Sometimes you'll need the time of a busy person (like your boss or a person on billable work) for an approval, and you may find their availability limited.
You need techniques so you're not blocked, so here is a process you can follow:
Attempt to warn then call, explaining that you're blocked
If no luck, message with "Tried to call - will try again in 1 hour", then set yourself a reminder or an appointment
If no luck again, message with "I haven't been able to get you, so I'll go to {{ SOMEONE ELSE }} instead for the approval"
Once approved, message with something like "{{ SOMEONE ELSE }} approved it... See the email that you're CCed on for details 🙂"
For the above, your escalation path for something that usually needs a particular person should go something like this:
The person
Your State Manager
Any State Manager
Any Manager
Tips:
Use common sense. Some things may make more sense to try a few times with your boss before escalating
Of course, some things really are big decisions that should not be escalated. But these should be the exception, not the rule
Your boss will have some things they care about a lot, and they won't want escalated. Could be money related, hiring decisions, or their YouTube channel. Be aware of those