Finding Hidden Revenue Sitting in My Own Backend (Part 1)

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I spend my days helping other entrepreneurs uncover the hidden revenue already sitting in their backend systems.

But if I’m being honest, I hadn’t done the same for myself in… years.

Like most service providers, it’s easy to get stuck in client work and forget to work on your own business.
The exact strategies we teach our clients—automation, tracking, and clean workflows—are often the same ones we neglect when the calendar fills up.

So when I told my sales coach, “I literally have no leads right now,” she laughed and proved me wrong.

Within minutes she had me list everyone I’d talked to in the last year: past clients, discovery calls, warm DMs. The list was LONG…and that’s when it hit me.

I had leads. I just didn’t have a effective system to track them.

The Embarrassing Truth: My Own Backend Was a Mess

As a systems strategist, that realization stung. I preach about backend structure every day, yet I’d been running on patchwork notes and memory.

The culprit? My CRM setup.

For years, I’d been using HoneyBook because I was grandfathered into a free plan. It handled proposals, invoices, and scheduling—but it didn’t integrate well with my core tools like Airtable, Kit, or Google Drive.

Every time I tried to connect HoneyBook through Zapier, I’d hit a wall.
The problem wasn’t that I didn’t know how to set it up, it was that HoneyBook just doesn’t have enough trigger options inside Zapier.

That meant I couldn’t create the kind of automations I wanted to connect it seamlessly with Airtable, Kit, or Google Drive.

And sure, there were workarounds. But the workarounds made my head hurt — even as a tech person.

You know that feeling when you spend way too much time trying to make a tool do something it wasn’t designed to do?

That was me.

Every attempt left me more frustrated, and honestly, just mentally drained. So I’d give up.

And then the next time I thought, maybe I should finally fix that system, my brain would instantly remember how complicated it was… and I’d avoid it all over again.

It’s not that HoneyBook is bad — it’s a solid platform for what it promises to do.
But it’s not built for how my brain works, or for how my systems connect behind the scenes.

Too many clicks. Too much waiting. Not enough visibility.

And for someone who likes seeing everything in one clean view — especially when my ADHD brain thrives on simplicity — that kind of friction is exhausting.

Why Software Integration Matters More Than You Think

Your backend systems should work together like a well-oiled team.
If one tool doesn’t talk to the others, you risk lose time, energy, and money.

When I talk about hidden revenue, this is what I mean. The missed follow-up, the forgotten lead —each one is a silent leak in your business.

And those leaks add up.

Discovering a Better Way: Fillout + Airtable

Everything changed when I watched a masterclass by Ashley Rose from Systems Over Stress. She mentioned a platform called Fillout in her most recent masterclass, and my brain immediately went, Wait—this integrates with Airtable?

I checked the pricing first (because, let’s be real, software budgets matter). Their free plan covered everything I needed. Then I checked integrations—Airtable, Google Drive, Google Calendar—all yes.

Within minutes, I knew: this was the missing piece.

On a flight to San Diego, I opened my laptop, bought the airplane Wi-Fi, and rebuilt my entire CRM from scratch.

Two and a half hours later, I had:

• A new lead-intake form
• A connected Backend Revenue Audit intake workflow (with scheduler + contract + payment)
• Full integration with my Airtable database

When I landed, I felt lighter. For the first time in two years, my backend felt calm.

The Ripple Effect of a Clean Backend

Since rebuilding my system, I’ve noticed something unexpected: I feel more confident promoting my offers again.

Before, I hesitated to market my services because I knew my backend couldn’t handle a sudden wave of leads. Now, every inquiry, referral, and returning client gets tracked automatically.
Nothing slips through the cracks.

And that’s exactly what I want for my clients too, a backend that gives you peace of mind instead of panic.

What This Means for You

If your business feels disorganized, it’s not because you need more traffic or a new offer.

You might just be sitting on revenue you haven’t captured yet.

Ask yourself:

• Do I actually know where every lead is in my pipeline?
• Am I tracking referrals or relying on memory?
• Could my tools be integrated better?

If the answer is “no” or “not really,” that’s your sign.

Take the Next Step: Book a Backend Revenue Audit

Your next revenue boost doesn’t always need to involve more traffic or more offers…it’s hiding in your existing systems.

In my Backend Revenue Audit, we spend 90 minutes digging into the workflows that should be making you money—lead capture, onboarding, and client delivery—and pinpoint exactly where your time and revenue are leaking.

You’ll walk away with a clear action plan to patch those leaks and start turning backend clarity into real cash flow.