Case Study
CASE STUDY
How a Sustainability Consultant Escaped Burnout and Built a Business That Runs Itself
GreeNexus Consulting
Amanda Tullos founded GreeNexus Consulting in 2011. It’s a Houston-based sustainability firm that helps architects, engineers, contractors, and building owners hit their green building goals.
Amanda’s an architect by background. She built GreeNexus around her passion for making commercial buildings more sustainable. Her team helps clients get certifications like LEED and provides technical services like energy modeling and commissioning to boost energy efficiency.
Over the years, GreeNexus grew steadily across Texas and beyond. Most of that growth came from repeat clients and referrals. But behind the scenes? Amanda was drowning in the day-to-day. And the stress was catching up fast.
The Goal: Reduce Overwhelm and Build Scalable Systems
Despite years of business education and certifications, Amanda hit a wall. She had attended training programs, including Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses, and had explored multiple tools and systems. But putting that knowledge into action — while running a business — was proving impossible.
“I was literally burning out my entire nervous system just juggling everything,” she says. “I needed to delegate more and create confidence in my team to take ownership.”
Her main challenge wasn’t a lack of knowledge—it was a lack of structure.
The company had scattered data. Inconsistent workflows. No single place to manage projects, time, or client relationships effectively.
Amanda knew she couldn’t keep going like this. She needed clear systems, a capable team, and room to breathe.
That’s when a referral from Amanda Hsieh, another business owner who had worked with BTC, connected her with Susan Fennema and the Beyond the Chaos team.
The Tactics: Turning Data Overload Into Operational Clarity
BTC’s goal wasn’t to overhaul everything — it was to simplify. The team focused on cutting through the noise, finding tools that fit GreeNexus’s size and needs, and helping Amanda translate theory into real, sustainable systems.
Comprehensive Discovery and Tool Audit
BTC started by understanding how GreeNexus worked — from client intake to project tracking and financial oversight. Through that process, they identified that Microsoft Dynamics, the company’s existing CRM, was far too complex and costly for a small business.
“We bit off more than we could chew with Dynamics,” Amanda admits. “It was a painful and expensive learning opportunity.”
Simplifying with Scalable Tools
BTC replaced Dynamics with a Teamwork.com + HubSpot system that gave GreeNexus everything it needed — project management, time tracking, CRM, and reporting — without unnecessary complexity.
Shifting Leadership and Accountability
Before BTC, Amanda was leading nearly every internal meeting herself. BTC helped transition those leadership responsibilities to her project manager and executive assistant. They took ownership. BTC just guided the process.
This did two things: it empowered the team, and it freed Amanda up to focus on long-term strategy and client relationships.
“You already knew the lay of the land,” Amanda says. “You cut through the noise and got us right to where we needed to be.”
Building Accountability and Visibility
With Teamwork.com in place, BTC helped structure workflows so project managers could see budgets, track hours, and manage scope in real time. This visibility helped the team take ownership and prevent costly scope creep — one of the firm’s biggest challenges.
Creating a Culture of Confidence
BTC didn’t just implement tools; they helped the team feel empowered to use them. Clear systems gave GreeNexus a stronger rhythm of accountability and allowed Amanda to step back without fear that things would fall apart.
“BTC gave me the space and the data to grow,” Molly says. “It allowed me to become the face of the company, while the business ran smoothly without me.”
The Results: A Confident Team and a Calmer CEO
BTC gave me the space and the data to grow...It allowed me to become the face of the company, while the business ran smoothly without me.
Since working with Beyond the Chaos, GreeNexus has transformed how it operates — and Amanda has transformed how she leads.
The company now tracks time and budgets seamlessly through Teamwork.com, giving project managers direct visibility into hours used versus hours budgeted. That shift alone has helped control scope creep, improve profitability, and speed up decision-making.
“Before, I’d have to crunch spreadsheets just to get to the data,” Amanda says. “Now we can see it instantly and make decisions so much faster.”
Forecasting and billing have also become more predictable, and the business finally has systems that scale with its growth.
Most importantly? Amanda has her life back.
She’s taken three vacations in a single year—Ireland, Vermont, and Mexico. And the whole time, her team kept things running smoothly.
“It’s been amazing to step back and know the team’s got it,” she says. “I can actually relax and recharge.”
Ready to get your business running smoothly — so you can finally take a real vacation? Schedule a meeting today!