What Are KPIs (and Are You Tracking the Right Ones)?

KPI.
Sounds fancy, right?
Like something a CEO would throw out during a board meeting with a lot of graphs and charts behind them.

But let’s break it down for real life (and real businesses):

KPI stands for Key Performance Indicator, which is just a nerdy way of saying,
“Hey, how do we know if we’re doing a good job?”

So What Is a KPI, Really?

A KPI is a measurable number that tells you how well you’re achieving a specific goal.
It’s not just about busywork or random stats, it’s about tracking what matters most to the results you actually want.

Think of KPIs like the dashboard in your car:

• Speedometer: How fast are we going?

• Fuel Gauge: How much energy (resources) do we have left?

• Warning Lights: Where are we about to have problems?

Without a dashboard, you’re flying blind. Same goes for your business.

Common KPIs Businesses Track

Depending on your business, you might track things like:

• Revenue growth month over month

• Number of new leads per month

• Client retention rate(how many stay vs. leave)

• Project completion times(how fast your team delivers)

• Website traffic and conversion rates

• Customer satisfaction scores(like surveys or testimonials)

And yes, even something simple like“Did I finally launch that email list I keep putting off?” can be tied to a KPI.

Here’s the Real Question:

Are you tracking the right KPIs for your goals?

Because here’s the thing:
Not everything that can be measured matters.
(And not everything that matters can be easily measured.)

If your main goal this quarter is to grow your brand authority, obsessing over daily sales numbers might not be the best focus.

You might instead want to track:

• Podcast interviews booked

• Collaborations secured

• New newsletter subscribers

• Conversion rates

On the flip side, if you’re gunning for revenue, you don’t want to get lost chasing vanity metrics like Instagram likes.

KPIs should always point directly toward your goals.
Not just toward what looks good on paper.

For example:
Imagine you’re deciding whether to create a lead magnet or launch a referral program.

• If your goal is to attract 500 new email subscribersby the end of the quarter, your KPI might be number of new leads per month.
  ➔ In this case, a lead magnet is the smarter move because it directly supports lead generation.

• But if your goal is to increase client retention and loyalty, and your KPI is number of referrals received,
  ➔ Then launching a referral program is the right call because it fuels customer loyalty and repeat business.

Your KPIs act like a filter.
They keep you laser-focused on projects that actually move you closer to the finish line, instead of just staying busy.

Without KPIs tied to real goals, it’s easy to end up doing a bunch of work… that doesn’t actually get you where you want to go.

When I Work With Clients

One of the first things I do when stepping into a business is help clients:

• Identify their actual goals(hint: “make more money” is just the start)

• Set the right KPIs that align with those goals

• Create simple, readable dashboards so you can see progress at a glance

Because if you’re not measuring what matters…you’re just guessing.

And guessing is not a sustainable business strategy.

Final Thought:

Start simple.
Pick 2–3 KPIs that are directly tied to the outcome you want most right now.
Track them weekly. Adjust as needed. Celebrate progress.

Your future, calmer, more organized CEO-self will thank you.

Need Help Setting Up Your KPIs (and Tracking Them Without Losing Your Mind)?

Helping business owners get clear, organized, and focused is what I do.

Let's find a time to chat.