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Hot Olive Agency

😬 I almost paid for this twice


This week, I debuted on my first podcast!!!

Jessica Freeman invited me to speak on her show The Ordinary Business™️ Podcast and I haven't posted a much about it because I couldn't WAIT to share it with y'all this week.

This edition covers what we talked about, why it's helping me (and can help you, too), and a tasty lil freebie in case you wanna see the magic for yourself. ✨

  • [STORYTIME] 🗃️ Check Your Tech
  • [3 GUIDING QUESTIONS] ❓Usage. Forecast. Price.
  • [PODCAST EPISODE] 🎧 The “Do I Really Need This” Audit feat. ME!

A client requested I get a better system for signing documents.

Ouch.

When clients directly ask you for better systems, you know there’s work to do...

So I started looking for an affordable, simple document signing platform.

  • Google Workspace - I’d have to upgrade plans.
  • Docusign - No freemium option, no way to test if it’s right
  • SignWell - Freemium worked, UI was terrible
  • Pandadoc - Freemium seemed fine

I tested SignWell and Pandadoc to see who would be my ultimate winner.

I wasn’t in love with either, so I procrastinated on making a call.

Turns out, I found the answer when I did my Q3 Tech Audit.

It was already in my tech stack.

MailSuite, the email tracker I got for sales outreach conversations (and hadn’t truly used in months) had one built in.

I was relieved and shocked…

I didn’t know I already had the tool I needed.

And this isn’t the first time this had happened.

Back in September, I was planning for my out-of-office leave for my wedding and honeymoon.

I added up all the tools I needed to add another seat to for my subcontractor to take over. It came out to just under $200.

I was about to press “Pay” when my gut told me “Hold up. There’s probably another way to do this.”

Each quarter, I assess my tech stack to reduce costs, identify tech gaps, and plan for upcoming software needs. So I did a rapid audit asking 3 key questions:

My Tech Audit Fits Into 3 Core Questions:

  1. Usage: How am I using these tools? Will I use all their features?
  2. Forecasting: Will I use this beyond the most urgent need?
  3. Cost: Is it a set price or can I scale up or down depending on usage?

Based on my answers, I realized I didn’t need a tool for my out-of-office leave. I just needed to forward my email to someone on the clock.

This audit:

  • Saved me $200+ in September
  • Will save (at least) $732 in 2026
  • Shows me which plan upgrade is actually worth it

That’s how my tools earn their keep… and my bank account thanks me for it.

I saw a conversation about this on threads so I replied with a version of this story.

It landed me a podcast guest spot on The Ordinary Business Podcast with Jessica Freeman.

She wanted to know exactly how I do my tech audits, so I shared the full story on this week’s podcast.

No spoilers, but I’ll tell you I think I have a new business friend (and she’s based in Atlanta!!!). 💚

🎧 Wanna listen to us yap about it?

show
The “Do I Really Need This?”...
Nov 4 · The Ordinary Business™️...
21:48
Spotify Logo
 

🤓 Ready to do your own audit?

Wishing you tech that stacks up (in the right ways),

Raven
Founder, Hot Olive Agency

Hot Olive Agency

I help brands leverage organic content on social media, email, and more.

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