How To Streamline Your Creative Business With Dubsado + ClickUp
Creative business owners are constantly caught in the tension of doing meaningful work… and managing the work. You’ve got leads, proposals, clients, content, admin, and maybe even a few houseplants you’re trying to keep alive.
In this expert-led webinar, Dubsado Certified Specialist Rachel Mueller showed how pairing Dubsado + ClickUp + Zapier can turn your behind-the-scenes chaos into a system that runs with you — and for you.
Whether you're a solo creative or running a growing team, this post breaks down the key takeaways, automation walkthroughs, and Rachel’s best-in-class tips from the training.
Dubsado vs. ClickUp — they’re not competing, they’re collaborating
One of the most valuable takeaways from the webinar? 👉 ClickUp doesn’t replace Dubsado — it complements it.
Here’s how the tools work together, not against each other:
ClickUp
Advanced project management
Internal task lists & checklists
Team communication & delegation
Tracking task progress
SOPs (standard operating procedures)
Client facing dashboards
Dubsado
Forms & questionnaires
Onboarding & offboarding
Rachel summed it up this way:
“You’re not replacing Dubsado — you’re expanding what’s possible using another tool to support everything else behind the scenes that you do as a business owner and just as a human.”
This combo gives you the best of both worlds:
✔️ Dubsado handles your client-facing systems
✔️ ClickUp manages your internal operations
✔️ Zapier helps them talk to each other
The result? A seamless client experience and a calmer business behind the scenes.
Build a lead pipeline that runs itself
Too many great client relationships start off with a broken process. Delayed replies. Missed follow-ups. Forgotten leads.
Rachel kicked things off by walking through how to build a lead tracking system that ensures every inquiry gets seen, sorted, and followed up on.
✅ Use your Dubsado contact form to capture lead info
✅ Set up a Zapier automation to send each new lead into ClickUp
✅ Track the project’s status (inquiry, call scheduled, proposal sent, booked, ghosted)
✅ Assign follow-up tasks, due dates, and even who on your team should own each one
Tutorial: Zapier walkthrough for lead tracking
Rachel walks through, step by step, how to:
Create a Zap that triggers when a new Dubsado lead is created
Map Dubsado data (like name, email, company) to ClickUp fields
Set task assignees and due dates
Use ClickUp statuses to track lead movement
Get Rachel’s free ClickUp lead tracker template here.
Ditch the onboarding scramble
Once a client signs the contract and pays the invoice, what happens next?
Rachel broke down the disconnect that often happens between Dubsado workflows (which are client-facing) and the internal steps that fall on you or your team — like:
Prepping call agendas
Setting up client folders
Sending a physical welcome gift
Her solution? Build an onboarding template in ClickUp that mirrors your internal process for each type of service or package you offer.
➡️ Web project? Duplicate your "Web Onboarding" template
➡️ Brand package? Use the "Brand Setup" template
“Every time you repeat a project from scratch, you lose time. Templates save your energy and create a consistent client experience.”
Automate internal actions with ClickUp
Rachel demonstrated how to set up ClickUp automations so that when a task (like a lead) is marked as “booked,” it can automatically:
Duplicate the right onboarding template
Notify your team
Assign subtasks and due dates
Shift task ownership (ex: from sales to project lead)
These automations are simple, visual, and totally customizable… a game-changer for solopreneurs or teams juggling multiple clients.
Project manage everything… even your personal life
Rachel didn’t stop at clients.
She walked us through how ClickUp can serve as the central hub for your entire business (and life). Some of the ways she uses ClickUp:
📝 Content calendar: plan Instagram posts, email newsletters, and blog drafts in one place
👩💻 Admin and ops: keep SOPs, recurring team tasks, and reminders visible
🌱 Personal tasks: track groceries, cleaning schedules, appointments, and more
📚 Resources: store brand kits, scheduler links, client docs, and more in one-click dashboards
“My entire life is in ClickUp. If it’s not in there, I don’t do it, and that’s how I keep my brain clear.”
Favorite features worth trying
Rachel's must-use features inside ClickUp:
💬 Task types — differentiate leads, projects, content, or admin tasks with icons
🔁 Recurring due dates — automate your reminders for weekly or monthly tasks
🗂️ Custom fields — track project phases, lead source, priority, and more
📹 ClickUp Clips — replace Loom by recording videos right inside ClickUp
📊 Dashboards — create branded client hubs or team snapshots
💡 Views — see your tasks as lists, boards, calendars, or tables — whatever fits your brain best
Keep it simple to start
Rachel’s #1 piece of advice?
“Start simple. If you try to automate everything at once, you’ll break the system. Build from a strong, usable base — then optimize later.”
Watch the full replay:
About Rachael
Rachael Mueller is a Virtual COO, Systems Expert, and Certified Dubsado Specialist who helps service-forward business owners and founders optimize and grow their businesses through sustainable systems — all while taking back control of their time.
