Client work pays the bills
But systems… they gave me my life back.
There was this one week.
We were just a few months in.
Still figuring things out.
Still unsure if this whole thing would even work.
But the work kept coming.
And we kept saying yes.
That week, I barely slept.
My co-founder didn’t either.
We were writing contracts, replying to messages, taking calls, chasing clients, waiting for replies, following up, following up again…
It felt like the entire week was one long to-do list.
No pause.
No room to think.
Just this pressure to keep delivering.
And back then - we didn’t know any better.
We thought: This is what it takes.
And maybe it was.
But it was also the week I realised.
If this is what success looks like, I don’t want it.
I didn't start my practice thinking I’d need systems.
In fact, I didn’t even know what a “system” meant.
I just thought: “Work hard, deliver, get paid.”
That’s it.
But eventually I realised…
There’s a difference between being busy and being effective.
The first thing I fixed?
My client questions.
Instead of typing them out again and again, I built a set of templates.
If someone wanted a contract done or a company registered - I had 4–5 questions ready to go.
Saved me from reinventing the wheel every time.
The real breakthrough, though?
Building a system for posting content.
That changed everything.
Not overnight.
But slowly - posting became easier.
People started reaching out.
Work became smoother.
Clients came in warmer.
And most importantly…
I wasn’t constantly chasing work anymore.
Looking back now, I get it.
You can’t build a system for something you’ve never done.
You have to live it first.
Do the same thing over and over until it starts annoying you.
That’s when the system shows up.
Like a tool your past self leaves behind, so your future self doesn’t suffer.
If you’re in the early phase of your work...
Don’t stress about building systems right away.
Just show up.
Do the work.
Repeat it enough times to see patterns.
And when you start feeling tired of doing the same thing more than twice—
That’s the moment to pause.
And build a better way to do it next time.
That’s how you buy back your time.
One tiny system at a time.
Have questions about building your firm, getting clients, or positioning your services? I offer 30-min strategy calls. No fluff, just practical answers that fit your situation.