Rooted In Revenue

Lany and Susan dive into the sometimes murky waters of consultant-client relationships. Drawing from years of experience sitting on every side of the boardroom table, they tackle the age-old question: "Who is responsible for doing the tasks at hand?" Let's face it—consultants don't come with magic wands, and CEOs don't get to toss the keys and walk away. Whether you've ever wondered "Why isn't this working?" or "I paid a consultant, so why isn't everything fixed?" this episode cuts through the confusion with practical advice on setting boundaries, managing expectations, and creating successful partnerships. Susan and Lany share real-world stories about scope creep, communication breakdowns, and the emotional rollercoaster that can derail even the best-intentioned business relationships. They also offer straightforward tips for both sides to keep things running smoothly, from clear contracts to honest conversations about decision-making authority. Tune in for a no-nonsense discussion about what makes consultan

In this episode, Susan Finch and Lany Sullivan revisit a topic we can’t stress enough: branded email addresses. Using Gmail, Yahoo, or even AOL for business? You’re losing trust before the conversation starts. We dig into real examples, onboarding requirements, offboarding protocols, and the risk of letting your team operate with inconsistent or unprotected emails. Your email isn’t just a communication tool—it’s your brand's handshake. Related Reading: Domain, Email & Website Evaluation for Your Brand Why Branded Email Matters – Quick Reminder Listen, nod, then take action.

Struggling to make your real estate data stand out in a sea of generic market reports? In this episode of Rooted in Revenue, I share practical insights from my recent workshop with NRBA professionals Kelley Kesterson and Angelica Suarez, who are looking to elevate their marketing with meaningful data visualization. Discover how to transform complex market statistics into compelling visual stories that build trust and position you as the go-to expert in your local market—all using tools you already have access to, like Google Sheets. Stop wasting time on generic industry charts that mean nothing to your audience and start creating content that genuinely connects. Key Points Data with context builds trust - Generic industry charts without local relevance or explanation provide no value to your audience. Simplify your data storytelling - Focus on communicating one clear message rather than overwhelming with multiple data points. Use accessible tools - Google Sheets offers easy chart creation and customization w

Susan sits down with former team member Karen Mares, Content Creator at Event Builder, who serves as her company's "marketing anchor" as she navigates the evolving landscape of AI tools. Karen shares her journey from initial concerns about AI replacing her writing role to developing a strategic workflow where she remains firmly in control. You'll discover how she has combined multiple AI platforms—each serving distinct purposes in her content creation process—while ensuring that her human expertise, voice, and judgment remain the guiding force. For marketing leaders seeking practical ways to integrate AI without compromising authenticity, Karen offers invaluable insights: training AI tools in your company's voice, identifying and eliminating phrases that give away AI, and creating approval processes that maintain compliance standards. Her approach has significantly accelerated content production while preserving the quality and distinctiveness that only a skilled human writer can deliver. Whether you're just

Terry Hopkins | President & CEO, Grants Pass Chamber of Commerce: Grants Pass native Terry Hopkins has returned to his roots after a diverse hospitality career across five states. With over 25 years of business ownership and management experience in Southern Oregon, Terry recently spent 5 years as a business advocate with the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association. Married for 20+ years with two sons, Terry is passionate about community service, having served on numerous Chamber and city committees. He's excited to join the Grants Pass & Josephine County Chamber of Commerce team to advocate for local businesses and enhance community development. thopkins@grantspasschamber.org  |  541-956-4100  

Lany Sullivan sits down with Mark Cleve, who shares his remarkable 32-year journey with Tom James, the premium custom clothing company that's grown from $119 million to over $600 million during his tenure. Mark reveals the business philosophy that has guided his success: "You don't build a business, you build people and people build a business." From his early door-to-door book-selling experiences to becoming a trusted name in custom clothing, Mark offers powerful insights on why clothing matters, how to build systems that scale, and why the ultimate business legacy is reliability. Discover why Mark has only lost clients for three reasons: how the right clothing creates both confidence and respect, and why he believes that dressing appropriately for occasions shows respect for others. Whether you're in fashion, sales, or any client-facing business, Mark's practical wisdom on creating "consciously competent" customers who trust you completely offers a blueprint for building your lasting business legacy. Connec

We're continuing our exploration of effective marketing strategies with the experts from iHeartRadio. In our first segment, we discovered how radio remains 'America's Trusted Companion' and explored the powerful geofencing capabilities that can target potential customers with remarkable precision. Now, we're shifting focus to the strategic side - how businesses of all sizes can effectively incorporate audio marketing into their overall strategy, even with limited budgets. Julie and Kevin share valuable insights on the psychology behind effective advertising, the multiplier effect of audio on other marketing channels, and practical approaches to campaign timing that maximize impact without breaking the bank. Let's rejoin the conversation as they break down the differences between host-read ads and generic spots, and reveal how audio fits into a comprehensive marketing strategy. This episode could have also been called: The Host-Read Advantage: Building Trust Through Strategic Audio Marketing" "The Marketing M

Real estate brokers searching for an edge are discovering what radio professionals have known all along – radio remains 'America's Trusted Companion' even in our digital age. This special segment of Rooted in Revenue brings you face-to-face with iHeartRadio experts Julie Beaulieu and Kevin Cash, who share surprising insights about radio's continued growth and its unique ability to build community trust. Learn how their advanced geofencing technology lets you precisely target potential clients – from specific neighborhoods to competitors' open houses – creating opportunities traditional digital marketing misses. You'll understand why radio creates deeper connections with listeners and how this translates directly into brand credibility for real estate professionals. Whether you're running a boutique agency or a larger brokerage, discover practical strategies to incorporate radio into your marketing mix without stretching your budget. This conversation might completely change how you think about connecting with

What happens after you've found that perfect addition to your team? How do you create an onboarding experience that makes new hires feel confident, valued, and ready to contribute? In the last episode, Susan and Lany walked you through establishing a solid hiring process. The topic is Beyond the Hire: Creating a Welcoming Onboarding Experience That Builds Lasting Teams. In this second half, they explore the critical role of mentorship in successful onboarding, including how to support first-time mentors and celebrate this growth opportunity for existing team members. From day-one preparations to long-term development strategies, they share practical insights on welcoming new team members in ways that strengthen your company culture and improve retention. Whether you're managing an in-person or virtual team, these actionable steps will help you transform the critical first months of employment into the foundation for lasting success. Key Points Checklist: Prepare thoroughly before day one to set new hires u

Are you planning to bring a new team member on board? Before you start interviewing candidates, there's critical groundwork that needs to be laid. In this episode of Rooted in Revenue, hosts Susan Finch and Lany Sullivan walk you through the essential steps to prepare your business for a successful hire. From mapping out processes to setting up the right tech stack, they share practical advice drawn from years of experience working with business owners. Learn how proper preparation not only makes onboarding smoother but also sets your new team member up for success from day one. Lany's 5 steps: Assess business needs and identify gaps - Analyze what tasks you dislike or don't bring value, determine inefficiencies, and decide whether you need a fractional, part-time, or full-time person. Clarify roles and responsibilities - Create a detailed scope of work outlining specific tasks, required skills, and what success looks like in the role. Map out processes and document workflows - Create comprehensive documenta

Imagine Dolly Parton’s Jolene. Now, imagine Miley Cyrus singing it. It's the same song and the same lyrics—but they feel completely different, right? That’s exactly how typefaces work. A typeface sets the tone before a single word is read. It tells your audience who you are—before they even realize it. And whether your brand feels classic and trustworthy like Dolly’s Jolene or bold and modern like Miley’s version depends on the choices you make in your typography.” Today, we’re diving into the world of fonts, branding, and first impressions. We’ll break down: The difference between a typeface and a font (spoiler: Jolene analogy included

Which task management and marketing strategy tools should you use? Spoiler alert—it’s not as simple as picking the most popular software. Susan and Lany dive into the importance of discernment when selecting tools, sharing real-world experiences of software frustration, integration challenges, and team buy-in struggles. They emphasize the need to evaluate your team’s workflow, test software with real scenarios, and demand proper support before making a costly commitment. They explore why businesses often waste time and money on tools that don’t fit—and how you can avoid making the same mistake. If you've ever been frustrated with tools you chose in a rush, including ClickUp, Asana, Monday, or any other platform, this episode is for you. And tell us—what software works for you, and how did you decide? Maybe we’ll feature your success story in a future episode! BIG TAKEAWAY - the best tools are the ones your team will actually use. Your Tech Tool Selection Checklist ✅ Assess Your Needs First Identify the speci

Are your social posts starting to feel stale? Are you spending hours creating fresh content when you already have a goldmine of valuable material gathering digital dust? Stop the endless content creation cycle. Strategic content management isn't about constantly generating new material—it's about maximizing the value of your existing expertise and insights. In this episode, we cover building and maintaining an effective content bank that transforms your valuable insights into a reusable asset library. Learn why random posts about office pets and foodie highlights aren't part of your content strategy - unless you are in that industry, and discover how to create a systematic approach to content that directly ties to your business goals and mission. For those frustrated with the constant demand for "fresh" content, we reveal why the same valuable message can and should be shared multiple times, reaching different audiences simultaneously. Plus, get practical insights on tracking engagement, managing client testi

Great title, right? But you need a plan. We partner with outside contractors, even our own team - are they documenting what they are doing for you, the project, the client in a way that would allow anyone else to pick up the project and continue on? Is the logic in place for the programming or creative decisions? ASK THEM. This quick episode gives you more ideas to protect your company, your clients in case something goes awry, even just for a while.

This episode of Rooted in Revenue takes an enlightening turn in a world that often pushes us to look outside ourselves for validation and success. Join host Susan and her guest, Chris Champion, as they explore how starting each day with intention and finding your inner peace can transform not just your personal life but your business success as well. From morning walks to barefoot moments in nature, discover simple yet powerful practices that successful leaders use to stay grounded. Chris shares his journey of transformation after a life-changing health challenge, and together they discuss how developing a strong foundation of self-belief, combined with faith, creates the roadmap to both personal and professional fulfillment. This conversation goes beyond typical business metrics to explore the real revenue of life – peace, purpose, and possibility. Links from this episode: Twitter @ImChrisChampion IG: IamChrisChampion www.championexperiences.com https://www.crocs.com/ https://binkypatrol.org

Susan Finch sits down with Patty Parobek from Mod Op to explore the strategic implementation of AI in business. They discuss the concept of an "AI Playground" - a structured approach for organizations to test and evaluate AI tools before full deployment. The conversation covers essential topics, including developing responsible AI use policies, forming cross-functional AI councils, and protecting sensitive data when using AI platforms. Patty shares valuable insights on how businesses of any size can thoughtfully integrate AI while maintaining security and client trust, making this episode a must-listen for organizations navigating the AI landscape.   Here is the Leader Generation Episode: About Patty Parobek: As Vice President of AI Transformation, Patty leads Mod Op’s AI practice group, spearheading initiatives to maximize the value and scalability of AI-enabled solutions. Patty collaborates with the executive team to revolutionize creative, advertising and marketing projects for clients, while ensuring res

Have you ever felt lost when managing your website’s domain? You’re not alone. Some tech professionals keep these concepts vague to maintain control over their clients. Let’s break down what you need to know and document to stay in control of your digital property. Remember, your domain for your company is YOURS. Do not let an outside contractor register a domain for you, even if they are trying to save time, money, etc. You need to create this login and invite them in to manage it. You never want to lose control of your domains. This short episode gives you an initial action list to take inventory of what you have, who has access, and when your domains renew. The next episode in this series will be about moving domains, testing your domains and SSL certificates. This is tied to a course series Susan has available with free real estate broker focused tips emailed q-r.to/sfsreo8, and a paid workshop group. q-r.to/sf8weeks

Today, we're challenging you to conduct a Professional Presence Audit—a critical look at how you appear across the digital landscape to ensure your professional image remains consistent, current, and compelling. This is Part 2 of our Digital Brand Checkup series on Rooted in Revenue. Our last episode covered the essentials of managing your digital real estate—from domains to infrastructure.  Essential action items from this episode: Google Audit: Search yourself/company in an incognito window Review up to page 8 of the search results Document outdated or incorrect listings Look for unauthorized or outdated profiles NAP (Name, Address, Phone) Consistency: Ensure the company name format is identical across all platforms Standardize address formatting (abbreviations, punctuation) Use consistent phone number format (preferably with hyphens) Document the exact format to be used by all team members Professional Profile Management: Review all directory listings (industry, membership groups, associations) Update bi

Your business runs on digital - but when was the last time you gave it a proper checkup? This week on Rooted in Revenue, we're getting real about the nuts and bolts of your digital foundation. Susan Finch and Lany Sullivan share their hands-on experience managing domains (including those late-night wine-inspired purchases we've all made), keeping backups current, and yes - discovering that even storage facilities need retention policies. No fluff, just practical advice on protecting your digital assets and organizing them in a way that actually makes sense. Whether you're a tech pro or still figuring out what DNS means, we've got you covered with straightforward talk and simple solutions for keeping your business's digital world running smoothly. Here are the key points from the episode: Domain Management Essentials: Consolidate all domains to one account/provider Document registration and renewal dates Verify owner, admin, and tech contacts are current Have a clear purpose for each domain Make every domain w

Susan Finch and Lany Sullivan plunge into the muck of a crucial but often overlooked aspect of business operations: the client intake process. Coming fresh from their previous episode on intellectual property, they explore how even successful businesses like Susan's (with 20 years of experience) can benefit from implementing structured intake systems. Whether you've been in business for six months or two decades, this episode reveals why having a clear, systematic approach to onboarding clients isn't just about organization – it's about increasing revenue, saving time, and working with clients who bring you joy. You'll learn practical tips for creating effective intake forms, structuring service packages, and avoiding common pitfalls that lead to scope creep and revenue loss. If you're tired of "winging it" with clients or want to streamline your business processes, this conversation offers actionable insights to transform your client onboarding experience. Get a peek at Lany's here.