Welcome to "Automating By Design: Your Business, Life, and Legacy" where we have real conversations and talk about practical strategies for visionary experts and creators who want to scale without sacrificing their voice, values, or sanity; as well as ways real people use habits, processes, and systems to uplevel their lives and legacy.Our host, Kathy Swanson, a Business AI and Automation Guide, author, and speaker with Integrated Marketing Werx, is known for cutting through the noise and translating big visions into practical workflows that actually get implemented.
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What is Automating By Design: Your Business, Life, and Legacy?
Automating By Design: Your Business, Life, and Legacy is a business podcast hosted by Kathy Swanson, with 21 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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Kathy Swanson hosts Automating By Design: Your Business, Life, and Legacy, a business show with 21 episodes published.
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Automating By Design: Your Business, Life, and Legacy
The Hero Entrepreneur Myth — And What Actually Changes Communities | ft. Mark Larson #Shorts
Jul 31, 20262 min
“How I Built This” is one of the best business podcasts out there. But Mark Larson of Early Matters San Antonio noticed something: it’s all about the solo founder. The hero entrepreneur who figured it out alone. That’s a great story. It’s just not how communities actually change. Systems change — the kind that rewires how a city cares for its youngest kids — doesn’t come from one visionary leader. It comes from 700 people being part of the process together. From organizations that facilitate rather than control. Froman ecosystem where no one gets to be the hero because everyone is. Mark calls it “How We Built This.” I think that framing also matters for every consultant, coach, and business owner who’s quietly doing the behind-the-scenes work of making businesses and other people more effective. The work that doesn’t make headlines. The work that actuallymoves things. Watch the reel. And if this lands for you, share it with someone who leads from the side rather than the front. What would the “How We Built This” version of your work look like? ️ Clip from our Automating By Design conversation with Mark Larson of Early Matters SA Check out the last of five segments with him at https://open.spotify.com/episode/3BAYlBFz4n2Pge3DeewExK?si=yhz47-goTvGBGBFC3jUr4A #EarlyChildhood #CollectiveImpact #CommunityDevelopment #CommunityChange #EcosystemThinking #SystemsChange #EcosystemLeadership #SystemsThinking #SanAntonio#CollaborativeLeadership #FacilitativeLeadership #LeadershipMatters #BusinessStrategy #LeadershipDevelopment #VideoPodcast #AutomatingByDesign #EarlyMattersSA #Shorts __ Connect with Mark Larson (Early Matters San Antonio): ◼️ mark.larson@earlymatterssa.org ◼️ https://earlymatterssa.org/ ◼️ https://www.facebook.com/EarlyMattersSA/ ◼️ https://www.instagram.com/earlymattersSA/ ◼️ https://www.linkedin.com/company/early-matters-san-antonio/ __ Connect with Kathy Swanson (Integrated Marketing Werx): ◼️ https://mktgwerx.com/ ◼️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathyswanson2samarketer/ ◼️ https://www.instagram.com/samarketer/ ◼️ https://www.facebook.com/MktgWerx.KathySwanson __ References to: ◼️How I Built This | NPR https://www.npr.org/series/490248027/how-i-built-this __ Schedule a complimentary 20-Minute Clarity Call with Kathy https://bit.ly/20min-clarity-call __ Order your copy of "Automation Works: Turning Your Marketing from a Money‑Pit into a Money‑Making MACHINE!" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KL6KUWK/
Automating By Design: Your Business, Life, and Legacy
From “Not My Problem” to “We Need to Act” — One Breakfast at a Time | ft. Mark Larson #Shorts
Jul 24, 20261 min
Most community problems stay unsolved not because peopledon’t care — but because they don’t know. Mark Larson of Early Matters SA has a straightforward theoryof change: if you get the right people in the room and help them understand the problem, some of them will want to do something about it. So every first Friday of the month, he holds a breakfast. No agenda beyond awareness. No pressure to act. You come, you learn, you decide for yourself what — if anything — you want to do next. Early Matters is working from a $20 million, three-year planto prove what a fully functioning early childhood ecosystem can look like in a city the size of San Antonio. They’ve had 700 people involved. They’ve raised close to $10 million. And they’re still inviting people in. If you’re a business owner, concerned parent, or communityleader in San Antonio, this is worth 8am on a Friday. Cappy’s Restaurant. First Friday. 8:00am. Find the RSVP link at Early Matters SA’s website. Watch the reel and share it with someone in your network. Because systems change starts with awareness. And awareness starts with showing up. ️ Clip from our Automating By Design conversation with Mark Larson of Early Matters SA Check out the last of five segments with him at https://open.spotify.com/episode/3BAYlBFz4n2Pge3DeewExK?si=yhz47-goTvGBGBFC3jUr4A #FirstFriday #LocalImpact #EarlyChildhood#EarlyChildhoodEducation #ChildCare #CommunityEngagement #CommunityImpact#CommunityLeadership #SanAntonio #SanAntonioBusinesses #WorkforceDevelopment #LeadershipCommunity #BusinessOwners #VideoPodcast #AutomatingByDesign #EarlyMattersSA #Shorts __ Connect with Mark Larson (Early Matters San Antonio): ◼️ mark.larson@earlymatterssa.org ◼️ https://earlymatterssa.org/ ◼️ https://www.facebook.com/EarlyMattersSA/ ◼️ https://www.instagram.com/earlymattersSA/ ◼️ https://www.linkedin.com/company/early-matters-san-antonio/ __ Connect with Kathy Swanson (Integrated Marketing Werx): ◼️ https://mktgwerx.com/ ◼️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathyswanson2samarketer/ ◼️ https://www.instagram.com/samarketer/ ◼️ https://www.facebook.com/MktgWerx.KathySwanson __ References to: ◼️ First Friday Breakfast | Early Matters SA https://earlymatterssa.org/first-friday-breakfast/ __ Schedule a complimentary 20-Minute Clarity Call with Kathy https://bit.ly/20min-clarity-call __ Order your copy of "Automation Works: Turning Your Marketing from a Money‑Pit into a Money‑Making MACHINE!" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KL6KUWK/
Automating By Design: Your Business, Life, and Legacy
$20mm, 700 Contributors — San Antonio Is Building an Early Childhood Ecosystem| ft. Mark Larson
Jul 24, 20266 min
In the final segment of this Automating By Design sub-series with Kathy Swanson and Mark Larson of Early Matters SA, we talk about how Early Matters San Antonio is executing a $20 million, three-year plan to build a fully functional early childhood ecosystem — and they’ve had roughly 700 people involved in writing and carrying it out. Mark Larson shares where the work stands today and extends an open invitation to anyone who wants to be part of the solution: ✅ First Friday breakfast at Cappy’s Restaurant, 8:00am, no prior knowledge required. ✅ It’s a low-barrier entry point designed to move people from “this isn’t my problem” to “we need to do something” — and participation is entirely self-directed. Mark also reflects on the model that makes this work: not a solo hero entrepreneur, but a facilitative ecosystem. ✅ Remember, getting to a better future requires shining a light on what isn’t working yet. And in San Antonio, that’s part of how we roll! . . . Connect with Mark Larson (Early Matters San Antonio): ◼️ mark.larson@earlymatterssa.org ◼️ https://earlymatterssa.org/ ◼️ https://www.facebook.com/EarlyMattersSA/ ◼️ https://www.instagram.com/earlymattersSA/ ◼️ https://www.linkedin.com/company/early-matters-san-antonio/ Connect with Kathy Swanson (Integrated Marketing Werx): ◼️ https://mktgwerx.com/ ◼️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathyswanson2samarketer/ ◼️ https://www.instagram.com/samarketer/ ◼️ https://www.facebook.com/MktgWerx.KathySwanson Schedule a complimentary 20-Minute Clarity Call with Kathy ◼️ https://bit.ly/20min-clarity-call Order your copy of "Automation Works: Turning Your Marketing from a Money‑Pit into a Money‑Making MACHINE!" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KL6KUWK/ References to: ◼️ First Friday Breakfast | Early Matters SA https://earlymatterssa.org/first-friday-breakfast/ ◼️How I Built This | NPR https://www.npr.org/series/490248027/how-i-built-this #FirstFriday #LocalImpact #EarlyChildhood #EarlyChildhoodEducation #ChildCare #CommunityEngagement #CommunityImpact#CommunityLeadership #CommunityDevelopment #CommunityChange #EcosystemThinking #SystemsChange #EcosystemLeadership #SystemsThinking #SanAntonio #SanAntonioBusinesses #WorkforceDevelopment #LeadershipCommunity #BusinessOwners #CollaborativeLeadership #FacilitativeLeadership #LeadershipMatters #BusinessStrategy#LeadershipDevelopmen #VideoPodcast #AutomatingByDesign #EarlyMattersSA
Automating By Design: Your Business, Life, and Legacy
The Cost of Childcare Is Breaking Families — And Nobody’s Talking About It | ft. Mark Larson #Shorts
Jul 17, 20262 min
A VP in marketing left the workforce. Not because she wantedto. 👉 Because the fact that childcare costs more than staying made complete sense. That story stopped me over 30 years ago and it is even morethe case today. And the more I dug into early childhood access with MarkLarson of Early Matters San Antonio, the more I realized this isn’t a low-income problem. It’s a math problem — and the math doesn’t work at almost any income level. 👉 Three kids in childcare can run $35,000 a year. If you’re not clearing $70K after taxes, you’re not even breaking even — before you factor in gas, logistics, or the mental load. And for a 25-year-old teller or analyst who hasn’t made it to VP yet, those numbers are even more brutal. What strikes me most is that parents aren’t talking aboutthis. There’s a quiet shame that makes it hard to say: “I’m struggling, and I’m alone.” 👉 But they are not alone. They just don’t know it yet. Watch the reel and share it with someone who needs to hearthey’re not the only one. 🎙️ Clip from our Automating By Design conversation with Mark Larson of Early Matters SA Check out the fourth of five segments with him at https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Gu5STgkAyxtBLGvtCxWEQ?si=8XOBWtoAQ3-NOm8Lz0AChw #ChildcareCosts #WorkingParents #ChildcareCrisis#ParentingAndWork #WomenInWorkforce #ChildcareAffordability #TalentRetention #WorkingMoms #EarlyChildhoodEducation #EarlyChildhood #WorkforceDevelopment #HRLeadership #LeadershipMatters #SmallBusinessOwners #VideoPodcast #AutomatingByDesign #EarlyMattersSA __ Connect with Mark Larson (Early Matters San Antonio): ◼️ mark.larson@earlymatterssa.org ◼️ https://earlymatterssa.org/ ◼️ https://www.facebook.com/EarlyMattersSA/ ◼️ https://www.instagram.com/earlymattersSA/ ◼️ https://www.linkedin.com/company/early-matters-san-antonio/ __ Connect with Kathy Swanson (Integrated Marketing Werx): ◼️ https://mktgwerx.com/ ◼️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathyswanson2samarketer/ ◼️ https://www.instagram.com/samarketer/ ◼️ https://www.facebook.com/MktgWerx.KathySwanson __ Subscribe to Automating By Design here: https://www.youtube.com/@automatingbydesign?sub_confirmation=1 __ Schedule a complimentary 20-Minute Clarity Call with Kathy https://bit.ly/20min-clarity-call __ Order your copy of "Automation Works: Turning Your Marketing from a Money‑Pit into a Money‑Making MACHINE!"👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KL6KUWK/ 👈
Automating By Design: Your Business, Life, and Legacy
From Silence to Advocacy: Designing Systems That Speak for Families | ft. Mark Larson
Jul 17, 202610 min
In the fourth segment of this Automating By Designsub-series with Kathy Swanson and Mark Larson of Early Matters SA, we dig into why the childcare crisis stays hidden — and what it takes to change that. Kathy brings up a hard truth: ✅ Parents aren’t talking about how impossible the math has become, in part because shame keeps them quiet. ✅ The feeling of “I want the best for my child and I’m failing” crosses every income level — even a VP can find that $35,000 a year in childcare costs leaves the family below breakeven after taxes. Mark makes the stakes concrete with a striking story:during a six-hour San Antonio city council session on Project Marvel, the mic was open — and not a single person spoke about childcare affordability, even though the number of affected families was comparable to those speaking abouthousing. The reason wasn’t indifference. ✅ There is simply no system to help parents know where to show up, feel safe telling their story, or get there. That’s the gap Early Matters is now working to close. Through intentional stakeholder journeys — distinct outreach for families, businesses, and civic leaders — the organization isbringing the right stakeholders together in San Antonio to create the infrastructure that was never built when America shifted to two-income households in the 1970s with our families paying the price. . . . Connect with Mark Larson (Early Matters San Antonio): ◼️ mark.larson@earlymatterssa.org ◼️ https://earlymatterssa.org/ ◼️ https://www.facebook.com/EarlyMattersSA/ ◼️ https://www.instagram.com/earlymattersSA/ ◼️ https://www.linkedin.com/company/early-matters-san-antonio/ Connect with Kathy Swanson (Integrated Marketing Werx): ◼️ https://mktgwerx.com/ ◼️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathyswanson2samarketer/ ◼️ https://www.instagram.com/samarketer/ ◼️ https://www.facebook.com/MktgWerx.KathySwanson Schedule a complimentary 20-Minute Clarity Call with Kathy ◼️ https://bit.ly/20min-clarity-call Order your copy of "Automation Works: Turning Your Marketing from a Money‑Pit into a Money‑Making MACHINE!"👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KL6KUWK/ 👈 References to: ◼️Talent Performance Model "One Page Talent Management: Eliminating Complexity, Adding Value" by Marc Effron and Miriam Ort https://www.amazon.com/One-Page-Talent-Management-Introduction-ebook/dp/B078YBB6RB/ ◼️Incentives "Freakonomics: Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner https://www.amazon.com/Freakonomics-Rev-Ed-Economist-Everything-ebook/dp/B000MAH66Y/ ◼️"The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement" by Eliyahu Goldratt https://www.amazon.com/Goal-Process-Ongoing-Improvement-Anniversary-ebook/dp/B0DFD2C9F9/ ◼️Early Matters SA Leadership Members highlighted Peter John Holt -- CEO, Holt Cat Co-Chair Michele Autenrieth Brown -- COO, GDC Marketing and Ideation https://earlymatterssa.org/about/leadership/ ◼️Project Marvel SA https://projectmarvelsa.com/ #ChildcareCosts #WorkingParents #ChildcareCrisis#ParentingAndWork #WomenInWorkforce #ChildcareAffordability #TalentRetention #WorkingMoms #EarlyChildhoodEducation #EarlyChildhood #WorkforceDevelopment #HRLeadership #LeadershipMatters #SmallBusinessOwners #VideoPodcast #AutomatingByDesign #EarlyMattersSA
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