Hi Reader!

How many business resources are you paying for, subscribed to, downloading, bookmarking, or “meaning to get back to” without actually using them?

I say this with zero judgment because I am absolutely included in this conversation.

As business owners, we have access to an almost absurd amount of information. Podcasts. YouTube channels. AI tools. Paid communities. Continuing education. Industry blogs. Service provider directories. Templates. Webinars. Courses. Downloadable guides. Newsletters we signed up for because we really did believe they would help.

And often, they would help.

The problem is not that the resource is bad. The problem is that no one has been assigned to turn that resource into action.

That is where this week’s podcast conversation hit me hard.

When Marketing Needs Operations To Work

Last week on Podcasting For Financial Professionals, I’m sharing my conversation with Derek Frederickson, founder of The COO Solution, host of The COO Solution Podcast, and a fractional COO with more than 16 years of experience as a second-in-command.

Stop Being the Bottleneck: How a Fractional COO Helps Financial Pros Scale Derek works in operations, but he thinks like a marketer. During our conversation, he used phrases like “always be marketing,” talked about layered marketing, and shared how his own podcast helps educate business owners on when they may need a fractional COO. Watch & Listen

This conversation was both refreshing and eye-opening for me because I talk to CPAs, tax strategists, bookkeepers, fractional CFOs, and financial advisors all the time. But the COO lens adds something different.

It asks:

• Who owns this process?
• What happens after the idea is approved?
• How does this get implemented?
• What are the 90-day priorities?
• Where is the business owner still the bottleneck?

That is exactly the tension I feel in my own business. I naturally live in operations, and I am good at it. But as the business grows, I am constantly working to free myself from production and operational details so I can spend more time in strategy, visibility, events, partnerships, and CEO-level growth.

You may feel that tension too.

We don't need more ideas - we need more of our best ideas to become operational reality.

🎧 Listen to Stop Being The Bottleneck: How A Fractional COO Helps Financial Professionals Scale here.

Make A List Of The Resources You Already Have

Before you buy another course, join another group, download another template, or sign up for another software tool, do this exercise. (I'm doing it with you!)

Make a simple list of the business resources you already have access to.

Include things like:

• Paid communities or memberships
• AI tools
• Podcast software
• CRM or email marketing tools
• Industry websites and blogs
• Podcasts and YouTube channels you trust
• Continuing education platforms
• Service provider directories
• Templates, trackers, and guides you downloaded
• Webinars or trainings you registered for but never watched

Then ask three questions:

1. What Resource Could Improve The Business If We Actually Used It?​
   Look for the resource that is most closely tied to a current bottleneck, not the one that feels newest or most interesting.
2. Who Owns It?​
   Do not leave the resource floating around as “something we should use.” Assign it to a person. That may be you, an admin, a marketing assistant, an operations lead, or a team member who can spend time learning it and bringing back recommendations.
3. What Should Happen In The Next 30 Days?​
   Decide on a small implementation target. Maybe your assistant spends five hours reviewing a directory and identifying referral partners. Maybe your marketing support person uses a podcast or YouTube channel to pull weekly content ideas. Maybe your team audits one software tool and identifies three features you already pay for but do not use.

We've got to shift from thinking "consume more information" to thinking "make better use of what you already have."

The Real Gap Is Usually Not Information

The real gap is turning the right information into a repeatable process that supports the business.

That is true for operations, marketing, and podcasting.
​

A podcast is a perfect example. You can have the microphone, software, guest ideas, AI tools, and a folder full of content prompts, but if there is no strategy, no workflow, no clear CTA, no distribution plan, and no one responsible for keeping the machine moving, the show will eventually feel heavier than it should.

This is why strategy matters so much.

Strategy helps you decide what matters, what can wait, what should be delegated, and what role each resource should play in the business you are actually building.

You probably don't need another resource this week. Instead, I'd like to hear from you - what can I help you use better?

Cheers 🥂