Getting out of a tangled mess

It was 11PM on a Thursday and I was staring at my calendar, wondering how I’d turned a simple coaching business into a tangled mess of tools and tasks.

I had Zapier zapping random things. Calendly linked to three email platforms. Proposals in one tool. Contracts in another. It felt like every new “fix” just added more friction.

Then I sat down and did one thing: Mapped the entire client journey from start to finish.

Using Whimsical:

I sketched the whole process visually: • Where leads came from • What happened once they booked a call • How I sent proposals, invoices, onboarding, session reminders, follow-ups

Every step. Every tool. Every manual touchpoint.

Using Notion:

I created a doc with just 3 columns: Step → Tool → Status (manual or automated)

And I was shook. Turns out I was paying for 10 tools—but only needed 4.

More importantly? I saw exactly where I was wasting time, losing leads, or duplicating work.

So I stripped it all back. Simplified the process. Automated the pieces that didn’t need me.

Using Make.com:

I replaced 6 tools with a single automation stack.

Lead comes in → Tag in CRM → Auto email → Schedule call → Follow-up → Contract + Invoice All happens without me touching a thing.

3 Ideas From Me:

Simplicity Scales, Complexity Kills Most automation problems aren’t tech—they’re clutter. Start by removing, not adding.

Map It Before You Zap It Tools don’t fix chaos. A visual map gives you clarity to build the right systems.

Streamlining Pays You Twice You save time and money when you stop duct-taping 10 tools together.

2 Quotes from Entrepreneurs:

Dan Martell on Systems: “If you don’t have a process for it, you don’t own it — it owns you.”

Shay Rowbottom on Efficiency: “Your time is not a badge of honor. If it can be delegated, do it. If it can be automated, automate it.”

1 AI Tool to Try Today:

Make.com - A powerful visual automation platform to connect all your tools. Drag. Drop. Done.

Use it to:

Auto-send onboarding emails

Sync client data between apps

Trigger personalized follow-ups

Build entire client workflows without code

Once your journey is mapped, Make brings it to life.

I went from 10 tools to 4, saved $150/month, and gained 8+ hours a week. Want help mapping yours? Just let me know.

Thanks for reading ❤