From Solopreneur to Beyond the Chaos: How Susan Fennema Empowers Small Businesses [Video]

Learn how Susan Fennema, CEO of Beyond the Chaos, empowers small business owners to overcome operational challenges and find balance. Through fractional COO services and a servant leadership approach, Susan helps entrepreneurs scale their businesses and reclaim their lives.

With a strong foundation in faith and decades of experience, Susan combines practical business strategies with grace-filled leadership. From implementing streamlined processes to fostering team alignment, her insights provide a roadmap for entrepreneurs to thrive without burnout.

Key Insights:

Please find the full transcript below…

Andrew Jacoby: Welcome, everybody, to the Catholic Entrepreneurs Guild podcast. My name is Andrew Jacoby, and today I am blessed to be joined by Susan Fennema, the Chaos Eradicating Officer at Beyond the Chaos Incorporated. Susan, thank you so much for joining us today.

Susan Fennema: I’m so pleased to be here. I’m excited about this.

Andrew: Yeah, I’m very excited as well. I’m excited to hear about your story and about Beyond the Chaos because I suffer from chaos. Anything I could learn to get beyond it or to eradicate it would be amazing.

But before we do, let me start with who sponsors the podcast, which is my company, Good Shepherd Staffing. We help Catholics in developing countries find work that enables them to make a local living wage while working from home. In many developing countries, people must leave home, often for big cities or other countries, to make a living. This often hurts their ability to build and maintain families. We aim to change that by allowing them to work from home around their families while earning a fair local wage. If you’ve never worked with a virtual remote staff member, we start off with a 10-hour free trial so you can see what it’s like. We do pay the workers for that time; they’re not working for free.

If you decide to move forward, a basic admin staff member would cost $799 to just under $1,000 per month, with prices increasing based on experience and skillset. We can also staff for other roles. If this sounds interesting, go to goodshepherdstaffing.com. We’d love to hear from you.

Okay, sponsorship over. Susan, thank you again. Could you tell the audience a little about your history, maybe your faith journey and your business journey?

Susan: Sure. I have a very interesting faith journey. I was baptized Presbyterian, confirmed Episcopalian, then accepted into the Catholic Church. I was married in the Catholic Church but married to a Protestant, so it’s quite a journey. I’ve been blessed to have great theological mentors throughout my life. For almost 30 years, my Episcopalian priest was very conservative, almost Anglo Catholic. I learned a lot about the Catholic faith from him and my father, who is also a business owner and a well-read man. He guided us through these different phases of faith until we found our home in the Catholic Church.

My parents are members of an Anglo-Catholic Church in Houston that’s in communication with the Roman Catholic Church. I’m in the Dallas area and very active at St. Michael the Archangel in McKinney.

Andrew: That’s an interesting journey through various Christian traditions to the Catholic Church. How about on the business side?

Susan: On the business side, I served small business owners as their right-hand person for most of my career. In 2016, I asked myself, “Why am I doing this for just one owner at a time? I’d love to serve multiple owners simultaneously.” That’s when Beyond the Chaos was born. We help small business owners eliminate chaos in their day-to-day operations. This could be anything from overwhelming tasks to burned-out feelings. We provide end-to-end operational support, including fractional COO services, project management, and virtual assistance.

Andrew: Wow. How many people are on your team now?

Susan: We have a 10-person team, and we are actively growing.

Andrew: That sounds wonderful and much-needed. As someone growing my second small business, I know how quickly things can spiral into chaos. For those who haven’t experienced it, scaling with people can get out of control fast.

Susan: Absolutely.

Andrew: At one point, I had 140 employees, and I didn’t know what I was doing. It was total chaos. I can personally vouch for the need for help in this area. Do you also offer coaching?

Susan: Not much coaching—we’re more consultants. We like to tell people what to do rather than lead them to come to conclusions themselves.

Andrew: Got it.

Susan: With our consulting, we also implement. We don’t just give business owners a list of things to do that they’ll never complete. We do those things for them. Small business owners are the backbone of American society. They’re often underappreciated and overstressed, which affects their relationships, time with God, and overall health. We aim to help them get their lives back, improving their business and personal relationships. We encourage owners to prioritize their spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being. That’s why I believe taking care of your spirit should be on your daily calendar.

Andrew: I couldn’t agree more. The Lord’s Prayer says, “Give us this day our daily bread,” not “weekly bread” or “monthly bread.”

Susan: Exactly. Not “when you get around to it” bread.

Andrew: How has your faith influenced your work and company structure?

Susan: Faith is foundational for us. We have the word “Christian” on our website, which is taboo in some business contexts. But we practice servant leadership, serving the people and businesses we work with to make their lives better. We extend grace, even in difficult situations like getting fired by a client. It’s about showing respect, giving people the benefit of the doubt, and helping them be their best selves.

Andrew: Amen to that. Many struggle with balancing public and private expressions of faith in today’s world. How do you handle that tension?

Susan: They say St. Francis once said, “Preach the gospel always, and sometimes use words.” That’s how I approach it—by leading with integrity and respect. Actions speak louder than words.

Andrew: That’s powerful. Do you feel your region, being in the Bible Belt, is more accepting of your faith?

Susan: Yes, North Dallas is very Bible Belt-ish. Even outside Catholicism, many attend church regularly. But no matter where you are, you must practice and live your faith authentically.

Andrew: What’s been the hardest part of transitioning from a solo operation to running a growing business?

Susan: It’s challenging. As a solopreneur, I could only serve so many people. Growing a team means trusting others to carry out your vision, even if they do it differently than you would.

Andrew: What’s your vision for Beyond the Chaos in the next five years?

Susan: I see small businesses embracing fractional services. We’ll continue scaling, offering operational support to more owners. As I approach retirement, my team will take over leadership.

Andrew: That’s a beautiful vision. Finally, what advice would you give aspiring entrepreneurs feeling called to start a business?

Susan: Being a business owner offers freedom, but it’s also a huge responsibility. If you feel called, pursue it. The impact you can make is worth the effort.

Andrew: Thank you, Susan, for sharing your story and inspiration. Would you close us in prayer?

Susan: Of course. [Prayer]

Andrew: Amen. Thank you again, Susan. Signing off.