Talk Systems To Me

Kate Dwinell

This podcast exists because something broke in how online businesses scale and CEOs like YOU are paying the price. You don't need to be less chaotic and you don't need to become a systems person. And you definitely don't need to white-knuckle your way through the next phase of growth. You do need to stop being the pin holding everything together. This show is for established business owners who lead with vision, creativity, and momentum and are tired of being the firefighter, project manager, and ops brain inside their own business. Here, we talk about what it actually looks like to lead like a CEO, not an operator. Not by doing more. Not by DIYing better systems. But by changing how responsibility, structure, and execution are held inside the business. We'll unpack: - Why brute force stops working at a certain level of growth - Why launches feel heavier than they should (even when they "work") - Why your chaos, 1,000 ideas and fast-paced action itself isn't the problem - What founders need to own vs. what should never live in their brain - How businesses scale when vision stays free and operations are held by people wired for it This isn't a systems how-to show, because the goal isn't to become more organized. It's to build a business that can carry your big dreams and visions without burning you out.

Episodes

  1. FEB 9

    Your Team Isn't the Problem...

    This episode is for CEOs who love their team… but feel quietly frustrated by them. If work is late, execution feels messy, and everything still requires your input, it's easy to assume you hired the wrong people. But most of the time, that story is wrong. What looks like a performance issue is usually a systems and leadership gap, not a people problem. We're talking about what actually happens when expectations live in your head, decision-making is unclear, and responsibility quietly routes back to you, even when you're paying for support. And how, without realizing it, founders often train their teams to depend on them while simultaneously resenting that dependency. This conversation invites a shift from emotional, reactive leadership to structural clarity. Not by becoming stricter, colder, or more controlling but by building systems that allow your team to own their roles, make decisions, and move without waiting on you. If you feel like you're still holding everything together, this episode will help you see what actually needs to change and why leadership has to shift before people ever do. In this episode, you'll hear: Why recurring team issues are usually a systems problem, not a hiring failure How unclear ownership and decision-making train teams to depend on the CEO The hidden cost of keeping expectations, processes, and "how things work" in your head Why leadership has to change before you can fairly evaluate performance Here's where to go next: → Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katedwinellco/  → Learn more about me: katedwinell.co  → Systems & Spice Monthly Newsletter: https://katedwinellco.myflodesk.com/systems-spice-opt-in  → Free Audio Training: 🎧 The 3 Systems Every Scalable Launch Needs Learn how to stop holding your launch together with memory, adrenaline, and vibes and build systems that actually support growth. https://katedwinellco.myflodesk.com/3-systems-needed-audio  If you know a CEO who's the visionary and the operator right now, send them this episode. Subscribe, leave a rating & follow the show so you don't miss what's coming next ⚡️

    13 min
  2. FEB 6

    Your VA is Holding You Back

    This episode is for founders who do have help, a VA, maybe even a small team but still feel like everything important routes back to them. We're unpacking the uncomfortable truth many business owners don't want to say out loud: at a certain stage of growth, task-based support stops being enough, and keeping everything inside a VA role can quietly cap your capacity and theirs. Not because anyone is failing, but because the business has evolved beyond what that role was designed to hold. This conversation is about responsibility, not effort. About why delegating tasks without transferring ownership keeps founders exhausted, even with support, and how staying in "survival mode with a team" pulls you out of real leadership. If your business runs but only because you're still thinking, deciding, approving, and catching things late, this episode will help you see where the gap actually is, and what kind of support your business is asking for next. In this episode, you'll hear: Why VA support alone was never meant to carry a 6–7 figure business The difference between delegating doing and delegating responsibility How founders unintentionally become the system as complexity increases The leadership shift from "I'll just handle it" to "this shouldn't rely on me anymore" Here's where to go next: → Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katedwinellco/  → Learn more about me: katedwinell.co  → Systems & Spice Monthly Newsletter: https://katedwinellco.myflodesk.com/systems-spice-opt-in  → Free Audio Training: 🎧 The 3 Systems Every Scalable Launch Needs Learn how to stop holding your launch together with memory, adrenaline, and vibes and build systems that actually support growth. https://katedwinellco.myflodesk.com/3-systems-needed-audio  If you know a CEO who's the visionary and the operator right now, send them this episode. Subscribe, leave a rating & follow the show so you don't miss what's coming next ⚡️

    14 min
  3. FEB 3

    When to Hire, When to Automate & When to Let it Burnnnnn

    This episode is for CEO's who keep asking, "Should I hire for this… automate it… or just push through?" and feel stuck in the weeds because the answer never seems clear. We're unpacking why that question usually shows up too late, and how making decisions from exhaustion leads to rushed hires, messy automations, and businesses held together by survival mode instead of leadership. This conversation reframes the issue entirely. It's not about efficiency or doing more, it's about responsibility. Who owns what. What actually deserves support. And what no longer belongs in your business at all. If your backend feels heavy, decisions feel urgent, and everything still routes back to you, this episode will help you see what needs to be hired, what can be automated, and what should be let go, so leadership can finally feel lighter. In this episode, you'll hear: Why asking "when should I hire?" from burnout leads to expensive mistakes The difference between offloading tasks and transferring real ownership When automations support growth and when they just speed up chaos Here's where to go next: → Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katedwinellco/  → Learn more about me: katedwinell.co  → Systems & Spice Monthly Newsletter: https://katedwinellco.myflodesk.com/systems-spice-opt-in  → Free Audio Training: 🎧 The 3 Systems Every Scalable Launch Needs Learn how to stop holding your launch together with memory, adrenaline, and vibes and build systems that actually support growth. https://katedwinellco.myflodesk.com/3-systems-needed-audio  If you know a CEO who's the visionary and the operator right now, send them this episode. Subscribe, leave a rating & follow the show so you don't miss what's coming next ⚡️

    18 min
  4. FEB 1

    Welcome to the Talk Systems to Me Podcast

    This podcast is for business owners who've already built something real, killer launches, real revenue, real impact but are still holding too much of the business together themselves. In this welcome episode, we're unpacking why businesses that look successful on the outside can feel heavy and fragile on the inside and why this tension shows up right around the stage where growth should start feeling easier, not harder. We'll talk about what's actually happening behind the scenes when everything lives in your head, why trying to be more disciplined or "less chaotic" doesn't solve it, and the leadership shift that allows your business to grow without you being the linchpin holding it all together. If your business technically runs, but only because you're remembering timelines, translating vision, filling gaps, and acting as the backup plan, this episode will help you see what's asking to change next. In this episode, you'll hear: Why this phase of growth isn't a mindset, motivation or effort problem How visionary CEOs unintentionally become the system as their business scales What should never live in a founder's head at this level of success The shift from "I can handle this" to "this shouldn't require me" and why that shift is part of the ROI This isn't just a DIY systems podcast. It's a CEO-lens show about leadership, responsibility, delegation, and building a business that can actually hold the weight of your success without asking you to slow down, shrink your vision, or burn yourself out. If you're the visionary and the operator right now, welcome. You're in the right place. Here's where to go next: → Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katedwinellco/  → Learn more about me: katedwinell.co  → Systems & Spice Monthly Newsletter: https://katedwinellco.myflodesk.com/systems-spice-opt-in  → Free Audio Training: 🎧 The 3 Systems Every Scalable Launch Needs Learn how to stop holding your launch together with memory, adrenaline, and vibes — and build systems that actually support growth. https://katedwinellco.myflodesk.com/3-systems-needed-audio  If you know a CEO who's the visionary and the operator right now, send them this episode. Subscribe, leave a rating & follow the show so you don't miss what's coming next ⚡️

    15 min
  5. JAN 31

    Talk Systems to Me Trailer

    This podcast exists because something broke in how online businesses scale — and founders are paying the price. You don't need to be less chaotic and you don't need to become a systems person. And you definitely don't need to white-knuckle your way through the next phase of growth. You do need to stop being the linchpin holding everything together. This show is for established founders who lead with vision, creativity, and momentum — and are tired of being the firefighter, project manager, and ops brain inside their own business. Here, we talk about what it actually looks like to lead like a CEO, not an operator. Not by doing more. Not by DIYing better systems. But by changing how responsibility, structure, and execution are held inside the business. We'll unpack: Why brute force stops working at a certain level of growth Why launches feel heavier than they should (even when they "work") Why your chaos, 1,000 ideas and fast-paced action itself isn't the problem  What founders need to own vs. what should never live in their brain How businesses scale when vision stays free and operations are held by people wired for it This isn't a systems how-to show, because the goal isn't to become more organized. It's to build a business that can carry your ambition without burning you out. Here's where to go next: → Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katedwinellco/  → Learn more about me: katedwinell.co  → Systems & Spice Monthly Newsletter: https://katedwinellco.myflodesk.com/systems-spice-opt-in  → Free Audio Training: 🎧 The 3 Systems Every Scalable Launch Needs Learn how to stop holding your launch together with memory, adrenaline, and vibes — and build systems that actually support growth. https://katedwinellco.myflodesk.com/3-systems-needed-audio  If you know a CEO who's the visionary and the operator right now, send them this episode. Subscribe, leave a rating & follow the show so you don't miss what's coming next ⚡️

    2 min

Trailer

About

This podcast exists because something broke in how online businesses scale and CEOs like YOU are paying the price. You don't need to be less chaotic and you don't need to become a systems person. And you definitely don't need to white-knuckle your way through the next phase of growth. You do need to stop being the pin holding everything together. This show is for established business owners who lead with vision, creativity, and momentum and are tired of being the firefighter, project manager, and ops brain inside their own business. Here, we talk about what it actually looks like to lead like a CEO, not an operator. Not by doing more. Not by DIYing better systems. But by changing how responsibility, structure, and execution are held inside the business. We'll unpack: - Why brute force stops working at a certain level of growth - Why launches feel heavier than they should (even when they "work") - Why your chaos, 1,000 ideas and fast-paced action itself isn't the problem - What founders need to own vs. what should never live in their brain - How businesses scale when vision stays free and operations are held by people wired for it This isn't a systems how-to show, because the goal isn't to become more organized. It's to build a business that can carry your big dreams and visions without burning you out.