Five Foundations Orientation Snapshot

Deeper Foundations · Complete before your Strategy Call

How to use this: For each foundation, select the statement that best describes where you are right now — not where you want to be, but where you actually are. A checklist will appear for your level. Check everything currently in place, add any notes, then use the button at the bottom to generate a printable summary of your gaps.

Foundation 1

Business Design

The model, market fit, and offer architecture right-sized for your vision and stage

Hypothesis

I'm figuring out who I serve, what to offer, and what to charge to start.

Level 1 checklist — Hypothesis

Check everything that is currently in place

I have a description of who I serve and what problem I solve for them.

I have an offer with a clear scope, deliverable, and price.

I have a sense of how many clients I need per year to reach my income goal.

I know which type of business I'm running — delivery-based (consulting, coaching, services) or creator-based (courses, community, content, speaking).

I have identified the type of marketing most aligned with how my business works — relational or content marketing.

In place:

0 / 5 Ready to advance ✓

Shaping

I have an offer and a clear client, but my pricing and services aren't fully reflecting my needs and expertise — I need to sharpen my focus and value proposition.

Level 2 checklist — Shaping

Check everything that is currently in place

I have done the math on my financial and time goals — and I have adjusted my client profile, offer design, or business model to reflect what it actually takes to hit those goals sustainably.

My pricing is set based on my results, value, and income goals — and I am currently meeting my revenue and profit goals within my target working hours.

I have narrowed my client profile to my best-fit clients, with either a downsell service or a referral for those who aren't the right fit.

I have decided how I will grow revenue once I'm fully booked: raise my rates, build a team, shift to groups or teaching, or add another revenue stream.

I understand the lifetime value of my best-fit clients — I have considered how they might re-enroll, extend, or access recurring offers across multiple stages over time, not just a single engagement.

In place:

0 / 5 Ready to advance ✓

Architecture

My offers and pricing are intentional and working — but I'm working on ways to maintain or grow revenue that don't require more of my time: team delivery, certification, groups, or intensive formats.

Level 3 checklist — Architecture

Check everything that is currently in place

I have at least one offer that generates meaningfully more revenue per unit of my time — whether through higher rates, group or cohort formats, intensives, team delivery, or licensing my methodology.

I have tested or launched at least one model where my revenue isn't fully tied to the hours I personally deliver, and I've validated that it works for my clients.

My financial model includes continuity buffers — financial reserves, retainer income, or other income that doesn't require me to be actively delivering — so that a gap in my availability, planned or unexpected, doesn't immediately threaten the business.

I have a long-term picture of what this business looks like at its best — a 3–5 year view — and my current model and decisions are aligned with that vision.

I have defined what "enough" looks like for my business — the revenue, client load, and rhythm of work I want — and I'm making decisions that center sustainability, not just growth.

In place:

0 / 5 Ready to advance ✓

Sustaining

My business is designed for long-term stability — my financial, time, flexibility, and autonomy goals are in alignment, and I am confidently stewarding the model I've built to support them.

This foundation is working. Tend it — your growth edge is elsewhere.

What feels most uncertain or unresolved here?

Foundation 2

Relationship Rhythms

The repeatable rhythms that move people from stranger to client to champion

Ecosystem

My outreach is sporadic and I don't have a consistent rhythm or pipeline yet.

Level 1 checklist — Ecosystem

Check everything that is currently in place

I maintain a list of at least 15–20 people who could hire me, refer me, or connect me to opportunities — and I have a simple way to track who I've reached out to and who needs a follow-up.

I have a dedicated time block each week for building relationships through outreach.

I have a way to move from an initial inquiry to a proposal with pricing — even if the process is inconsistent or I'm still uncertain about my rates.

I am a part of at least one client network.

I know the difference between my Clients, Collaborators, and Connectors — and I can name people in each category.

In place:

0 / 5 Ready to advance ✓

Relational Sales

I have a consistent outreach and relationship-building practice but I'm not yet converting enough of the right prospects — I need to improve the quality of my inquiries, my sales process, or both.

Level 2 checklist — Relational Sales

Check everything that is currently in place

I have at least one distribution or visibility opportunity beyond my existing network each month — guest appearances, partnerships, speaking, or collaborations.

I have a way to activate potential clients and my network every quarter — through a combination of events, smaller offers, or a targeted outreach campaign.

I track my full pipeline from first contact through to close, review it regularly, and convert more than 50% of qualified prospects.

I have a consistent discovery or sales conversation structure — I know how to move from an initial conversation to a clear, profitable proposal and I can present my pricing with confidence.

I have a broadcast channel (newsletter, podcast, or YouTube) with a publishing cadence — aligned to my business model — that I have maintained for at least three months.

In place:

0 / 5 Ready to advance ✓

Reputation

My pipeline and visibility systems are working — but they depend on my direct effort to maintain. I haven't yet built the standardized authority assets or team-executable systems that would let them run without me.

Level 3 checklist — Reputation

Check everything that is currently in place

My outreach and/or content systems are documented well enough that key aspects can be supported or run by a team member.

I have a signature authority asset — a workshop, talk, article series, or body of research — that I put into the world consistently and that others are beginning to seek out, book, or share.

I have a repeatable system for identifying, deepening relationships with, and celebrating referral partners — it's not just ad hoc appreciation when someone sends a client my way.

My sales process consistently produces more qualified interest than I can immediately serve — I have a waitlist, referral overflow, or a clear signal that demand exceeds my current capacity.

My visibility and sales systems continue to run reliably even during periods when I'm at capacity or not actively promoting.

In place:

0 / 5 Ready to advance ✓

Sustaining

My roster is consistently full, my pipeline is steady, and I have reliable visibility habits that continue to generate interest even during the natural ebbs and flows of client work.

This foundation is working. Tend it — your growth edge is elsewhere.

What feels most uncertain or unresolved here?

Foundation 3

Building Blocks

The capacity, systems, and leverage that let you deliver reliably and build sustainably

Capacity

I don't have a clear picture of where my time goes or how much I can actually take on.

Level 1 checklist — Capacity

Check everything that is currently in place

I know approximately how many hours per week I have available for client work versus marketing, business building, and administration.

I have a task management system I use consistently — even a simple one, analog or digital.

I'm only working on 1–3 business building projects at a time, with a way to capture other ideas.

I have a client contract and a way to get paid.

I have a basic financial tracking system — bookkeeping software or a spreadsheet I update regularly.

In place:

0 / 5 Ready to advance ✓

Systems

I understand my capacity but my delivery and business operations processes aren't yet repeatable or documented — I'm reinventing things more than I should be.

Level 2 checklist — Systems

Check everything that is currently in place

My core delivery process is documented and templated — including proposals, contracts, scope of work, client intake, key milestones, and deliverables.

I have documented processes for the full client lifecycle — clients know what to expect from onboarding through offboarding, invoices and payment reminders are sent automatically or through a system, and departing clients are prompted for results, testimonials, and referrals.

I use a Client Relationship Management system (CRM) to maintain my pipeline, referral sources, network, and distribution or visibility opportunities.

I use a task or project management system to manage client projects, repeatable marketing activities, and business administration tasks — with standard templates for new client engagements.

My files, documents, and client information are organized and findable without searching.

In place:

0 / 5 Ready to advance ✓

Leverage

My processes and systems are documented and running — but I haven't yet built the support structures, tools, and community that would make my work more resilient and effective.

Level 3 checklist — Leverage

Check everything that is currently in place

I have automated at least one repeatable workflow — scheduling, invoicing, onboarding, follow-up, or reporting.

I have at least one person or service handling work outside my core expertise — bookkeeping, web, administration, or operations — so I'm not responsible for doing everything myself.

Any team members or contractors I work with have documented roles and responsibilities — they know what they own and how success is measured.

I am part of a professional community, mastermind, or peer group that provides accountability, perspective, and support — I'm not navigating the hard decisions of running this business alone.

My business can continue operating if I'm unexpectedly unavailable — key processes are documented, critical systems and contacts are accessible to someone I trust, and I'm not the single point of failure for day-to-day operations.

In place:

0 / 5 Ready to advance ✓

Sustaining

My business is supported, resilient, and running well — I am supported in my business, systems operate reliably, and I'm surrounded by people and community who keep me sharp and help me navigate the long game.

This foundation is working. Tend it — your growth edge is elsewhere.

What feels most uncertain or unresolved here?

Foundation 4

Authority Loop

The intellectual property, expertise, and visibility that make you the known expert in your space

Mapping

I haven't fully articulated what makes my approach distinct, or I'm not yet sharing ideas publicly with any regularity.

Level 1 checklist — Mapping

Check everything that is currently in place

I can articulate my point of view for my work — what I believe and what makes me distinct.

I am publishing or sharing ideas in at least one channel (blog, podcast, YouTube) on a regular cadence.

I have identified the core patterns in my client work — the problems I solve repeatedly.

I have a basic website or digital home — a place where potential clients can understand who I serve, what I do, and how to get in touch.

I have a few of my own tools or templates that I use with clients.

In place:

0 / 5 Ready to advance ✓

Codification

I have a point of view and I'm sharing it, but my expertise isn't yet organized in a way that's clear to someone who hasn't worked with me.

Level 2 checklist — Codification

Check everything that is currently in place

I have a named or documented framework or methodology that describes how I work.

My framework is visual or structured enough to be legible to someone who hasn't worked with me.

My offers are built around my methodology — including core offer milestones as well as entry and extension offers.

My body of past work is organized and publicly visible on my website — potential clients can see my approach, case studies, and examples without me having to send them separately.

I systematically collect and document client results and testimonials — not just when I remember — and display them where potential clients can see the outcomes my work produces.

In place:

0 / 5 Ready to advance ✓

Amplification

My intellectual property is codified and my offers are structured around it — but I haven't yet scaled their reach. The work is good; now it needs to travel farther than I can take it personally.

Level 3 checklist — Amplification

Check everything that is currently in place

I am being invited to share my expertise on others' platforms — podcasts, stages, publications, or communities I don't own — without always having to initiate.

I offer at least one format that delivers my methodology to multiple clients simultaneously — a group program, cohort, community, keynote, or agency/team-delivered service.

I have at least one offer that people can access independently — a self-paced resource, tool, template, or packaged piece of my work they can purchase and use on their own.

I have explored or launched at least one way to extend my methodology beyond my direct delivery — through licensing, certification, a train-the-trainer model, or an agency that applies my approach.

I am increasingly being sought out by influential or well-aligned partners, collaborators, and platforms — the quality and relevance of inbound opportunities reflects the growing reputation of my work.

In place:

0 / 5 Ready to advance ✓

Sustaining

My expertise is recognized and my rates reflect it, my reputation keeps my business consistently booked, and my influence spreads beyond my direct involvement — whether through clients who carry my ideas forward, or through offers, assets, and formats that reach people I've never met.

This foundation is working. Tend it — your growth edge is elsewhere.

What feels most uncertain or unresolved here?

Foundation 5

Root by Root Planning

The metrics, planning rhythms, and financial stewardship that keep you tending what matters

Sensing

I don't track metrics regularly and I don't have a consistent picture of what's happening financially or operationally.

Level 1 checklist — Sensing

Check everything that is currently in place

I track at least four core metrics monthly: inquiries, new clients, revenue, and number of guest appearances or visibility opportunities earned.

I know my monthly revenue for each of the last three months.

I have a bookkeeping system or spreadsheet and my books are current.

I have a simple planning rhythm — at minimum I set intentions at the start of each month and review at the end.

I know the priority build projects and marketing / grow focuses for this current season.

In place:

0 / 5 Ready to advance ✓

Sequencing

I track my business and set goals, but I still tend to overestimate what I can accomplish — my project sequencing and targets aren't yet reliably tied to my actual capacity and business model.

Level 2 checklist — Sequencing

Check everything that is currently in place

I have a defined quarterly project list — a clear now / next / later — tied to my actual delivery capacity, and I review it regularly.

I maintain a forward-looking delivery and capacity forecast — I know what I need to earn, how much I've committed, and what my current sales activity needs to support.

I have a quarterly planning ritual that informs my priorities and focuses for the quarter ahead.

I have defined targets for my key business metrics and I regularly review my performance against them — I know my gaps and I'm actively closing them.

I have defined targets for personal financial runway, business cash reserves, and tax obligations — and I know whether I'm currently on track for each.

In place:

0 / 5 Ready to advance ✓

Forecasting

I have a strong planning rhythm for my own work — but I'm not yet planning beyond a single quarter, managing a team toward goals, or making intentional decisions about larger business investments.

Level 3 checklist — Forecasting

Check everything that is currently in place

I plan beyond a single quarter — I maintain a rolling 6–12 month view of my business and conduct a formal annual review each year to assess the full arc of the business, revisit my long-term vision, and set strategic direction for the year ahead.

I have defined goals and priorities for any team members and I track progress against them.

I evaluate larger business investments with a forward-looking lens — I plan for growth and infrastructure ahead of need, rather than deciding only when opportunities arise.

My financial planning accounts for team costs, infrastructure, and growth investments — and I maintain defined cash reserves and regular tax set-asides so I can make major decisions from a position of stability.

My revenue forecast extends at least two quarters out, informed by current clients, pipeline, delivery capacity, and team.

In place:

0 / 5 Ready to advance ✓

Sustaining

I am confidently stewarding my business toward the long term — maintaining a clear, forward-looking view across finances, delivery capacity, business improvements, and team.

This foundation is working. Tend it — your growth edge is elsewhere.

What feels most uncertain or unresolved here?

Before your Strategy Call

Which foundation feels most urgent to tend right now — and why?