Make Calm your new KPI // Host, Beyond Margins Podcast // I help business owners build calmer businesses with comfortable margins // Speaker, CFO + COO, Consultant

Susan Boles

Here’s the single most important step in my annual planning:

I block off all my time off for the year. Before I plan anything else.

Because if rest and margin aren’t scheduled first, they usually don’t happen.

You don’t have to 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 rest. 
You have to 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯 for it.

So if you haven’t already, take this as your nudge to open your calendar and block your time off for 2026.

I used to have two personas:
1. The real me and...
2. The "professional", buttoned up, boring business owner
 
And it got really old, really quick... not to mention how exhausting it was.
 
So, I ditched the professional clothes, the complicated financial jargon, and the pretense of being impartial and demure.
 
Because I realized that when I just showed up as me, in my black t-shirt and grey hoodie, with opinions and direct language, it served my clients better.
 
Showing up as the real me means I can be a more empathetic strategic partner. It means I have more emotional and energetic margins to serve my clients. Being the real me is actually a huge part of having margin in my business -- and helping it feel calm.
 
And, honestly, it's just easier to be myself than to try to be "professional."
 
That means I'm not necessarily a great fit to work with some folks, but it ALSO means that the clients I DO work with are amazing, creative, passionate business owners - who get to be the real them too.
 
When's the last time you let your clients see the real you?

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰: Taking your practices of rest + putting them in place so they stay there. 

The biggest takeaway I had from my fantastic interview last year with the brilliant Jordan Maney 💖 was this idea of a "rest ethic." It's a concept that has really stuck with me. 

See... I knew that I needed to make sure that I had habits around rest: 
• Fridays are no-work days
• Tuesday is a deep work/no call day (and I often take that afternoon off) 
• I have a pre-planned break week about every 6 weeks or so, with a 2-3 week break at the end of the year and mid-summer. 

Those are practices I've built by experimenting to see what works for me... over the course of about 3 years now. 

But I'd never thought about them as a rest ethic... or that having a complimentary practice to your work ethic was necessary to make sure that you do end up with something balanced... and calmer.

And if you want to check out the convo we had, here's the link to the full interview with Jordan: https://lnkd.in/g3q52bev

Jordan Maney Podcast Takeaways

Every year around this time, the internet gets flooded with deals from giant companies… and we all pretend it’s normal to hand even more money to corporations that won’t notice it.
 
But here’s the thing most people forget:
 
𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲.  They innovate faster. They care more. And they actually shape how you work day-to-day.
 
So if you’re going to spend money this week, tilt the scale toward the people building genuinely useful things.
 
Here are a handful of small businesses that make Beyond Margins run smoother... and deserve more attention than whatever BigCo is pushing in your inbox:

• Transistor.fm - I've hosted Calm is the New KPI Podcast with them since day one and it's always just... easy. They're doing 20% off annual plans for Black Friday (even for existing monthly customers) https://lnkd.in/g22wwiiS
• Natalia Sanyal - she coined “Calm is the New KPI” back when I was in her Good Growth Lab. Her work is foundational: https://lnkd.in/gVJxhyBk
• Jay Acunzo - he's the brains behind my premise development for Beyond Margins... He’s running a premise pitch challenge worth your time: https://lnkd.in/gPW7bBsk
• Heather O'Neill (she/her)🍉 - her “Luck into a Client” challenge is a D&D-style business adventure. Wildly creative: https://lnkd.in/gu9T2CK2 
• Jeremy Enns 🇨🇦 - if you want to understand smart podcast marketing, his newsletter is where to be. His Black Friday email series is… clever: https://lnkd.in/gTZvgZKY
 
If you want to keep the internet weird, thoughtful, and human, start here.
 
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸? 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄... 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀.

When I look back at what I 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 I'd do this year, I pay just as much attention to what didn't happen as what did. 

Not from a place of guilt, but as a diagnostic tool. 

Every unfinished project tells you something - maybe something more useful than the stuff you actually checked off the list. 

• Sometimes that particular project wasn't actually important once the year unfolded
• Sometimes it was harder than I expected because I didn't know what the real work was
• Sometimes the scope was so fuzzy that my brain kind of glitched
• And sometimes... I just didn't want it, no matter what earlier-in-the-year-me thought

As you're reviewing your own year, it's worth asking:
Were you procrastinating? Or were you getting information? 

Because those aren't the same thing. And if you understand which one it was, next year's plan gets a whole lot clearer.

Procrastinating Carousel

You’re not failing. 
Your business isn’t failing. 
Your plan isn’t failing.

There’s just a mismatch between:
• what your business is designed to do and
• what you’re now asking it to do.
  
This mismatch shows up as:
• overwhelm
• capacity crashes
• resentment
• decision fatigue
• “Why does everything feel harder than it should?”
  
None of this is personal. It’s structural.
And structures can be redesigned... gently, intentionally, calmly.

𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗺.

One of the most underrated ways to build a calmer business?

Stop re-deciding things you’ve already solved.
(your brain is expensive. use it sparingly.)

Your systems ARE your decisions.
Every missing system is a decision you're forced to remake. 

And calm ins't the result of having more time or more discipline.
Calm is the result of having fewer decisions to make - because the business can make them FOR you.

Here are 3 ways I engineer clarity (and margin) into my business:

1️⃣ Codify decisions you want to make once.
If you’ve answered the same question more than twice? 
That’s a decision rule, not a one-off.
When you document the rule, your business starts doing the thinking. Not you.
Default businesses rely on your brain. 
Calmer businesses rely on design.

2️⃣ Theme your time around the work your business ACTUALLY requires
I don't theme my week because it's cute.
I theme my week because my business has a rhythm - and fighting that rhythm steals margin.

Mondays: project work
Tuesdays: creative + content
Wednesdays: clients 
Thursdays: client work or service development
Fridays: Rest + Reset (I rarely work on Fridays)

This isn't about productivity. It's structural alignment. 

3️⃣ Template Everything 
A good template is a calmer system in disguise.
It doesn't have to be rigid or cookie-cutter. 
Just structure that removes the "where do I start?" moment.

I still customize most things, but I'm not reinventing the wheel while I do it. 

Templates create space → space creates margin → margin creates calm.

Most of us try to create calm through effort. But calm doesn't come from trying harder, it comes from design. 

From decisions made once. 
From systems that think for you.
From structure that supports the version of your business you want next year - not the one you built three years ago. 

I've been working on something behind the scenes that helps founders build this kind of clarity into their business. Want more details? Drop a comment or send me a DM and I'll hook you up!

If you loved the Calm is the New KPI Podcast episode with the fabulous Kendall Cherry, you should absolutely check out her upcoming workshop to learn how to write those magical testimonials she talks about in the episode! 

(If you haven't listened to the episode yet... you should. It's my most-listened to episode out of 129! https://lnkd.in/gyjkk4Vh)

Writer of stories that SELL ✏️ You’ve definitely seen my work | Copywriter, Ghostwriter, and Storyteller | Founder of The Candid Collective® | Creating a world that’s more candid and kind® 🌻

Later this month, I’m teaching YOU the ins + outs of writing the highest converting story format of all time….


…The Money Makin’ Testimonial™

If you’ve ever tried to share social proof with the classic 5 gold stars + a copy/paste testimonial and wondered WHY it didn’t drive sales…

…this workshop is for YOU. 
⁠
In this 60-minute workshop, you'll learn aaaaall my tricks of the trade for writing client case studies in story form, so you can share the messy middle inside your work AND the value you bring to the table. 
⁠
If you've ever found yourself...⁠
⁠
🤐 Afraid of talking about your client wins because you didn’t want to sound too braggy 

📉 Wondering why copy/paste testimonials weren’t effective (and totally tanked your engagement + leads)
⁠
💌 Trying to accurately AND ethically tell better stories about the transformations your work facilitates
⁠
🔻Wanting to write a story that was bottom of the funnel without throwing a sales pitch in someone’s face
⁠
This masterclass is for YOU! ⁠
⁠
I know that the end of the year is a big time for annual planning and reviewing the magic you created over the last year. 

But don’t let your biggest client wins (and the stories that surround them) stick to the 2025 floor like your bottle of bubbly on New Year’s Day. 

My goal is to teach YOU how to write more client case studies, so you can incorporate more stories into your 2026 content strategy that also sell your products and services. 

(And also? Because telling stories that sell is FUN!!)

Join me on December 11th at 11:00 am Central!
⁠
Want to register? Sign up at the link in my comments below! 👇🏼

P.S. If you’re seeing this AFTER December 11th, you can still “register” for the workshop and you’ll get a copy of the replay!

Let's talk about hippos. 

They're strong, capable, and they move with force. 

When a hippo's angry, they're one of the most dangerous, unstoppable animals on the planet. You 𝘤𝘢𝘯 try to stop it, but here's the thing:

That hippo is just doing exactly what it was designed to do. 

The same thing is true in your business. Businesses do what they're designed to solve for. 

So if it's designed for a default goal of growth at all costs, you get a default business. 
If it's designed to solve for calm, you end up with a calmer business. 

If you're trying to get your business to do something besides what it's built for, it's like trying to hold back that angry hippo. You can't force it, can't avoid it, and probably can't get out of its way. 

You can't outmuscle what your business was built to do. 

If you want calmer results, you have to design for calm. 

Because calm businesses don't happen by accident - they're intentionally engineered. 

What's your business currently designed to solve for?

If you're prepping to plan for 2026 and you're not quite sure what you actually got stuck on this year, check out Cat Mulvihill's training tomorrow!

Find momentum (and keep it) on your own terms | Speaker & Trainer | The Momentum Formula

Frustrated by not following through on important tasks?

There's still time to sign-up for tomorrow's live call to learn the different roadblocks holding you back from getting important work done. 

Stop wasting time trying to solve the wrong problem and focus on what's really in the way. 

Can't make it live? 
Register and get the recording & self-assessment.

💖 Having strong processes + systems in your business is an act of care. 
 
For example: Having a strong onboarding process for your clients
 
➝ Client Wins: it gives them confidence that you're going to deliver an awesome service AND makes them feel cared for. 
 
➝ Business Wins: clear communication in the onboarding process means that you or your team don't have to spend time answering the same questions over and over, AND everyone knows exactly what needs to happen (bonus points if it's automated and no one actually has to DO anything) 
 
➝ You Win: you're not spending time or energy worrying about whether or not all the steps will happen, or if you or your team forgot something, or if you're client knows what's supposed to happen next. 
 
⚙️ Tiny Workflow Step Towards Calm: If you don't have an onboarding email already written for your main service, take a few minutes, search your email history and turn an email you already sent and save it as a template.

She looked at me and said,

“I don’t know where the money’s going. It feels like I’m running my business in the dark.”

She wasn’t struggling to 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 money. 
She just couldn’t 𝘴𝘦𝘦 where it was going.

Every decision felt uncertain. 
Cash flow was unpredictable. 
Growth felt risky.

Two hours into her Calmer Finance Intensive, the picture started to clear. 
We traced the money trail, found the quiet leaks, and simplified her system so she could finally understand what was happening.

By the end, she had what most business owners don’t:
Clarity. 
Confidence. 
Control.

She knew exactly what to do next - and for the first time in months, she felt calm about money.

If that kind of fog feels familiar, you don’t have to keep guessing. 

That’s what the Calmer Finance Intensive is designed for. Two hours to find your footing and finally see the full picture.

Most founders treat margin like something that will magically appear “someday.”

After the launch. 
After the hire. 
After the busy season. 
After things “calm down.”

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.

If your business isn’t designed to create it, you will always be running 5–10% beyond your real capacity.

The good news? 
𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲.

I’m working on something that shows exactly how.

Want the details? 
Drop me a DM or a comment here and I'll fill you in.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲.
 
“Growth at all costs” might sound like a badge of honor in the business world. But what does it really mean?
 
It’s the relentless pursuit of expansion (whether it’s revenue, market share, or headcount) no matter the price. And the price? It’s steep.
 
When growth becomes the only thing your business solves for, you sacrifice:
• 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺’𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 - leading to burnout and turnover.
• 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 - as quality takes a backseat.
• 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 - as the pressure to scale mounts.
• 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸-𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 - as work invades every corner of life.
• 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 - as reckless decisions pile up.
 
These aren’t abstract risks - they’re the costs businesses pay every day in pursuit of endless growth.
 
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳, 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱, 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲? 
 
𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝘀... 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗺. 
 
Growth could still happen - but it wouldn’t come at the expense of everything else.
 
👉 I’d love to hear your take: What do you think are the hidden costs of “growth at all costs”? Did I miss any?

Most of the biggest decisions in your business aren’t ones you 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 at all.

They’re default decisions - the choices you made without realizing you made them.

How you price. 
How you pay your team. 
How clients pay you. 
The tools you use every day.

Each of those choices shapes how your business feels to run... and whether it feels calm or chaotic.

The best way to spot a default decision?

Ask one simple question: “𝗪𝗵𝘆?”

• Why did you pick that pricing model? 
• Why that project management tool? 
• Why that payment process?
  
And if your answer sounds like… 

“That’s how my industry does it.” 
“That’s what I’ve always done.” 
“I’m not sure.”

Then it’s probably a default decision. And maybe worth revisiting.

Because a calmer business doesn’t happen by accident. 
It happens when you stop running on defaults and start designing on purpose.

🤝 What are your favorite conferences or events?


I'm starting to look at my calendar for 2026, and thinking about what events/conferences I want to head to, and I'm curious...what are YOUR fav events (bonus points if you say WHY it's your fav!)?

Or... what conferences are you considering for 2026? Maybe we can meet up!

For my CFO-friends... if you're trying to figure out how to manage spending on AI in a smart, strategic way - check this out!

We're excited to feature Mr. Ravi Verma (PST, CPCC, CRP) - Certified ROI Professional, #TechTransformation Coach and Founder of Al Dente and Org Whisperers, on our upcoming webinar: "𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗔𝗜 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗜 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗢𝗜-𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗗𝗟𝗖"

Ravi is a seasoned fractional Tech Transformation coach, who believes the choice between profitability and employee care is false- you can (and must) achieve both! He helps organizations achieve both with sustainable, measurable results.

Here are some real-world achievements from his past clients:
- 95% Reduction in Time to Market
- 80% Sprint Goals Achieved
- 85% Gain in EBITDA
- 154% Positive Growth in NPS

With 25+ years of experience, from 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗘𝗢, he brings a perspective that ensures your AI investment drives both shareholder value and human potential.

Join us to learn how you can apply the ROI Institute’s ROI Methodology to your AI initiatives, by transforming your #SDLC: https://lnkd.in/gZmKs8iT

Jithendra Ganji ROI Institute, Inc Jack Phillips, PhD Patti P. Phillips, Ph.D.

Dogwood Alliance

Board Member and Advancement Committee Member 

Miel Creative

Miel Design Studio is an exhibit + print design studio that makes beautiful sense out of a complicated world. We are located in downtown Durham, NC. We help B Corp and purpose driven businesses communicate how they do work differently.

Principal

The Upside

Consulting Member 

Dreamers & Doers®

Upstream Works Collaborative

Collaborator

Leaf & Limb

Director of Marketing and Outreach

Meredith College

Adjunct Professor

City of Durham

Arts and Culture Representative, Mayor's Council for Women

HeyMama

Consulting Member

Girls Rock NC

Board Member | Corporate Fundraising

With 18 years of experience working with brands like Burt’s Bees, Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability, Croatan Institute, and Jada Pinkett Smith’s “Don’t Sell Bodies,” Rebekah Miel specializes in organizing chaos for changemakers.

As the founder and creative director of Miel Creative, Rebekah creates engaging and clear communications about complex topics like soil health, carbon capture, food systems, regenerative agriculture, and other climate solutions. 

Simply saying the phrase "climate change" can be divisive. Add in highly technical processes or innovative technology, and it can feel impossible to effectively communicate an idea or connect with an ideal audience. 

That is where Miel Creative comes in. 

We make beautiful sense out of a complex world.

If you are a founder or communications director looking to streamline your design, marketing, or communications, Rebekah offers free 20-minute consultations to help you get decided on your next steps. Schedule a consultation here: https://mielcreative.com/

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Susan Boles

Rebekah Miel 🐝

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