Are you feeling overwhelmed by the chaos in your business? Do you struggle with inefficient systems and lack of confidence? In this episode, we dive into Evette Stobo's journey from business overwhelm to streamlined success. Learn how implementing the right systems and mindset shifts can transform your business operations, boost your confidence, and lead to consistent client acquisition.

Connect with Evette:

Website: https://www.theesuite.ca

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-e-suite/

Mentioned in this episode:

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Evette Interview

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Let's get started. My guest today is my client, Evette Stobo. Evette has been working with me for almost six months at this point. And she was one of my very early, uh, clients for, hold on. Let me just try that again. Cause I did not think this through. So what do I want to say? Evette has been working with me for about six months at this point.

And she was one of my very early business optimization clients. And I asked her here today to tell you a little bit about her experience working with me. And, uh, she is Canadian, so she'll be very polite about it, but hopefully we can get some honesty out of her as well. Evette, thank you so much for joining us.

I was gonna say, can you

tell us what EDIA is? Because not everybody knows what

So, can you describe what you're Typical workday looked like before we started working together. How would you start out? How did it feel? What did that look like?

And we're sort of just, you know, Solving problems. We weren't working in any kind of system. So that was, that was our situation before. And I think now we were, we're still working on implementing some of the systems, but for the most part, we have this system that, that you introduced me to that we sort of log into every morning and it leads us through what we need to do for our clients. It took us away from using only email to communicate to communicating like a bigger company, not just a company of three people.

Right. So I was often getting upset. set because I was misunderstood. Um, things were falling through the cracks. We were making mistakes and we weren't addressing them because we were too busy. We were always sort of, you know, we were always on the run that it was always on the run because people were part time. Um, Or, or they have other things to do. We all work remotely. So we weren't, we weren't able to get, I don't think we were able to sync with each other. And I think now we're really synced up. We have daily meetings and then we have weekly meetings and we have bi weekly meetings, but they're not for an hour. They're, they're five minute bites here and there. To just sort of touch base. Um, and everybody's voices is a little bit clearer now.

Can you tell me about, or tell our listeners, cause I already know, but tell our listeners about your relationship with technology before we started working together.

I feel very confident working in this system now and in the systems we've created.

been able to Thank you. Yeah, what I've been able to realize over the last 6 months is that, um, the, the speed, which, which we can at which we can go. When using technology allows us to touch so many more clients, so. I am embracing it. I just, I do not love it, but I understand how much better it makes us operate. I met with a client this morning and I, I said this. Words from you. And we can set up a system for that. We can literally set up, we'll go through, we'll find a system that works for you and we'll, we'll have shared files. I've never said that before. We're going to share files. Um, so it, it feels like I have. Um, I feel like over the last six months, I've learned to trust myself. much as you would, I think, you know, we got iPhones, right? So we, we trust our iPhone or our, our whatever phone. Um, I feel like that about, about the systems now that, that I can trust that the data is there and that we can go in there and get everything.

I don't have to, I'm not scared of it anymore.

People, a lot of the times are afraid of it. And it's funny. I always use the analogy. It's not brain surgery because I've had brain surgery and I'm very open about that on this podcast. So I could say that it's not brain surgery. Like if, if we screw something up, we will fix it. We'll figure it out. It's not going to kill your business.

We will, you know, we will pivot, we will do whatever we have to do to, to figure that out. So I'm glad that you are finally, you know, feeling like that and feeling comfortable and not, you know, even if you don't love technology and that's okay, uh, you at least appreciate it and understand a little bit better.

So I'm glad that we've, we've gotten to that point at least. So. Can you share, still kind of going back to the before, can you share any sort of specific moment or issue in your business where you realized, okay, I really need to fix this. I really need more processes. I need a system. I need help. Like what was that sort of defining moment for you?

Remember that project we worked on. We did that. We went back and it wasn't there. So we have to tell the truth, obviously, Hey, listen, we lost all the information kind client didn't mind. But what if they weren't? You

know, what if they weren't? Um, so now all of the client information is in the same spot, right?

It's in the same spot. We still have emails, of course, but we can go in and say, Oh, this is ABC company. Here's when we started working with them. Here's the rates. Here's what we did for them. Here's the projects we worked on. Yeah.

Like, are you good with that? What else do you need? Let's move on. Right. And I, I, I don't know. That was really important to me. That was important to me.

That space to kind of work through your feelings on it, work through your reaction to it. And so I'm so glad that you said that because that's a big part of what I try to help people with is, okay, I know you don't want this the way that we have it right now, but is the way that you're doing it. Already worse and how can we make it better, but still make you feel comfortable with it.

And one of the things I did wanna talk about is, you know, tell me about the process that we went through. 'cause I know we went through several different systems. So what was that like for you on your end, for us to be trying new systems and testing them and seeing how they worked with the way that you thought?

Tell me about that process.

And I was nervous and we tested out each system. With with the ideas I had, and you were able to say to me, that won't work. Here's why, right? That one won't work. Here's why. Let's move on to the next one. And then I got stuck on one thought it was the one and you let me sit in that for a little while. I tried it out and we came back and by the, I think you had, you had gone away for a week and I was playing around with it.

And then by the time you came back, I was like, yeah, so the one that I thought I liked, I don't. Um, and then we pivoted. Um, yeah. But it was good to try them all out. I wouldn't have done that. I would have just gone with probably the cheapest 1 or the 1 that someone told me was good. Uh, and instead, I ended up 1 that supports most of what we needed and also recognize that the thing I thought we needed, we don't need. So that was really interesting to go through the process and and be able to eliminate these little pieces that I thought were really important.

So it was important for us to get in, you know, play with the system, not make it super high. high. risk. Um, and, and not only that, but I actually guided you through setting up the systems. It wasn't just me saying, Oh, go try the system. Like we actually sat together on our calls and we set them up and we walked through them to make sure that you really understood how the system worked and were feeling comfortable with it so that you could then continue on sort of playing with it by yourself.

my, because if you're a person who didn't grow up, um, right, didn't grow up with computers, systems, all of that stuff.

I did not have that. Um, even in my 1st, 10 years of working, that wasn't a thing. And then spent most of my time working with people, not with, you know, computers. Um, there's a fear that you're going to ruin everything. Um, you need handholding. You can't do that on your own. You can't. So I felt very supported through it.

can you, can you tell us one specific process that, I mean, I know, but one specific process that you now have in your business through our work together, we don't have to beat around the bush.

We can talk about it. I mean, we, you ended up with Asana after we tried several other options. Um, So tell us one specific process that you now use in your business that you didn't have before we started working together.

Okay. And she sent it to Lauren. Um, so it's, it's taking out the guesswork for us and it's taking out some of the extra communication that we

Clarify, but you felt like you were holding them to a standard that wasn't fair because they didn't have the same information that you were already holding in your head. Can you tell viewers a little bit more about that scenario?

I can't get rid of my notes. Um, it's just how my brain works. And I know that's kind of how your brain works too. So can you tell us kind of how that now fits into your larger process with your team members?

So I'm

going in there and I'm putting it in and I'm hitting it and it's green. Right. And that means we're ready to go, but we're not quite there yet. Right. So, so that's kind of that's it's cleared up having to pull the contract out and all of that kind of stuff. Um, but my notes are still there. I can also scan my notes back in.

But when our other person who who deals with mostly payroll and and. Um, benefits when she started, she could just go right into the system. So there was a real business there because when you're working from home, you're working remotely, you're working in your closet, spare room, couch. It's nice to have a dashboard. It's nice to have something that looks like this is me checking into work. Um, so that's one thing with Crystal and I, we're both very. Type a, we're going at it. We're, we're, we're not mincing words. What it's allowed us to do is focus on something else. So it's not that I don't have the information.

It's not that crystal doesn't have the information. It's that it's not in the system. So we can work together to put it in the system.

Mindset shift come about and how has that changed how you now approach your business?

Check my agenda, check my. Outlook calendar. I have three different little places to look at things. I'll always probably have that, but that's just me, but I'm able to, because I'm more organized and because I have boundaries. So when I can't fit something into a week, I don't try and squeeze it anymore. It has to go to Monday. Right. So, so sort of, I guess I want to call that boundaries, but I also sort of want to call that being more organized.

Have you been able to book bigger clients? Have you been able to book more clients? Like what kind of results are you seeing?

Right. And because we have a process, I don't have to get on a sales call, uh, which, you know, call it a sales call, call it a meeting, whatever you want to call it. Ultimately, it's a sales call. Um, I don't have to get on that call with someone and think, what am I going to talk to them about? Right? Like, what am I going to say? Um, I tell them what we do. Um, I've built the confidence in 30 years of working in this, right? And I've, I've been hiring people and managing their careers sort of movement for 30 years. So, um, I'm able to, to sort of focus on that instead of all this stuff in my head. And. I can literally open up the system and show them if, if they're, if they're asking questions, I can open this up and say, Hey, look, here's how we would do this with you. Here's where we store things. Um, what do you store things in? How do you do that? So I'm able to, what I've been able to do is we picked up more payroll clients because they know we're organized right. And we stand behind a system that we're using for that. Um, which I will not give a plug. Um, but, um, I'm able to feel more confident.

And in knowing what we do, because we've talked it out and I know what I'm willing to do and what I'm not willing to do, um, and I'm willing, I'm able to focus on the work I like doing. So most HR people don't like getting in the nitty gritty. I do. I love being a part of the business. I love the problems.

I love. We have an employee who we don't want to fire, but we can't manage. How, you know, what do we do where we have to fire three people? How do we do that kindly? All those things. I love that work. So I can do that work because we have everything else in the system or

You

thought you wanted to

do,

yeah, you just thought you wanted to do more training. You wanted to do more coaching. So it's interesting that now you've kind of come full circle and realized like, no, actually I like getting in the weeds and I like the nitty gritty.

have anything to look at and say, oh, yeah, that's what we can do or, oh, we can't do that for you for another 3 weeks because we're back to back for 3 weeks. Right. I met with a gentleman today that wanted to work on something right now. And I was like, oh, I'm sorry. Um, this is going to be 2 weeks. Like, I can get you all the paperwork today. You can see my proposal today, but I can't. We should go back to proposals because you remember that. That was scary. Um, but I can do all of that today, but we can't start working until after Labor Day.

Like, that's not going to happen. So I, I, I built that, um, Ability through our conversations about boundaries and mindset to be able to go back and go, I want your business. I do, but I also have people that are already paying me and working with me and I have to take care of them first. Right.

So how did my approach make you feel safe and comfortable in our conversations?

It's it's yes. I felt supported, but I also felt like you were, you were doing what my clients do. You're holding me accountable for saying I'm going to do this. Did you do it? No, why? Kate? Uh. I hate that. I hate that.

Yep. Um, and then I would have got there that day in a heavy sweat, freaking out a little bit because I wasn't overly proud of what I'd done. And I would have probably rejigged it in my head and presented something that was different than the slides I'd come up with.

This is the client ABC. In September, we're going to be presenting on this topic. Um, here's the agenda. That I would like to follow. So over that, that was in June, I think that we did that or July. So over the next few months, we're just adding to it, right? I was doing some research. I was on YouTube and I saw this great video throw this into the presentation. I was in this. So, so this. Is happening in September, the mid September, so we're now at crunch time, but we've got a ton of, we've got a bunch of videos. We've got some, some articles. We've got books. We've got a list for them, which we've just done while we're doing other things. We can't do a project in 2 days and be proud of it. So we've allowed time for that. There's some flexibility in our schedules because we can go in and look at it together without being together. So we don't always have to be sitting together to do things.

people can actually see that and know, yeah, exactly. It's a hub. And I know the training that you're talking, it's equity, diversity, and inclusion, just for our listeners who don't know what EDI is.

Um,

Um, And I'm so happy to hear you haven't told me about this project or how it's going. So I'm so happy to hear that you guys, you know, started planning it's mid August right now, and I'm so happy to hear that you guys have been planning it since July or June now, as opposed to, like you said, two days before.

That's that one's a new one for me. So I'm so happy to hear

that you don't know where it

is.

What does that look like?

with one of these big companies that we work and they, they got bought and, and we didn't go with them. So, so sadly that we got a dump, um, on that and that was one of our bigger clients.

But over the last month we have brought in, well, the last six weeks we brought a new almost. Every week we've brought in a new client and we can service them differently. So I think that what comes September, we're going to see a real surge up. Um, also I've been able to look at the bottom line a little bit differently. So, um, ironing out the schedules for, for part time workers, like for, for the two people that work with me because they work part time being able to say, no, this, this is, this is how we're scheduling. You has helped with the internal, the staffing, like the, the, the, your biggest cost center is your people. So, so it's been, I've been able to do that differently. Um, I also haven't gone on a call the client and not sold because my confidence is different, right? My

And I think every entrepreneur goes through this. I was getting on a sales call saying, Oh, um, I, I am a subject matter expert and I am here to help you. Um, and I am here to make this happen for you. And now I'm coming in sort of saying, I want to consciously co create the things that aren't working with you. And I want to be. A part of this with you, I don't, I don't know that I'm a subject matter on expert on everything, but I know a lot of stuff. So let's work together. Um, so it's changed the way I'm, I'm talking to people about what we do.

rather than feeling like, Oh, if I don't know, they're going to find out and think I'm a fraud

and

not want to

work with me

As opposed to, I don't know, good luck. We'll figure it out. And so that's something that I carry with me and now help my clients learn as well is you don't have to be an expert at everything.

You just have to understand how to phrase that to your clients.

Um, one of the, one of the things we worked on was your habits around lead generation and tell. us a little bit about kind of what you were or weren't doing before and what that kind of looks like now that may also be contributing to nailing those, you know, a new client every week.

Let's see if anybody, if anybody finds out who the person we need to talk to there is, can you put it in here? And so we have record of it and we could maybe send them something, you know, when we're, when we're doing, and you know, I'm not a big fan of the emailing things out all the time, but you know, if we're going to do that quarterly, then let's do it to some people that are in the system that we don't know. We don't have to think about it again.

So they're cracking down and they're saying it needs to be done. This is something I could follow up with all my clients about. But it also can offer assistance or just a nod to a bunch of people that I haven't talked to in two years. And when I did that, Oh, guess what? One of them called. Hey, but I've been meaning to call you for a long time.

We need some help with this. Great. Okay. We're in. So it's, it's allowed me to follow up in a different, you know, it's allowed me to know who I have to follow up with. I think that's it.

Okay. Let's do this. Let's send this out to them, too. That was one of the things we did. So we, we were sending something out about the AODA. I don't do work on AODA. I, I know people who do, but like, it's important for people to know that they're going to be into a bit of a compliance issue. So I sent it out and people called, not necessarily about AODA, but they wanted to talk.

What was a surprise that you found?

You do not have to stick with something. If it's not working for you, you can change it, but you need to have it and you need to experiment and work with it. So it's opened me up. I think to understanding that. That systems are important part, an important part of making money. It's not just your business. It's if you're going to make money, where's it flowing? How's it going out? How's it coming in? Um, and how are you controlling the way it works? I think that make, um, but it's a confidence. It's a confidence that that's come out of all of this work that I have. And I'm pretty organized in my own head, but it doesn't look organized to other people. So instead of that ball of yarn that people could see before. It's clear. I can have a clear conversation. Not worry about it. It's one o'clock. I know I have to get a, uh, a proposal out to a client today. I'm not freaking out because I know we have everything. It's all there. We're going to put

it together. All the

information's in Asana.

and talk to everyone else soon

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