<p>Most founders build their network the wrong way. They walk into rooms thinking about what they can get, and they treat payroll, hiring, and compliance like problems they'll deal with later. Susan McPherson spent decades doing the opposite, and when her company started growing, finding the right partner in Justworks became a critical part of building a business her team actually wanted to stay at.</p><p>Takin' Care of Lady Business Episode 154</p><p>In this episode, Jennifer sits down with Susan McPherson, Founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies, author of The Lost Art of Connecting, and one of the most generous voices in the social impact and women's entrepreneurship space, to talk about building a business on human connection, the infrastructure that makes growth possible, and why being helpful is the most underrated business strategy there is.</p><p>Susan founded her company at 48 with no prior business experience, moved her contractors to full-time employees, navigated a first PEO that caused more problems than it solved, and built a global team across the US, Canada, and beyond. She did it by learning, sometimes the hard way, that creating an environment where people want to stay is just as important as landing the next client.</p><p>Together, they discuss why founders can't afford to be reactive about payroll and compliance, how the right PEO partner changes the employee experience, what Susan wishes she had known before hiring her first full-time employee, and why 90% inbound revenue is what happens when you spend decades leading with helpfulness instead of transactions.</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>What you’ll learn:</strong></p><ul><li>Why helpfulness is a long-term business strategy, not just a personality trait</li><li>How to build the operational foundation that lets you retain great people</li><li>Why choosing the right PEO partner is one of the most important decisions you'll make as a founder</li></ul><p><br /></p><p><strong>Highlights:</strong></p><p>(00:00) Meet Susan McPherson</p><p>(02:57) Building a social impact firm and founding a company at 48</p><p>(06:05) Why moving contractors to employees changed everything</p><p>(06:51) What a PEO does and why every founder needs one</p><p>(08:22) Why your PEO choice can make or break employee retention</p><p>(09:08) How Justworks unlocks enterprise benefits for small businesses</p><p>(11:46) The Lost Art of Connecting and leading with helpfulness</p><p>(13:27) How 90% inbound revenue proved helpfulness pays off</p><p>(26:43) The worst advice she ever received and why she ignored it</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>About Our Guest:</strong></p><p>Susan McPherson is the founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies, a social impact communications and strategy firm working with corporations, NGOs, and social enterprises to communicate the change they're making in the world.</p><p>Before McPherson Strategies, Susan spent decades in the private sector. She founded her company at 48 with no business background, navigated the fear of hiring her first employees, switched PEO providers mid-growth, and scaled a global team across multiple countries. She did it by learning that helpfulness is not just a value, it's a business strategy, and that 90% inbound revenue does not happen by accident.</p><p><br /></p><p>Susan McPherson’s LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanmcpherson/ " target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanmcpherson/ </a></p><p>Susan McPherson’s Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/susanmcp1/ " target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/susanmcp1/ </a></p><p>Explore McPherson Strategies: <a href="https://www.mcpstrategies.com/ " target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.mcpstrategies.com/ </a></p><p>Explore The Lost Art of Connecting: <a href="https://www.thelostartofconnecting.com/ " target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.thelostartofconnecting.com/ </a></p><p><br /></p><p><strong>Grow with Confidence with Justworks</strong></p><p>Links here to learn more: <a href="bit.ly/JJxJustworksP2 " target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">bit.ly/JJxJustworksP2 </a></p><p><br /></p><p><strong>About Jennifer Justice and The Justice Dept.</strong></p><p>JJ’s LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-justice-354a0b99" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-justice-354a0b99</a></p><p>The Justice Dept: <a href="https://www.thejusticedept.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.thejusticedept.com/</a></p><p>JJ’s Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjusticel/ " target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjusticel/ </a></p><p>Newsletter: <a href="https://tkolb-newsletter-a50814.beehiiv.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://tkolb-newsletter-a50814.beehiiv.com/</a></p><p><br /></p><p>The Justice Dept. is a female-focused advisory, consulting, and law firm advocating for female founders, talent, execs, and brands. We represent bo$$ ladies to make them 💰💰.</p><p><br /></p><p>If you love what you hear, please subscribe and share with a friend.</p><p><br /></p><p>This is a Lady Business LLC Production.</p>