How to Build a Business That Works (Hint: Systems!)

How to Build a Business That Works (Hint: Systems!)

Transcript from the Expert Strategies Podcast & YouTube Video

Introduction

I asked myself what would break if I stepped away or was forced to be gone for 3 days. And the answer was: almost everything.

Welcome to Expert Strategies, the podcast for business owners who want to scale faster, systemize smarter, and grow bigger. I’m your host, Ryan, and I’m here to cut through the noise with tactics, proven frameworks, and real conversations with industry leaders who built businesses that run and thrive without them. No fluff. Little theory. Just strategies that work.

When the Business Starts Running You

Have you ever built a business and realized it quietly took over your entire life?

It usually starts small. A few long days, some late nights. But before you know it, you’ve created something that only works if you’re always on.

That’s where I found myself.

I was doing well on the outside, but behind the scenes, I couldn’t leave for a weekend without something falling apart.

If I didn’t personally handle it, it just didn’t get done.

It wasn’t until I hit that wall that I saw what I was missing. I was doing tasks, not building systems.

Why SOPs Matter

That’s when I realized SOPs — standard operating procedures — aren’t just a formality. They’re the only way to build something that can scale without you.

I’ve helped dozens of business owners and founders achieve real growth and freedom through systems and SOPs. I even run an SOP delivery service called SOP Mojo to help founders take back their time.

If you’re grinding in your business every day — not because you want to be, but because you have to be — you’re not alone.

Most founders spend years holding it all together through constant effort. But the longer you delay building processes, the more your business depends on you to show up every single day — even when you’re sick, on your anniversary, or at your kid’s kindergarten graduation.

That control might feel like ownership in the beginning. You’re wearing all the hats. But eventually, you become the bottleneck.

You’re not scaling. You’re just repeating.

The Wake-Up Call

Everything changed for me on a random weeknight. I was working on a client deliverable from my bed at 11 p.m.

Earlier that day, my kid had asked if we could go on a hike that weekend. I gave a non-answer because I knew my weekend was already spoken for — client work, catchup, backend cleanup.

That night, I asked myself again: What would break if I stepped away for 3 days?

And the answer was still: almost everything.

That was the wake-up call.

Not because things were on fire — but because I realized I was the only thing holding it all together.

And that’s not a business. That’s a liability.

How I Started

The next morning, I sat down and listed every task I had touched in the past two weeks: sales, fulfillment, scheduling, admin, fixes, follow-ups.

Then I asked: Could I hand this off if I just documented how it’s done?

That’s how I started building SOPs.

No fancy tools. No templates. Just iPhone notes and basic checklists.

It didn’t look impressive, but it worked.

After I handed off the first batch of repeatable work, I felt it: fewer interruptions, less scrambling, and more margin.

It wasn’t a breakthrough. Just quiet, consistent progress.

What SOPs Actually Do

SOPs aren’t about optimizing. They’re about removing drag.

They free up your attention.

They protect your time.

They give your team clarity on what “done right” looks like.

It’s easy to think SOPs are only for big teams or corporations.

They’re not.

They’re the first serious move toward scale for any small business.

SOPs let you grow without growing your hours.

They give you space to step back without watching everything break.

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SOP Mojo & Free Starter Kit

If SOPs are your next step but you’re not sure where to begin — I built something for you.

I run SOP Mojo, where we help small business owners build custom SOPs so they can get out of the weeds and back into revenue-generating work.

I’m also building a self-paced course for founders who want to systemize their business the right way — without overcomplicating it. That launches in September 2025.

👉 If you’re just getting started, download the SOP Starter Kit.

It comes with 5 files to help you document your business right now.

Grab it at: www.sopmojo.com/starterkit

(Link is also in the description.)

———

What Changed

After just a few weeks of building SOPs consistently — one at a time — everything changed.

Fridays started to open up.

Inbox demands dropped.

Client delivery improved because things were consistent and less rushed.

More importantly, I wasn’t the glue holding everything together anymore.

Yes, I still wear a lot of hats.

But I no longer need to be in every seat.

Where to Start

If you’re still stuck in reactive mode — always busy but never ahead — start small.

Pick one thing you do more than once a week.

Write down the steps.

Record a quick video.

Save it somewhere your team can find it.

That’s your first SOP.

You don’t need to document everything.

Just enough to stop repeating yourself week after week.

That’s the shift.

Most businesses don’t fail to scale because of poor marketing or bad hires.

They fail because the operator never gets out of the day-to-day.

Systems are what make that possible.

Wrap-Up

If this hit home, go download the free SOP Starter Kit at sopmojo.com/starterkit.

Thanks for being here —

If you’re watching, I’ll see you in the next one.

If you’re listening, I’ll talk to you soon.