The BB Brief Internal Strategy April 24, 2026

The Business Builders Growth System

Funnel-Aligned · Attract · Convert · Close · Customer 3 Tiers · 4 Outcomes · 1·2·3 Plays
00 Quick Reference 5 min

The whole system on one page — outcomes, tiers, plays, pod.

The whole system, on one page. Read this first · 5 minutes
What we sell

Two foundations + three tiers

  • Clear Messaging → Blueprint $5K – $15K
  • Visual Brand Identity → Brand Kit $5,000
  • Foundation · 1 play / quarter $3,500
  • Growth · 2 plays / quarter $6,000
  • Scale · 3 plays / quarter $12,000+
How it works

One outcome. One quarter.

  • Client picks the tier — sets the pace
  • AM diagnoses + commits the outcome
  • Pod picks the plays — 1, 2, or 3 by tier
  • Pod runs a weekly sprint
  • Outcome rotates every 90 days
  • Productized internally
  • Flexible for the client
Account Manager
The Relationship.
  • Owns client trust and retention
  • Runs the diagnostic + commits outcome
  • Hosts the monthly review
  • Defends scope when tactics drift
Project Manager
The Rhythm.
  • Translates outcome into the sprint + onboards new clients
  • Runs weekly pod planning + owns file org and agent/skill training
  • Reports against the outcome + coordinates cross-pod for consistency
  • Co-runs the quarterly review and improvement loop
Creative Manager
The Production.
  • Produces all creative output with AI
  • Directs the AI — doesn't follow it
  • Protects brand voice across plays
  • Owns asset library + QC
01 The Architecture 4 min

How the four layers stack into one product — foundation, outcomes, plays, pod.

The Full Product Stack
One-Time Foundations
Layer Two
Visual Brand Identity
$5,000
→ The Brand Kit
↓   Then Enter the Partnership   ↓
Outcomes — The Funnel Stages
I
Attract
II
Convert
III
Close
IV
Customer
↓   Directs Capacity Toward   ↓
Tiers — Recurring Partnership
Tier One
Foundation
$3,500 / Month
1 play / quarter
Tier Three
Scale
$12,000 / Month
3 plays / quarter
Foundations First Outcome Picks the Point Team Picks the Plays
02 The Pod at Work 6 min

Three roles. One pod. AI in the middle.

The whole system on one page — outcomes, tiers, plays, pod.

The pod you already have — AM, PM, CM — is the right shape. The outcome model just clarifies what each role owns. Jay and Chris provide strategic lift on Scale-tier diagnoses and quarterly reviews. TM runs the foundation underneath.

Account Manager

The Relationship.

Own the client. Lead the diagnostic. Run monthly outcome reviews. Defend the chosen outcome when tactics drift.

Owns
  • Client trust and retention
  • Diagnostic conversations
  • Monthly outcome reviews
  • Quarterly outcome commits
  • Scope conversations
  • Tier upgrade recommendations
Creative Manager

The Production.

Produce creative output at volume with AI. Direct the AI — don't be directed by it. Protect brand voice.

Owns
  • Copy, content, and creative
  • AI direction and editing
  • Brand voice consistency
  • Visual and video production
  • Asset library management
  • Creative quality control
AI, the fourth seat.
AI is not a tool the pod uses — it is a pod member. It drafts, researches, and produces volume. The team directs and edits. Every sprint assumes AI has done the first pass on writing, keyword research, design variations, and reporting. The human hours go into judgment, taste, and relationships.
Responsibility Matrix
Activity
AM
PM
CM
AI
Jay/Chris
Diagnose outcome
Present & sell the tier
Pick the plays
Weekly sprint planning
Content & creative production
Monthly outcome review
Quarterly outcome commit
Client reporting
Scope defense
Tier upgrade / upsell
Primary owner Supports — Not involved
Pod Capacity · One pod = AM + PM + CM serving the same client list

Each pod manages up to ~$70,000/month in client revenue. Mix the tiers however the book demands — what matters is the dollar load, not the headcount. Different tiers mean different cadences and play counts, not different pod members.

Tier
Plays / qtr
Cadence
MRR per client
Pure-pod max
Foundation
1 play
Monthly review
$3,500
20 clients
Growth
2 plays
Weekly cadence
$6,000
12 clients
Scale
3 plays
Bi-weekly + daily async
$12,000
6 clients
The Pod-Load Formula
(F × $3,500) + (G × $6,000) + (S × $12,000)
≤ $70,000 MRR / pod
Sample Mixes
  • 20 Foundation = $70K · max breadth
  • 12 Growth = $72K · weekly-cadence focus
  • 6 Scale = $72K · deep partnerships
  • 10 F + 6 G = $71K · typical mid-mix
  • 6 F + 4 G + 2 S = $69K · balanced

Strategic lift sits on top of the pod load: Chris on Growth-tier quarterly reviews; Jay or Chris as fractional CMO for Scale clients.

03 Layer One · Foundation 3 min

The machinery under every partnership.

The two one-time builds every client buys before the engine turns on.

The tiers don't change. They define what's always running in the background — hosting, website, CRM, baseline content, SEO fundamentals — and how many plays the team runs per quarter against the chosen outcome. Pick your tier once. Let it run.

Tier I

Foundation

$3,500 / Month · 12-Month Agreement
1 play per quarter

Growing businesses, often the first real marketing hire. One outcome, one focused play per quarter, steady monthly rhythm.

Always Running
  • Starter website + hosting
  • HubSpot CRM management
  • Monthly review call
  • Baseline content rhythm
  • SEO fundamentals
  • Google Business Profile
Tier III

Scale

$12,000 / Month · 12-Month Agreement
3 plays per quarter or 2 + custom build

Market leaders, multi-location, complex operators. Jay or Chris as fractional CMO, three-front execution, custom tools when the outcome demands it.

Everything in Growth, Plus
  • Advanced website + custom tools
  • Multi-channel paid media
  • Full marketing automation
  • Executive dashboard
  • Fractional CMO access
  • Bi-weekly strategy calls
04 Layer Two · Outcomes 4 min

The aim we chase together.

Four named results we sell — Attract, Convert, Close, Customer.

Every quarter, the client and AM commit to one outcome. That choice reframes the monthly call, the sprint planning, and the way we report. The tier doesn't change — but the point of the tier does.

ITop of Funnel · Strangers → Visitors

Attract

"Get found. Get noticed."

The business doesn't have enough top-of-funnel volume. Strangers aren't finding them, or they're finding the competition first. The aim is awareness, traffic, and discoverability.

The Team Leans Into
SEO, paid acquisition, content engine, founder authority (LinkedIn, podcast, video), GBP, branded search defense, PR, partnership outreach.
IIMid-Funnel · Visitors → Prospects

Convert

"Turn traffic into prospects."

Traffic exists, but few visitors raise their hand. The site, ads, and offers aren't capturing the intent that's already there. The aim is capture mechanics and conversion rate.

The Team Leans Into
Lead magnets, capture forms, landing page CRO, A/B tests, sticky offers, GBP optimization, review-volume engines that drive new opt-ins.
IIIBottom of Funnel · Prospects → Customers

Close

"Turn interest into revenue."

Leads are coming in but few close. The aim is sales enablement, nurture, and the systems that move a prospect from curious to committed.

The Team Leans Into
Nurture sequences, sales collateral, case studies, CRM instrumentation, sales videos, booking systems, testimonials, financing & objection content.
IVPost-Sale · Serve · Delight · Upsell · Refer

Customer

"Stay top of mind. Grow from the inside out."

The customer base is the leverage point. Acquisition is expensive; existing customers are willing to buy more, refer their network, and stay if we keep showing up. The aim is loyalty, expansion, and referrals.

The Team Leans Into
Customer newsletters, referral programs, upsell sequences, loyalty mechanics, community building, NPS feedback loops, lifecycle email, customer events.
05 The Full Funnel 5 min

Four outcomes. Four stages of the funnel.

How the four outcomes map to the funnel stages your client already lives in.

Our funnel has four parts — Attract, Convert, Close, Customer. Our four outcomes map directly to those parts. Every Growth Partnership starts by naming which stage the client needs leverage on this quarter. The outcome they pick is literally the stage of the funnel we're focused on. The plays we run determine the move.

LAYER ONE $5,000 – $15,000 Clear Messaging → THE BLUEPRINT LAYER TWO $5,000 Visual Brand Identity → THE BRAND KIT STRANGERS Attract I VISITORS Convert II PROSPECTS Close III BECOMES CUSTOMER CUSTOMER UPSELL · REFER SERVE DELIGHT IV

One bucket. One question.

Every quarter the AM asks: "Are we attracting new leads, converting them into prospects, closing them into customers, or growing the customers we already have?" One answer. That's the outcome.

  • I AttractStrangers → Visitors. Get found and noticed.
  • II ConvertVisitors → Prospects. Capture the hand-raise.
  • III CloseProspects → Customers. Turn interest into revenue.
  • IV CustomerServe · Delight · Upsell · Refer.
How the play menu maps

Twelve productized plays from the canonical menu — Content Multiplier, Google Ads, Meta Ads, Custom Landing Pages, Lead Gen + Nurture, Print Design, Photography, Video Shoot, Webinar, Podcast, Lead Generating Resource, CRM Automation. Some plays appear in multiple outcomes — a Video Shoot for brand story is Attract; the same shoot day used for testimonials is Close. The team picks the play, the strategist picks the framing.

06 Four Playbooks 5 min

The play menu. Twelve productized plays.

The four outcome-level recipes the pod runs every quarter.

Twelve canonical plays. The team picks plays from this menu based on the diagnostic, the business, and the tier. Foundation runs 1, Growth runs 2, Scale runs 3. Some plays appear in multiple outcomes — they flex based on what the strategist deploys them for. A Video Shoot for a brand-story film is Attract; the same shoot day used for testimonials is Close.

ITop of Funnel

Attract

The Plays
  • Content Multiplier · 2× base output — 8 social, 2 blogs, 2 emails / month Deliverable8 social posts + assets · 2 SEO blogs (1500–2000w) · 2 HubSpot email campaigns · Monthly cadence · CM → AM → Client
  • Google Ads Management · campaign + up to $5K monthly spend, optimization DeliverableCampaign setup + ongoing optimization · Monthly performance report · Ongoing · PM (ops) + AM (results)
  • Meta Ads Management · Facebook / Instagram campaign, up to $5K monthly spend DeliverableCampaign setup + creative + optimization · Monthly performance report · Ongoing · PM (ops) + AM (results)
  • Photography · one-day pro shoot, products + people, edited gallery Deliverable1-day shoot, single location · 30–50 edited photos via gallery link · 2 weeks shoot-to-delivery · CM + Client
  • Podcast Support · production, editing, show notes, distribution, promo clips DeliverablePer episode: full edit · 3 short-form clips · show notes · platform distribution · Weekly or bi-weekly cadence · CM + Client
  • Print Design · brochures, signage, event collateral — 3 pieces / quarter Deliverable3 pieces / quarter · Production-ready files (CMYK, bleeds, fonts embedded) · 2–3 weeks per piece · CM + AM + Client
Foundation 1  ·  Growth 2  ·  Scale 3
Toolkit
Google Ads · Meta Ads Manager · Atlas Brain · Claude · Descript · Adobe Creative
Metrics
Traffic · Reach · Audience growth · Branded search · Inbound inquiries
Done Looks Like
Inbound traffic up materially, brand recognized in market, top-3 SERP for key terms.
IIMid-Funnel

Convert

The Plays
  • Custom Landing Pages · up to 2 / quarter — copy, design, tracking Deliverable2 landing pages / quarter · Desktop + mobile design · HubSpot form · GA4 events · 2 weeks per page · CM + PM + Client
  • Lead Gen + Nurture Sequence · custom magnet + 5-email follow-up Deliverable1 lead magnet (PDF / guide / toolkit) · 5-email automated sequence in HubSpot · 4 weeks · CM + AM + Client
  • Lead Generating Resource · calculator, quiz, or interactive assessment Deliverable1 interactive tool, embedded on site · Captures leads to HubSpot · 4–6 weeks · CM + TM + Client
  • Webinar Creation · strategy, slides, promotion, registration, follow-up DeliverableStrategy + slide deck + registration page + promotion plan + live tech support + follow-up sequence · 6–8 weeks · CM + AM + Client
Foundation 1  ·  Growth 2  ·  Scale 3
Toolkit
HubSpot forms · Pencil / Figma · Claude · WebinarJam · Calendly · Hotjar
Metrics
Visitor-to-lead rate · Opt-in rate · Form completions · Cost-per-prospect
Done Looks Like
Visitor-to-lead conversion up meaningfully; capture mechanics measurable at every entry point.
IIIBottom of Funnel

Close

The Plays
  • CRM Automation · workflows, pipeline setup, lead scoring, dashboards DeliverableHubSpot workflow setup · Lead scoring rules · Custom pipeline + dashboards · 4–6 weeks · PM + AM + Client
  • Video Shoot · half-day shoot — testimonials, sales videos, objection handling DeliverableHalf-day shoot, single location · 2–3 final cuts (long + short) · Social-cropped versions · 3 weeks shoot-to-delivery · CM + AM + Client
  • Lead Gen + Nurture Sequence · close-side nurture sequences for booked leads DeliverableClose-flavored 5-email sequence · Sales-team handoff doc · Triggers + branching logic in HubSpot · 4 weeks · CM + AM + Client
  • Webinar Creation · sales-focused webinars with conversion follow-up DeliverableSales-focused deck + registration page + promotion + follow-up conversion sequence · 6–8 weeks · CM + AM + Client
Foundation 1  ·  Growth 2  ·  Scale 3
Toolkit
HubSpot workflows · Claude · Loom · Gamma · Schema markup · Premiere
Metrics
Lead-to-close rate · Sales cycle · Revenue / lead · Stage-by-stage drop-off
Done Looks Like
Conversion rate up materially, cycle shortened, revenue per lead trending up.
IVPost-Sale

Customer

The Plays
  • Content Multiplier · customer newsletters + ongoing engagement content DeliverableMonthly customer newsletter (email) · Quarterly customer-only content drop · 8 retention-focused social posts · Monthly · CM → AM → Client
  • Photography · customer events, case-study shoots, anniversary moments Deliverable1-day shoot at customer event or location · 30–50 edited photos · Case-study-ready gallery · 2 weeks shoot-to-delivery · CM + Client
  • Video Shoot · customer stories + testimonials that fuel referrals DeliverableHalf-day shoot · 2–3 customer story cuts (long + short) · Social-cropped + referral-ready versions · 3 weeks · CM + AM + Client
  • Print Design · customer events, holiday cards, referral collateral Deliverable3 customer-facing pieces / quarter (event signage, holiday cards, referral kits) · Print-ready files · 2–3 weeks per piece · CM + AM + Client
Foundation 1  ·  Growth 2  ·  Scale 3
Toolkit
HubSpot lists · Klaviyo · Adobe Creative · Descript · Mailchimp · Premiere
Metrics
LTV · Referral rate · Retention % · Expansion revenue / customer · NPS
Done Looks Like
Referrals are a measured channel, upsell revenue is a line item, LTV trending up.
07 Quarterly Plays · The Menu 4 min

Click any play for what's included and how we deliver it.

The twelve productized plays a client picks from each quarter.

Foundation picks 1. Growth picks 2. Scale picks 3 (or 2 + custom). Swap quarterly as priorities shift. Your strategist and pod deliver everything inside the sprint model.

2x
Content Multiplier
Double your base output — 8 social posts, 2 blogs, 2 email campaigns per month.
G
Google Ads Management
One Google Ads campaign, up to $5K/mo ad spend, ongoing optimization + reporting.
M
Meta Ads Management
One Meta (Facebook/Instagram) campaign, up to $5K/mo ad spend, ongoing optimization.
Custom Landing Pages
Dedicated landing-page builds — up to 2 per quarter with copy, design, and tracking.
Lead Gen + Nurture
Custom lead magnet (PDF, guide, toolkit) plus a 5-email follow-up nurture sequence.
Print Design
Brochures, flyers, rack cards, event signage — 3 pieces per quarter, production-ready files.
Photography
One-day professional shoot — products and people in a single location, edited gallery delivered.
Video Shoot
Half-day shoot — testimonials, brand story, or similar. Single cameraman + post-production.
Webinar Creation
End-to-end webinar — strategy, slide creation, promotion, registration, follow-up sequence.
Podcast Support
Production, editing, show notes, distribution, and promotional clips for your podcast.
Lead Generating Resource
Calculator, quiz, assessment, or interactive tool — built to capture leads and drive conversions.
CRM Automation
Workflow building, pipeline setup, lead scoring, custom dashboards — for clients who need their CRM actively managed.
1
Annual plan. Pick your tier and select plays during onboarding.
2
Quarterly adjustments. Swap plays each quarter as priorities shift.
3
Same team, same sprint. Your strategist and pod deliver everything in the sprint model.
08 The First 60 Days 4 min

How a new client enters the partnership.

How a new partnership opens — onboarding, blueprint, first sprint.

A repeatable onboarding that ends with a committed outcome and play menu for Q1. Same rhythm across all three tiers — only depth and velocity change.

i
Week 1
Discovery & Blueprint
15-min qualifying call, then a Growth Blueprint session.
Chris · AM
ii
Week 2
Foundation Setup
Tier signed. Hosting, HubSpot, kickoff call set.
PM · TM
iii
Week 3
The Diagnostic
AM runs the 10-question diagnostic, names the real problem.
AM · Chris (Scale)
iv
Week 4
Outcome Commit
Pick the outcome and the plays. Define what wins look like.
AM · Client
v
Wk 5–12
Quarter One Sprint
PM runs weekly. CM produces with AI. AM hosts monthly.
Full Pod
vi
Day 90
Quarterly Review
Measure. Keep going, rotate, or layer. Plan Q2.
AM · PM · Chris
09 Ridgeline · A Year in the System 8 min

One client. One year. Three outcomes.

One client, one year, three outcomes — the worked example.

A 3-location orthodontic practice in suburban Denver. Growth tier ($6,000/mo · 2 plays/quarter). Here's what 12 months in the Growth System actually looked like — the annual arc, one sprint up close, then the numbers and the quote.

The four-quarter arc.

Worked Example
Ridgeline Orthodontics
Growth Tier · $6,000/Mo
Q1
Jan — Mar
I · Attract ×2 Plays
  • Google Ads ManagementLocation-targeted campaigns across all three locations, $3K/mo spend.
  • Content Multiplier2× output to feed search and social — 8 posts, 2 blogs, 2 emails monthly.
Measured By
New consultation bookings, branded search volume
Q2
Apr — Jun
III · Close ×2 Plays
  • CRM AutomationPipeline setup, lead scoring, source-to-revenue tracking for every consult.
  • Lead Gen + Nurture SequenceCustom magnet for "Is Orthodontics Right For You?" + 5-email nurture for booked consults.
Measured By
Consultation-to-start conversion rate
Q3
Jul — Sep
III · Close ×2 Plays
  • Video ShootAdult-aligner launch — patient testimonials, financing walkthroughs, objection-handling videos.
  • Webinar Creation"Adult Orthodontics 101" educational webinar with conversion follow-up.
Measured By
New starts from launch, consult-to-start conversion
Q4
Oct — Dec
IV · Customer ×2 Plays
  • Content MultiplierPatient newsletter relaunch — year-end "smile stories" + referral asks, monthly going forward.
  • Print DesignBranded referral cards, holiday mailers, in-office event collateral.
Measured By
Patient referral rate, repeat-treatment revenue, NPS

Zoom: Q1, Month 1, week-by-week.

Case Basis
Ridgeline · Q1 · Mo. 1
Outcome: Attract
Wk 01
Research & Audit
  • PM Weekly planning call with pod. Lock the month's deliverables. 60 min.
  • AI Keyword research by location + service intent. Atlas Brain generates a 60-keyword map.
  • CM Service page audit. Flag tech debt, missing schema, weak CTAs. 4 hours.
  • CM Google Business Profile audit across three locations. Prep optimization list.
  • Client Async: share historical consult data and top-referring marketing sources.
Wk 02
Build & Launch
  • CM + AI Rewrite four service pages. AI drafts, CM edits for voice, PM publishes.
  • PM Launch Google Ads: three location-targeted groups, $3K initial spend.
  • PM Deploy review-generation automation: post-visit trigger, response SLA.
  • AM Mid-month pulse call with client. Adjust ad spend if needed. 30 min.
Wk 03
Expand & Capture
  • CM + AI Generate ten location-specific landing pages for neighborhoods in each radius.
  • CM Build "Free Orthodontic Consultation Guide" lead magnet + HubSpot capture form.
  • AI Draft four supporting blog posts from the topical map. CM edits for voice.
  • PM Weekly planning. Preview Week 4 deliverables and start shaping Month 2.
Wk 04
Measure & Report
  • PM Launch retargeting campaigns for site visitors who didn't book.
  • AI Auto-generate monthly performance report: leads, cost-per-lead, keywords.
  • AM Client-facing monthly review. What moved against the outcome, Month 2 plan. 60 min.
  • Client Async: confirm Month 2 focus and any business-side changes.
AM · Client & Outcome PM · Rhythm & Ops CM · Creative + AI Direction AI · Volume & Drafts Client · Input & Approval
The full year, in narrative · with the numbers

Ridgeline Orthodontics.

Client
3-location practice, suburban Denver
Tier
Growth · $6,000/mo · 2 plays/qtr
Engagement
12 months · Jan–Dec 2026
Outcomes Run
I, III, IV (three of four)

Ridgeline opened its third location in late 2025 and quickly discovered the problem. Two existing locations ran at 85% chair capacity on referrals alone — the third sat at 38%. The founder, Dr. Lena Ridge, had never needed marketing beyond a directory listing and a competent website. Suddenly she needed a pipeline.

The Growth Blueprint revealed a harder truth. Referrals weren't declining; they were being absorbed by the new chair count without any system to replace them. Ridgeline didn't need marketing. It needed a manufactured demand engine that could eventually match organic growth. The team committed to Growth tier and a Q1 outcome of Attract, with two plays.

By Q2, paid acquisition was producing reliable consultations, but the consultation-to-start conversion had flatlined at 42%. Industry average is 65%. The outcome rotated to Close. The team rebuilt the nurture sequence and instrumented the CRM to trace every lead from ad click to signed treatment plan.

Q3 was a launch — but a Close-flavored one. Ridgeline had been planning an adult clear-aligner service line for months and finally pulled the trigger. The outcome stayed on Close. Plays focused on consult-to-start conversion for the new service: dedicated funnel, financing content, sales videos, plus updated sales enablement collateral.

Q4 turned inward. The aim moved to Customer. Patient newsletter relaunch as the cornerstone asset, plus a structured referral program. Existing patients became the lead source we'd been ignoring. Three of four outcomes used in twelve months. Eight plays total. Same tier all year.

"We didn't buy a marketing package. We bought a team that changed what they were doing every ninety days because the business needed something different every ninety days."
— Dr. Lena Ridge, Founder, Ridgeline Orthodontics
10 The Diagnostic 5 min

Read the signal. Name the outcome.

The signals that tell us which outcome to lead with on day one.

Clients rarely know which outcome they need. They describe symptoms. The AM's job is to hear the signal beneath the complaint and translate it into the right quarterly aim.

"Strangers aren't finding us. We need traffic and awareness."
I
Attract
"Traffic comes through but few people raise their hand."
II
Convert
"Leads come in, our close rate is below industry."
III
Close
"Acquisition's expensive. Our best customers would buy more or refer."
IV
Customer
AM Sidebar · The Diagnostic Call

Ten questions the AM asks every time.

  1. What would have to happen in the next 90 days for you to call this a win?
  2. What is your current monthly lead volume, and what's your capacity to serve?
  3. Of the leads you receive, what percent close? Where do the rest drop off?
  4. How do your best customers describe what you do — in their own words?
  5. What's your current average review score, and how many reviews per month?
  6. What dates are on your calendar in the next 12 months that require a campaign?
  7. Is the founder a public figure? Does the business want them to be?
  8. What percentage of new business comes from referrals today?
  9. If you had to cut all marketing except one thing, what would you keep?
  10. Which outcome on our list sounds most like the one you need right now?
The Commit Rule

One outcome per quarter — every tier. The team picks which plays execute it: 1, 2, or 3 by tier. Scale may run a second concurrent outcome only as a rare judgment call by Jay or Chris.

11 Scope & Scale 4 min

What stays, what rotates, what requires a conversation.

What's included, what rotates, and when to escalate to a real conversation.

The model only holds if everyone — AM, PM, CM, and client — knows where the boundaries are. These rules protect the margin, the rhythm, and the relationship.

The Fixed Parts

Always true.

  • Hosting, website, and maintenance
  • HubSpot CRM management
  • Baseline content rhythm for the tier
  • Monthly outcome review call
  • Quarterly outcome commit
  • Foundation SEO and GBP hygiene
  • Review monitoring and SLA
The Rotating Parts

Shifts every quarter.

  • The single outcome we chase
  • Which plays the team runs (1/2/3 by tier)
  • Where creative capacity points
  • Paid channel mix and emphasis
  • What the monthly report highlights
  • Which AI tools get heaviest use
  • The KPIs the client cares about most
Conversation Triggers

Requires a talk.

  • Work outside the current outcome
  • Net-new service lines (video, AI Solutions)
  • Crisis comms that pre-empt the plays
  • Client wants more plays than tier allows
  • Mid-quarter outcome swap request
  • Scope expansion beyond tier capacity
  • Concurrent outcome — Scale only judgment call
The Seven Operating Rules
  1. Foundation doesn't flex.

    Hosting, website, HubSpot, and baseline rhythm are always on. They never get traded for more plays in a given quarter.

  2. One outcome per quarter — every tier.

    No secondary outcomes at Foundation or Growth. Scale may run a second concurrent only as a rare judgment call by Jay or Chris — not a feature to sell.

  3. Tiers buy plays, not outcomes.

    Foundation gets 1 play per quarter. Growth gets 2. Scale gets 3 (or 2 plus a custom build). Client picks the tier, the team picks which plays execute the chosen outcome.

  4. The team picks the plays.

    Clients don't shop a menu. The AM and pod choose which plays best execute the outcome for this business right now. Strategic judgment is the product — don't give it away.

  5. Rotation at quarter boundaries.

    Both outcomes and plays are locked for the quarter once committed. Swapping mid-quarter is a scope conversation, not a silent pivot.

  6. Upgrades triggered by ceilings, not upsells.

    When the client wants more plays than the tier allows, or their business legitimately needs multi-threaded execution, the AM initiates the upgrade conversation.

  7. Project work lives outside the play menu.

    Video production, AI Solutions blueprints, HubSpot onboarding, branding — separate scopes priced separately. Plays are included in the tier; project work is quoted on top. Keep the line clean.