2023•21 min•Ep. 102
Jo Dale Carothers has just published Royally Deceived. I sat with her yesterday to talk about the process of someone who works full-time AND wants to be a published author. One of her big takeaways - research free resources, talk to other authors in your genre, and put together a team. Here is an excerpt from the interview. If you know you have a book in you, you'll want to listen to this episode. Maye you will be like Jo Dale and realize you don't just have one book in you, but two, then four, ...
Jul 25, 2023•23 min•Ep. 101
Psychological safety is crucial for organizations to thrive, contributing to talent retention and overall success. Companies that create a culture of psychological safety outperform those that do not. Join Susan Finch and Rob Brodo to continue their discussion on leadership simulations. Creating a psychologically safe environment requires leaders to establish trust and make employees feel comfortable taking risks, challenging the status quo, and expressing their concerns. It involves treating ev...
Jul 19, 2023•18 min•Ep. 100
Susan Finch and Rob Brodo from Adventexe delve into the crucial role of coaching in driving organizational success. Recent studies have revealed that companies with a strong coaching culture are classified as high-performing organizations, and you won't want to miss out on that kind of achievement. Rob shares invaluable insights on coaching dialogue, coaching effectiveness, and the overall approach. They debunk the misconception that each company's coaching needs are vastly unique, emphasizing t...
Jul 11, 2023•14 min•Ep. 99
Intrigued by Advantexe's business simulations, Susan welcomes back Rob Brodo from Advantexe as they explores their focus on new manager training. They both acknowledge that management failure can lead to business failure but believe it is preventable and correctable. Susan asks Rob about the challenges faced by new managers and the motivation behind creating simulations. Rob highlights the overwhelming nature of transitioning into a management role without guidance. Advantexe's simulations allow...
Jul 05, 2023•14 min•Ep. 98
In this final episode of the Foundations of Business Series on Rooted in Revenue, Rob Brodo, the co-founder and CEO of Advantexe, and Susan Finch discuss competitive analysis as a foundation of business acumen. They first identify who the real competitors are and how to spot them. They also explain how scanning the environment, including social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter, can help companies stay up to date on their competitors and innovations in the market. Rob emphasizes the impo...
Mar 02, 2023•16 min•Ep. 97
In this episode of Rooted in Revenue, host Susan Finch is once again joined by Rob Brodo, the co-founder and CEO of AdvantX. The duo is continuing their series on the foundations of Business Acumen, which covers the key components of understanding business strategy and financial positions. In this episode, they delve into the importance of recognizing the strategic and financial challenges and opportunities of executing a new strategy. Rob discusses how many companies are disconnected between th...
Feb 22, 2023•13 min•Ep. 96
In this episode of the podcast, Susan Finch and Michelle Cramer from On Angels' Wings discuss the importance of HR support in the workplace. Michelle discusses her journey writing her book, Uncharted Grief, and her certification as a Grief Recovery Method specialist. Michelle shares her thoughts on the societal norms surrounding grief and how they impact employees in the workplace. She highlights the importance of allowing employees to grieve and the impact it can have on their health and financ...
Feb 10, 2023•21 min•Ep. 95
In this episode, Susan is joined by Rob Brodo, the CEO and Co-Founder of Advantexe, as they continue their series on business acumen strategies. The focus of this episode is on comprehending financial position and key metrics, including the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow report. Rob explains that financial management is just a scoreboard for the company's strategy and that understanding these metrics is crucial in measuring the success of the strategy. He also highlights the impo...
Feb 07, 2023•12 min•Ep. 94
In this episode, we cover the importance of understanding business strategy for every person working for a company. Our guest is Rob Brodo. Rob is the Co-Founder and CEO of Advantexe. Rob talks about how many CEOs struggle with leading an organization that lacks a clear understanding of their value proposition to customers. The discussion includes the difference between the "believers" and "non-believers," and the importance of knowing the company's strategy and its impact on a company's success...
Jan 30, 2023•8 min•Ep. 93
At least a few times a month I hear from a potential new client that their email marketing efforts produce no results. Once we sit and talk about their process, and how they follow up with the leads they get pretty quiet. This isn't uncommon. If you are struggling to create and execute targeted marketing campaigns that drive new business, you are not alone, especially for small businesses. It’s critical to the growth of your business, but you don’t have the time or the resources to do it and you...
Jan 18, 2023•22 min•Ep. 92
We hear about all the ways marketers miss the mark - what they do wrong. What if we focused on what they are doing right and then expand the use of those tactics? Some companies have a team of one or less than five and each must wear several hats. If, as a group, you lay out what is working, analyze the results through Google Analytics and pulling in all the pieces, as a group, you can tackle what is next. It may be enhancing the most popular pages you have to ensure you move people along on the...
Jan 18, 2023•25 min•Ep. 91
A more complete title is, "How are you marketing to your employees, customers, prospects, community?" Today I’m talking with Jeanne Hopkins who is launching Salty Marketing Company this month. We’ll cover what a fractional CMO is and isn’t, the four elements of marketing that every company must include or fail. Employees Customers Prospects Community Consider this a wake-up call to marketers who are unable to justify their spending. This is part one of our session. Links from this episode: Conne...
Jan 11, 2023•12 min•Ep. 90
Holly Jean Jackson is a speaker, author, and holistic coach. This means she gives you three in one - a health coach, life coach, and a business coach. In this episode we are focusing on the value of relaunching your book. You put so much blood, sweat, tears, and hair-pulling into publishing a book. But what happens a few years later? Your publisher did their part, you did the signings, the promotions, and then crickets? Let's hope not. You may even be working on your next book, but you still rea...
Jan 04, 2023•32 min•Ep. 89
We need our prospects to be so confident that they will get the return they expect. And so it's the ROI model, but also it's the level of confidence about the ability to achieve that. The fact that sometimes even what our customers tell us, they see value in our own solutions starts to change and evolve. Eric Whittlake of 6Sense joins Susan today. He says, "One of the things that you likely will see is they value the thing that's more immediate than the thing." That extends into the need for us ...
Dec 28, 2022•26 min•Ep. 88
Steve Richard, SVP, Value Realization at Mediafly sits down with Susan to talk about sales and sales training in a recession. He says, "Really good demand gen marketers that are super targeted with what they do and have very little scrap rate have never been higher demand. That's one thing I'm definitely seeing that's critically important right now. And everyone's going outbound." Key points in this episode: SDRs, SBRs, are you in the top third, mid-range third, or bottom third? Time to start se...
Dec 14, 2022•21 min•Ep. 87
It doesn't really matter whether you're a really large company or really small company, you have to continue to find, keep and grow the value of customers, which is the essence of marketing. You can't stop looking for customers and doing that work, but you also have to focus on keeping them. In this episode, Laura Patterson, President of VisionEdge Marketing gives suggestions for smaller to mid-size companies about building an advisory panel from your customers and why that continues to build lo...
Dec 07, 2022•26 min•Ep. 86
Too many times a new CMO or CRO takes a position in a company and immediately wants to make changes without really observing to see what has been working, experience the company culture and getting to know the team. Jeanne Hopkins has been a CMO or CRO for many notable companies, including HubSpot, Ipswitch, Continuum, and currently OneScreen.ai. She knows the people are the greatest asset a company. In this episode Jeanne talks with Susan about her playbook and how important it is for it to ali...
Aug 24, 2022•35 min•Ep. 85
Sales Managers and Leaders - you need to get your sales teams up 3x. Susan Finch's guest is Todd Duncan. A great place to start is with his golden nugget of a tip. At the end of each hour at the 55-minute rule. In the last 5 minutes of every hour, review what you did in the last hour. What was productive? What worked? What didn't work? If you simply start with this ONE tip, you'll be on your way to working much smarter in the following hours. Waiting until the week's end, or the month's end is t...
Feb 02, 2022•33 min•Ep. 84
If you are in sales, you'd better know if you are transactional-focused or lifetime-focused when it comes to how you approach prospects and customers. There is no wrong version, but you need to know which you are. Your sales manager needs to know which you are too. That deep honesty will allow you to play to your strengths. The theme of this episode is two-fold - being in awe of the fantastic things people you encounter do and who they are, and knowing yourself to the core. If you don't like it,...
Dec 14, 2021•34 min•Ep. 83
