Can you build a business based on… “calm?” Host Susan Boles looks beyond the usual metrics of success to help you build a business where calm is the new KPI. With over 15 years of experience as an entrepreneur, CFO, and COO, Susan shares the business strategies that lead to a business with comfortable margins—financial, emotional, energetic, and scheduling margins. Join her and her guests as they counter the prevailing “wisdom” about business growth, productivity, and success to provide a framework for making choices that align with your values and true goals. Episode by episode, you’ll get a look at the team management, operations, financials, product development, and marketing of a calmer business.
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What is Engineering Calmer Agencies & Consulting Firms: Calm is the New KPI?
Engineering Calmer Agencies & Consulting Firms: Calm is the New KPI is a business podcast hosted by Susan Boles, with 128 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.
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Susan Boles hosts Engineering Calmer Agencies & Consulting Firms: Calm is the New KPI, a business show with 128 episodes published.
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Episode #127
Coordination Offload System: Ship Projects Without You in the Middle (with Tanya Moushi)
Oct 28, 202542 min
After 11 years, Tanya’s business hums. She's got warm leads, proven offers, talented contractors. And yet… projects that should take two weeks stretch to two months because she’s the translator between client and designer. In this live diagnosis, we map a transition from “Tanya-as-critical-path” to a productized, reliable service with automated coordination, a structured client-feedback loop, and clear handoffs. We also unpack the fear behind delegating client trust - and why productizing increases value rather than commoditizing it. What You’ll Learn How to design a Coordination Offload System so delivery runs without you in the middle A simple, automated client-feedback flywheel (template email + form + status trigger) Why productizing raises reliability and margin without lowering price Where to add a copywriter or coordinator—and where automation beats headcount A tiny, 90-minute action that can save 3–4 hours every month (and unstick cash flow) Connect with Tanya Connect with Tanya on LinkedIn Check out Moushi & Co (00:00) - Introduction: The Bottleneck Dilemma (00:47) - Meet Tanya Moushi: The Expertise Trap (01:39) - Identifying the Bottleneck (04:24) - Strategizing the Transition (08:08) - Implementing Systematic Solutions (40:03) - Conclusion: Creating Reliable Systems Grab the Calm Service Design + Delivery Swipe File here
Calm isn't an App: Culture, Autonomy, and the Myth of Productivity (with Kacie Brennell)
Oct 14, 202544 min
Meetings don’t equal management—most of the time, they’re just control theater. Freelance project manager Kacie Brennell joins Susan to unpack how autonomy—not attendance—drives real outcomes. They dig into async accountability, why tools fail without culture shifts, and how perfectionism + codependency quietly sabotage calm. If you’ve ever looked up from a day of calls with a longer to-do list, this one’s for you. What you’ll learn How to shift from presence-driven management to outcome-driven autonomy The simple async cadence: owner → outcome → deadline → 3-bullet update Why software alone won’t save you (and what culture change must come first) Spotting perfectionism and codependency at work—and what to model instead How to use efficiency to create margin (and then actually keep it) Practical scripts for moving “quick calls” into written, visible decisions Connect with Kacie Connect with Kacie on LinkedIn (00:00) - Introduction: The Myth of Meetings (00:55) - Guest Introduction: Kacie Brenell (01:13) - The Importance of Autonomy in Work (03:16) - Challenges and Solutions in Modern Work Culture (05:50) - The Role of Technology and Tools (42:38) - Conclusion: Embracing CALM Management Check out the SOP Swap at ProcessDriven
The Most Human Metric in Operations: Layla Pomper’s Death List KPI
Sep 30, 202538 min
What if your most important KPI wasn’t about revenue, leads, or efficiency—but about people? In this episode, operations strategist Layla Pomper shares the story of her Death List KPI: a surprisingly human metric born out of emergency planning that reshaped her entire approach to resilience. What started as a morbid exercise—writing down who her partner should call if she died—became a powerful reframe. It forced Layla to measure not just internal systems, but the strength of her external relationships. The result? A business that’s not only operationally sound, but relationally resilient. What You’ll Learn Why a Death List KPI matters more than a perfectly documented SOP. How to structure your own list by category: legal, financial, operational, technical. The role of community as real business infrastructure . Why operators in particular need a stronger “village.” How one metric can cascade into redesigning your business model, marketing, and personal priorities. Learn More About Layla Pomper Check out ProcessDriven on LinkedIn Check out ProcessDriven on Youtube ProcessDriven.co (00:00) - Introduction: The Importance of a Death List (00:38) - Layla Pomper's Realization and Shift (01:43) - Defining the Death List (02:53) - Building a Resilient Business Community (05:08) - Implementing the Death List in Business Operations (35:29) - Conclusion: The Power of Community Check out the SOP Swap at ProcessDriven
The Expertise Trap: When Your Signature Skill Becomes Your Biggest Bottleneck with Jeremy Enns
Sep 16, 202545 min
When your signature skill is the thing clients line up for, it’s easy to accidentally build a beautiful trap. In this live diagnosis, Jeremy Enns, the founder of Podcast Marketing Academy, shares how his rave-review podcast audits started running his weeks (and energy) into the ground. We focus on Business Design and Margin Mindset to keep the magic intact while redesigning delivery so results scale and burnout doesn’t. Think: fewer audits, higher prices, phased delivery, and using your audit as a kickoff to a year-long, calm growth arc. What You’ll Learn Why splitting “the thinking” across multiple people weakens synthesis - and what to do instead A calm way to productize deep expertise: shorter delivery, phased implementation, clearer prioritization How to reframe audits from one heavy drop to a year-long outcomes program Pricing and packaging tweaks that filter for fit and reduce overwhelm Using “show, don’t tell” proof (full audit shares/teardowns) to communicate outsized value Learn More About Jeremy Enns Connect with Jeremy on LinkedIn Jeremy’s site: podcastmarketingacademy.com Free Podcast Marketing Audit: podcastmarketingacademy.com/audit Newsletter — Scrappy Podcasting : podcastmarketingacademy.com/scrappy-podcasting-newsletter (00:00) - Introduction: The Dream and the Trap (00:56) - Case Study: Jeremy's Podcast Audit Process (05:53) - Challenges and Solutions: Scaling Expertise (23:50) - Communicating Unique Value (27:55) - Structuring Value Delivery (35:09) - Optimizing Business Design Grab the Calm Service Design + Delivery Swipe File here
Frameworks as a System: Scale Your Ideas Without Reinventing the Wheel
Aug 5, 202539 min
If you've been sharing the same ideas for years but still feel like you're reinventing the wheel every time you explain them, this episode is for you. Susan sits down with Melanie Deziel, creator of the IRON Framework, to explore how to transform raw, unstructured ideas into scalable, repeatable frameworks. Go behind the scenes of the Calmer Framework’s evolution, explore why naming comes last, and show how frameworks can become the backbone of your services, content, and operations. Whether you’re trying to clarify your IP or reduce your mental load, this episode will help you treat your ideas like infrastructure. What You’ll Learn: Why lack of structure - not lack of clarity - is holding your IP back The four components of Mel’s IRON Framework for turning ideas into frameworks How systematizing your thinking creates business leverage and margin The difference between creativity and reinvention Why framework development is more collaborative than you think Learn More About Melanie Deziel: Melanie Deziel is a keynote speaker, author of The Content Fuel Framework , and the founder of StoryFuel. She helps entrepreneurs and organizations transform their ideas into scalable content and IP. Website: https://www.melaniedeziel.com Framework Development Cheat Sheet LinkedIn: Melanie Deziel Learn More About Susan Boles + Beyond Margins: Website: https://www.beyondmargins.com Linkedin: Susan Boles (00:00) - Introduction: The Problem with Unstructured Ideas (01:19) - Frameworks as a System (02:29) - The Importance of Consistent Messaging (20:36) - The Evolution of Frameworks (24:33) - Collaborative Framework Development (31:13) - Implementing and Scaling Frameworks Grab the Calm Service Design + Delivery Swipe File here
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