Strategic Business Coach, Marci Rossi, spills the beans of systems and processes, the benefits of proper onboarding, and the challenges of solo entrepreneurship. She shares her favorite digital tools along with tips for using templates and documenting procedures. She also reveals why she quit social media and how shifting her focus to collaborations and email marketing significantly grew her business. Tune in for actionable advice on optimizing your workflows and increasing productivity.
Timeline
01:19 Marcy Rossi’s Business Coaching Insights
03:22 Importance of Systems and Processes
05:33 Defining Your Audience and Business Pivoting
12:12 Favorite Tools and Software Recommendations
17:58 Choosing Between Zapier and PLI
18:53 The Importance of Templates and SOPs
20:27 Managing and Storing SOPs
21:38 Finding the Right System for You
24:37 Balancing Multiple Tabs and Windows
28:35 The Case for Systems and Documentation
30:04 Stepping Away from Social Media
Resource Links
Marci’s website
Marci’s everything page
Listen On Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify
If you’re a coach or service provider in your first couple of years of business, chances are you’ve hit that point where everything feels a little messy behind the scenes. You’re juggling client work, offers, tech tools, content, and admin tasks, all while trying to keep things moving.
Systems are not about adding more to your plate. They’re about taking the pressure off.
For Marci Rossi, systems aren’t about being overly polished or complicated. They’re about giving you clarity, building trust with your clients, and helping you step out from behind the scenes so your business can finally breathe.
Why Systems Matter at Every Stage
One of the biggest myths new business owners believe is that systems are something you set up later, once you’re “bigger.” In reality, systems are one of the best ways to grow sustainably and confidently right from the start.
And no, this doesn’t mean building a complex, 27-step funnel or using every tech tool on the market.
A system can be as simple as a well-thought-out onboarding process. For example, when a client signs on, do they receive a confirmation page? A follow-up email? A contract and a clear list of next steps?
These may seem like small details, but they immediately build trust and professionalism.
Your systems are not just about operations. They’re about how your clients feel when they work with you.
Two Common Mindsets That Keep People Stuck
Many new business owners fall into one of two categories:
- Avoiders who want nothing to do with tech or backend operations.
- DIYers who are determined to figure it all out themselves.
Both approaches often come from the same root issue of fear. Fear of visibility. Fear of getting it wrong. Or a deep need to prove that you can do it all on your own.
Marci knows this from experience. She spent her first year in business rebuilding her website twice, wasting hours learning to code, and making exactly zero dollars while hiding behind her screen.
Now, she teaches other service providers how to avoid that trap by building systems that support their growth, not distract from it.
Systems Create Confidence and Clarity
One of the lesser-talked-about benefits of having systems is the confidence they bring. When you know what happens after a client signs, or when someone joins your list, or when a project wraps up, everything feels less chaotic.
That confidence translates to how you show up and how you sell.
Even if you are still refining your niche, even if you’re pivoting, you can still build simple workflows to support your next steps. You don’t need everything figured out in order to create systems that work.
Start by mapping out the journey you want your clients to experience. How do you want them to feel at each touchpoint? What would make the process feel seamless for them?
Then reverse-engineer a system that brings that vision to life.
You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
Many business owners don’t realize how messy or inefficient something is because they’re too close to it. It’s possible you’re making things harder than they need to be, simply because no one has shown you a better way.
Here are some ways to spot where systems might help:
- You’re sending the same email repeatedly, but writing it from scratch each time.
- You onboard clients differently each time, depending on your mood or memory.
- You’re constantly searching for the same links, files, or templates.
- You avoid doing something because you can’t remember how.
If any of that sounds familiar, it’s a sign that you need a system. And that system doesn’t have to be complicated.
Small Tweaks That Make a Big Impact
Start small. You don’t need a huge overhaul to make your business run smoother. A few examples of small but powerful changes include:
- Creating email templates for anything you send more than once.
- Documenting one monthly task in a simple checklist or Loom video.
- Tracking your tool subscriptions and setting calendar reminders before renewals.
- Setting up a basic onboarding flow with a welcome message, contract, and next steps.
Templates and SOPs (standard operating procedures) might sound boring, but they are lifesavers. Especially for tasks you only do once a month or quarter. They keep you from wasting time or making avoidable mistakes.
You can store these in a Google Doc, a folder in your drive, or even inside Notion. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be accessible.
Choosing the Right Tools Without Overthinking It
Marci is a self-proclaimed systems nerd who has tested countless platforms. Her favorites right now include:
- Canva Pro for easy, beautiful visuals
- MailerLite for user-friendly and affordable email marketing
- Systeme.io for funnels, landing pages, and course delivery
- Zapier or Pabbly for connecting tools that don’t naturally integrate
The key is to choose tools that match your current priorities. Do you want simplicity and all-in-one convenience? Or do you want more control and customization?
Don’t chase the perfect platform. Pick something that works for your brain and your budget, and stick with it. You can always improve later.
You Don’t Need a Team to Start Systemizing
Even if you’re a solopreneur, you’ll benefit from having systems in place. Especially for tasks you do repeatedly or infrequently.
And if you ever plan to grow or outsource, you’ll be glad you documented your process early. It’s much easier to hand off a clear SOP than try to train someone from memory.
But even if you never hire, systems will still make your life easier. They’ll save your brain from decision fatigue and give you more time to do the work you actually enjoy.
Permission to Let It Be Messy First
One of the biggest mindset shifts you can make is letting go of perfection. Systems are meant to evolve.
Start with what you have. Choose one process to streamline. It might be onboarding. It might be content creation. It might be how you handle lead magnets or scheduling.
Don’t try to fix everything at once. One step at a time is still progress.
What Happens When You Step Away From Social Media
In a refreshing twist, Marci shared that she no longer uses social media for her business. And since stepping away, her business has grown five times in five months.
Instead, she focuses on collaborations, email marketing, and delivering exceptional client experiences that lead to referrals.
She encourages business owners to stop doing things out of obligation and instead focus on what actually works for them.
If you hate social media, maybe it’s not your platform. You’re allowed to grow your business in ways that feel aligned and energizing.
Want Support with Systems That Actually Work?
Marcy is hosting a virtual summit called Automagic that walks you through setting up automations and systems step by step. It includes real tutorials and support, not just theory.
If you’ve ever tried to follow a YouTube tutorial that’s outdated or impossible to understand, this is for you.
And if you miss the live version, you can still access the replays.
Where to Find Marcy
You won’t find her on Instagram or TikTok. But you can find her at marcirossi.com. There’s even a real chat box where you can connect with her directly.
You can also tune into her podcast, Thriver’s Ed, where she shares more actionable tips to grow your business without burning out.
The Takeaway
Pick one thing in your business to clean up. That’s it.
If you don’t have a system for it, create one. If you do, document it.
Let it be simple. Let it be imperfect. Just let it be done.
