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Episode #147 Systems That Scale, With Raymona H. Lawrence DrPH, MPH
- Laura Hollabaugh
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- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Overview
Running a health-focused business while constantly putting out fires? You're not alone, and there's a strategic solution.
Dr. Charlotte Huntley welcomes Dr. Raymona Lawrence, CEO of the Systems Boutique and Director of Operations, for a conversation about the backend infrastructure that transforms overwhelmed entrepreneurs into strategic leaders. Dr. Lawrence brings 15 years of public health expertise and a passion for challenging broken systems to help business owners build sustainable operations.
This episode reveals why successful health entrepreneurs hit growth ceilings from missing operational foundations rather than lack of vision. Dr. Lawrence breaks down how to recognize when you need systems support, what operational strategy actually looks like in practice, and how to stop manually executing every task in your business. She shares her unique approach to operations as "shapewear for your business" and explains why systems are actually self-care.
Whether you're duct-taping tech solutions together or ready to scale beyond your current capacity, this conversation delivers practical guidance on building the operational backbone your health-focused venture needs. You'll learn the difference between firefighting and weathering the storm, understand what operational support looks like at different business stages, and discover how proper systems create space for both impact and rest.
For entrepreneurs building businesses that improve health at the community or systems level, this episode connects strategic operations directly to sustainable growth and meaningful impact.
About Our Guest
Dr. Raymona H. Lawrence
Dr. Raymona H. Lawrence is the Founder and CEO of Dr. Raymona H Lawrence Coaching, LLC where she is a dynamic Keynote Speaker, Corporate Trainer, and Consultant. Her life's work and heartfelt mission is to challenge broken systems that keep people from reaching their highest potential. Therefore, she uses evidence-based principles of community engagement, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Psychological Safety to curate transformational change strategies within teams and companies.
Dr. Lawrence also delivers engaging and thought-provoking speeches and training to thousands of individuals across the United States and Globally. She has facilitated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Psychological Safety training and consulted within companies such as Arbonne International, Rodan & Fields, Forma Therapeutics, the Georgia Council of Court Administrators, the National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals (NAGAP) and Novo Nordisk.
Dr. Lawrence is highly intrigued by the breadth and depth of human difference and is passionate about helping individuals and organizations develop curated strategies to connect to diverse communities, customers, and team members. Dr. Lawrence has a doctorate in public health (DrPH), extensive training in community engagement, health disparities, and health inequities, has a Certificate in Diversity & Inclusion from Cornell University’s eCornell, is a Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory®, has a certificate in the Intercultural Conflict Inventory®, and holds the Certified Diversity Executive® Credential.
Dr. Lawrence was recently promoted to the rank of Full Professor of Health Policy & Community Health in the Jiann Ping Hsu College of Public Health at Georgia Southern University. Her main research focus is community engagement in rural, hard to reach populations-especially those with Sickle Cell Disease. Dr. Lawrence has been an investigator on numerous rural health and sickle cell disease-related grants. She is currently a dual principal investigator with Dr. Ify Osunkwo (now Payal Desai) on a $9.7 million Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) grant entitled, Comparative effectiveness of peer mentoring versus structured education based transition programming for the management of care transitions in emerging adults with sickle cell disease. Dr. Lawrence is an award winning coach for the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity. She also serves as the Director of Research for the Sickle Cell Community Consortium and as the Editor in Chief of the Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association.
Dr. Raymona H. Lawrence seamlessly bridges academia and entrepreneurship, combining her expertise in community engagement, psychological safety, and DEI with her passion for empowering professionals through effective systems. As the founder of The Systems Boutique, she supports authors, speakers, coaches, and consultants in streamlining their businesses with innovative systems that save time and reduce overwhelm. This dual focus allows her to advance academic research while offering practical solutions that help professionals bring their ideas to life and thrive in their work.
Takeaways
Systems problems show up as constant overwhelm, manual execution of repetitive tasks, and fear of taking on more clients because you're already stretched thin.
Operations strategy acts as the foundation that lets you scale impact without burning out. When backend systems are in place, growth becomes sustainable rather than exhausting.
Your business stage determines your operations needs. Early-stage entrepreneurs need tech setup and basic systems, while established businesses benefit from fractional COO support and strategic oversight.
Think like a meteorologist, not a firefighter. Strategic operations help you prepare for challenges before they become crises, eliminating the constant reactive mode many entrepreneurs experience.
The freedom of entrepreneurship includes designing what works for your season of life. You can run a successful business while working full-time, transition between models, or go all in when the timing aligns.
Building a team early enables you to manage multiple priorities effectively. Operations support and strategic delegation create capacity that solo execution never can.
Systems function as self-care for entrepreneurs. Proper operational infrastructure creates space to rest, reduces decision fatigue, and prevents burnout while serving your community.
Connect with Dr. Raymona Lawrence:
Resources For Public Health Entrepreneurs
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Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been in public health consulting or other type of business for a while, we provide support for public health entrepreneurs through our podcast and mastermind group program. We serve public health entrepreneurs in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and California as well as other parts of the United States and worldwide.
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