Ep 40: Case Studies, Referrals, and the Simple System You’re Not Using with Shannon Pruitt
“Whatever I implement, it’s got to be easy for me and it’s got to be easy for them.”
Shannon Pruitt
I see this pattern constantly with one-on-one service providers. You get incredible results for your clients, but the moment someone mentions metrics, data, or proof, your nervous system goes into fight-or-flight.
In this episode, I sat down with Shannon from Sunday Muse Design for what turned into a live strategy session about metrics, results, testimonials, and referrals. We talked openly about why service providers resist numbers, how to ethically share outcomes, and how to capture results without chasing clients or sounding salesy.
If you’ve ever struggled to articulate the impact of your work, this episode will change how you think about it.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode
Why metrics trigger resistance for service providers
The difference between hype metrics and ethical results
How to talk about outcomes without violating trust or FTC guidelines
Why most testimonial systems fail
A simple internal system for capturing client results live
How results, referrals, and authority are connected
Why clarity beats louder marketing every time
Why Service Providers Struggle With Metrics
Metrics often feel synonymous with exaggeration. We’ve all seen income claims that feel impossible to verify, and many service providers want nothing to do with that energy.
Shannon shared her hesitation around using numbers publicly, especially when clients want anonymity or when outcomes feel indirect.
This resistance isn’t about mindset. It’s about integrity.
You Are Impacting Revenue Even If You Don’t Touch It
One of the biggest shifts we explored is recognizing indirect impact.
If your work improves positioning, confidence, visibility, or conversion, it influences revenue whether or not you’re running the sales process.
Ignoring that connection doesn’t make you ethical. It makes your messaging vague.
Stop Chasing Testimonials, Start Listening
Instead of relying on forms that clients ignore, we talked about capturing results in real time during client calls.
When clients share wins organically, that’s your moment.
Ask better questions. Document what they say. Build a private record of outcomes that you can later turn into case studies or messaging insights.
Referrals Are a Byproduct of Results
Referrals don’t happen because of reminder emails. They happen because people remember how you helped them.
When you consistently reinforce results, referrals become more natural and less forced.
Chapters
00:00 Inbox overwhelm and context switching
06:00 Why metrics trigger resistance
09:00 Ethics, anonymity, and FTC concerns
13:00 Capturing results during client calls
18:00 Turning outcomes into case studies
30:00 Referrals and why reminder emails fail
About the Guest
Shannon Pruitt is the founder and Strategic Creative Director of Sunday Muse Design®, where she helps established founders evolve their brands without burning them all down. She works with entrepreneurs who've outgrown their old look but don’t know what to do next.
Shannon doesn't just make things prettier; she makes them work much harder. Instead, clients come to her when their brand no longer feels aligned with where their business is now, or they simply need a website that accurately represents the value of what it provides.
She's built Sunday Muse around reality — drafting copy during preschool hours and scheduling client calls between the rhythms of motherhood. To her, success is all about the client who can finally post their website or land that dream collaboration with confidence because their brand.
She lives in South Carolina with her husband and daughter, and is rarely seen without coffee in hand.
Connect with Shannon
Website: sundaymusedesign.com
Insta: @sundaymusedesign
Interested in Being on the Show or Working with Emylee?
Are you a service provider with a bold perspective to share? Apply to be a guest.
Ready to transform your service into a productized, scalable offer? Apply for Sold Out Services.
If you’d like to see a library of all published episodes in a gallery with easy-to-find links to all listening platforms be sure to check out the Sell The Damn Service Episode Library.
