Three Systems Every Growing Business Needs to Thrive (Without Burning Out)
Running a growing business shouldn’t require superhuman stamina or a degree in systems engineering. Yet for many founders and executives, scaling feels like juggling flaming swords while riding a unicycle—exhilarating but unsustainable.
At Trusty Oak, we know that feeling firsthand. Over the past three months, we’ve taken a hard look at our own tech stack and internal operations. Like many growing companies, we had accumulated a patchwork of tools—each serving a purpose at some point, but collectively adding up to complexity, inefficiency, and cognitive overload.
So, we hit pause.
We mapped out what was working, what wasn’t, and where we could create more alignment across our remote and fractional team. The result? A significant shift to a smarter, simpler infrastructure built around three core platforms: Notion, Attio, and Zapier.
Now, instead of duct-taping dozens of systems together, we rely on a streamlined foundation that supports our team, our talent, and our clients—without burning anyone out.
Whether you’re building a remote-first team, leveraging fractional professionals, or just looking to streamline your operations, the right systems can create clarity and capacity to grow sustainably. Below is a high-level look at the three tools we’ve come to rely on—and why we think they can make a difference for you, too.
1. Notion: The Hub That Keeps Everyone Aligned
At Trusty Oak, Notion has become the beating heart of our operations—a flexible, centralized workspace where everything from high-level strategy to daily task management lives.
We use Notion to manage quarterly priorities through structured task and subtask tracking, keeping our small internal team focused and accountable. It’s also where we house our information hub: a dynamic home base that links to our working files, strategy docs, fractional talent resources, and onboarding materials.
What sets Notion apart for us is its adaptability. We’ve built databases and dashboards for our content calendar, talent profiles, meeting agendas, and strategic planning—all in one place. And with its seamless integration with Google Drive, we can easily link or embed Sheets, Docs, and decks, making cross-platform collaboration that much smoother.
Before this shift, task tracking was inconsistent and siloed across multiple systems, making it difficult to get a clear picture of progress. Now, with customizable templates and linked databases, we’re able to keep everyone aligned—even as our team flexes and grows with the help of fractional professionals. Notion helps us stay agile without sacrificing clarity.
Use Notion to:
- Simplify onboarding with self-serve access to essential info
- Centralize your resources and working documents
- Track strategic goals alongside tactical tasks
2. Attio: A CRM That’s Lean, Smart, and Actually Used
For years, Trusty Oak used tools like HubSpot and Totango to manage client and partner relationships—but as our business evolved, those platforms became more complex (and expensive) than we needed. In our recent infrastructure refresh, we shifted to Attio to simplify and streamline without sacrificing capability.
Attio now serves as our central relationship hub—for clients, leads, fractional talent, and referral partners. One of its biggest strengths? The ability to link contacts across categories, so we can see the full context of a relationship—whether someone’s a client, a contractor, or both.
Our whole internal team uses Attio daily. We’ve set up pipelines for lead tracking, with tasks and follow-ups assigned based on calendar bookings. We’ve also integrated AI-powered call insights and templates to help us document conversations and move opportunities forward faster. And with automated Slack notifications, we stay looped in without having to constantly log in and check.
The result: a lean, flexible CRM that’s not only easier to use, but actually makes our relationship-building efforts more personal and efficient.
Use Attio to:
- Track leads, clients, and talent in one connected system
- Automate updates and reminders across your team
- Turn calls and conversations into actionable next steps
3. Zapier: The Automator That Cuts Busy Work in Half
Zapier is the newest addition to Trusty Oak’s tech stack, but it’s already proving to be a game changer. As part of our infrastructure refresh, we’re using Zapier to connect critical platforms like TidyCal, Stripe, and Attio—bridging the gaps between booking, billing, and CRM in ways that save time and prevent errors.
With a simple booking on TidyCal, a new deal is automatically created in Attio, allowing our team to track leads and follow up without manual entry. Even more impactfully, we’re automating client transaction matching from Stripe to Attio, ensuring each client record is always up to date—across communication history, financials, and associated talent.
While we’re still in the process of fully migrating away from legacy systems, it’s already clear that Zapier is eliminating over 50% of the manual steps we used to take just to manage client subscriptions. That’s not just time saved—it’s headspace reclaimed and fewer things slipping through the cracks.
Use Zapier to:
- Create seamless handoffs between your calendar, CRM, and billing tools
- Keep client records consistently updated without manual data entry
- Reduce administrative load across a distributed or fractional team
Scale Smarter, Not Harder
The three systems above—Notion, Attio, and Zapier—now form the operational core of Trusty Oak. They’re simple, powerful, and integrated in a way that empowers our team and clients to thrive.
We didn’t get here overnight. It took reflection, intention, and a willingness to simplify. But the clarity, efficiency, and breathing room we’ve gained has made the transition more than worth it.
In the coming weeks, we’ll share behind-the-scenes deep dives on how we’ve set each of these tools up—and how you can do the same for your business.
Because we believe you shouldn’t have to burn out to scale up.
Learn more about how you could benefit from working with fractional talent by visiting our “How It Works” page!
Bex has a passion for helping others and thrives in fostering relationships with business owners, entrepreneurs and virtual assistants. As a former VA with Trusty Oak, Bex has a unique perspective that allows her to hone in on the challenges business leaders face and offer solutions based in real world experience.
Bex is originally from New Zealand, and now resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband. She loves to travel - everywhere- experience new culture & places, architecture & people. Adventure is always around the corner!