Get full show notes and more information at: https://karveldigital.com/51

For more BTS of this podcast, connect with me online:

• Instagram: @karveldigital
• LinkedIn: Kronda Adair
• TikTok: @krondakarvel

Do you want access to mentorship, accountability and a supportive community to automate your business? Join Automation Club free for 30 days:

https://karveldigital.com/automation-club

If you enjoy Begin As You Mean To Go On, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review, and share with someone who needs to hear this!

Begin As You Mean to Go On is about helping Black women with  mission driven service based businesses grow your income and impact while creating a more peaceful, profitable business by strategically automating your critical business systems. Hosted by Kronda Adair, founder of Karvel Digital.

Learn more about Karvel Digital at karveldigital.com

Get full show notes at https://karveldigital.com/51

Welcome to begin as you mean to go on where we help black women with

2

mission driven service based businesses

grow your income and impact while

3

creating a more peaceful, profitable

business by strategically automating

4

your critical business systems.

5

My name is Karanda Adair, and I went

from making 500 websites to becoming a

6

certified automation service provider,

doing multiple six figures per year

7

while working part time, wrangling

two high energy dogs and having

8

some of my highest revenue months.

9

While taking completely off grid

vacations, thanks to strategic

10

automation and a small team inside my

million dollar system service and my

11

automation club membership, we help

you create a cohesive software stack

12

and automate one new thing per month in

your business, resulting in a compound

13

interest of time, energy and peace.

14

So you can build your business without

the patriarchal white supremacist hustle

15

and grind if you're ready to work hard

once and hire and Employ technology to

16

execute proven marketing strategies so you

can get back to the rest of your business

17

and your life You are in the right place.

18

Let's get it going.

19

Hey friends.

20

Welcome back to begin as you mean to

go on I'm so happy to be bringing you

21

this particular episode this is an

interview with one of my Automation

22

Club members Lachey Dorsey and I have

been talking about Automation Club on my

23

socials I've been doing show and tells,

I've been sharing how we do co working

24

sessions, but I know that it just hits

different when it comes from somebody on

25

the inside who is actually benefiting.

26

So please enjoy this episode with

Lachey, who does somewhat similar work

27

to me, but we serve different clientele

and use different tools and she was

28

one of the ones who helped me realize

that Automation Club is not just for

29

non techies the way that I envisioned

it it's also a refuge for my fellow

30

systems girlies who need a place to get

our own shit done and Make sure that

31

your cobbler's kids have shoes as well.

32

So please enjoy the interview

and leave a five star review

33

when you're done Welcome Lachey.

34

Thank you so much for chatting with me.

35

Um, why don't you start by just telling

the people who you are and what you do?

36

LaShae Dorsey: Absolutely.

37

Thank you for having me.

38

First of all, um, hi, my name is

Lachey Dorsey and I actually help

39

creative entrepreneurs and those with

a helper spirit simplify the tech

40

behind their online businesses so they

can focus more on what they love and

41

serve their audience and share their

expertise out here in this industry.

42

It's digital world.

43

But if you also do it offline,

I can help you there too.

44

Awesome.

45

Love it.

46

Kronda: Yeah.

47

We talked so much about online business

owners, but I feel like people who have

48

quote unquote offline businesses, brick

and mortar, sometimes have the most

49

to gain from using technology well.

50

I love that.

51

So we're here to talk about

Automation Club, which, you know,

52

has gone through many iterations.

53

We're coming up on a year,

actually, of a year anniversary.

54

And so tell me how, I guess, how long

you've been following me and like how

55

we, how we even got into each other's

orbit and then when, like, what was

56

the catalyst that made you jump in

to Automation Club, start there?

57

LaShae Dorsey: Well, so Karanda, I

found you, oh my gosh, I think 20.

58

2020, maybe 2021, somewhere in there.

59

And to be honest, what I was looking

for, cause everyone that was talking

60

about automations was not this.

61

Yeah.

62

Not

63

Kronda: black.

64

LaShae Dorsey: No, they

were not black at all.

65

Especially the women, because I was

really trying to be conscious of following

66

the women because the men that I had

followed with automation, they were all,

67

yeah, we're going to, it was all bro y.

68

And I, I never really clicked with

that, but I did like the idea of being

69

able to automate things for people.

70

But then I was like, I need to

really learn this, like, Oh, sure.

71

I can go out here and I can play and I

can learn on my own, but I'm going to

72

always be questioning in the back of

my head, am I really doing this right?

73

Like best way.

74

So I started looking around and I found

you, I don't, I honestly don't know

75

how, I don't know where, but I found

you and I started following and I was

76

like, okay, oh wait, she's talking stuff.

77

Wait.

78

Active campaign.

79

Okay.

80

Okay.

81

I can't with active campaign.

82

Cause none of my clients were

going to use ActiveCampaign.

83

They were just not that

sophisticated in their marketing.

84

Like that just was not

what they were doing.

85

But I started listening to you talk.

86

I started finding you on podcasts

and hearing you and was like,

87

okay, yeah, you know what?

88

She doesn't just talk ActiveCampaign.

89

She's got some found fundamentals that I

am going to listen to and learn from her.

90

And I saw.

91

Automation club.

92

And I'm, I think I almost

immediately dismissed it because

93

I was like, Oh God, this is not

going to be in my budget right now.

94

Like, and then I read how much

it was and was like, okay.

95

Kronda: Yeah.

96

So you came in as a founding member.

97

So you're just like out here paying

pennies on the dollar for my genius.

98

So y'all who are listening and

aren't already in miss the boat.

99

LaShae Dorsey: That is crazy.

100

She's gotta be charging more for this.

101

This is some kind of special, like it's a.

102

It's a special so if this is special

and this is what it is right now,

103

I'm getting in before it's more.

104

So I did and it's been probably the

best thing for my business and for

105

me helping my clients, which is.

106

Which is just wild.

107

Kronda: so what did it do for, first of

all, what was one of the first things that

108

you wanted to do, like in your business?

109

Cause I know it's automation people.

110

It's always like cobbler's

kids out here, barefoot, right?

111

So what was one of the first things

you wanted to do for your own business?

112

LaShae Dorsey: I just needed to

actually document my process.

113

I mean, it was in my head.

114

I've got it and you know written on

a notebook in like multiple pages

115

across the thing and it's like I

know it's set up because I set it up.

116

But at the same time, oh, I

tweaked this little thing.

117

I was like, I'll go back and fix it.

118

And then when I went back to film,

like, wait, where was this little thing?

119

Oh, crap.

120

That impacts this over here.

121

Why do I not have this written down yet?

122

And so I stopped and had not done that.

123

Like I started the process of, of

documenting it, but I had not done it for

124

myself because doing it in a bubble, just.

125

I don't know.

126

I would start tweaking what I was

trying to document and still never

127

document the tweak and was like,

okay, stop, but I couldn't stop myself

128

because that's what I love to do.

129

And so that was like the first thing.

130

Kronda: So we, so we

had, I did a workshop.

131

Specifically about documenting processes.

132

Was that the first time you sat

down and really got through?

133

LaShae Dorsey: Yes.

134

Yes.

135

I mean, really got to the end of it and

was like, Oh, these are all my steps.

136

Now I can go back in, tie in all the

little pieces that I was trying to

137

tweak and see how they're going to

cascade down into the next step, like

138

into the next phase, into whatever.

139

And yeah, it, it was a game changer.

140

And I only documented the

very first part of my process.

141

Like I didn't even document

the after they've paid part.

142

It was just the, here's how they get

here, and here's how they pay me, and

143

it allowed me to, to let go of a couple

of systems that I was using, and really

144

dive into a system that I wanted to be

using, which was, and I know you're kind

145

of system, you're not system agnostic, but

you are, like all automation people, we

146

have systems where we hate them, We will

not use them, we will not recommend them.

147

And that's fine if you wanna use them.

148

And here's the person that I recommend you

go see . Mm-hmm . Because I'm not, I wanna

149

Kronda: differentiate You're talking

about tools, like specific tools, right?

150

LaShae Dorsey: Yes.

151

Specific.

152

Okay.

153

Kronda: Yes.

154

LaShae Dorsey: Yeah.

155

Kronda: So tool tools are not systems,

and I just wanna make that distinction.

156

Yes.

157

For the people.

158

LaShae Dorsey: So I do that a lot.

159

But yeah, the tool is not the system.

160

The system is the grouping of tools that.

161

Does what you need it to do.

162

Kronda: Yeah.

163

Sorry.

164

System systems are the steps.

165

It's like step one, step two, step three.

166

And then the tool is like, Oh, can

we come in and get this software

167

to expedite some of this stuff?

168

So if you're listening.

169

LaShae Dorsey: Okay.

170

Just not that.

171

I feel like I don't explain that well,

so I might need to work on, like,

172

differentiating that in my brain.

173

Because it's all one

big thing in my brain.

174

Kronda: Right.

175

But then when you're talking to

non technical people, they already

176

think systems are tool equals

tool, so we gotta debunk that.

177

So, so you just have this one sort

of beginning process documented,

178

but that's already, that's

already super helpful for you.

179

What, what did it allow you to do

in terms of your, like your selling,

180

your marketing, your client process?

181

Was it, was it helpful in

clarifying, you know, some of

182

the things about your marketing?

183

LaShae Dorsey: Well, it did.

184

It actually clarified a couple of things.

185

One, that when people were coming in,

they were going down one of two paths.

186

And I was thinking that they were each,

I won't say they were each building

187

their own path because they weren't,

but I didn't have it documented well

188

enough to realize I just have two paths.

189

Was like, okay, so even though I'm kind

of tweaking this form and customizing

190

it for this client, when they asked

for X, it's still the same form.

191

Like, I don't need a new form every time.

192

Like I, you know, so I was

able to clean up like six

193

different versions of my forms.

194

And then just put some like

conditional sections, but yeah, put

195

some conditional stuff in there.

196

So if they'd take yes, these

questions showed up, which was

197

like, Oh, that's so much nicer.

198

And yeah, I don't have to look

at it and figure out, okay,

199

I need to send in this form,

200

Kronda: right?

201

It's just all one thing.

202

Yeah.

203

I love that.

204

I love that instant clarity, like

documentation yields, instant clarity.

205

So if you're, if you're taking

notes, absolutely, this is the

206

LaShae Dorsey: one.

207

Kronda: Okay.

208

So I didn't, we didn't immediately

have coworking and from my perspective,

209

what I saw was I feel like people

don't need more information.

210

So when I started automation club,

you know, I was in a program and I was

211

following kind of, you know, someone

else's blueprint and it was like, get

212

everybody in for, you know, 7, 9 a month,

you know, and they can just get content

213

and then, you know, they can get a send

to different levels to get access to you

214

and What I realized was that that that

access that space to actually get things

215

done like was Was the thing seemed to be

the thing that people needed and so that

216

first it started out as you know strategy

session It's like we'd have sort of asked

217

me anything calls and then I was like,

let's just get some shit done So tell

218

me did you come to any of when it was

just kind of like strategy calls Q& A?

219

Did you come to any of those?

220

LaShae Dorsey: I feel like I may

have come to like one of the last

221

ones that you did, uh, because I feel

like most of the time that we've been

222

doing it, you talk to us kind of in

the beginning about something, right?

223

And then we just spend time doing, I

don't think that I actually ever I'm just

224

trying to remember, because it feels like

I've been doing it with you for a while.

225

It's only been a few months, right?

226

I mean, I don't have no idea how

long I've been in there, but I

227

know it hasn't been the whole year.

228

I mean, I didn't commit

very, very beginning.

229

Kronda: Yeah.

230

So I think, I mean, I think the,

there's something to be said for.

231

Yeah, come ask me anything.

232

But eventually I was like, you know what?

233

People just really need

to get things done.

234

So you have been like a regular

and a staple since we started.

235

So now the format is we have two two

hour co working sessions per month.

236

And I tend to post them

a quarter at a time.

237

So you can look at the schedule

for the next quarter, you

238

can put it on your calendar.

239

And you've been pretty regular at those.

240

So tell me how that has been and how

that has helped you in terms of, like,

241

making progress on the things that you

want to be doing for your, for yourself.

242

LaShae Dorsey: Right.

243

So I've used them for both things.

244

So getting things done for myself, but

also getting things done for clients.

245

For myself.

246

It's just being able to have

that body doubling there.

247

And like, even though we may

be off camera, we really don't,

248

we, you know, check in after a

certain amount of time or whatever.

249

There's no real conversation.

250

And the other places where I'd

gone to do actual co working, there

251

was like conversation and they're

popping back in with, you know,

252

having like convo back and forth.

253

And I'm like,

254

I'm trying to work, like, I

can't turn your sound off.

255

Can you, can you go somewhere,

like, you just stepped into my

256

office and I'm trying to work.

257

Like, that's what it felt like.

258

And so just to be able to have a

space where it was clear, we're

259

working in this sprint of time.

260

And then we're going to all check in.

261

And then we're going to go back

to working in our sprint of time.

262

And we're not going to be having

conversation in the middle of the sprint.

263

And if we do have conversation,

it's taken off into another room.

264

Like that I think was the

biggest switch up from any of the

265

coworking stuff that I had done.

266

So just having that and having that

body doubling and knowing, even if I

267

got distracted or whatever, I could come

back, regroup, refocus, and do it again.

268

Kronda: Yeah, I think the sprints, you

know, I definitely, we have sprints

269

at the end where we check in and

somebody's like, yeah, I got lost in

270

the sauce, you know, chalk that up to

a wash, but we've got four chances.

271

So it's like, even if you only get

two or three focused, like it's more

272

than you would have, you know, on

your own, you know, potentially.

273

So I love that.

274

And yeah, the breakout rooms, it's,

it's embarrassing how long it took me to

275

actually learn to use zoom breakout rooms.

276

One of my, one of my non techie

clients actually taught me because

277

she does so many workshops.

278

And that has been kind of the game changer

because, you know, I want to be there

279

as a resource, but I also want everybody

who's in the zone to stay in the zone.

280

And so the breakout rooms have

been great because sometimes people

281

get stuck and we hop in there.

282

And it's not even necessarily a technical,

like maybe it's, they actually need to

283

set a boundary and make some decisions.

284

And that's why they're having

so much trouble automating.

285

And so the things we do in the

breakout rooms, it's not just like,

286

Oh, let me fix your zap for you.

287

It's, you know, we're going to look at.

288

Everything that's going on and

try to figure out the core issue

289

that's holding you back and then

like solve that so you can move on.

290

So

291

LaShae Dorsey: I don't think I've had, I

haven't done any breakout room sessions

292

with you, but I, like I said, I appreciate

the fact that you take those into

293

another room to have those conversations

because I'm curious by nature.

294

So if you're conversating about

something and like certain buzzwords

295

catch my ear, I'm like, Oh, I'm all in.

296

Okay.

297

Yeah, I know I'm supposed

to be working on this.

298

Like automation, but now I'm all

in your conversation now and it's,

299

it was, it defeated the purpose.

300

So I really appreciate that.

301

So

302

Kronda: I want to talk about the, the

revelation that happened at our last

303

coworking session because the core

group of people who are just like.

304

Hardcore regulars.

305

I think about half to a little over

half of y'all are also systems folks

306

in some fashion, you know, maybe

it's operations, maybe it's tech.

307

And, you know, I said, Oh,

yeah, maybe that's the people

308

who really need to be in here.

309

And you said, Oh, I thought

that's what this was, and

310

I was like, Oh, duh.

311

Like I envisioned automation club

for the people that I, that I see,

312

like, who are online, who are in

the, in, you know, Facebook or

313

threads or whatever going like, Hey,

what's the best CRM, you know, and.

314

Because I wanted those people

to have a place to go where

315

they could get expert advice.

316

I'm, I'm constantly trying to

reframe that and say, Hey, let's

317

normalize asking people, who is the

expert I should talk to about this?

318

Not just throwing the question open

on the, you know, the worldwide

319

web and getting advice from like.

320

You know, whoever, you don't know their

background, they don't know your business.

321

And so that was my original vision.

322

And those people are still welcome.

323

But what I'm realizing is if those

people are, if that's the level of

324

effort that they care to put into

it is like, let me go post a thread.

325

You know, and take whatever

advice they're, they're

326

probably actually not my people.

327

They might grow into being my people.

328

Right.

329

And so I love that you

gave this revelation.

330

And so I wanted to call that forward

to say one, you know, like when

331

you're inside the jar, like you can't

see the label, all that good stuff.

332

I was like, Oh, and so.

333

I love that you said that because if

there's other tech systems people,

334

I invited someone in who does,

you know, very similar work to us.

335

And I think she, and has

a, has her own membership.

336

And I think she was like, well, I can't

be in here because we're competitors.

337

And I was like, You know, if you need to

get your shit together, you need to get

338

LaShae Dorsey: your brain, like.

339

But you do active campaign.

340

I mean, we're not really competitors.

341

Right, I'm not saying you

342

Kronda: thought that, but

I invited someone else, so

343

I feel like, but, but yeah.

344

And even if we did, even if we

did, I really believe, like,

345

What's for you is for you.

346

And so, you know, if you need that

supportive place to come get your stuff

347

done, it doesn't matter if we're experts

in the same thing, because no two

348

people are ever going to know the exact

same things, you know, there's, there

349

might be overlap, but so I love that.

350

So systems, people,

tech people, like we're.

351

I'm here, you know, we've got your refuge.

352

If you, if you need to get stuff done

for your business, you need to put

353

some shoes on those cobbler's kids.

354

Like I want to invite those people

to, and my non techies as well.

355

Like I love, you know, those people

who maybe you can't afford to hire

356

the things that you need to get done.

357

But that doesn't mean you want

to be out here just duct taping

358

any old thing together, so.

359

And

360

LaShae Dorsey: that's what I would

say too, it's like, it's for, it's

361

not just for the techie people, it's

for the people who have the DIY,

362

roll up their sleeves, maybe a little

bit intimidated by tech, right?

363

But they have to have that strong DIY

mentality to come in and get it done.

364

Because there is a difference.

365

It's just of those, that two

groups of people, like there's

366

the people who want it done.

367

Like they just want it done.

368

They don't really care who does it.

369

And then there's the DIYer.

370

Kronda: I have something to say to

those people too, though, because You

371

know, our main offer is a six month

retainer and that's, that's a commitment.

372

And so another reason that this

community exists is because we've had

373

some clients come through where this was

the first encounter of them hiring us.

374

Maybe they followed me for a long

time, maybe not, but this was the first

375

encounter working together where like, it

was not great, you know, it was actively

376

harmful to our business for one reason or

another to have those kinds of clients in.

377

And so another.

378

Vision that I have for this community

is a place for those people like just

379

because you want to hire it done You

want to know who's who's doing that?

380

So it's another place in addition to

you know, you can go binge my youtube my

381

podcast my blogs all those things But if

you want to actually see like, oh, how

382

does she think and how you know, she get

things done like Maybe send your team

383

member in here for a month to work on

something, you know, it doesn't have to

384

be you if you're the CEO and you need to

be like doing those other things, but it

385

is that testing ground to, you know, to

build community and to build relationship

386

because that's the thing that makes all

the other stuff work, even if we're hiring

387

us to do a thing for you, but you don't

trust us and you're questioning everything

388

that we do and you're not giving us

what we need to actually get it done.

389

And then you don't get results.

390

And then.

391

Shocker, right?

392

I don't even wonder why.

393

So, so it's also there for those people.

394

Yeah.

395

And so, uh, I know you kind of just did,

but like, what do you, what, what do you,

396

would you say to people who are like,

I'm still not sure, like, if I should

397

try this out or if it will work for me?

398

LaShae Dorsey: So I would say.

399

Basically, there's some things as a

business owner that you have to be aware

400

of coming in to do any kind of automation.

401

First of all, you have to know

if you're ready for automation,

402

because not everybody is.

403

I mean, just Being real, not everybody

is, and the fastest way to find out

404

is if you're ready is to come to one

of those co working sessions, right?

405

And then lay out a plan of here's, here's

what this looks like, like listen to some

406

of the replays that are in the group.

407

So that will give you an idea

of if you're ready or not.

408

Because as a service provider, someone

who implements for clients, I'm going to

409

tell you you're not ready and then you're

going to be like, but I want so and so.

410

I'm like, but it's not going

to do anything for you.

411

Like, it's just not.

412

Like, if you want to pay

me money, I don't know.

413

I might say yes, just because, I mean,

like being honest, if you want to pay me

414

money and I can tell you, and I've already

told you it's not going to do anything

415

for you, but you want to have it there.

416

Okay.

417

You want to have it ready?

418

I could see that.

419

But if you don't have the

pieces before, the pieces

420

after, did you just waste money?

421

I mean, really, did you just waste money?

422

Kronda: I have really seen

that play out so much.

423

You

424

LaShae Dorsey: know, so I feel like

that is the, that's probably the

425

biggest thing that I would say that

Automation Club can do for you.

426

Even if you're not a do it yourselfer

or a techie person, it will allow you

427

to Test if your systems are ready to

bring someone in to automate them.

428

And yeah, like my own and our

last, was it our coworking?

429

No, it was a, one of our workshops.

430

You actually helped me realize that.

431

Yeah, I really only have these two,

but I like, I need to streamline this.

432

There's three buckets.

433

There's three true buckets and

I'm only using two of them.

434

And one of them is for, you

know, the next level it's like.

435

Okay, I didn't even see that and

I'm setting up my old automations

436

for stuff and I didn't see that so

437

Kronda: Yeah, so imagine

is so important if

438

LaShae Dorsey: you're not Like, like

if your brain doesn't work like that,

439

then you're not going to see those

automations and you're going to have

440

all these disparate pieces, basically

trying to talk to each other that

441

where you could have something much

more streamlined, but you don't know

442

it, you don't know it's possible.

443

So I would say that's, that's the

reason to join Automation Club,

444

even if you're not techie, even if

you're not going to do it yourself.

445

To at least get yourself

prepped to get it done.

446

Kronda: Also, there's a

30 day free trial, so R.

447

I.

448

P.

449

your excuses.

450

So, we'll just leave you with that.

451

Lachey, I appreciate you so much.

452

Thank you for coming on and just giving

us your perspective from the inside.

453

I know it's going to help a lot of people.

454

And I hope to see some of

y'all in our next episode.

455

Co working call.

456

Of course the link will

be in the show notes.

457

I also would love for you to hit up

that review link and give us a five star

458

review on your platform of choice to get

people back in the know that we are back

459

and we're coming out with new episodes.

460

That's all for now, I'll see

you next time and don't forget

461

to begin as you mean to go on.