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24. Importance of Getting Shit Done: Featuring Kelsey Knutson
49 Plays1 month ago
Kelsey is the founder of the Get Shit Done Rebelution, a business coach and host of the Get Shit Done Podcast where ambitious women learn to grow profitable, streamlined businesses without sacrificing their sanity. As today's guest on Gritty is the New Pretty, she’s bringing her expertise in profit strategy, leadership optimization, and team delegation to help you think bigger and take bold action.
With her no-BS coaching style, Kelsey transforms overwhelmed entrepreneurs into confident CEOs, ready to create serious results. Join us as we discuss:
- Tips and tricks for getting shit done
- Get shit done while "expecting"
- Difference between sales and marketing
- Insights on delegation for small business owners
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Transcript
Introduction to Gritty is the New Pretty
00:00:03
Speaker
Welcome to Gritty is the New Pretty, where resilience meets real talk. I'm your host, Crystal, entrepreneur, leadership coach, change maker, and outdoor enthusiast.
00:00:15
Speaker
Join me as I sit down with powerhouse women leaders, entrepreneurs, and small business owners who share their raw, unfiltered stories of success, struggle, and the grit it takes to make an impact.
00:00:27
Speaker
From navigating change to redefining success, we'll explore what it takes to rise, lead, and thrive. Expect raw conversations to fuel your journey, whether you're breaking down barriers in life or in business.
00:00:42
Speaker
We're redefining success, not by perfection, but by the strength it takes to rise again and again. Because in this space, gritty is the new pretty.
00:00:53
Speaker
Hit subscribe and let's get gritty with it.
Sponsor Highlight: Hey Becks Creative House
00:00:58
Speaker
This episode is sponsored by Hey Becks Creative House, founded by brand strategist Becky LaFranche, known for building crave-worthy brands that blend story, soul, and strategy.
00:01:10
Speaker
Explore the work at heybecks.com.
Guest Introduction: Kelsey Knutson
00:01:15
Speaker
On today's podcast of Gritty is the New Pretty, I'm really excited to have Kelsey Knutson here, and she is the founder of the Get Shit Done Revolution and host of the Get Shit Done podcast.
00:01:28
Speaker
Welcome, Kelsey. Thank you for having me. I'm honored to be on. And for those that don't know, I'm just going to come out the gate and say we are both expecting soon. So yeah, but if we're a little winded, it's because we're growing eyes and ears and all that stuff.
00:01:43
Speaker
Exactly. Thank you. So, you know, you might hear a little mouth breathing on the podcast. We'll do our best to make it as listener friendly as possible. But, you know, that's life. And that's kind of what we're here to to work through together.
Kelsey's Journey: Salon to Business Coach
00:01:58
Speaker
So um why don't you start off with telling us about you?
00:02:02
Speaker
Yeah, I'm born and raised Puyallup, Washington. Grit City adjacent is what I would like to say. My parents are from Tacoma, grew up in Puyallup, went to college in eastern Washington, and now I'm back. I'm in Bonnie Lake now.
00:02:15
Speaker
But... um Yeah. I'm the person who I always knew. like What I'm doing now as a business coach, a community leader, a podcast host, I've always wanted to have the impact I'm having now. I just didn't really know how to get here. So my route was a little bit meandery, but I definitely don't regret any of those experiences. And I think all of that makes me a more effective and efficient coach for my clients. So yeah.
00:02:40
Speaker
That's essentially what I do. I have a business degree. i had a business before coaching people on business and i run a community as well. So what was your aha moment when you transitioned from being a business owner to being a coach?
00:02:56
Speaker
but It started before that. I had a hair salon. I was in Seattle and we did a lot of onsite bridal. So solo for cut and color, balayage, all that stuff. And then I had a team of contractors for weddings and I had hit a point where I,
00:03:11
Speaker
I wasn't bored. going to be honest. I was bored. I was like, what's next? I pictured a salon with a team of people and it didn't
Overcoming Financial Challenges
00:03:18
Speaker
feel like that. just didn't know what to do with that. But I was kind of golden handcuffs of my own business where things were good, making good money. I'm good at what I do. I like it. i just don't love it anymore. So I was just kind of stagnant. And then COVID happened. And so for me, COVID was a great time.
00:03:35
Speaker
to help people. I helped people with a PPP loan. I helped people work on their websites and all that stuff. And even though that was a difficult time for me, was a great time to help people with all the on the business stuff I naturally do. And then i realized in that moment, like, oh, a lot of people, a lot of my peers don't know how to do this stuff.
00:03:53
Speaker
And the furthermore, they don't prioritize it. So once I was able to help people in that moment, just because we had more time and capacity, then it became, I really want to keep doing this. How do I get out of the hair world? And when we were able to open back up, I remember being like, I don't really want to go back, but I have clients and I have bills and all that stuff. So that was when I got the first ditch. And then I gave myself until my lease renewed. And I just said, this is the deadline. You sink or swim. I got to figure it out.
00:04:21
Speaker
Wow. Did you feel nervous or scared? What was that feeling like for you? I think I already felt that before. I've always been the person where I see the vision before others.
00:04:37
Speaker
I'm not afraid to take chances. i can think back to in high school, I tried out for cheer. I was always a dancer and our dance team at my high school was no offense Rams, but not good. so I was like,
00:04:50
Speaker
But I want to do an activity. So I was like, I can figure out cheer. And I just, you know, believed in it, tried out for varsity. i knew nobody. I wavered into my high school. I was awkward and gangly and I made the team.
00:05:02
Speaker
And so I've always been someone who like believed in the vision before it came to fruition. So that's normal for me to like jump and take risks. On the business side of things, it was like I could always walk a dog.
00:05:12
Speaker
Worst case scenario, I closed my hair salon. I could still do hair on the side. I could still do weddings. I always had this in the back of my mind, like I'll find a way to hustle if I have to, but I won't know if I love this unless I go for it. So for me, think that's kind of where I was at that point. And then mean my now husband, but boyfriend at the time was, think at that time he was in school. So I was providing for us. So there was definitely a financial issue.
00:05:36
Speaker
stressed or like, girl, you got to figure it out for not just you, but for both of you. And I think you make some good decisions in business when you have to make it work. I think there's a lot of value in that grit, in that experience. And like, you don't have time for the BS. You don't have time for the distractions. You have to focus. And I think that that benefited me long-term.
00:05:57
Speaker
Yeah. I think that the, the, the Ability to be able to land on your feet is something that a lot of times we like women underestimate our ability to do that.
00:06:11
Speaker
And we may stay in situations that are difficult or you know we're really scared of taking that financial leap. Obviously, you want to think about... how you're going to feed yourself and provide and do whatever you need to do to survive.
Rebranding to 'Get Shit Done'
00:06:26
Speaker
But at the end of the day, I think so many times in our lives, we actually land on our feet and we come out at the end better and there's more glorious things waiting for us. And so I think that's a really great message just to remind women about is that you can land on your feet and there are options for you. And sometimes you just have to go for it. So I love that story.
00:06:50
Speaker
ah So tell us about the podcast, Getting Shit Done, and why why is it called Getting Shit Done? Well, it used to be called When I Grow Up, and it was actually right just after the initial COVID stuff had happened.
00:07:06
Speaker
i don't know, those in Washington State and like Seattle specifically, it was like a heavy, dark time, and I just felt like I was carrying the emotional weight of so many people, and So for me, it was actually my response to things at that time that were just dark and heavy and humanity like hated each other. And it was just polarizing. And I was like, I feel like what's missing is just all the examples of what could be.
00:07:30
Speaker
And like hearing different stories of like what does success look like and how... Success for you can look different than this person. Maybe your upbringing is this way and this person's culture is that way. And like we all kind of find our way. And so for me, it was like kind of a battle cry during that time of like, here's all these diverse stories and perspectives and definitions of success. And like we can learn from each other. We can grow together.
00:07:54
Speaker
I think there's so much value in having examples in your life. And so I wanted to be the platform that provided that. And it served me well. Episode one is my story. Then two is my dad, who was a diversity hire as a police officer in the 90s.
00:08:08
Speaker
And then mom, who's a flight attendant, who also has diagnosed mental illness. And so it was it was a really special time. But in the beginning, it was just like podcast therapy for me that I got to share with people. Then it turned into funnel in my business. And then it just felt like,
00:08:24
Speaker
I had outgrown that. And I was putting all this effort into a podcast that didn't really align with what my business was anymore. So the rebrand happened when I really sat and thought about like, what is the point of this podcast?
Balancing Productivity and Meaningful Work
00:08:35
Speaker
And it had changed. My goals with it had changed. My messaging had changed. And the get shit done is because I am very, very, very much annoyed when people have big goals and dreams and they just sit on them.
00:08:47
Speaker
And sometimes people are content. like Some people are just content and that's cool. like That can be your vibe. But if you have big goals and dreams and you're growth oriented, it takes the work. It takes the gritty. like I love the name of your podcast too because it's like it takes the messy, the action and all that stuff. And so I kept finding myself just being like, just...
00:09:06
Speaker
you just got to get shit done. And I kept saying it over and over again. It's a terrible name because a lot of other people use it for other things. It's not unique at all, but I just, it, it couldn't, I couldn't stop saying it. So that's what I knew. It was the one.
00:09:20
Speaker
And so, yeah, when I coach people, I kind of just say like, I'm very tactical and actionable. Like those are the two things and systems. Like those are the three things that I'm known for. I've learned that over time, working with more clients over time. And then with the podcast, it was like, it was time to bring the podcast up to speed to my business. So that's, that's what it's about. That's how that came to be.
00:09:39
Speaker
Yeah, getting shit done. It's something that I value because I'm very actionable as well, even before have a plan. And I think I have a plan in my head. A lot of the times I'm very good at playing things out in my head without writing them down. And I just know like focused on it and that's the direction I'll go.
00:10:02
Speaker
But I just noticed with other people, sometimes they do struggle with the actually taking the actionable steps to get to where they need because of whatever reason, whether it's fear, whether it's discipline. And I feel like discipline is it's a word that has a negative connotation, but it has such positive outcomes.
Navigating Work-Life Balance
00:10:24
Speaker
If you can just stay disciplined and get stuff done and check those things off your list and make a plan And so I really like it because I think there was also a time where people were sort of counter arguing like the toxic productivity.
00:10:43
Speaker
And so there's a balance there. And I'm curious, how do you balance toxic productivity or meaningless productivity versus meaningful getting shit done tasks?
00:10:56
Speaker
Yeah, I think that it's constantly evolving and it just depends on the realities of your life and business. So when you're just starting off, and I think this is like the big culprit, when you're just starting off and then you find a page that's just like, just manifest it and like vibe and let it be and flow. I'm like...
00:11:14
Speaker
Honestly, you probably should just turn off Instagram and go make five sales calls. There's seasons where the reality is to get you from me to be, that's what it takes. That's just what it takes. And then there's a shift that happens as you grow and scale your business where your goals have evolved and kind of realize to a point you have people where you hiding in the to-dos just because it feels good to cross something off is actually also holding back the business. So I think that...
00:11:38
Speaker
there's kind of like a teeter-totter. It ebbs and flows based off the reality of where your business is at. And we don't acknowledge that. So I think it's kind of like, it's not either or, it's and. It's just like what's and, but like what's present right now. And I definitely have seen both ends of the spectrum.
00:11:53
Speaker
And that's why I think having that radical accountability of yourself and like, what are the needs today? And like, is it really that I'm just avoiding sales because they're scary or hard or I have this...
00:12:04
Speaker
this narrative about it? Or is it that I'm hiding in the sales instead of the strategy because I feel more confident when I do that? And the ability to be able to call yourself or hire someone like me to help call you out and like, hey, sis, I know you're really great at doing this, but your team needs you to do this. So it depends. It depends and it evolves.
00:12:24
Speaker
Yeah, that makes perfect sense. And also, i think sometimes I struggle with what's the reality of my life right now? You know, being pregnant, about to have a baby my second baby.
00:12:38
Speaker
And when I felt some energy getting into the third trimester, i was like, oh, I'm going to do all these things before the baby's born. And I'm still on the struggle bus with this pregnancy. And I really had to tell myself, look, there are things that you can do in the meantime and you can plan and strategize, but you really need to be thoughtful about when you want to execute and giving yourself that space because i do have a nine to five on top of them and other things that I want to do in the community.
00:13:11
Speaker
And that's also where having a coach can come in handy to be like, okay, you need to slow down. Like your health is more important or these things are important. So yeah, i totally agree with you.
00:13:22
Speaker
And I'm just curious because you're also expecting, how are you adapting to number one, like planning for your time to bond with your baby and, you know, changing things around with how you do business and,
00:13:38
Speaker
with the pregnancy coming up or the birth coming up?
00:13:43
Speaker
That's a good question. ae I'm such a planner. Like I live by my calendar. don't know if you're into human design, but I'm new to the club and I'm a projector. And so I, my brain is systems. I live in systems. I love structure. I love structure with the space to create.
00:14:00
Speaker
Like if, if, If like the need to do's are in an organized, organized fashion, and then I have space to create and play like that's my optimal world. I'm very aware I'm entering a new club. This is my first kid.
00:14:12
Speaker
And for me, it's very much reverse engineering of thinking about like, how do I want those first? And I'm doing 12 weeks. Like, don't even look at me. Don't even make eye contact.
00:14:23
Speaker
I am not available to you. Good for you, Sue. And I really set that up and then worked backwards. And i work for myself. And on top of that, like, yes, my husband has a job, a career job.
00:14:34
Speaker
My end goal, I was like, I would be able to fund my own maternity leave without having to like impact our family dynamic. And so what's the math that has to support that? How much do I have to pay to then qualify for those financial needs. And then if I have to make X amount, my business has to bring in X amount. So working backwards that way gave me so much clarity. And then it was ownership of like, I had to make some cuts.
00:14:57
Speaker
I had to make some changes. I had to make some sales and really setting things up with that end goal in mind. And then on the other side of it, not being afraid to ask for help, which I'm terrible I run a business mastermind with women in leadership. So you have to have a business and you have at least one W-2 multi-six to set revenue.
00:15:16
Speaker
And I wasn't going to do it this year because we were family planning. And in fact, I had a loss before this one. So this story a little bit longer than this initial version, if that makes sense. And so had to say I wasn't going to do it. And one of my members was like, you're crazy. This is a great program.
00:15:33
Speaker
We will help you. Like whenever you're on your leave, like we can take over. I'm like, you would pay me money to be your coach and then step in when I'm gone. Like that, that can, it can be like that.
00:15:45
Speaker
And so that one interaction who, and this person doesn't even have kids. Like that one interaction just gave me the confidence too, to be like, I don't have to give it all up, but like, how can I set things up in a way that's like a win-win where it's I feel ethical, and like I'm doing a job and providing a good service, but also I'm getting the support where needed to And the working backwards and asking for help, like it's just been those two things over and over. And then similar to you, like really iterating on, okay, a plan is cool, but like, how do I feel?
00:16:15
Speaker
And if I can't execute at the level that all this needs to be, then maybe I need to make some adjustments. And I have kind of revisited my plan pretty recently for the year too, just to clean it up, simplify and give a little more breathing room.
Entrepreneurial Focus and Strategy
00:16:28
Speaker
Awesome. yeah Thank you for sharing that information. And I'm sorry for the struggles that you've gone through. Yeah. Thank you. Let me know how you're doing two weeks in into um having a newborn because that is like the most difficult. That's for me is the most stressful time that I'm dreading because you're just zero sleep.
00:16:47
Speaker
And I had a hard time nursing and hopefully, you know, you don't have a difficult time because it's just like you're you're a zombie. you don't even know You don't even know what's going on.
00:17:00
Speaker
So, but it is amazing and it's so worth it. So you're going to love it. It's just take care of yourself, you know, give yourself some grace. Yeah. Okay. So back to business.
00:17:14
Speaker
Sometimes women um entrepreneurs feel like they're working harder and not making money. What is the first thing that you like to look at if that's the the scenario?
00:17:26
Speaker
but Crystal, you have to be my brain. and That's literally an episode I recorded today. I recorded five today. That was one of them. We did not coordinate you guys. No.
00:17:37
Speaker
If you need to make more money. I think... This is not a sexy answer, but the truth is this. If you have proof of concept, so if you have a person who you've worked with in the past, we forget there's so much value in going back to that person and asking like, why me? Why now? Why this offer? And I think we overcomplicate. And that's where I see a lot of entrepreneurs, especially if they're newer.
00:18:03
Speaker
Oh, I got to be on TikTok. I need to post more on Instagram. Like I need to, I need to, I need to. Instead of Breaking it down to the basics. What has worked before and what if I did more of that? But the caveat to that is also if that was not like a quality client, like you did the work, you got paid, but you didn't love working with them.
00:18:20
Speaker
There's also value in that because that can tell us, okay, if they found me via... I don't know, like a Groupon, for instance, if you're the service-based industry and they found you on a discounted service, then maybe we actually don't want to be on that platform just because it worked and it didn't work right. That is very informative too. So I'm a big fan of like, what is currently working? What if we double, triple down on that before we add new to the mix?
00:18:44
Speaker
And then the other thing is separating out when we're thinking about social media specifically, We kind of wrap it all into one package. But oftentimes, if we're struggling to get those consistent sales, it's one of two things. Either we have a marketing problem or a sales problem.
00:19:00
Speaker
The marketing problem looks like you're hosting a course, you're offering a service, you have a workshop, a webinar, whatever your offer is, no one's talking about it. No one's signing up. No one's interacting whatsoever.
00:19:12
Speaker
That means the messaging is off. Maybe you're not talking about it enough. That can be solved through marketing. If they're interested, but then they're not buying, that's a sales problem. And if we separate it out, then we can go seek solutions that attack each of those problems. They're different.
00:19:26
Speaker
But what often happens is I'm posting on Instagram and it's not working. And it's like, well, let's dive a little deeper. Is it like, people are into your stuff, they're just not hopping into your offer or is it they're not seeing your stuff at all?
00:19:38
Speaker
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Yeah. I think that sometimes I feel like there's so much focus on Instagram and visibility that we tend to forget about the backend things that we need to do to build trust with people. Like it's not just social media, right?
00:19:57
Speaker
There's other ways that you have to connect with others and build your brand or your trust in you as a coach or as a leader. And you know, you can post reels all day long, but you know, if you don't have things to bring to the table that are of value and that are what they want to learn from that you could struggle. And so sometimes I just wonder like when I'm watching some, some Instagram accounts, just like, I wonder, what are you like? What do you really do? Because i don't have time to do Instagram now. That's just a whole nother thing about me. Right.
Empowering Through Delegation
00:20:32
Speaker
But
00:20:33
Speaker
I think it's something just to keep in mind as you make your plans and as you work to partner with others as well, just like, you know, where are they putting like their efforts and their time and energy into?
00:20:44
Speaker
Yeah. he yeah So many women, anybody really can struggle with delegation. And how do you advise your clients that might be struggling with delegation?
00:20:58
Speaker
Because usually when we start off, we're doing everything. We're doing bookkeeping, we're doing the marketing, we're doing the backend stuff. How do you empower women to take that next step and delegate and feel confident them?
00:21:14
Speaker
Yeah, I think it starts with knowing the why first. Like whether you have a team already and you're trying to take or be more, i don't know, efficient in how you hand things off to them or you're considering bringing somebody on.
00:21:27
Speaker
why? like Why do we have this team? What is the goal? What is the vision of that business? If you don't know where you're headed and why, and your team also doesn't know that, then the how becomes very convoluted because it doesn't it's not attached to anything emotional.
00:21:41
Speaker
you know Simon Sinek's start with why is such a simple concept, but it still rings so true. And i always start with that. like If you can't articulate to me as your coach, let alone your team, like here's where we're headed and here's the reasoning behind that. Here's how we make decisions and here's what's true to our brand versus not true to our brand. If you can't articulate those things, then the rest really doesn't matter.
00:22:02
Speaker
So I think it starts with that. And then on the other side of it, then it's becoming really crystal clear on what stuff you actually are the best person for. And that changes as you bring people into the mix. It's like, just because you're the best hairstylist doesn't mean that's the best use of your time long-term.
00:22:18
Speaker
fitting into the big picture vision. And oftentimes I see business owners and leaders hide in what they're good at because it feels good. They don't know what to do with the rest. And so they kind of have their head in the sand when it comes to having conversations about personal professional development with team members.
00:22:35
Speaker
When it comes to how do I get them to not just do their job, but like be strategic in their job, they can't read your mind. so if you're not communicating that that's the expectation and then training them to become more strategic How are they going to change? Why would they change? And so I think it's really just an awareness of you that then spills into like, okay, if these are all the things I currently do,
00:22:57
Speaker
But I have now hired Crystal to be my online business manager to help with the back end stuff. Then though I could do this much, here's what I really need to focus on. So then she can handle this much. And then here's what that bridge needs to look like.
00:23:12
Speaker
When I have a problem, I want you to bring it to me the end of day and you bring them back in a bullet point list versus like in the moment text messages, like being that clear. And I just see it.
00:23:23
Speaker
we start businesses, we're good at what we do, we get more clients than we can handle, we grow our teams, and now we're a leader and we have no clue how to lead. That's my two cents on
Clarity and Purpose in Leadership
00:23:33
Speaker
that. Yeah, I know. theyre Every organization has bad leaders. like Even if we step out of the small business world, right and you're talking about large corporations or government agencies, which I have experience working in There are quite often leaders, and I don't even want to say bad leaders, because I don't know if they've ever had the opportunity to be good leaders.
00:23:59
Speaker
I think that there's a period of time where there were certain traits that were promoted that we really didn't know what leadership, good leadership was like it.
00:24:10
Speaker
So I think there was some room for growth there. So I don't want to say they're bad leaders, but I definitely see need for leadership training and leadership coaching. um And that's where, you know, my role as a change manager that I'm currently in is we coach executive sponsors on how to lead through change. And you know you're 100% correct. The why is so important. That is a huge ah ah fundamental aspect of change management. And it's the why to your team. It's the why to your peers. It's the why to your leadership.
00:24:44
Speaker
and the why to the end users that might be impacted or impacted groups. So like in a small business case, it could be your um clients or, you know, anybody that you're marketing to, they also need to understand why you're doing what you're doing. And if you make any changes that impact them, whether it's a platform interface or whether it's even pricing or whatever, you know, any change, like bring them along in the why so they understand. And they're not just like, well, I don't understand what's going on because I mean, I know I've jumped out of things if there's a change and I don't understand it and I don't, it's not working for me.
00:25:22
Speaker
And then I'll just be like, yeah, I'm not doing that anymore. You know? So and yeah, it's very, very important why. And I'm, I love that you focus on that as well.
00:25:34
Speaker
Okay, so team delegation.
00:25:40
Speaker
What are some do's and don'ts? Oh my gosh. I think, again, and this is specific to small business. We talk about how rare it is to be an entrepreneur and have a small business and be wired that way.
00:25:54
Speaker
We don't talk about how rare it is to work for a small business and the skill sets that are required to be a good employee of a small business and that it's not for everybody. There's definitely some yin to the yang. There's some benefits and perks. You have probably more ownership and say, you have growth potential.
00:26:11
Speaker
You get to be... done right, have more work-life balance. like There's a lot of perks to working for a small business. But what's missing often is people will write out a job description. I want someone who can do X, Y. And then they so also want them to be strategic and proactive, but that's not communicated in the expectation. So then when it comes to the delegation and they say, hey, I want you to plan our next event. And then that person is just waiting for more approval or waiting for feedback.
00:26:38
Speaker
And then the business owner is upset and says they suck. it's It's that gap between expectation and reality. I see that happen over and over and over again. So when it comes to delegating, we think we're being clear, but we're not. And they cannot read our mind.
Effective Team Communication
00:26:54
Speaker
and I find in small business, oftentimes like you're hiring friends, you're hiring people you have a personal relationship with. And so it can be really tricky because we kind of shortcut our communication in those instances because we're making assumptions.
00:27:09
Speaker
So the big thing is very clear on what the expectation is and make sure you are setting up that person for success. So a good example of that is have online business manager. That's the one person on my team right now. I've slimmed down with the baby coming and stuff.
00:27:25
Speaker
So have an online business manager. She physically is not here. We're launching a new freebie called KPI or die and mapped out all of the systems and processes in Kelsey language and little chat GPT in there.
00:27:38
Speaker
But like, here's the pain points. Here's who it's for. Here's the transformation. Here's the free, like all of that in a document. And then I sent it to her and said, tear this apart.
00:27:50
Speaker
Where am I missing the gap? What is missing? So I build it out. She looks at it. She comes back. We have a call and we go over it to make sure we're both on the same page. And then she's able to execute and build everything out. But that step of like coming together, me having an organization. So all of my offers are built the exact same way. That's a template.
00:28:09
Speaker
So anything new I want to put out there, she knows it's going to be presented in this way. Then she can go through it and see if I'm missing anything or she has any ideas that are better than what I even have to. Then us coming together just allows for the execution. I don't have to micromanage. I don't have to approve and check. It's just done. And that takes extra work up front on me to put it together in a way that's really understandable for her, but it's more efficient and effective because it's a clean handoff.
00:28:38
Speaker
Oftentimes it's like hot potato. It's like, oh, do this thing. Okay. But not like that. And like you're throwing it back and forth and that's not the end goal with leadership. So If you're delegating, be very clear on the expectation, set them up for success, whether that means taking a little more time up front to be really clear or creating a process so that they're able to just understand what's expected of them. And then if something is wrong, instead of just but fixing it. So same thing, same Google Docs, same template. If I see something that she changes and I don't like it or wording is different. I will do this suggestion features, excuse me, so she can see what changes I made versus just doing it because part of it is that transference of knowledge.
00:29:15
Speaker
She can't read my mind. And ideally she sees that piece of feedback and she keeps that in mind for the next iteration that we do. Yeah. The feedback loop is so valuable and you're essentially training her by doing, you know, like, and I can imagine as a small business, you don't have as much time to have maybe a full onboarding program, a full training program where, you know, they do a week long training and to get to the level that you might need them if they aren't there.
00:29:46
Speaker
So having that strategic method to, still accomplish your deliverables while training through communication and through using those tools really can at least help you move faster through the process. But yeah, communication is probably, I would say the number one breakdown when it comes to getting the performance or the deliverables out of any partner or any staff, and any coworker that you know, I just, I know it's like, all right, here's, here's the thing we're doing.
00:30:22
Speaker
Let's talk about it. Let's make sure we're aligned. Let's make sure we understand why we're doing it. And then let's get feedback from, you know, the group and see how we move forward with it. And I do see a lot of times that just go do the thing and then you come back.
00:30:38
Speaker
Oh, that's not what I wanted. For me is my biggest pet peeve is not being clear and then really giving me any clarity or feedback moving forward. And I'm reworking.
00:30:51
Speaker
Rework to me is big no, no. I can't stand rework. rework Yeah, yeah, i totally agree. And I think too that's why I also focus a lot on teams because in the small business space, who's doing that? Not a ton of people. So I will come in-house and I'll say, okay, this is going to be painful, but we'll survive. And we got coffee.
00:31:13
Speaker
Let's go talk to bottom, our onboarding process. And I tell the CEO ahead of time, I say, you need to not say anything. Because we need to make sure your team actually, you think they know what they need to do.
00:31:26
Speaker
But it's crazy just that one exercise and we bring sticky notes. It's a whole thing. Top to bottom, like all those micro steps that happen. And there's a lot of assuming going on. Oh, and then I usually wait for her to get back to me.
00:31:39
Speaker
Does she know that you're waiting on her? Well, no, because she's so busy. Well, are you communicating that? And then the business owner is like, you don't need me for that. And so we're able to solve and identify a lot just by dumping out the puzzle pieces and having someone like me come in house that's outside of their world.
00:31:54
Speaker
So there's value in that too. And that's where honestly, just having someone come in to me, cutting through the crap, I feel like that's way more efficient sometimes depending on the team and in the situation. Absolutely.
00:32:05
Speaker
And I find that even sometimes groups, high functioning groups may have a hard time understanding what information needs to be communicated. So not necessarily just communicating, but what information does my boss need to know? What information do I need to let Kelsey know about the work that I'm doing or how I'm feeling about the work that I'm doing or, you know, other things?
00:32:29
Speaker
What information do I need to let my peers know That's a value. And, you know, I do a lot of coaching right now on essentially what is the high level information that sponsorship wants to know where they can break down barriers for you, where they understand potential risks in the project and where they can support you moving forward.
00:32:53
Speaker
And it seems like sometimes there's a barrier in teams to have those discussions because it feels scary to bring to leadership like, we're not aligning on this or we're not meeting some milestones here or this.
00:33:07
Speaker
They feel like they have to solve it before they bring it to the leadership.
Importance of Feedback and Coaching
00:33:12
Speaker
And then you're spinning your wheels for however amount of time. So what kind of information do you like to hear from your team? Or would you recommend from some of your clients? What kind of information do they need to know about what's going on with their team?
00:33:29
Speaker
Yeah, I think that comes down to having clarity around priorities because if that is unclear of what is a priority versus not, a lot of employees, depending on industry, but in role, a lot of them tend to be more detail-oriented.
00:33:43
Speaker
And so they will make mountains out of teeny tiny, like that's not a mountain actually. And so if we know upfront what the priorities are, whether that's through, again, understanding the why, maybe you identify some core values, maybe it's literally a prioritized checklist of like, does this affect a current client? Does this impact future clients? Maybe it's that simple.
00:34:04
Speaker
But if the team member knows the priorities, odds are they're going to be able to sift through that faster versus if they're unaware and it just feels important to them, they don't have the skillset and the knowledge to know just because it's important to me, it doesn't mean it's important to the CEO.
00:34:19
Speaker
i think that happens a lot too. So understanding priorities and communicating them, And then also just learning the style of the CEO. Like, how can I lead up to you? Are you the person like end of day, if I have a notepad with like five things I need approval on, would you rather that? Or do you want me to ask you in the moment?
00:34:36
Speaker
I'm asking you in the moment. Is it like a today thing? Do you know, like, what is your preference to to learn to meet them where they're at? Because we're all human beings and we're all flawed and we're all different. So I think it kind of comes, the responsibility is on both to just make sure that's crystal, crystal clear.
00:34:52
Speaker
And also I hate text and phone and the amount of teams that are doing their communication via text, group chats, DMs, and it's a mess. So even though the platform, this is like speaking to specific people, even though the platform may be new, like there's a time you have to grow up and moving off of it.
00:35:11
Speaker
I message over to a Slack where we can have channels and organization Maybe a learning curve, but long-term is going to serve you better too because stuff doesn't get lost. It's searchable, et cetera. So all those things.
00:35:23
Speaker
Yeah. And I also think the ability as a leader to be coached by your team. So oh we talk about coaching or leading our staff or our peers, but as a leader, nobody's perfect. It's a long journey to become the best leader that you can be.
00:35:47
Speaker
And instilling in your team that it's okay to coach up. Like, let's say you have a high functioning person on your team and they're really great and they have some good insight and experience and opening up a space to say, you know,
00:36:04
Speaker
what can I do better to support you in your work? Is there something I could do differently? Or if things aren't going well, spending time to connect with that person and problem solve, kind of like you do with your clients, right? There's something that's called coaching up. And if the leader isn't approachable to coaching up,
00:36:24
Speaker
it really puts a big barrier in your ability to move the work forward. And then people are like, I don't want to talk to them because they're kind of edgy. They don't like this. So I think coaching up is like a great thing to just keep on the back of your mind as a leader. Like, when am I going to have those opportunities to get feedback from my team on how I'm doing?
00:36:45
Speaker
Absolutely. I was doing a training with a local credit union not long ago, and we were talking about that. like Specifically, if you work for a company and you want to get into a different role potentially, and it's kind of the same as marketing. So it's like, okay, do people know, like, and trust you? And are they taking action? and the example I gave is if you're coming into work and you're constantly crossing off those to-dos, but you have really big goals of stepping up into a higher level role that involves a leader making that decision,
00:37:14
Speaker
If they just know you as like Kelsey's nice, Kelsey's nice, Kelsey's nice, how can they know that that's even on your radar and that you're a fit for them? So back to kind of that leading up thing and even leading to yourself, that's where there's a strategic difference between the two. So I think, yes, it's on the employee, but it's also on the employer and the business owner and the leader to identify and be willing.
00:37:36
Speaker
Because at the end of the day, if you're a small business owner, I don't know how you can be in business and not be growth minded. Therefore, if you're having a team of people, you should be growth minded and want to be better, do better. And that comes from example and the willingness. Some of them, they just don't even ask. And or they'll say, like, well, do you have any feedback for me? What a dumb question. Like, you're making me think through all the things I want to say and I'm having to like BPC about it. And I don't know when my raise is coming because we're not clear on
Final Advice for Women Leaders
00:38:04
Speaker
that. So the more like the processes are clear, expectations are clear. And then like a detailed survey, I'm a big fan of sending those out too and having not only the team members fill it out for themselves, but also for the CEO.
00:38:16
Speaker
then that Then we can talk. Then we can actually like have a productive conversation to improve. And most of the time it's like, you're great, but we got this and you're in the way. It's like nine times out of 10 when I hear.
00:38:27
Speaker
Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Okay. Well, what is your biggest piece of advice for Grit City Women?
00:38:39
Speaker
Gosh. Well, h i would say i'll break it into two things. If you are a business owner, my biggest piece of advice would be to lead with your purpose. like Be very clear about what you're doing and why and come back to that often because if you're getting lost in the weeds or you're ah entering a path where just doesn't feel like a full body yes anymore. I think coming back to the why behind you do things is super important in business. And if you're not a business owner and you're listening, i would say like, don't be afraid to go for it.
00:39:16
Speaker
You know, I think oftentimes we... We overcomplicate whatever it is. If it's posting on Instagram, if it's starting a podcast, if it's hosting that meetup or starting that community, I've done all of those things.
00:39:27
Speaker
And they're all hard if we let them be. but like, what's the alternative? We never put it out there. And there's probably someone listening to this who's like, has a message to share. And you're doing a service by keeping that too close to the chest. So go for it and remind yourself when you feel lost why you're in this in the first place.
00:39:47
Speaker
Great. Great advice. Thank you so much, Kelsey. I appreciate you coming on and sharing such great information. Yeah. Thank you so much for having me and what you're doing. i just think it's super cool and
Podcast Conclusion and Community Engagement
00:39:59
Speaker
needed.
00:39:59
Speaker
So thank you.
00:40:02
Speaker
Born from the spirit of Grit City Women, Gritty is the New Pretty carries the torch, amplifying the voices, stories, and power of women who lead with resilience, purpose, and unapologetic grit.
00:40:15
Speaker
To support Gritty is the New Pretty, follow us on Instagram at Grit City Women or shop our online store at gritcitywomen.com.