How your business systems co-regulate you (or disregulate you)
+ everything you need to know to decide what to do next
Mariah Mueller
Feb 24, 2026
The last few weeks have been FULL!!!! Full of being a mom to my 3.5 year old negotiator and 7 month old crawling machine who refuses to take a bottle :) - I LOVE THEM, ok. Thoroughly obsessed with my children and being a mom is my NUMBER ONEEEE job. AND I’m in a season of being OBSESSED with my work!! This week has been full of new clients, reconnecting with past clients, and just being WITH other humans in business right now who are growing, expanding, composting, or refining the work we do. We get to have BOTH!!! The energy feels magnetic and I am so honored to walk with business owners during ALLL of these seasons.
This week I want to share the number one theme I hear from my clients and business owners who are expanding and have outgrown their systems:
Where in my business do I start with having better systems?!
And this is where coaches, mentors or other business owners might tell you to “just invest in [insert big robust CRM or software], you’ll grow into it” or “use [x], it does everything!”…but please hear me when I say: there is NO single system that does everything you need it to and just because a tool says it can schedule, invoice, manage tasks and has an AI email manager, doesn’t mean it’s going to do all of that WELL. It’s just not that straightforward. At the end of the day, this is a moment for you (the business owner) to GET EXCITED about deciding:
Who is coming into your world (know your client archetype/your brand strategy/messaging/which offers are for which archetype)
What they need (your messaging will help them decide and/or your intake form will clarify even further)
Why you’re the perfect solution for them (your intake form will help you qualify which of your offers is best for them right now, even if it’s a downsell!!)
When they are ready to start (you know your capacity, they know what they need, then we determine an aligned start date + duration of support)
How they can pay you, communicate with you, and receive your support long term (contracts, payment, scheduling, marketing to them and project management).
Before I lose you in this next section, just hear me when I say, there are humans out there right now (me, hi) who LOVEEEE this shit and want to help you with it. I know the “who does that” question can be a little blurry because there are VA’s who will do it, there are Strategists who will do it, there are OBM’s who will do it…the point is, you don’t have to do it all. I love what I do because I literally just get to listen to all of the hardest parts of your work and then I digest the information and know exactly how to make it easier for you, and then I do it. :)
Now let’s talk what systems you may need per step:
Who is coming into your world = Lead Capture! A way to track leads and a place to house your client archetype, brand strategy, offers and copy. You might acquire leads through a freebie download, newsletter sign up, digital download, word of mouth or a contact form on your website. How you track them depends on what works for you: a spreadsheet, a CRM or Notion/Airtable. It also depends on where the data is coming from: if it’s a freebie/download you’ll likely have them opt in through a link in bio (Linktree, StanStore, etc.), newsletter sign up might be an email collection field on your website or a form from your email marketing tool, and word of mouth would likely come through the contact form on your website. This is where Zapier can be a helpful automation tool to move them from a freebie download into an series of emails in a nurture sequence/workflow. For your client archetype, brand strategy, offers and copy — this can be one google doc with it all written out, built in a Notion page like my Systems Sanctuary, or you may hire a brand strategist to build this with you.
What they need = Your Messaging + Intake Form! Your messaging will speak directly to what they need. This is where we say “you spend hours doing [problem] when you just want [solution]” and then close with a CTA to the offer that directly solves that problem. You can have your intake form attached to your scheduling platform whether that’s calendly, acuity or google calendar, or send it in an email once they’ve scheduled their call/DM’ed you about working together. This is under 10 questions and should include a way to qualify whether or not they can afford you, what exactly they need support with, why they want to work with you, and any current information that would help you answer questions on an initial call.
Why you’re the perfect solution for them = Your Messaging + Your Intake Form! This is where you get to filter out anyone who may not be aligned for you right now with questions like “which of these describe the season of business you’re in right now” and then give them options that help filter out who may not be ready for your work. You will save HOURS and DOLLARS by qualifying someone before they get on your calendar. This is why having clarity about who you do and do not want to work with and have qualifying questions to filter them out is IMPORTANT. You’re not for everyone and who are for needs YOU.
When they are ready to start = Client Management System + Intake Form. We collect the actual start date information on the intake form, but YOU knowing your capacity and client load is where your CRM/Client Tracking System is going to make or break the energy in your business. You can determine your capacity by knowing how much time you spend per container (that doesn’t just mean 1 hour for 1 call, it means the communication in between, the energy you spend thinking about their project when you’re not “online” and any other resourcing beyond the physical time together) AND how much money that time is worth to you. This where I ALWAYS bake in a minimum 2.5 hours per week of “admin communication” whenever I help my clients determine their offer prices and boundaries with communication. Once you see how leaky you have been with your time, you will not struggle to justify your prices and will feel confident knowing when you’re at capacity!
How they can pay you, communicate with you, and receive your support long term = Client Relationship Management Systems (CRM’s)! There are CRM’s that automate sending contracts, invoices/collecting payment, scheduling calls and task/project tracking but don’t be fooled by those who market as a one stop shop because they will not be able to do it all well. Focus on what you care about most. If you’re just starting out and want one that does do almost everything well - Dubsado is great! Write out a simple step by step of your ideal backend workflow, audit the tech you currently pay for, and then determine where you have gaps to fill/if you’re ready to drop systems and invest in something more holistic for your growing needs. Think: if I want 30 people to sign up today, how easy can I make this for them and myself/my team? The Systems Sanctuary has a tech stack audit specifically for you to audit what you’re currently using, what it’s for, how much it costs per month/year, and the energy it either uses or gives back to you.
Are you still with me? This is where we bring in nervous system awareness.
If you’re already feeling scattered in your systems and feel really drained by technology, your body is likely constantly just trying to find safety and that may show up as:
FREEZE: Decision fatigue/indecisiveness/avoiding a task
FAWN: Investing in a new system out of fear/urgency
FIGHT: Feeling frustrated with your systems and defensive about hiring because you don’t feel ready to invite someone into that
FLIGHT: Ready to burn it all down and quit.
This is common, normal and a beautiful sign that your nervous system is working! Take a deep breath in with me and on your exhale I want you to scream “nobody-told-me-how-complicated-this-would-be!!!!!”. Good news!!! You’re an entrepreneur and you’re the steward of a movement far greater than just you. AND you get to have an easy, simple business. You don’t have to overhaul every system for a fancy CRM either.
You can start by grounding into these 3 questions:
When I think of my day to day operations feeling light, streamlined and supportive, I imagine having…
If I could change one thing about my daily tasks, I would never do “x” again
Better boundaries for my life and business would look like…
Spoiler alert: having better boundaries can save you HOURS per week and make you 2x’s as much per month!!! Service providers who are moving from “I do it all” to “I only serve xyz” have been the BEST at overdelivering and undervaluing their work to be of service and ma’am - we need you RESOURCED not leaking energy and time all over the place. There is not a new system that will ground your nervous system the way clean, clear and healthily held boundaries do.
If you’ve read all of this and are feeling like you need an operational anchor and right hand support for decision making…hi! I’m an online business manager/intuitive ops partner. I currently take on up to 5 projects a month and 3 1:1 clients for 6-12 months together and I currently have 2 spots left for 1:1 work starting in March. We can start with ONE project to meet your nervous system where it is because we’re doing business HEART CENTERED over here. And if you’re just ready to look at your systems more holistically, the Systems Sanctuary was made for you. 💖
