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Nine Summer Checkups To Strengthen Your Business For Fall · Called to Build

• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: The businesses that thrive in the fall are the ones who steward their summer with intention.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's easy to coast through the warmer months, lulled by the slower schedules and lighter client demands.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: But wise leaders know that summer isn't a vacation from vision.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: It's a strategic window to evaluate, recalibrate, and strengthen the systems that will carry you through the final quarter of the year.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: And if you wait until September to get your house in order, you're already behind.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: This isn't about hustle, it's about stewardship.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: And here are nine essential checks that every leader should run during the summer slowdown.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: Number one is an operational review.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: What's running on autopilot and should it be?
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: You know, every organization builds routines, but not all routines are productive.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: Over time, procedures that once served your mission may become bloated, redundant, or irrelevant.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: Summer offers a quieter space to ask hard questions.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: Are your standard operating procedures still serving their purpose?
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: Are automation still accurate, or are they sending out dated messaging?
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: Take the time to map out core workflows, walk through them as if you're a new team member.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: Look for friction points, unnecessary steps, and places where tasks regularly stall.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: Then bring your team into the conversation.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_00: They often see the inefficiencies that leadership misses.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: The goal here is to streamline for effectiveness, not just efficiency.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: In our marketing agency, we did this exact review and discovered that our onboarding process was contributing to client churn.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: We were unintentionally creating friction early in the relationship which eroded trust.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: And as a corrective measure, we instituted a 90-minute launch call involving key leaders and followed up with a weekly call rhythm for the first six weeks.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: This simple shift created forward momentum, clarity, and client satisfaction.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: Proverbs twenty four, three and four reminds us that by wisdom a house is built and through understanding it is established.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: Through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: Systems aren't just functional, they're foundational.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: The second thing to take a look at is CRM and follow up is anyone falling through the cracks.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: You know a CRM is only as good as the attention it receives.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: The season that you're coming through is the perfect moment to comb through your pipeline and ask who hasn't heard from us?
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: What conversations did we never finish and which warm leads turn cold because no one followed up?
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: So use this time to create or refine your follow-up sequences.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: Clean out duplicate or dead entries, segment your audience based on interest level, engagement history, or product fit.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: Build templates that feel personal and not robotic.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: A well-maintained CRM can turn forgotten prospects into returning clients, but only if you treat it as a relationship tool and not just a database.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: One of our remodeling clients embraced this principle.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: He sent a heartfelt email to all of his past clients asking for a review and a referral.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: The response was powerful.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: Eleven new five-star reviews and two fresh project estimates.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: It wasn't marketing magic, it was simply stewardship of relationships that already existed.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: Luke 16, 10 says this whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: Faithfulness in the follow-up reveals your readiness for greater impact.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: You also want to take a look at your leadership bandwidth, who's overextended, and who's underutilized.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: You know, burnout rarely announces itself early.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: It simmers beneath the surface until the first signs of strain appear.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: Missed deadlines, poor morale, rising tension, and the summer season is your chance to get ahead of that curve.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: So sit down with each team member and talk through their current responsibilities, what's draining them, what do they feel underutilized?
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: And often what you're going to find is that people are operating out of position, carrying tasks that don't match their strengths.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_00: So reallocate assignments, adjust expectations, and look for leadership opportunities in unexpected places.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: You also need to look at your own bandwidth.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_00: What is still on your plate that no longer belongs there?
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: Delegation isn't abdication, it's preparation for scale.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: One of my long-term clients recently reworked his organizational chart, realigning roles so each person operated in their gifting.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: The result, people felt energized instead of exhausted, and their collective performance rose because everyone had space to thrive.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: Romans 12 6 says we have different gifts according to the grace given to each of us.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: And effective leadership recognizes those differences and then organizes accordingly.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_00: You also want to look at your financial systems and do a systems check, because that's the fuel for the mission.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: Before you can fund growth, you have to know your numbers.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: And the end of summer is the perfect time to step back from the hustle and take a hard look at your books.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: Start with your reserves.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: Do you have at least 90 days of operational runway?
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: Are you setting aside for taxes, savings, and unforeseen expenses?
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: Evaluate your giving, saving, and investing habits.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: Are they aligned with biblical stewardship and organizational sustainability?
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: And look ahead to your fall plans.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_00: Do you have the budget to support new hires, product launches, or marketing pushes?
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: Make adjustments now so you're not scrambling when the pace picks up.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: And then do a culture pulse check.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: Does your team still believe?
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: You know, culture isn't defined by your mission statement, it's defined by your team's lived experience.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_00: So use this time to take a real pulse.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: Schedule one-on-ones with your key people and ask open-ended questions about how they feel, where they're thriving and where they're struggling.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: Watch for signs of disconnection or disillusionment.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: Are the people still aligned with the mission or do they believe their work still matters?
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: Are they growing personally and professionally?
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: Recently we held a mid-year virtual retreat with our global team, and one of the things that became apparent was that we had lost touch with each other's big dreams, and how those dreams connected to the larger vision of our company.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: We used that insight to revise our team dream boards, realigning with our purpose and our passion across our team culture.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_00: These conversations are more than morale boosters, they're early warning systems.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: So listen well and you'll avoid costly disengagement later.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_00: Then you want to do a tech and tools audit.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_00: Are your resources helping or are they hindering?
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: Because every tool in your tech stack should either save time or amplify output.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: But it's easy for subscriptions to pile up while usage dwindles.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: So conduct a thorough audit.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: What platforms are being used consistently?
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: Which ones cause more confusion and clarity?
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: Are there overlapping features across different tools?
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_00: Could you consolidate some of those tools?
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_00: Take a poll from your team.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_00: What do they love?
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: What do they avoid?
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes a tool is only underperforming because people never got trained properly.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: Eliminate what isn't helping and then double down on what is, and make sure your team is equipped to maximize it.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_00: And then do a vision calibration.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: Is the fall strategy still aligned with the mission?
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: Plans are dynamic, and even when the most well-intentioned strategies require realignment.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: What made sense in January might feel off mission by the time July rolls around, which is why regular evaluation is not just practical, it's deeply biblical.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_00: Before the fall rush begins, pause and reexamine your strategic goals.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_00: Are you chasing numbers or are you fulfilling purpose?
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: Are your marketing messages aligned with your deeper why?
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: Are your fall initiatives clear?
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_00: Are they measurable and widely understood by everyone on the team?
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: Every four months I meet with a group of fellow agency owners, we mastermind together, we evaluate our current performance compared to the direction we set at our prior meeting.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_00: And then I reflect on what adjustments I need to make in the next four months to keep us aligned with the larger vision God has placed on my heart for the company.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: Proverbs 29, 18 reminds us where there is no vision, the people perish.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: Strategic drift isn't just a business problem, it's a spiritual hazard.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: Look at your communication rhythms.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_00: Are the right conversations happening within your organization?
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: Communication is the bloodstream of the organization, and when it flows freely, health is possible.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_00: When it clogs, the whole system suffers.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: So review your communication rhythms.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_00: Are meetings productive or bloated?
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_00: Do your communication platforms serve clarity or do they create chaos?
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: Are expectations being stated clearly or followed up on regularly?
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_00: An organization can be choked to death by meetings, but there are some touch points that truly matter.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_00: I have a weekly one hour meeting with my executive team, a one hour meeting with my financial team, and a one hour meeting with my business partner.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: We also host a one hour all hands operational meeting and a one hour all hands training.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: Once a month I meet with all my key players one on one for a personal check-in.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_00: These rhythms keep us aligned both operationally and relationally.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_00: We also rely on clickup chat for clear, efficient communication.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes the answer isn't more communication, but better communication.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: Clarity is kindness.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_00: It prevents confusion, protects trust, and eliminates the guessing games that drain both morale and productivity.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_00: And then strategic rest.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: Sabbath is a strategy.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: The most overlooked leadership discipline is rest.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_00: Not collapse when it's over rest, but the kind that trusts God to work while you step away.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_00: Encourage your team to use their vacation days.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_00: Model it yourself.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_00: Protect margin like it's a vital asset because it is.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_00: True rest resets your mind, refuels your energy, and renews your sense of calling.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_00: I've experienced this firsthand after seasons of intense ministry or long stretches of business travel.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_00: Stepping away even for a day or two allowed me to return with fresh vision, sharper discernment, and a renewed awareness of what truly matters.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_00: You can't pour from an empty cup, and the coming season will demand your best.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_00: Exodus twenty eight reminds us to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_00: Rest isn't a suggestion, it's a command woven into the rhythm of creation.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: The fall harvest is coming.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to scramble in September and October.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_00: You can start now.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_00: Audit your systems, empower your team, align your vision, and take the steps today that will make you ready to receive the growth you're praying for tomorrow.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_00: Summer is the soil.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: It's the harvest that comes next.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for tuning in to today's episode, and I look forward to talking with you again soon.