The Client
Mariana Peña is a learning design expert who helps busy service providers repackage their knowledge into digital products, group programmes and courses. Mariana was happily celebrating all-booked-out months for her premium 1:1 services. But she couldn’t shake off this one thought: without a team to help, how could she possibly tidy up the backend of her business before the growing pains caught up with her? So she set aside a couple of hours every week to research standard processes and popular tools that could help scale her business sustainably.The Challenge
“But without a solid background in online business admin, I soon realized creating systems isn’t my forte. And, though I’m a quick learner, I wasn’t willing to pour my time and energy into understanding concepts that would never be a core offering in my business.
So I thought – how can I make my processes simple enough that I can still handle them on my own and comprehensive enough so I can deliver a stellar client experience?”
Before Mariana could get over this hump, another challenge cropped up.
Mariana’s services are designed to cultivate close relationships with her clients, and she loves staying in touch with them well after the services are delivered.
But as her business grew, so did her roster of former clients and business connections. And she was struggling to keep up.
“My intimate circle keeps me in mind and refers me constantly. I love keeping them in the loop, but it can be time consuming. I needed an efficient way to nurture my connections, without automating everything or making the outreach feel perfunctory.”
Overall, it came down to solving two pieces of the puzzle for Mariana:
- Organizing the backend of her business so she could easily increase the number of clients she serves, while rocking it solopreneur style (for now)
- Creating an efficient process to keep her clients (and business connections) in the loop once the first round of service is done, without losing that personal touch
“Paty knows there’s more than one way to organize your business and that’s what I love about her”
The journey
Designed to give my clients the maximum ROI on their time, the Map to Success VIP Intensive is based on my signature 5-step framework: data collection, deep dive, gap analysis, problem solving, and solution plan.
After Mariana signed up for the Intensive, we kicked off with a pre-work questionnaire that covered everything she wanted to achieve in her business and her personal life.
Next, armed with her responses, I switched to research mode and emerged with the process foundations outlined for our first 60-minute deep dive call.
“I really appreciated Paty asking questions about both my lifestyle and my business. While lengthy questionnaires can put some people off, I loved it and here’s why – Paty had half the processes mapped out for our first session.
Normally, an OBM would take 60-90 days to figure out what’s going on in your business, strategize, and implement a system. But Paty’s process is incredibly efficient!”
With a clearer picture of her goals after our first call, I went back to the drawing board. The objective was to identify missing strategies, tools, and practices and then create an aligned business ecosystem for Mariana.
Once the action plan was completely mapped out, it was time to help Mariana execute it.
On our second call, we discussed the entire process map and reviewed her existing business tools to check if anything could be replaced or eliminated for maximum day-to-day ease in her business. We also had plenty of time left for a Q&A sprint.
“We went really deep, but Paty made sure I wasn’t overwhelmed at any point. Process discussions can scare people, so she eased me into it.”
Finally, with the strategy in place, I shared checklists with Mariana so she could effectively bridge the gap between planning and implementation.
“Paty’s action-packed Intensive with clearly defined outcomes was exactly what I needed”
The Impact
The process map shared with Mariana not only ties up the loose ends in her business but also serves as a dynamic guide for business growth.
Now Mariana can increase the number of clients she serves and prime her business to hire a team she’s excited to work with, instead of subscribing to ineffective tools that may eat into her margins.
“I’m motivated to grow even faster after my VIP Intensive with Paty. I want to check things off my list – like hiring a valuable team member – and embrace everything else that comes with having a flourishing business.”
Mariana is also thrilled with her new connection management process because it’s completely aligned with her warm personality, values, and business goals.
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