#118: Meet My Integrator with Raven Lovelock, Fractional Director of Operations at The Advance
It’s hard sometimes for a business owner to take a step back from their business, let someone from the outside come in, and audit and implement new processes to streamline the workflow.
That’s what I did in my business, The Advance Women’s Network.
Raven Lovelock, Fractional Director of Operations at The Advance was my guest today.
Raven and I talked about:
The best environment for a Director of Operations to thrive in
Why she was attracted to working for The Advance
How she has helped implement processes in my business
Tune in to hear all about Raven’s thoughts on being a DOO.
Learn more about Raven on IG @Raven_Lovelock or on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravenlovelock.
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Listen to the Show:
Laura 00:02
Welcome to Next Level Leap, a podcast where we dive into the mindset and strategies of scaling your company and creating a legacy brand. As a top growth strategist, multi passionate entrepreneur, membership site owner, trainer, speaker, author and mom to three. I love exploring the journey of how we as founders can multiply our income impact and influence by landing on the other side of our next big leap. Let's get started.
Laura 00:44
Hey, everybody, so I want to welcome you back to the Next Level Leap podcast, and I'm here with our director of operations for The Advanced Women's Expert Network. This is Raven Lovelock. Hey, Raven.
Raven 00:54
Hello, it is my pleasure to be here. I'm so happy and excited to have this chat with you today. So thank you for inviting me.
Laura 01:00
Yes, yes, Raven is happy and excited. And she's also very happy to be behind the scenes of a company. So she, when I invited her, she was like, really what I think but I think it's so good for people who are listening to know that. First of all, if you're listening to me, like I'm not a woman on show, I will be bringing on more and more team members. So they understand that this is a team effort, everything that we do the different programs and companies and membership and all of that. And second of all, that you all need a Raven.
Laura 01:35
If you don't have one, you are missing out, which is what you're going to find out on this podcast episode. So you're the fractional director of operations at The Advance. And when you first came in, first of all, you were recommended through a friend. So I was basically like, When can you start? Right? And you're also very particular about companies that you work with? Actually, I'm going to start by asking, like, what was it about the advance or working with me that you found appealing?
Raven 02:01
Yeah, I have to say that my experience working with other companies in an operational capacity, I've seen that the culture can sometimes be a culture that may not be appealing to most operators. And what I mean by that is that you don't allow for operators to have the freedom to actually do what they do best to actually integrate manage a team lead a team. And I think that a lot of that comes from visionaries that kind of like still have the hold on the day to day operations and the tasks within the day to day. And it's difficult for them to let go, which is completely understandable. But at the same time, it kind of causes the strain, that you're
unable to really operate in your full capacity as a DOO and so when I first had a couple of chats with you, and we were kind of just like working through, like what our relationship would look like, what this partnership would look like, I just felt so welcomed into your team, you have an awesome culture. And I know I sat in on your first team meeting. And I'm telling you, I was like Laura, the fact that you just allow your team members to sit with their thoughts kind of mull through whatever ideas or brainstorming thoughts that they have going on, is so refreshing, because I know that that's kind of really difficult to come to come across. So that's one of the main things that I appreciated about the advance in your leadership here at The Advance.
Laura 03:26
That's awesome. I would say that I don't pay her to say that I actually do. But it but it is it is fun to hear what other people have to say. I mean, you come from an incredible background in terms of like you come from a business size, that's much bigger than the business that you're currently helping me with, you know, specific to membership. So I think for me, it's like, why, why wouldn't I want that? Right? Like, why wouldn't I want that voice and everybody on that team is so talented. And you know, I'm eager. I'm always interested and curious to hear what people have to say. And so when you first came in, what are some of the first things that you did to help us run our business better?
Raven 04:08
Yeah. And I think, as you know, I kind of came on in a slow transition. But once I started to learn more about the team and the company itself, I implemented a few things right, like one on one team or time with the team, community specific brainstorming sessions, quarterly software audits, quarterly peer reviews, and a big one that also really stands out to me it was kind of just getting the entire team together, not just the full time staff but also including, and this is the key to this, I think just including contractors and fractional team members, which contribute to the bottom line. And I know we have weekly team meetings beforehand which he did an excellent job of running. But I think an important piece for an integrator such as myself coming in to execute a CEOs vision such as yourself, Laura is to have a relationship with every single person on the team that makes an impact. And having that team's confidence in who I am as a leader really helps to get their mind for the future that you've envisioned for the company. And before even thinking of implementing any of those things, I needed to prioritize observation and learning because I find that within the workforce, regardless whether you're in corporate and the online space, the thought process of walking into the door, I'm day one hitting the ground running is a hot commodity. And there's nothing wrong with grinding it out and taking action on day one.
Raven 05:32
But I found from my experience at the power of deepen a thorough training, onboarding, observation, and the learning is truly underestimated. And there needs to be this healthy
balance of learning and taking action to set an incoming integrator or team member in general up for success. So what did it look like from me coming into the advance understanding the culture, observing how the team interacts. What kind of decisions do you as the CEO make immersing myself into the products and services and just really taking that time to understand the business inside and out. Because there's been countless of times where I've seen leaders dive headfirst into a business to then come to month three, or month six and realize, wow, I never really had the opportunity or time to learn all of the products, or stand the business at the core. But by that point, you've made critical business decisions. Changes, you've added salt and pepper to your food without tasting it for one of the spicy to begin with, and you just came in and added siracha to something that needed sugar.
Raven 06:45
I remember one of our initial chats Laura just put this out. I don't know if ever commended you for it. But you mentioned to me that you like to ease your team members and so that you kind of get so they get a feel for the business and vice versa. And it's worked out positive really for you. So I stand behind that approach 100% because it just really puts me in the best position to have been able to audit the business and then lead the team.
Laura 07:10
Yes, yeah. It's interesting, because I'm actually hiring right now for the consulting business full time. And it's the first time in a long time that I haven't moved somebody from part time to full time. And I'm still kind of like, oh, gosh, how are we going to do this, because I'm so used to that it doesn't work for everybody in every role in every position, right? But I'm so used to that, because I think it's like, okay, this is the week where you can perfect this particular area of the business. And this is the week where you can get familiar with our cash flow mechanism. This is the week where we can get familiar with onboarding, and you handle all aspects of the business at this point. But we started you just in finance and operations. And then layered on marketing, which is more my expertise over time and getting the right person in place who can report to you and could speak the right language was also a big part of that. I think that your success path for you. I remember, like about a month or two ago, you brought something to me.
Laura 08:05
And I was like, I truly try not to curse on the podcast. So I'll spell it out. But I was like, I don't know that sounds like integrator shit to me. He just started laughing and you're like, I guess I'll make that decision then. And, and we joke around a lot. Because I think you know you're running a company and things can get stressful. And you might as well have fun, right? But it was it was at that point where I was like, okay, like, you're good. Like you're running these team meetings better than I ever could, you'd have people like filling out slides. And they're like reporting it. I was like, I didn't do any of that. Like you got that covered. At this point. You got
our overseas team members involved in the team meetings, which we didn't do before. So there was so much that was happening that was positive, that like I was just I was like, no touchy like you do it.
Raven 08:52
And that's great. And that just kind of circles back to my point of one of the reasons why I just kind of like loved and what I saw coming into The Advanced is just your ability to just be open, let go of the vine and just allow for me as an operator to do what I do best.
Laura 09:06
So yeah, yeah, it's, it's a win win for everybody. It's not easy to do, right? I think for both sides for you, it's probably like stepping into that role and taking responsibility for things that you have, you know, there, there's pressure to the outcome, right? That the outcome has to be good for people to be able to stay in their roles and the company be able to do what it needs to do. And then from my side, it's tough because you're trusting other people that you're, you know, in the process of developing a relationship with to finally let go. But ultimately, I think when you've been around the block as an entrepreneur, you know, like, there's no other way there's really no other way to function. If you are going to run an elegant business, you know if you're going to grind it out all day, every day. Yeah, I guess you could try to control everything at a certain point. If you want your business to grow. Part of that decision is letting go of control. And you know, if you want to have a life and have kids and play as much tennis as I do it It's probably beneficial for that to happen sooner than later.
Laura 10:04
Do you think it's easier for someone to come in to your position and audit the business and its needs rather than the business owner determining what needs to happen? I know you kind of alluded to that in the last answer. But I think it's really interesting. dig into that a little bit further. And I would say this is specific for your for your position.
Raven 10:23
Yeah. So I think this is an interesting perspective based question. Because this can go either way, you can have the argument that no one knows my baby better than I do. That's my CEO voice. Or I have unbiased fresh eyes, I can help you see your blind spots. That's my operator voice. And honestly, I'm Switzerland. I agree with bot. The business owners right. Why? Because no one will ever know their baby better than they do. They hold deep rooted day one institutional knowledge. But the operator is also right, because they have expertise and that detailed eye to audit and an operating level, especially coming in with a fresh perspective. So neither position would necessarily be the easier or hard way. They're just different perspectives. And what I mean by that is, when you bring in an operator from the outside to your unique business, regardless of the industry, or similar businesses that that operator has
had experience working in, they will more than likely have a different perspective on your business and spa or see things because of quote unquote fresh eyes, they're going to be able to see that 30,000 foot view of the business which can be different or similar than that of the business owner, who will most likely be bias or simply just be stuck in the day to day, which makes it a little bit more difficult for them to step back and truly see what the business needs.
Raven 11:44
And that's not to say that the business owners perspective is wrong by any means are incorrect, it just means that it may not be thorough, and they could be blinded by their own biases a little bit. So ultimately, I think it's important to have both involved in an audit in some capacity, right. So earlier, I talked about the importance of learning and observation when an integrator comes into a business, at the very beginning of that relationship is the pivotal moment in which those insights are formed. So someone in my position can come in and audit a company, but the business owner and only the business owner is the one that holds the ultimate vision, which is insight that the operator absolutely needs a support in determining what the business needs. So the business owners vision and thoughts may not be the answer in its entirety. But I would come in with my expertise to help guide and fill any gaps that the business owners may not see. So it's not that it's easier for one or the other to do an audit, it's just different perspectives that require the magic that happens when a deal and CEO partners to be able to seethe full picture.
Laura 12:51
Yeah, I think that's so, so powerful. And, you know, it's so funny, because a little ding just came through as you were talking and I was like, oh, shoot, I hope we can take that out. But it's like one of my kids requesting more screen time because I thought I had shut off on my notifications. But this is like when you're talking about what it is that you do. And you know, family distractions that come in, and the needs of what we are trying to do as entrepreneurs, right, we're trying to wear all these hats. I think that's where a lot of the biases come from, is, I have this finite amount of time to do this particular thing, according to my preset dreams and goals. And at the same time, for many of us who are also trying to fill other roles, like we're trying to take care of our own physical, emotional, mental health, we are trying to take care of you know, for me, three kids under 10. You know, my husband's extremely helpful, I'm very blessed. But you know, some, some are like another kid. For some people, and it can be very overwhelming.
Laura 14:02
And I think for you just to be able to look at it from the outside somebody like you who can provide the external perspective. Without that pressure. Because for many of us who are entrepreneurs, we are feeling an endless amount of pressure and noise. I think over time I've I that used to really rattle me and over time I've gotten used to it as an entrepreneur. But I also
know that like that voice of reason, it has always been critical for me, like whenever I'm running a company, I'm always looking for that person that I know that can come in and provide that perspective. So I love how you just share that because yes, I know my company really well. And I would say particularly when it comes to things like messaging, particularly when it comes from like guest experience client experience. We probably know best because that vision was planted within us before that company was even born, you know, in terms of how we were going to go about the brand experience. It's, but when it comes to like finance, operations, workflow team, we can be biased in a negative direction, I think by this, like, incredibly strong vision that we have. And so in my consulting company, I have somebody in that role in The Advance, you're in that role. And I rely on that to be to provide me with my blind spots, you know, provide me insight into my blind spots. And I just know without that, as an entrepreneur, you can get really caught up in your own, you know, tunnel vision.
Raven 15:36
Yeah. I 100% agree there. Yeah, you're on, you've hit on the nail.
Laura 15:40
Yeah. What are the so some people might be listening. And in the online space, we call them DOOs, or fractional DOOs. So you take other clients in addition to the advance in the traditional business space, they call them integrators. That's the more common term because that came out of Eos or scaling up or whatever methodology they tend to use. But what do you think that visionaries need to know about hiring that role?
Raven 16:07
Oh, I love this question. Firstly, I think it's important to talk about what a DOO in a business, because a lot of times, visionaries don't know. And they also don't know a DOO was what they actually need. I find that they start to invest in niche roles, like an HR director, finance director, project manager, Legal Assistant, Director of Customer Success- I can go on. And my thoughts to that is okay, but now who manages them, can we. And if you don't have the budget to hire all of those roles, only one, let's say an HR director, then what happens to the rest of the core areas like finance, legal customer service, champion, you at least not effectively. And a lot of times you don't need so many of those nice roles. And in the small business and online space vendors and contractors for those roles work just as fine, depending on the business model and structure you have, of course, now, where the DOO comes in is that we are that high level operator that is the counterpart of the CEO who leads the business and all of those niche core areas, right. So HR, legal finance, and data, customer service, project management. And some of us have specialties in those areas, too. But deals are mostly generalists who may not have expertise in any of those one areas. But I assure you, we know enough to be dangerous to live on and manage the experts that need to be integrated into the team.
Raven 17:32
So I usually find myself quoting Natalie Gringric who's an amazing thought leader in the operation space, and she states that one of the greatest gifts that a DLL will give to a CEO of sanity, just straight up sanity. So if you're finding that as a business owner, you are holding multiple functions within your business. And you've made the decision to make new hires to off board and delegate some tasks within your business. I'll challenge you to think okay, wait a minute, do I need an expert in any of these disciplines? Or do I need an integrator and then when you start to hire for new roles, it will feel a little bit better? Probably well, but I can almost guarantee you'll hear yourself, say sooner or later, man, I've hired more people. But how is it that I feel busier than I ever have before. And I'll tell you why. It's because you've now adopted the role of an integrator or a dol. So with management comes leadership. So whether you have a small to large team, you now have to manage and not only act as the visionary, but you're also acting as the integrator. And this is how you know that it's time to hire a director of operations so that I or they can take on the integrator piece so that you have the time to be able to allocate back to your vision, strategy, planning, visibility, PR, professional development, and the places that you really shine and are desperately needed.
Laura 18:53
Yeah. And it's funny too, because I love that you say that. It's a matter I think, for many leaders to think about, what is it that I can do that no one else can. And for many people in the online space, it's like creating the content videos, writing, recording these types of podcasts episodes, it is for many people reviewing or writing content, it is providing leadership, it's thinking about the big picture strategy. Those are the things that it's very difficult for other people to do that. If you have any type of personal attachment to your brand. If you're you know, toilet paper company, probably not. But if you are a online company, that's probably where you're going to be spending your time and, and those things often go to the wayside which hurts the company, when you're also the person trying to figure out you know, the customer service solution to the latest You know, operational challenge.
Laura 20:02
And I know for me, there was a point in which we thought, you know, we might have to create some movement on the team from different things. And you were like, That's alright, we'll handle it. And I was like, Oh, my gosh, like, as in we, I think you mean, you can only handle it. And I was like, Oh, really? Okay. So I don't have to figure out how to post it and get the resumes. And it's funny, because Sarah, who's in that role, and consulting company is doing it right now. And I'm like, wow, this is amazing. Like you just telling me what needs to get done. And then I can just be me. And I think what happens is for people who are competent, which is the, which was my challenge for a long time, is that I'm competent. At most areas of business, just as a function of nurture, not nature, you know, just as a function of being an entrepreneur
for 20 years, like, I could do finance, I could do operations like I'm capable. It's not my area of genius, right? But then all of a sudden, you're doing it and you're like, This is not the highest best use of me. And I think if you have that, like moment, even if you're if you if you can, doesn't mean you should, I think like having that moment and recognizing that voice inside of yourself, I think is really important that you need a Raven.
Raven 21:28
That was a beautiful ending line. Lauren.
Laura 21:31
Thank you, you set me up beautifully. We make a great team. So I know. You do this for other companies, which I'm always you know, such an advocate of you and everything that you want to accomplish in your in your life and your career. If somebody was wanted to reach out to you, they had questions. They wanted to even learn more about what it's like to be a DOO or anything like that. What's the best way for them to get in touch with you?
Raven 21:52
Yeah, absolutely. So you can find me on IG Raven Lovelock and it's spelled as it sounds. Or you can visit my website Ravenlovelock.com.
Laura 22:02
Awesome. All right. Yeah. It's a beautiful website well thank you so much Raven, for being here. I really appreciate it. And I appreciate you.
Raven 22:09
Thank you. It's great to be here. Thanks, Laura.
Laura 22:14
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The Scale with Joy podcast dives into the mindset and strategies of scaling your company to the million dollar mark and beyond. Each week, we follow the journeys of innovators, disruptors, experts and leaders - sharing behind the scenes stories of their most challenging moments and greatest lessons learned-all while building their multi-million dollar empires.