The White Sock Audit: A Not-So-Scary Way to Face What Matters
October has a certain energy. The light shifts, the air changes, and everything starts to whisper: it's time to wrap up what you've started. Maybe even face what you’ve been avoiding.
This month, I bring you... the white sock audit.
It started with a picture I sent my son: me in bright white socks, warning him that I was on my way to test how clean his floors really were. No hiding. No dim lighting. White socks don’t lie.
And it hit me: small business owners need the same kind of test.
Fear Isn’t the Enemy
Fear gets a bad rap. But sometimes, fear is helpful. It keeps us alert. It signals that something matters.
Whether it's fear of:
Letting something slip through the cracks
Facing the state of your systems
Hearing feedback from a customer or team member
...these are all invitations to act. To check. To clean up.
Compliance, Clean Floors, and Quiet Confidence
You don’t need to wait for a formal audit or an external deadline. You can run your own white sock test:
Walk through your policies - are they being followed?
Look at your safety or waste logs - up to date?
Try ordering from your own website - is the experience seamless?
Ask a team member if they know the emergency plan - or if there is one.
These are the business equivalent of checking if your socks come back dusty. Small acts of accountability that give you real visibility.
What Happens When No One Is Watching?
Here’s the real power of the white sock test: it shows what’s happening when no one thinks they’re being evaluated. That’s not about catching mistakes. It’s about building a business that runs with integrity, whether you’re in the room or not.
Systems don’t just help you scale. They help you sleep better.
It’s Not a Gotcha Moment
The white sock audit isn’t about punishment. It’s about clarity. And it can be a surprisingly empowering exercise:
You might find things are working better than you thought.
You might uncover small fixes with big impact.
You might realize you’re ready to take something off your own plate.
And if something isn’t working? Now you know. That’s where change starts.
How to Run Your Own White Sock Audit
Pick 2-3 areas that matter most right now. For example:
Waste tracking or supply chain documentation
Employee onboarding or training handoffs
Emergency response or business continuity steps
Don’t aim for perfect. Aim for insight. Walk through like you’re a customer, a new employee, or a compliance inspector.
Final Thought
White socks have a way of revealing the truth.
So this October, don’t be afraid to take a walk through your business with fresh eyes. It’s not about judgment. It’s about taking ownership. You don’t need to be scared of what you might find; you just need to be willing to look.
The best part? Once you do, you get to move forward with more clarity, more confidence, and yes, cleaner socks.
Happy spooky season, friends.
(And if you need help building the systems that keep things clean all year long, I’m just a message away.)