The Exact Systems I Use to Run My Business While Working Full-Time

Running a business as a side hustler is not for the weak, especially when you're juggling a full-time job, a personal life, and client work. But over the years, I’ve learned that the key to showing up consistently (without burning out) is having solid systems in place. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain and giving you a behind-the-scenes look at the tools I actually use to keep things running smoothly in my business. Let’s get into it!

1. Email Marketing & Communication

Tool: Flodesk

Flodesk is my go-to email marketing platform. I use it for everything from weekly newsletters to automated welcome sequences and lead magnet delivery. It’s beautifully designed, user-friendly, and doesn’t require any coding skills. I especially love that I can create branded templates once and reuse them over and over. Flodesk also lets me segment my audience so I can send the right message to the right people at the right time. If you want to try it, I’ve got a 50% off code just for my community—use code 'SIDEHUSTLE' or click the link in the show notes.

2. Client Management & Admin

Tool: HoneyBook

HoneyBook is the backbone of my client experience. From sending branded proposals, contracts, and invoices to setting up payment plans and automating my onboarding process, it does it all. It even integrates with Flodesk, which saves me so much time by automatically adding new leads to my email list. My clients always comment on how professional and seamless their experience is, and that's thanks to HoneyBook.

3. Podcast Hosting & Recording

Recording Tool: Riverside

Hosting Platform: Buzzsprout

Riverside is what I use to record and edit all of my podcast episodes. I love the AI tools that let me clip my episodes into social media content, plus the transcript editing feature is a game-changer. Once my episode is edited, I upload it to Buzzsprout for hosting. I made the switch from Spotify Creators because Buzzsprout gives me deeper data insights and more SEO-friendly options for show notes—perfect if you're planning to monetize your podcast.

4. Podcast Scheduling

Tool: Calendly

While I use HoneyBook for client bookings, I use Calendly specifically for podcast guests. It keeps things organized and separate so my leads don’t get mixed in with guest bookings.

5. Content Creation Tools

Video Editing: CapCut

Graphics: Canva

CapCut is my go-to for video editing. It’s free (or super affordable with Pro), beginner-friendly, and lets me upload my brand fonts and colors for consistency. Canva is my graphic design BFF. I use it for mood boards, lead magnet design, promo graphics, and more. If you haven’t checked out Canva Create recently, do it—they’re rolling out a ton of AI-powered updates this year.

6. Automation Tools

Client Automations: HoneyBook

General Automations: Zapier

DM & Comment Automations: ManyChat

Automations are everything when you have limited time. I use HoneyBook automations for client onboarding and project workflows. For general automation like connecting my website forms to Flodesk, I use Zapier. And to automate lead magnet delivery in my Instagram DMs, I use ManyChat. That way, if someone comments on a post at 2 AM, they get the resource without waiting on me to wake up.

7. Finances & Bookkeeping

Tool: QuickBooks

I don’t have time to dig through receipts or manually track my mileage, which is why QuickBooks is my lifesaver. It tracks all my income and expenses, links to my business credit/debit cards, and even logs my mileage. Plus, it makes tax season so much easier with downloadable reports I can send straight to my CPA.

8. Website & Business Email

Website Builder: Wix

Email: G Suite (Google Workspace)

My website is built and hosted on Wix—easy to use, drag-and-drop, no tech background needed. I also purchased my domain through Wix so everything stays in one place. For my business email, I use G Suite so my emails look professional (no more @gmail.com).

Final Thoughts

Running a business while working full-time isn’t easy, but systems make it sustainable. You don’t need to implement all of these at once. Start with the ones that solve your biggest pain points and build from there. I’ll link all of these tools in the show notes so you can explore them for yourself.

And if this episode helped you, share it with a fellow side hustler who needs some systems in their life. Let’s make work work for us—not the other way around.

Until next time, keep hustling sis. You got this.