Beyond the Systems - Episode 63: From Scuba Instructor to Lead Gen Expert: Mills Gray's Journey to Helping Service Providers Thrive

Want to level up your lead generation game without feeling sleazy or overwhelmed? In this episode, I sat down with Mills Gray, a business coach with 16+ years of experience who helps service providers create stacked offer strategies and attract their dream clients.

After running a painting holiday company (think luxury art retreats) and diving deep into marketing, Mills found her sweet spot helping service providers and practitioners get visible and grow their businesses. And let me tell you – her approach is refreshingly practical.

Key takeaways from our chat:

• Why splitting your week into thirds (lead gen, selling, serving) is crucial for avoiding the feast-or-famine cycle
• The power of collaborations for organic growth (and why they beat posting 3x/week on Instagram)
• How to create lead magnets that actually work (spoiler: it's not about making 40-page ebooks)
• Why your cold audience needs different content than your warm audience
• Real talk about systems and automation (and why Mills is "marrying" Claude AI)

Mills dropped some truth bombs about why service providers often resist change (even when they're burning out) and shared her surprisingly simple approach to content creation and repurposing.

Listen in for practical strategies you can implement today to grow your business without working 40+ hours a week serving clients. Plus, Mills shares her secret weapon for creating hooks that actually stop the scroll (because apparently not everyone wants our freebies... who knew?).

Find Mills on Instagram @mills_gray and check out her podcast "Soul Leaders" for weekly 10-15 minute marketing tips.

And hey – if you're struggling with systems and automation like Mills admits to (hello, abandoned ClickUp account), let's chat! I help service providers streamline their businesses so they can focus on what they do best.

Resources from this episode:

https://millsgray.kartra.com/page/minimind

More about Mills Gray:

Mills has been a business owner for over 16 years. A coach and mentor focusing on helping service providers create a stacked offer strategy, attract dreamy af clients and step into their ceo era. A retreat host, podcast host and all round cheerleader:

A mum of two teens, two naughty dogs and lover of cold water swimming.

Connect with Mills Gray:

• Website: http://www.millsgray.com
• Instagram: @mills_gray

Connect with Sam:

• Website: https://www.systemswithsam.com/services
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/systemswithsam/ ​​
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samwhiz/

In this episode, I'm diving into a super interesting client case study about a fitness coach who came to me totally maxed out with managing over 20 one-on-one clients.

She loved her work and her clients, but was drowning in admin tasks and couldn't even think about taking on another client, let alone launching the group program she dreamed about for 2025.

I break down exactly how we transformed her chaotic Google spreadsheet situation into a streamlined system that actually works.

Here's what we covered:

• Why her business was actually more scalable than she thought (hint: it's all about how you structure your offers!)
• The three-phase solution we implemented to help her get her sanity back
• My "clean house" approach to systems (because trying to grow a messy business is like inviting people over to a cluttered house - sometimes you need to tidy up first!)
• The real reason why task-switching is killing your productivity (and what to do about it)

I also share my thoughts on why randomly creating SOPs isn't always the answer (even though it feels productive - I see you trying!) and what to do instead.

This episode is perfect for you if you're:

• A service provider or coach feeling overwhelmed by client management
• Someone who loves 1:1 work but wants to make it more sustainable
• Ready to stop working IN your business and start working ON it

Sometimes the most scalable solution isn't a fancy new tool or automation - it's just getting really clear on your systems first.

Listen in to hear the full breakdown of how we turned this overwhelm into opportunity, and maybe grab a few ideas for your own business while you're at it!

Want expert eyes on your systems? I do a limited number of Systems to Scale audits each month - Click here to learn more about working together!

Resources from this episode:

Don't let your systems sabotage your scale: Book Now

Connect with Sam:

• Website: https://www.systemswithsam.com/services
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/systemswithsam/ ​​
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samwhiz/

In this episode of the Beyond the Systems podcast, Madison Tinder talks about her journey in transitioning to a membership model as her main business offer. She shares her experiences, challenges, and strategies for successfully growing her membership community, emphasizing the importance of structure, engagement, and the role of social media platforms like TikTok in driving growth. The conversation highlights common mistakes made in membership models and offers actionable insights for those looking to create or improve their own memberships. In this conversation, Madison shares her insights on managing and marketing memberships effectively. She emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries, taking time for launches, and focusing on problem-solving rather than just community. She discusses her commitment structure for memberships, the expansion of her offerings, and the systems she uses to manage her business. The discussion provides valuable takeaways for anyone looking to start or improve their membership-based business.

Takeaways

• Madison pivoted to a membership model after years of high-ticket offers.
• She focused on making her membership the signature offer of her business.
• The transition allowed her to grow a community and scale her membership.
• TikTok became a crucial platform for marketing and growing her audience.
• Engagement in memberships comes from structured pathways and not just community interaction.
• Many memberships fail because they lack a clear curriculum or pathway for members.
• The importance of fun and engaging activities in memberships.
• Personalized check-ins help keep members engaged and remind them of their commitment.
• It's essential to set boundaries in membership support to avoid burnout.
• Offering extra value in memberships can foster a stronger community. Great boundaries are essential for managing membership engagement.
• Taking time for membership launches is crucial for success.
• Understanding what you offer inside the membership is key.
• Community should be seen as a byproduct of the membership experience.
• Memberships must solve ongoing problems for members.
• A minimum commitment period helps ensure member engagement.
• Trial memberships often lead to cancellations without commitment.
• Selling community alone is no longer effective in marketing.
• Expanding offerings can enhance business growth.
• Simple systems can streamline membership management.

More about Madison Tinder:

Madison is a business mentor & marketing educator who focuses on helping multi-passionate entrepreneurs build personal brands that help them grow their businesses. She ran an e-commerce business for 5 years and has hosted 7 retreats around the US. She is the host of Out Of This Niche Podcast and Multi-Passionate School Of Business community.

Connect with Madison Tinder:

• Website: http://www.madisontinderllc.com
• Instagram: @madison.tinder
• TikTok: @multipassionatemadison

Connect with Sam:

• Website: https://www.systemswithsam.com/services
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/systemswithsam/ ​​

LinkedIn: