As you read this, I'm sitting on a Grecian beach enjoying my honeymoon. I wrote and scheduled this ahead of time, but know I'm thinking about you!

Hot Olive was always meant to be my creative expression.

A place where I’m not shackled by corporate speed or slowed down by people afraid of risk.

Hot Olive is my playground, my refuge, and my muse.

This month, Hot Olive turns two.

Which means… my business is officially a toddler.

And like any toddler, it’s wiggling, whining, and screaming I NEED SYSTEMSSS at the top of its lungs.

So now, like any parent trying to care for their kid, I’m handing it the right dosage of what it needs:

• “You need a payment processor? Here’s Stripe.”
• “You want a financial snapshot? Let’s get a bookkeeper.”
• “You’re in the mood for a new product offering? Okay fine. Let’s spend two months building one just so you can throw it across the room once it’s live.”

It’s hard being a parent.

Until recently, I hated routine. It felt like monotony.

I packed my calendar with extracurriculars, hobbies, side hustles just because I couldn’t be bored if I was always on the move.

Spontaneity feels like oxygen to me.

Then I was diagnosed with ADHD, and it all started to click.

The constant motion I craved wasn’t just “my personality.” It was my brain chemistry.

I always knew I needed systems, but now I know why.

The part of me that used to resist systems because I wanted something that 'felt in the moment'?

Yep, that showed up in my business, and it came to a point where I couldn't grow without them.

Enter: THE OPERATING SYSTEM.

Late one night, while asking myself “Am I even a good business owner?” and doing a SWOT analysis, I landed on my answer:

So I started. First with Business Operations. Then Sales. Then Onboarding.

Now, for every “department” in my business, I’ve got an OS with templates, SOPs, and workflows for every use case.

While I'm stilling fleshing it out, I know have something to point to when my toddler business throws a tantrum.

• Not enough clients? I pull out the Sales OS.
• Google Drive is a mess: “No, we don’t file manage this way. Let me show you how we do it.”
• Want some shiny new software: “We’re not buying software out. We have software at home.”

And honestly? It’s been SUCH AN UNLOCK.

Because the part of my ADHD brain that used to shout “Let me follow my impulses” isn't as loud...

It’s like the systems and schedules finally soothed the cranky toddler that didn't want them in the first place.

May you have systems that support you and the freedom to go rogue when you're ready. 🙏