Tracking Friendships Like KPIs with Samantha MacKinnon

Running a business while actually having a life—not some mythical “balance”—is the real magic trick, right? In this episode, Samantha MacKinnon (https://samanthamackinnon.com/) ditches the shiny success formulas and talk messy realities: what happens when your social battery is on 1% but the KPIs don’t care if you’ve actually seen another adult all week.

If you’ve ever felt like your whole personality faded into a pile of unfinished emails and another night of reheated pizza, you’re about to find your people.

Samantha gets real about tracking KPIs that aren’t just about revenue or retention, but about actual human connection. I share what happened to my so-called “business mojo” after becoming a mom and why putting date nights and book clubs on my calendar is officially part of my “business strategy”—cue the eyebrow raise from every spreadsheet fiend. For anyone craving a business and a life that both feel good (without more “grind harder!” sermons), this one’s for you.

→ Learn more about The Ordinary Business: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theordinarybusiness.com
→ Enjoy this episode? Buy me a coffee: ⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/ordinarybusiness⁠
→ Peek inside the Nosy Nelly Files: ⁠https://theordinarybusiness.com/nosy⁠

Key Takeaways

• Track your social life like you’d track your business numbers—if it’s not scheduled, it’s probably not happening.

• Build flexible systems that allow for real life (missed book club? No guilt trips, just catch it next time).

• Give yourself permission to prioritize whatever fills your cup, whether that’s a friend dinner, solo time, or just being “ordinary but thriving.”

This podcast is for business owners who are tired of hustle culture and want relatable, honest conversations about running a sustainable business that actually works for their life.