Ep 001 - Stop Buying More Traffic Until You Fix These Revenue Leaks

Listen to the whole episode here:

Every entrepreneur eventually reaches the same conclusion: "I just need more leads to make more sales."

More website traffic, Facebook ads, referrals, followers...more people finding their business.

It seems logical. If more people know about your business, more people will buy.

But after nearly twenty years of building businesses (and spending the last several years working inside dozens of other businesses) I can tell you this: More leads are rarely the real problem.

In the very first episode of the Built to Scale Podcast, I shared one of the biggest lessons I've learned over the last two decades:

"Businesses that truly scale aren't usually the ones with the flashiest marketing or the biggest audiences. They have strong foundations."

That's the difference. Marketing gets people through the front door.

Systems determine what happens after they walk in.

The Biggest Myth in Business Growth

When most business owners hit a plateau, their first instinct is to create more demand. So they run another Facebook ad, post more on social media, hire an SEO company, start a podcast, network more, etc. And none of those are bad ideas.

But here's the question I always ask before we even think about generating more traffic: What happens after someone says they're interested?

Can you answer that?

Not just the first step...but every step afterward.

• What happens after someone downloads your free guide?

• What happens after someone comments on your post?

• What happens after someone sends you a DM?

• What happens after they book a discovery call?

• What happens after they become a client?

If your answer is "it depends" or "I usually remember," you've probably found your first revenue leak.

The Revenue Leaks You Can't See

One of my favorite analogies from the episode is this:

"It's kind of like pouring water into a bucket with holes. You don't necessarily need a bigger hose. You need to fix the bucket."

Most revenue leaks aren't dramatic...they're actually tiny and easy to ignore. Until they start adding up to a bigger problem that you have no clue where it came from or how you're in that predicament. Some of the most common revenue leaks I see inside businesses include:

• Missed phone calls that never get returned.

• Facebook and Instagram messages sitting unanswered for days.

• Leads downloading a free resource and never hearing from you again.

• Proposals collecting dust in someone's inbox.

• Onboarding that's confusing or inconsistent.

• Happy clients who were never asked for a testimonial or referral.

• Business owners trying to remember everything instead of documenting a process.

Individually, none of these seem catastrophic.

Collectively? They're costing businesses thousands of dollars every year. And the frustrating part is that most business owners don't even realize it's happening. They assume they need more leads when what they actually need is better follow-through.

My First Business Taught Me the Wrong Lesson

I started my photography business in 2007 and at the time, I believed success was simple: more sessions meant more money.

So naturally, I chased more clients.

And for a while it worked really well, word-of-mouth referrals grew, my calendar filled, revenue increased, and I found myself daydreaming of that magical day when I could say goodbye to corporate and hello to full-time entrepreneur freedom.

But I discovered something important that most people don't think about and certainly no one tells you about: every new client also created more emails, scheduling, editing, paperwork, follow-up, and just overall more of everything.

The business was growing, but I wasn't creating freedom. I was creating another full-time job. Looking back, I wasn't missing leads...I was missing systems & automations to help me handle the influx of everything when it grew.

The Yoga Studio Changed Everything

In 2014, I purchased the yoga studio where I fell in love with yoga and completed my teacher training. On the outside, it looked like a logical choice. I was one of the main teachers, I was always at the studio, I was always bringing in new clients, living in the midwest my photography business was very seasonal, and so on. But actually running a yoga studio was completely different than running a photography business.

Everything from customers to pricing to operations was different. And let's be real, I had no clue what operations actually meant in regards to running a business and a team.

But something fascinating happened while I was creating my Yoga Teacher Training program (because I knew that I could not sustain teaching 15+ classes per week plus maintain my photography business)...I realized nobody was teaching yoga teachers how to actually build a business. Or make any money...it was very common to be taught to "offer free classes as much as possible".

They knew how to teach yoga. But they didn't know how to generate leads, sell, or create repeatable systems.

Now, some will argue that a yoga teacher training is to train the teacher to teach. Yes, and my counter argument is always...what good is it to train someone to teach if you're going to release them into the world without them knowing how to fill said class?

That's where my love for business consulting really began. I wasn't just interested in helping people get clients, I wanted to help them build businesses that actually worked.

What I See Every Day Inside Businesses

Today, as Director of Operations at Satva, I spend my days inside businesses. I get to see the CRMs, pipelines, automations, client experience, communication breakdowns, and the places where revenue quietly disappears. I've seen companies spending thousands of dollars every month on Facebook ads while leads sat untouched for days. I've seen businesses paying SEO agencies while nobody answered the phone. I've seen business owners begging for referrals at networking events while never asking happy clients for testimonials.

Marketing wasn't their biggest issue. Operations were.

As I said in the podcast:

"Marketing amplifies what's already working."

If your business has broken systems, more marketing simply sends more people into a broken experience.

Your Business Shouldn't Depend Entirely on You

One of the biggest mindset shifts I've had over the years is realizing that scaling isn't about working harder. It's about becoming less essential to every tiny decision. Your business shouldn't rely on:

• Your memory

• Sticky notes

• Fifty browser tabs

• Hoping you remember to follow up tomorrow

Having systems is necessary because systems support relationships and rid you of the repetitive work. And that repetitive work is then handled consistently, so you have more time to actually serve your clients.

I'd be that is probably the kind of growth you're after.

Your 90-Day Revenue Leak Audit

If you only do one thing after reading this article, make it this. Go back through every conversation you've had during the last 90 days.

• Facebook.

• Instagram.

• LinkedIn.

• Email.

• Text messages.

Write every potential client into a spreadsheet.

Next to each name, ask yourself:

• Are they still a potential client?

• Could they become a referral partner?

• Would they make a great collaboration partner?

• Did I ever actually follow up?

Then reach back out. Yes...even if it's been months. You'd be amazed how many people respond with something like: "I completely forgot I messaged you...but yes, I'm still interested!"

The easiest revenue you'll ever earn is often hiding inside conversations you've already started.

And, Before You Buy More Leads...

Here's the question I ended the episode with:

"If your leads doubled tomorrow, would your business be ready?"

If the answer is no...that's actually great news, because it means your next breakthrough probably isn't another ad campaign it's building a business that's prepared to grow. That's exactly what we help entrepreneurs do every day at Satva.

Businesses aren't built by accident; they're built intentionally.

And that's what being Built to Scale is all about.

I hope this episode and article hits home for you! Leave me a comment below and let me know what resonated for you!