In this episode of 'Good Ideas and Bad Decisions,' your hosts Kat and Ellen dive into the unpredictable journey of business ownership, mental health, and the messy middle of entrepreneurship. They welcome Jessica Murray, founder of Empower, who specializes in helping emerging business owners streamline operations and remove bottlenecks. Jessica shares insights into her work with startups, discussing her transition from Wall Street to tech startups and the challenges of being an operations expert. There’s candid talk about navigating client relationships, the importance of trusting your intuition, and practical tips for managing time and resources effectively. All this, sprinkled with dog stories, closet analogies, and the eternal struggle of finding the right project management tools. Grab your coffee or cocktail, sit back, and let’s figure out this business thing together!

Jessica Murray is the Founder of Empower, which partners with small business owners and early-stage startup founders to streamline operations and boost efficiency. Her work concentrates on the delicate balance that founders and owners must find between driving revenue growth and building an operationally sound, profitable business by concentrating on sustainable growth through people, processes and a customer-centric mindset. Fill out the contact form on her website to get started!

Kat is the Owner + Operator of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠⁠⁠⁠

Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth.

00:00 Welcome to Good Ideas and Bad Decisions

00:43 Weekly Catch-Up

01:22 Introducing Jessica Murray of Empower

02:35 Diving into Operations

05:51 The Value of an Outside Perspective

07:25 Challenges in Business Operations

07:56 The Closet Analogy

16:04 Transitioning to Entrepreneurship

25:21 Balancing Expectations and Communication

26:30 Navigating Scope Creep and Transparency

28:55 Building Trust and Relationships

32:58 Time Tracking and Retainer Management

35:11 Choosing the Right Tools for Your Business

40:07 Final Thoughts and Words of Wisdom