More of What Doesn’t Make You Happy ... 
Will Not Make You Happy

We just released five episodes of a new Insider program (18-part program)...

Workbook: This program also comes with a downloadable workbook. You will see it as a downloadable document on the program page, the way you can access workbooks for Innovators vs. Summarizers, Overcome the Fear of Failure, and Non-Traditional Way to Build a Media Asset. The team is finalizing the workbook now and will be posting it next week. I highly recommend you download and print the workbook and use it as you work through the program. You will get even more value out of the program this way. Our workbooks also go deeper into certain areas covered in the program, so you can do deeper work if you go through an accompanying workbook.

Now let me share more details about the program.

Close your eyes for a moment. Imagine the spotlight is on you.

Finally.

The promotion you’ve worked years for, the recognition you’ve long craved, is within reach. Your peers envy you. Your family beams with pride.

And yet, something feels off.

This isn’t what you thought it would feel like.

Something you can’t quite name is biting at the edges of your mind.

A whisper, almost imperceptible, asking:

Is this what I really want?

You’re not alone.

Behind the polished veneers of corporate leaders, behind the titles, the applause, and the corner offices, is a different story. It’s a story of battles fought in silence, of sacrifices no one sees, and of choices that seemed obvious, until they weren’t.

I’ve seen it happen many times: leaders who climbed many rungs of the ladder only to discover it was leaning against the wrong wall. Careers that looked flawless from the outside but were unraveling on the inside.

What’s at stake?

It’s your time.
It’s your freedom.
It’s your happiness.
It's the amount of wealth you will create.
It's the legacy you can leave.

Sometimes, what looks like a golden opportunity is a trap in disguise. And sometimes, the thing everyone tells you to chase is exactly what will hold you back, not only personally but also professionally.

I’ve worked with leaders who faced difficult choices. People who seemed to have it all figured out, only to hit a moment of reckoning at the time they thought they would feel at the top of the world.

In this program we share some case studies. 

One is the story of a client who is a partner in private equity who built a billion-dollar portfolio but refused every management role he was offered. Why? The reason might shock you.

We also share another case study of a broker who outsold everyone in his region and his uncommon path to the top. 

These stories are mirrors. Each one reflects the kind of decision that many leaders, many ambitious professionals, will eventually face.

Here’s the question:

When that moment comes for you, will you be ready?

It does not start with getting answers. It starts with asking the questions that matter. Questions that, if you don’t confront them now, could derail your career.

- What if the promotion isn’t the prize you think it is?
- What if the path you’re on isn’t leading where you hope?
- And what if the answer you need isn’t the one you’ve been chasing?

In this program we will guide you on how to think about these questions so you can answer them in a thoughtful and informed way.

The answers aren’t obvious. That’s why we created this program to help leaders like you step back, take a hard look at their careers and ambitions, and uncover what most people miss until it’s too late.

But I’ll warn you, as with all StrategyTraining.com programs, this program isn’t for everyone.

It’s for those ready to ask the hard questions. To confront the unspoken truths about career, success, and what it really means to create wealth, generate value and leave a legacy.

Here are some time stamps as you work through the program to help you not miss important points: 

• Only when you answer this question will you know if pursuing a promotion makes sense for you (00:40, Ep 1)

• Setting up his firm's very first set of investments in a particular asset class (02:20, Ep 1)

• Analyzing 2-5 million deals to understand the economics, the mechanics, and how value is created (03:00, Ep 1)

• No management responsibilities at the private equity firm, by choice (08:00, Ep 1)

• What it looks like to have deep technical mastery of the field (10:30, Ep 1)

• 6 reasons this client is burnishing his legacy, credentials and recognition while having a balanced life with his spouse and children (10:00, Ep 1)

• Questions you need to ask yourself when it comes to promotions (13:30, Ep 1) 

• Getting what matters to you (15:30, Ep 1)

• Putting yourself into a place where you can create the most value for your organization (16:40, Ep 1)

• Why you want a promotion and when promotion leads to 9 elements you want to maximize for (18:00, Ep 1)

• How you determine if you want to be in management (00:50, Ep 2)

• An unusual way to become a top person in your field (03:00, Ep 2)

• Structuring a business in a way where you create the most value with the least amount of set-up costs (04:30, Ep 2)

• How this #1 performing person in his field structures his days and manages his business (05:40, Ep 2)

• When going to the levels of greater control within your organization does not make sense (08:00, Ep 2)

• When clients pursue promotions for the wrong reasons (10:55, Ep 2)

• Michael getting promoted to Partner in his 20s (00:45, Ep 3)

• Getting moved to management positions quickly (00:55, Ep 3)

• 3 reasons Michael was given management roles (01:30, Ep 3)

• What must be proved before you are given a management role (02:14, Ep 3)

• Growing a book of business (02:30, Ep 3)

• Tasks pulling away from clients and building a book of business (03:06, Ep 3)

• The highest-paid partner at the firm (03:50, Ep 3)

• What led to Michael's growth in compensation (04:15. Ep 3)

• Steps required to get yourself on the map within a major organization (06:30, Ep 3)

• You cannot lead without this (08:15, Ep 3)

• Two part action step number 1 (00:50, Ep 4)

• Seven rough things people are pursuing (03:40, Ep 4)

• Critical questions to ask (04:20, Ep 4)

• A common story we see with clients (06:50, Ep 4)

• H1B visa challenges (08:20, Ep 4)

• What often happens when clients gets a green card (08:50, Ep 4)

• What people often maximize for (10:50, Ep 4)

• What immigrant clients often do that really hurts them (12:30, Ep 4)

• Ask yourself this critical question (14:51, Ep 4)

• 7 things (18:00, Ep 4)

• When promotions lead to success and highest compensation (00:20, Ep 5)

• If you can get this, you may not need a promotion (01:00, Ep 5)

• Section 47 (03:34, Ep 5)

• Control of the entire process breakdown example (04:04, Ep 5)

• Coordinating and synchronizing across the entire company versus the management consulting practice setup (08:19, Ep 5)

• Contrasting types of businesses and what is required to create the most value (12:00, Ep 5)

• When being promoted results in you creating less wealth (15:20, Ep 5)

• Proving you can create value (16:40, Ep 5)

---

Enrollment is now open for new Insider and Legacy members. Don’t let another transformative program pass you by. The insights we share are unique, powerful, timely, and battle-tested. As one of the long-term Insiders said in a recent conversation with me:

"The content is getting better every time... The thing with all the content here is that we kind of have to go through them. When you are put into that situation, you kind of like, okay, I picked up this concept from here. I review it because each person's situation is different. But I know where to find them, and I always get results when I apply what I’ve learned."

If you're an Insider or Legacy member, this program is now available in your account on StrategyTraining.com.

Not a member yet? Enroll here: www.strategytraining.com (scroll to membership options and select Insider or Legacy level to immediately access this program).

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out at team@firmsconsulting.com.

Thank you for being a part of the StrategyTraining.com community.

Access New Insider Program

Developing a Financial Services Strategy Proposal

We have just released Developing a Financial Services Strategy Proposal (109 SLIDES). It is accessible within the Strategy Control Room, Advanced Level.
 

***

This winning proposal template/example is unique. The goal was to impress the private equity firm which had purchased the retailer, and serve as their advisor rather than working for the retailer, which was planning an expansion into financial services. The proposal, which is detailed and research-intensive, was meant to help the PE executives who sat on the retailer's board understand that what they were proposing could be repeated across the continent. 

While our primary focus is on retail banking integration, the frameworks and methodologies presented here can be adapted to analyze any retail-based service integration strategy. We will outline how to grow financial services to 50% of revenue across a consumer base of the client.

The objective is to grow the business while increasing returns and managing risk sustainably and present it in a structured, approachable manner that any business leader can understand and apply.

This will serve as an anchor study alongside other transformational business cases within our knowledge management system, which, based on a lot of requests, was made accessible to our clients via the Strategy Control Room Advanced.

The study shows how to analyze market opportunities, manage risks, and scale operations while maintaining sustainable growth, which is fundamental to any major business transformation.

This proposal breaks down the process into manageable, actionable steps. It's designed to be valuable not just for those in financial services but for anyone interested in understanding how to successfully integrate new service lines into existing business models.

HOW TO FIND DEVELOPING A FINANCIAL SERVICES STRATEGY PROPOSAL:

1. Log in to The Strategy Control Room, Advanced Level, membership area.
2. See the "PROPOSALS" dropdown. 
3. Select "Developing a Financial Services Strategy Proposal."
4. The Developing a Financial Services Strategy Proposal consists of 109 slides.

If you are The Strategy Control Room, Advanced Level, member, here is the direct link to this particular update.

If you joined an Advanced Level of the Strategy Control Room today, you would find the most powerful strategy, problem-solving, consulting, and results-oriented leadership reading library in the world. The resources include:

• Michael's explanation slides for selected programs on StrategyTraining.com

• 12 full engagements

• Change Management Influence & Persuasion Center of Excellence 

• Detailed Business Case Methodology Center of Excellence 

• Encyclopedia of Strategy Analyses Center of Excellence 

• Corporate Training Center of Excellence

• One-Week Immersion: Consulting Onboarding / Consulting Mastery Center of Excellence

• 32 proposals

• Flipcharts

• Layout guides

• 17 strategy and problem-solving books which we do not make available anywhere else

• 2 brand new strategy and problem-solving books just released and not available anywhere else

• 11 book drafts never before available and not available anywhere else

• Case interview materials for Felix, Rafik, Samantha, and Sanjeev, case interview exhibits, case interview solutions

• The evolution of corporate strategy

• The business case toolkit

• Implementation and operation toolkit

• Corporate strategy toolkit

• Strategy maps

• And more 

Enroll as a Strategy Control Room Advanced Member

And if you are not yet an Insider or Legacy member and want to gain access to video and audio advanced programs on StrategyTraining.com we invite you to explore membership options (scroll down). We recommend to start with Insider or Legacy membership as a base membership and add the Strategy Control Room (Advanced Level) as an add-on when the time is right for you.

Take this opportunity to invest in yourself and your future. StrategyTraining.com resources can be transformative for your career, but it's up to you to make time to study the resources and focus on quick integration. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at team@firmsconsulting.com.

The One Thing That Will Change Your Life Completely

As someone who immigrated 3 times in my life, I am part of a group that I call professional immigrants. Meaning, I am really good at navigating the steps needed to pick up my life and move to another country where I don't know anyone, and build a professional career and life there.

I can also call myself a professional immigrant because I am considered to be highly skilled and highly educated. I worked at top consulting companies in the world, where I received accelerated promotions. I was a corporate finance director at a top-3 Canadian bank where I managed a portfolio of over 1 billion dollars and received an accelerated promotion and an award. Myself, Michael, and our incredible team run a very influential business that moves forward strategy thinking and management consulting profession around the world. Very few people can say that when they speak to competitors, they can see their books on the competitor's bookshelf and where a competitor is telling you how much your books or book helped them in their business. This happened to me multiple times.

What makes professional immigrants exceptional leaders

We are often highly trained and highly motivated, and highly educated professionals who leave behind everything, to take huge risks to have a better life, bigger opportunities, and earn more for ourselves and our families. We make the journey alone. We are not kids following our parents who protect us. We have no protection. We were not born in the countries we end up calling our homes. We often are from poorer countries. We leave behind our families, often not seeing them for a decade or more. At the time of writing, I have seen my parents and brothers only twice in over 20 years and my sister 3 times in over 20 years.

We leave our friends. We leave all the comforts of home: our language, our reputations, our friends, sometimes our credentials, our food, our culture, and our safety net. We have dependents, our extended families, before we have children. Some of us decide not to have children or have only one while we would love to have more, because the level of responsibility we already have for our extended family makes it very hard for us to add another dependent.

We are often the most hardworking members of our family. Millions of us are stuck in limbo around immigration rules.

My immigration journey

I moved for a better life four times. I first moved to Moscow, which is hard to do without the right residency permit even though I am Russian. That was not a successful trip at all but I kept at it. In fact, it was harder than any of my 3 moves to another country. I then moved to Africa and then to North America. And within North America from Canada to the USA. And I also moved between cities within some of those countries. For example, in the US I lived in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and San Diego.

I had no relatives in any of those countries, no mentorship or guidance and no support. I had no friends to meet me at the airport and no community on which to rely. When I first immigrated, my pianist diploma was not even recognized and could not even be found in the educational certification database. It was as if I did not have any education, and I had to start from scratch.

Even the paid legal help was often a nightmare, which ended up costing me time and money to fix. Yet, I had to do it because I had to take care of several family members. When I started my journey, there were times when I did not eat lunch to save money and wore older clothing with holes, including shoes. I still remember the burgundy shoes I had in Africa with holes in the sole. No one could see the holes, but I could feel them.

H1B / green card

Quitting is often not any easier. Moving back to our home countries is often a difficult option. Many immigrants study in the West, like me, and often take on expensive student loans. They need to stay and work in the West to pay down these student loans since their employment prospects in their home countries do not pay enough.

In the US, the H1B visa is a lottery. It's a competitive process where most will not get a visa. Those who do get it often need to stay with their employer. Their employer may or may not file a green card application. The green card approval may take up to twenty years. I read that 200,000 Indians will die of natural causes before their green cards are approved.

Think about that. 200,000 talented and generous professionals who are very hardworking and making tremendous sacrifices to care for their immediate and extended family will not live their full lives.

Many cannot buy homes for fear of having a firesale so that they can leave the country within the time limit, should they lose their jobs, to avoid being banned. For this reason, I rented for a long time. By renting and not buying, we give up the primary method to build wealth: equity growth in a home. We have to build wealth with the best option often out of our reach for a very long time. Children may age out of the process. Spouses often cannot work. It's tragic that most H1B holders who lose their jobs did not do so due to poor performance. Technology companies, for example, simply changed their strategies and decided to cut costs in the face of rising interest rates.

Recruitment for professional immigrants

In Canada, I was told I needed professional Canadian work experience to break into professional ranks. Yet, very few wanted to give applicants this experience. I had to get an MBA from a top school, with distinction on the deans’ list, to break into the top bank, and then a major consulting firm. In two separate countries, I had to study again just to break into the professional ranks.

Most professional immigrants cannot afford to study again or have their previous degrees and credentials accredited. As I mentioned earlier, at one point an accreditation body could not find my Russian school in their database. I gave up that process and studied again. I know taxi drivers who were doctors, lawyers, and architects in their home countries who cannot afford the re-certification process. They drive a car to care for their spouse and children, and families in their home countries.

Credit scores are not transferable between countries. Not even between Canada and the US. Even Canadian checks are often not cashable in the USA. I found that out the hard way. Buying a car and home is difficult, especially if you do not know when you will be asked to leave. Travel is very hard. There is always the lingering fear that some administrative error will lock you out or the laws may change while you are traveling. Some professional immigrants, like those on the H1B, are stuck to one employer and often for the same role. They cannot try new things nor can they accept promotions to better, but different, roles. The mind frays when it is not challenged. Often, in our peak years, most immigrants are stuck in the same careers.

A mountain of paperwork

We become knowledge management experts as we have to keep a mountain of paperwork and original documents to support our movement. Our entire lives are archived and indexed in color-coded folders. We keep meticulous notes on all our travels. We keep all passports and even hundreds of pages of utility bills to prove we were where we said we were.

In just about every professional immigrant’s home there is a cupboard filled with legal documentation. This is often more valuable than their retirement accounts. It’s hard to open and keep retirement accounts knowing you could be forced to leave at any time, often selling at the wrong time. Planning is hard. It is based on the renewal of documents and visas.

Supporting extended family

It is not uncommon for children of immigrants to never meet their grandparents in person. I have seen my nephew only once in my life.

Most Western countries have rules, benefits, and perks that are not designed for cultures with extended families. I have seen many colleagues with kids allowed to leave early, while those without kids have to carry the weight. Yet, I also have many dependents, even if I do not have kids. Even bonuses and retrenchments take into consideration if employees have a partner and children. It almost never takes into consideration if you support numerous family members in your home country. Payments into your 401K are tax-deferred or tax-free for a Roth IRA account. Yet, the money I send home monthly often has the highest fees, going up to 30% in some cases. A professional immigrant’s definition of a family is usually much larger than the Western definition.

Anxiety & sacrifices

Lack of certainty causes anxiety. Knowing we have so little control over our ability to care for ourselves and our families has negative health effects. Fear of losing our jobs and having to leave forces us to not rock the boat at work. I would come to work early and leave very late to constantly prove my worth. I would have done it anyway, but the pressure of being an immigrant creates this constant sense of instability in your life. Professional immigrants often see their talented spouses staying at home and missing their peak earnings years. Simple things like getting and keeping a driver's license are difficult.

There is little financial freedom.
There is little future stability.
There is little flexibility.

The professional immigrant experience is a special experience. It is painful, and sometimes tragic, and it's often our families who gain the most from our efforts. We sacrifice parts of ourselves to give them something better. We rent, so our parents can buy a house. We delay children, so our nieces and nephews can afford the experiences we want for our children. I do not think many people in the West can understand this. We are expected to fight so hard on so many tiring fronts.

Taking care of so many people is hard and expensive. In both banking and consulting, I would have had to have been a senior person at the top end of the pay scale to care for my family. And it would have taken years to achieve with little guarantee of it happening. Did I really want to work so hard for so many years hoping to make enough to support my family? And that is not even having a good life. It would have meant working flat out just to stay afloat and maybe get a Sunday off. 

Another path to green card

If you want to explore following an alternative, faster path to green card and would like our support to significantly increase your chances to qualify for EB1A or a similar green card, you can either:

1) Join as a Legacy or Insider member and immediately start working through USA Immigration/Citizenship Best Practices From Our Most Successful Clients program. We recommend not delaying this, given the changes in immigration laws across the world. Start implementing what you learn right away while waiting for the upcoming EB1A Insider program to come out. The insights can also be applied when applying for a similar visa in other countries.

2) If you don't want to be alone while doing the monumental mental work required to figure out a path to meet eligibility requirements, plus navigate all the obstacles along the way, you can apply to work directly with us as part of a 1-year program. In this executive coaching program, we figure out the critical path with you and work together to guide you through the critical path. In other words, we select the criteria we should work on meeting, design a critical path for you to become eligible, and then guide you as you progress through the critical path. 

If you know anything about working with Michael and me, you will know that we often find solutions/ways for you to move forward that you haven't thought about that can give you a real edge in life. Email team@firmsconsulting.com with additional details about your situation and your resume (in any format currently available) to start your application.

Please note that the objective of this executive coaching program is not to explain your achievements or merely compile documents. This is what lawyers do. If we work together, our role would be to help you create and achieve those things that would meet the conditions for the green card. Please note that we are not immigration lawyers and clients must use common sense and consult legal counsel when making decisions.

Learn more about the upcoming Insider program and executive coaching program here (please kindly note that due to some bug on the site that we just noticed and are working on fixing, the page takes longer to load): EB-1A Green Card – An Alien of Extraordinary Ability program.

P.S. Access Insider or Legacy membership materials (our in-depth video/audio training library) on StrategyTraining.com (scroll down to membership options).

P.S.S. Would you like reading materials, too? Access the Strategy Control Room Advanced.

Set a Bold Goal and Join Us...

For a Transformative Year

Happy New Year!

This year, we will do something different for Insiders and Legacy members. Yes, we are going to be releasing powerful programs for both Insider and Legacy levels. Major updates and exciting changes are coming to both and we will share more soon. We also will be releasing very powerful materials as part of the Strategy Control Room Advanced. In addition, we will also be doing something completely new for Insiders and Legacy members: a big one-year program together called "The Annual."

The program is designed to help you achieve a goal you set at the beginning of the program. It's the one goal that can lead to a significant - trajectory-altering - improvement in your life/career.

This will be a new format for an Insider program, which we will figure out together as the program progresses. The current plan is for the program to have key modules to be completed as you progress toward the goal you set for the year, support resources, and LIVE calls where you can submit your written questions, all designed to help you:

Build your dreams with people you trust.

The current plan is that at the end of each important module, we will get together on a LIVE call where you can submit your written questions related to the module or the step on the critical path as you pursue your goal. 

The world is changing rapidly, and we have to either change with it or get left behind. We do not want any of our Insiders, Legacy members, or clients to be left behind.

For a long time, we were about building the skill set that only a consulting partner from a major firm would have. Now, it is time to transcend to the next level. Skills development will remain important, and we will continue teaching our clients and members key skills, but we will go beyond that. We will focus on building your dream.

That dream could be:

- being the best advisor for your clients you can be
- going on your own and building your own business
- progressing to executive ranks within your organization
- becoming a respected expert in your field
- or just being a happy father/mother, husband/wife, son/daughter, employee, and friend, staying relevant and effective in a fast-changing world

What is happening with technology and AI development is both scary and exciting. Many people will be left behind if they don't adapt to the new reality. We are not going back to business as usual.

We are here to support you through this transition: helping you adapt to this new world so that you remain relevant, and helping you have a systematic and effective way of pursuing your goals, regardless of changes in technology. We will help you set a bold goal and work with you as you build your dream.

For the last set of our Results Clinics in 2025, one of our amazing executive coaching clients asked if his wife could fully enroll in the program as well. While we are basically full for all current executive coaching groups, as we keep each group very small so we can work in depth with each client on every call, we found space for our client’s wife, who is increadible, by the way. These kinds of emails particularly touch my heart because they show that what we do is highly relevant and valuable. This is a level of trust that is extremely rare in work relationships. Only when you trust someone at an incredibly high level would you bring your significant other into the executive coaching program you are a part of.

StrategyTraining.com and FIRMSconsulting.com were always about being a place where people can transform the trajectory of their lives, regardless of where they are in their careers. If someone finds us at the beginning of their career, when they cannot even afford our monthly Premium membership (which is only $167 and gives access to very powerful programs, with Insider access unlocked when 7th consecutive month begins), they can use all the free resources we have out there to get to the point where they can afford a monthly Premium membership or even immediate access to Insider through annual membership, and our other products and services.

Once someone becomes a Premium member, they will have access to tremendous resources that, if diligently applied, can allow them to increase their compensation far above the level of affording to upgrade to Legacy at which point they can start getting a tailored reply from us to their question on a regular basis. And that upgrade can then provide support, insights, and navigation to help get to a place where members can easily afford to work with us personally as part of our executive coaching programs.

At every level and every step of someone’s career or life, we are a place where members and clients can build their dreams with people they trust. This is what 2025 will be about.

If you want to be a part of this, if you want to have a trusted advisor, make 2025 a year where you stay relevant, transcend to the next level, and remain in a position to continue being relevant as the world changes at an unprecedented rate.

If you are ready to build your dream, make sure you access Insider or Legacy now so you don't miss the goal-setting part of the program and so you can be with us from the beginning of The Annual 2025 program.

If you also want to work with us personally, seats are limited. We have now basically run out of seats for our current executive coaching groups, but we are open to adding one or two more small groups for 2025, if there is a good fit for both sides. To inquire and apply, email team@firmsconsulting.com.

I’m looking forward to 2025 and what we will do together, what we can achieve together. I hope you will use these first few days of 2025 to get a little rest, take a break, and reset so we can hit the ground running with The Annual together.

Happy holidays and the warmest wishes to you and your family.

Enroll in Insider or Legacy membership at StrategyTraining.com so you don’t miss the beginning of The Annual.

Access Insider

(Enroll as an Insider or Legacy member after scrolling down to membership options).

Access Insider (Enroll for Insider or Legacy)

It’s Not About What You Think Your Expertise Is....

It’s About Where Others See You Bring Value

We just released a full new Insider program (a 3-part program)...

Workbook: This program also comes with a downloadable workbook. You will see it as a downloadable document on the program page, the way you can access workbooks for Innovators vs. Summarizers, Overcome the Fear of Failure, and Non-Traditional Way to Build a Media Asset. The team is finalizing the workbook now and will be posting it next week. I highly recommend you download and print the workbook and use it as you work through the program. You will get even more value out of the program this way. Our workbooks also go deeper into certain areas covered in the program, so you can do deeper work if you go through an accompanying workbook.

Now let me share more details about this new 3-part Insider program (the full program was just released for Insiders):

What if you could build a book of business in record time, even if you had no prior relationships? That’s the focus of our latest program.

Let me take you inside a real challenge faced by one of our exceptional Legacy members and long-term clients. Let's call him Mark. Mark had identified a groundbreaking opportunity: a way AI could unlock massive value in private equity. But here’s the reality he faced:

No active relationships: Mark's connections in private equity were 15 years old and dormant.

High risk of idea appropriation: How do you share an insight without giving away the keys to the kingdom?

Proving relevance: Could Mark demonstrate his indispensable value to the execution?

Sound familiar? Whether you’re a seasoned professional or starting fresh in a high-stakes industry, you’ve likely faced similar questions. How do you break through when the odds seem stacked against you? How do you establish yourself as indispensable in a world where people are becoming more and more easily replaceable?

That’s where this program comes in.

We designed it specifically to help leaders like you navigate these challenges.

And emerge stronger, sharper, and positioned for success.

This program, like all our programs, is not about generic advice or recycled ideas. It’s about the battle-tested approach that works, tools that deliver results, and strategies proven by executives who’ve been where you are now.

What You Can Expect to Learn:

- How to turn dormant relationships into powerful business allies.
- The secrets to framing your value so decision-makers can’t say no.
- The tactics to protect your insights while still gaining traction.
- The way you can build a book of business fast and get meetings with C-suite executives even if you have no pre-existing relationships in the industry.

What if you could not only re-establish credibility but position yourself as the authority that top firms seek out? In a case study from Michael's career, you’ll explore a powerful approach to unlock access to C-suite executives with whom you have no prior relationships. This was done in a way that didn't just get Michael elected to become a partner very early in his career but also built the careers of many people within Michael's team and established a very profitable new consulting practice.

This program will take you step-by-step through how to do the same. But here’s the truth:

You will only get results if you listen with a focus on "How do I apply this as soon as possible?"

You need:

Impatience with actions, patience with results.

You won’t just be handed the answers. As with all our programs, you’ll be guided to discover your path and craft your approach. But you need to apply what you will learn to your life and your career to see how powerful this approach is.

Why This Program Matters to You Now:

Opportunities don’t wait. The space you are in is probably highly competitive and it is difficult to get traction. Without a sharp strategy and the right tools, even the best ideas can fail to take off or get appropriated by people who can implement them without you.

But...

With the right approach, you can compete and, possibly, dominate.

This program is for leaders ready to:

- Build a book of business faster than they thought possible.
- Turn insights into tangible value without losing control of their ideas.
- Position themselves as indispensable in the eyes of stakeholders.

We mapped out the path to success for you.

You bring the ambition, and we’ll provide the roadmap.

Here are some time stamps as you work through the program to help you not miss important points:

• How we use our AI system to provide input in decision-making (00:30, Ep 1)

• Dissecting the question (01:30, Ep 1)

• What you should keep in mind when presenting your credentials (04:00, Ep 1)

• Questions to ask when you are evaluating your insight/business idea (04:50, Ep 1)

• Getting clear on where the problem lies (06:00, Ep 1)

• You can't make a decision before you clarify this (09:00, Ep 1)

• How branding yourself works (12:00, Ep 1)

• The biggest mistake people make when selecting a role model (15:50, Ep 1)

• The way PE works (0:30, Ep 2)

• A big shift in PE (02:00, Ep 2)

• The kind of executives PE firms bring in (03:40, Ep 2)

• What will determine if the PE executive wants to include you after you share the idea (05:30, Ep 2)

• Battle-tested model to reach executives in power, even without pre-existing relationships (07:00, Ep 2)

• Dealing with a lack of distribution points for your ideas (14:40, Ep 2)

• Iconic Black Stone story told behind closed doors and a key lesson for you (02:00, Ep 3)

• Crucial criteria when selecting a business partner (09:40, Ep 3)

---

Enrollment is now open for new Insider and Legacy members. Don’t let another program pass you by. The insights we share are unique, powerful, timely, and battle-tested. As one of the long-term Insiders said in a recent conversation with me:

"The content is getting better every time... The thing with all the content here is that we kind of have to go through them. When you are put into that situation, you kind of like, okay, I picked up this concept from here. I review it because each person's situation is different. But I know where to find them, and I always get results when I apply what I’ve learned."

If you're an Insider or Legacy member, this program is now available in your account on StrategyTraining.com.

Not a member yet? Enroll here: www.strategytraining.com (scroll to membership options and select Insider or Legacy level to immediately access this program).

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out at team@firmsconsulting.com.

In a Saturated Market, a Single Compelling Graphic Can...

Be Worth a Thousand Meandering Words.

When it comes to consulting proposals, true mastery lies not merely in pristine logic but in how one’s vision leaps from the page. Even if you aren’t a member of the Strategy Control Room Advanced (SCRA), our internal massive reading library, or Insider or Legacy member with access to our extensive proprietary video and audio training library we spent over 15 years putting together, you can benefit from the insights we’ve applied in putting together sale-worthy consulting proposals.

So, bend an ear, sharpen a quill, and consider these 13 tips on writing sale-worthy consulting proposals to outshine your competition:

1. Focus on the Client's Needs:

Understand the audience for your consulting proposal. Their biggest aches, aspirations, and constraints. While it's important to showcase your consulting firm's capabilities, demonstrate a deep understanding of potential client's business context, and tailor your content to meet their specific needs and expectations. Meeting in person, if possible, can provide deeper insights into potential clients' requirements and help you craft a more targeted proposal. It can enable you to tailor a proposal that resonates with their deepest priorities (which are often biased for each particular senior person on the client's side).

2. Quality Over Quantity:

High proposal volume often leads to lower quality. Endless pages of boilerplate banality are what you often see with consulting proposals that go nowhere. Instead of churning out numerous proposals, focus on creating fewer, well-thought-out proposals. This approach prevents a cut-and-paste mentality and ensures each proposal is designed with care and precision.

3. Involve the Right People:

Avoid having dedicated proposal teams that are disconnected from the operational realities of a project. Instead, rotate team members from ongoing similar studies to work on proposals. When contributors bring firsthand operational insight to the table, the resulting promises become grounded, authentic, and credible. Such frontline wisdom lends a sharper edge, ensuring your proposal stands out from competitors.

4. Differentiate Your Consulting Proposal:

Don’t settle for stale, industry-standard claims. Have a clear point of differentiation and drive it hard. Your consulting proposal should stand out by highlighting unique insights, methodologies, or capabilities that your firm offers. Write in a way so that any discerning reader thinks: This team sees the world differently.

5. Use Proposals as Strategic Tools:

A consulting proposal should serve as more than just a document to win business. It should be a strategic tool that positions your consulting firm as a thought leader and a trusted advisor. Aim for your proposal to become a reference document within the client organization, sparking discussions and guiding decision-making. Render it so robust, so insightful, that it evolves into a treasured reference within the client’s corridors.

6. Elegant Simplicity Amid Complexity: 

Simplicity is the hallmark of refined thinking. Communicate complex ideas in a straightforward manner. Avoid jargon and ensure that the proposal is easy to read and understand. Use clear, concise language to convey your message effectively. Make complexity approachable. Translate complexity into clean lines of reasoning, and sculpt your narrative so a layperson (or a rushed executive) still catches every crucial point.

7. Back-Up Promises with Resources:

Every promise requires a solid underpinning. Ensure that any resources or capabilities promised in the proposal are backed up by actual resources within your firm. Any hinted resource, promised capability, or vaunted tool must have substance behind it. Back your claims with evidence: internal experts ready to mobilize or proprietary analytics proven to deliver. Tangible proof, be it seasoned experts, validated analytics, or prior successes, builds credibility and trust with the client.

8. Clarity of Purpose from the Outset:

Start with a clear, concise statement of the problem and the value your solution provides: Here is the crux of the challenge, and here is the value we pledge to bring. Let no reader wade through a swamp of confusion before grasping the essence of what you are proposing.

9. The “Wow” Factor on Every Page of Your Consulting Proposal: 

As Kevin P. Coyne, former McKinsey worldwide co-head of strategy practice, shared in our in-depth programs likeHow to Solve Big ProblemsandHow to Become a McKinsey Partner (on StrategyTraining.com), you want to ensure there is at least one "WoW" moment for a client on every page or every slide of your proposal. It can be presented in written format or verbally, but it has to be there.  A striking insight, a novel metric, a new angle, something that compels a double-take and plants a seed of excitement.

10. A Story That Flows Like a River:

Structure your consulting proposal as a narrative unfolding in logical segments. From context-setting background to crystal-clear objectives, from approach to timelines and outcomes, each segment should follow naturally, ensuring your reader never loses the thread. Make it easy for potential clients to follow along.

11. Visual Engagement:

Words can only carry so much weight before the eyes need a break. Deploy clean visuals, concise slides, and crisp charts to help potential clients quickly grasp complex concepts and data. In a saturated market, a single compelling graphic can be worth a thousand meandering words. One of the huge benefits of using theSCRAis you have access to full studies, proposals, and centers of excellence to find compelling graphics to showcase an insight that can make you stand out.

12. Proof of Value. Not Platitudes:

Support your recommendations with evidence (market research, case studies, pilot results). Case studies whisper of past victories. Market research offers rich context. Pilot results bestow tangible credibility. Quantify potential returns where possible. The more solid your proof, the firmer your foundation in the client’s mind.

13. Promise a Tomorrow Worth Pursuing:

Present a forward-thinking view. Extend your vision beyond current pain points. Show how your consulting proposal anticipates shifting markets, guiding the client toward sustainable, long-term success. Inspire them not only to solve today’s problems but proactively prepare to handle tomorrow's problems and seize tomorrow’s opportunities.

By incorporating these insights, you can design consulting proposals that are not only compelling and persuasive but also strategically aligned with the client's needs and your firm's objectives. These principles are emphasized in Firmsconsulting's and StrategyTraining.com resources, such as our books (SCRA) and training programs, which aim to equip consultants and leaders with the skills needed to excel in consulting proposal writing and client attraction and retention.

Even if you never "step inside" the Strategy Control Room (Advanced) library, these principles and insights can refine how you approach writing proposals for internal initiatives or client-facing projects. By balancing strategic vision with practical steps, you can inspire confidence among stakeholders and ensure your efforts are grounded in measurable outcomes.

Speaking of consulting proposals, we have just released our new proposal, “Project to Better Serve Customers (Pilot, 28 Slides),” now available in the Strategy Control Room, Advanced Level. This document details a forward-looking approach designed to address Company 1’s core business challenges, including declining market share, stagnant revenue growth, and underperforming profit margins.

What’s Inside the New Proposal:

The project unfolds in two key phases to ensure a methodical, results-driven approach:

• Phase 1: High-Level Design & Business Case – Establish a strategic foundation, clarify objectives, and validate the potential ROI.

• Phase 2: Detailed Design & Implementation – Translate strategy into action, refine organizational structures, and set up processes that improve customer satisfaction and retention.

Core Objectives:

• Deep Market Insight: Gain a more nuanced understanding of evolving market dynamics to inform better decision-making.

• Enhanced Customer Segmentation: Develop precise customer segments, ensuring targeted solutions and messaging.

• Dedicated Customer Service Center: Create a centralized hub focused on delivering exceptional, value-added support and building long-term customer relationships.

We invite you to explore this proposal and other proposals within the SCRA and apply these lessons to your own work. 

HOW TO FIND "PROJECT TO BETTER SERVE CUTOMERS. PILOT" PROPOSAL:

1. Log in to The Strategy Control Room, Advanced Level, membership area.
2. See the "PROPOSALS" dropdown. 
3. Select "33 Project to Better Serve Customers. Pilot (28 SLIDES)."
4. The "Project to Better Serve Customers. Pilot" consists of 28 slides for the three documents.

If you are The Strategy Control Room, Advanced Level, member, here is the direct link to this particular update.

If you joined an Advanced Level of the Strategy Control Room today, you would find the most powerful strategy, problem-solving, consulting, and results-oriented leadership reading library in the world. The resources include:

• Michael's explanation slides for selected programs on StrategyTraining.com

• 12 full engagements

• Change Management Influence & Persuasion Center of Excellence 

• Detailed Business Case Methodology Center of Excellence 

• Encyclopedia of Strategy Analyses Center of Excellence 

• Corporate Training Center of Excellence

• One-Week Immersion: Consulting Onboarding / Consulting Mastery Center of Excellence

• 33 proposals

• Flipcharts

• Layout guides

• 17 strategy and problem-solving books which we do not make available anywhere else

• 2 brand new strategy and problem-solving books just released and not available anywhere else

• 11 book drafts never before available and not available anywhere else

• Case interview materials for Felix, Rafik, Samantha, and Sanjeev, case interview exhibits, case interview solutions

• The evolution of corporate strategy

• The business case toolkit

• Implementation and operation toolkit

• Corporate strategy toolkit

• Strategy maps

• And more 

Enroll as a Strategy Control Room Advanced Member

And if you are not yet an Insider or Legacy member and want to gain access to video and audio advanced programs on StrategyTraining.com we invite you to explore membership options (scroll down). We recommend to start with Insider or Legacy membership as a base membership and add the Strategy Control Room (Advanced Level) as an add-on when the time is right for you.

Take this opportunity to invest in yourself and your future. StrategyTraining.com resources can be transformative for your career, but it's up to you to make time to study the resources and focus on quick integration. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at team@firmsconsulting.com.

The Family Didn’t Trust Each Other, Let Alone the Buyer.

Every Move Felt Like Navigating a Minefield.

Building an electric car start-up: 9 new episodes

Building an electric car start-up is not for the faint of heart. Picture standing at the edge of an industry known for brutal competition, staggering costs, and relentless innovation. Then imagine stepping into it, not as a seasoned automaker but as an outsider. No connections. No experiences. No decades of industry knowledge.

This is exactly where Richard, a former MBB consultant and StrategyTraining.com Case Coaching Alum, found himself. And he came to us to see if we would join forces with him in pursuing this goal.

We did. And we’ve captured every single step of this audacious journey for you.

Nine new episodes (within Part 3) of the Building an Electric Car Start-Up program were just released. The stakes are high; the challenges are insurmountable for most. To move this venture forward, an uncommon level of problem-solving and business strategy thinking is required.

The Stakes:

Electric vehicles may very well represent the future of transportation, but they also embody some of the toughest questions in business:

• How do you build a brand from scratch in a field dominated by giants like Tesla?

• Can you align groundbreaking technology with mass-market appeal?

• What’s the path from an idea to a product that not only works in the short term but works in a sustainable way?

For Richard and us, co-building this business together, these are not abstract questions. They are existential ones.

The Challenges:

At every step, the obstacles are monumental. But in this particular part of the program, we will zoom in on roadblocks we had to deal with when we got to a point where we already raised 20 million dollars, decided to acquire an auto manufacturer, found a suitable acquisition target, and commenced negotiations. The key challenges we faced at this step of the journey included:

1. A Fragmented Family Business:
   The acquisition process began with the intent to secure a struggling, family-run automotive company, a business mired in disputes, poor record-keeping, and mismanagement. Every family member wanted a piece of the pie, and some actively sabotaged operations to get their way. Suppliers were alienated. Production lines stalled. Relationships fractured.

2. Negotiating with Ghosts:
   Stakeholders emerged from every corner: stepchildren, estranged cousins, even family members the owner hadn’t spoken to in years. Each one with demands, grudges, and strategies to tilt the deal in their favor.

3. When Dysfunction Meets Logistics:
   Procurement staff retaliated by halting essential orders. Suppliers, burned by the chaos, reallocated their production capacity to competitors. For a business that focused on creating customized high-end cars, a single missed shipment meant months, or even years, of setbacks.

4. Auditors That Miss the Mark:
   Adding insult to injury, the audit process was a disaster. Despite working with a reputable firm, the auditors team missed critical gaps in financial records and commingling of assets. A lack of basic checks plagued the due diligence. It felt like navigating a ship with no map, no compass, and holes in the hull.

Were we able to persevere?

Become the smartest and most influential person in the room with the StrategyTraining app. In today’s fiercely competitive world, you either grow or risk irrelevance. Designed for busy business professionals, our app and website delivers thousands of transformational episodes from ex-McKinsey, BCG, and banking leaders, with new training added weekly. Our programs are known for delivering uncommon and battle-tested insights and approaches. But we take it a step further. We teach you how you can develop such insights and approaches yourself, given your unique situation. Whether you’re commuting, traveling, between meetings or working out, turn your downtime into valuable self-investment with meaningful ROI. Stay ahead by learning the skills few in the world possess. The StrategyTraining app can help you stand out, stay relevant, and become indispensable. Enroll as an Insider and download the app today.

Why This Matters:

Most of us won’t launch an electric car company, but we all face challenges that test our resolve, ingenuity, and endurance. This program is not really about the auto industry. It’s about creative problem-solving, leadership, and strategy distilled from the frontlines of one of the most complex start-up journeys you could imagine.

Through these nine new episodes, you’ll gain:

• An unfiltered look at decision-making under pressure.

• A stronger ability to think like a strategy partner, no matter your field.

• Lessons that go beyond theory to show you the reality of implementation.

What’s at Stake for You?

Here’s the truth: watching this program can change how you see business. And it can change how you think about business.

Do you have the mental discipline to navigate uncertain waters? To see opportunity where others see only problems? To not give up where most people would. 

This is an invitation to challenge yourself.

Let’s face it: success isn’t handed to you and me. If it was, everyone would be successful.

It’s built one decision at a time. For example, a decision to invest in building the type of rare skills we teach on StrategyTraining.com.

Giving timestamps for 9 episodes will make this email way too long. So here are timestamps just for the last episode released so far (episode 25) to give you a taste of what is in store for you:

- Leveraging relationships with the owner (Episode 25, 0:40)
- Challenging family dynamics (Episode 25, 02:00)
- Classic torturous issue family businesses face (Episode 25, 04:30)
- Creating a family committee (Episode 25, 06:20)
- M&A discussions led to production problems (Episode 25, 06:56)
- The scabbles didn't end there (Episode 25, 07:49)
- How the family tried to sabotage the deal (Episode 25, 08:50)
- What sabotage of the deal efforts by the family members allowed us to do (Episode 25, 10:05)
- Family members taking steps to destroy the business (Episode 25, 11:00)
- Unique situation where shareholders have operating roles as well (Episode 25, 11:30)
- Dealing with accounting issues and liabilities (Episode 25, 13:00)
- Poor performance of the audit team (Episode 25, 14:30)

Get Started

If you are a member, access the new 9 episodes here or click the button below.

Building an Electric Car Start-Up (Insiders & Legacy Members)

Want Personalized Help?

In addition to the powerful programs, there is also executive coaching program for more senior clients within our community, where you can work personally with Michael and me as you are pursuing your goal. This allows you to receive our mentorship and coaching as you develop your critical path and execute along the critical path. 

I often hear from members of the FC community that they did not apply for executive coaching with us because they are not as successful as some of our clients. I personally encourage you to apply. If you know my story and if you know us, it will not be a surprise to you that what we are looking for when selecting clients is not your level of success but the kind of person you are and what your intentions are as it relates to using the power and influence once you get it.

If you take a look at our 1-year long executive coaching program, where we work very closely with each client (1:1 in very small groups) as we progress from week to week towards particular goals, every client within a 1-year program is a prior coaching client. And some of those clients started with us while at university and we had the honor of being their guide throughout their entire career journey. Email team@firmsconsulting.com to apply.

And to access our online video and audio training programs enroll below (scroll down to membership options and select Insider or Legacy).

www.strategytraining.com

As the year draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to pause and reflect on your progress. Are you where you envisioned yourself? If not, it may be time to recalibrate for the year ahead. Persisting with the same strategies while expecting different outcomes rarely leads to meaningful change.

At StrategyTraining.com, we provide comprehensive training and expert guidance to accelerate your personal and professional growth, helping you realize your potential far beyond what can be achieved without our help.

- Our Strategy Control Room (Advanced) resources with premium books, studies, proposals and centers of excellence (our giant reading library) is a powerful reference and reading library.
- Our expansive library of video and audio training focuses on teaching you in-depth the kind of skills very few people in the world have.
- Our Strategy & Consulting AI system is trained on proprietary data and gives you quick outputs to speed up your decision-making and work.
- Our executive coaching program for selected clients is an opportunity to work closely with Michael and me as you are working towards your goal.

All these products and programs work together to equip you with the resources and support to design a transformative and cohesive plan for your career and life, and execute it effectively.

Our structured approach enhances your decision-making, uncovers and amplifies your unique strengths, helps you build a unique set of skills that almost no one has, and delivers the clarity needed to identify opportunities and tackle challenges with confidence. These resources are a blueprint for achieving outcomes that would be difficult, if not impossible, to accomplish without working with us.

The upcoming year holds tremendous potential, but realizing that potential requires deliberate action and expert guidance. Our products and programs are designed to guide your transformation, but the first step starts with you.

Take this opportunity to invest in your future. If you have questions or need assistance, we’re here to help. Reach out anytime at team@firmsconsulting.com. Let’s make the year ahead your most impactful yet.

The Bright Glare Of Powerful People And Industry Giants Is A Double-Edged Sword. They Reward Results...

But Have Little Patience
For Anything Less

We just released a full new Insider program (a 3-part program)...

33-Page Workbook: This program also comes with a powerful 33-page downloadable workbook. You will see it as a downloadable document on the program page the way you can access workbooks for Innovators vs. Summarizers and Overcome the Fear of Failure. I highly recommend you download and print the workbook and use it as you work through the program. You will get even more value out of the program this way. Our workbooks also go deeper into certain areas covered in the program, so you will be missing out if you don't go through them.

Now let me share more details about this new 3-part Insider program (the full program was just released for Insiders): 

What would you do if you held the keys to a media asset so compelling that it caught the attention of the world’s most influential figures?

Imagine your creation, something with the quality of HBO and the reach of the biggest streaming giants, generating tens of millions of views and being celebrated on social media by the likes of Elon Musk.

Sounds like a dream, right?

But here’s the catch:

Each episode costs $100,000 to produce.

The business is teetering on the edge of profitability, and the ever-present shadow of AI looms over the industry, threatening to drive the value of content-only businesses way down.

Add to this the uncertainty of whether these views were sparked by grassroots admiration or the fleeting endorsement of a few powerful voices.

The question our client asked cuts straight to the heart of the matter:

What are the non-obvious ways to turn these assets and relationships into a sustainable business?

The stakes are high:

1. Trust is Fragile
   Trust with notable public figures and collaborators hangs by a thread. Without contracts locking in support, even the most promising relationships can vanish overnight.

2. A Limited Financial Runway
   How long can you sustain $100,000 per episode without significant revenue? Every dollar spent raises the stakes higher, and the clock is ticking.

3. AI and the Content Apocalypse
   Can you ensure your creations remain valuable, or will they become just another casualty in a rapidly evolving digital landscape?

4. The Weight of Partnership
   Even with a trusted co-producer who has a proven track record in linear TV, differing goals and expectations could derail progress. Success in one medium doesn’t guarantee success in another.

The challenges are relentless:

• Are you willing to bet on a business model that hasn’t proven itself?

• How do you secure relationships built on trust when the promises aren’t written in ink?

• Can you handle the relentless scrutiny of powerful partners who expect results, not excuses?

The cost of failure?

It’s not just financial.

It’s reputational.

The bright glare of powerful people and industry giants
is a double-edged sword. They reward results
but have little patience for anything less.

Our client stands at a pivotal moment. Does he double down, risking it all to find the one non-obvious play that turns potential into profit? Or does he try to pivot, attempting to leverage trust, relationships, and proven ability to create value to seize a completely different kind of opportunity?

The answer lies in the choices he makes now.

The contracts he negotiates, the risks he takes, and the relationships he builds will determine whether this is a fleeting story of what might have been or the beginning of a successful media business that stands the test of time.

This is the kind of story you can’t help but follow. The stakes are personal, the risks are enormous, and the outcomes are uncertain.

And yet, if the client is willing to reflect deeply, adapt boldly, and act decisively, the rewards could be extraordinary.

Here are some time stamps as you work through the program to help you not miss important points: 

• What is often more important than an answer to your question? (01:00, Ep 1)

• Client's question (02:00, Ep 1)

• Dissecting the question. This is an example that will allow you to read important information more thoughtfully and critically (03:37, Ep 1)

• Identifying hidden risks (05:58, Ep 1)

• Key questions to ask when dissecting information (07:00, Ep 1)

• The biggest red flag (10:30, Ep 1)

• The first rule of investing (11:52, Ep 1)

• Important things to consider when evaluating a partner's experience/expertise (14:15, Ep 1)

• Revenue and profit considerations (16:00, Ep 1)

• Hidden costs (17:25, Ep 1)

• The future of content businesses (18:05, Ep 1)

• The starting point in interrogating this opportunity, analyzing it further, and looking for non-traditional ways to create value (00:15, Ep 2)

• What you should consider to help you determine how far you want to go with this (01:15, Ep 2)

• The sense of purpose will change (02:35, Ep 2)

• The starting point (03:10, Ep 2)

• What you need to understand about your business partner (04:00, Ep 2)

• Choosing a business model (05:16, Ep 2)

• Degrees of freedom (07:50, Ep 2)

• What sets us apart at FC that you can apply and should apply in your life and career (11:05, Ep 2)

• Not being inquisitive (00:30, Ep 3)

• What you need to know when working with powerful people (02:17, Ep 3)

• Angles you can take (02:38, Ep 3)

• What powerful people look for (03:25, Ep 3)

• Remuneration (04:30, Ep 3)

• An important thing to think about (04:55, Ep 3)

• The question to ask (05:45, Ep 3)

• Contracts (06:11, Ep 3)

• Important considerations related to relationships with powerful people (06:46, Ep 3)

• A bone melting glare (08:00, Ep 3)

• What happens when powerful people trust you (08:36, Ep 3)

• A way forward (09:10, Ep 3)

• How owners of the business evaluate you (10:10, Ep 3)

• Playing sports with powerful people story and the crucial lesson here (11:00, Ep 3)

• What creation of value depends on (14:00, Ep 3)

• It always comes back to this one thing (15:25, Ep 3)

• How to draw different insights from this program (16:00, Ep 3)

---

If you're an Insider member, this program is now available in your account on StrategyTraining.com.

Not a member yet? Enroll here: www.strategytraining.com (scroll to membership options and select Insider or Legacy level to immediately access this program).

Not ready to join as an Insider or Legacy member yet? But want to have 12 months access to this single program? Rent this individual program here. Use code NEW to get a special new release discount. Within 30 days of purchase, you can apply the amount spent on this individual program towards Insider annual membership, which will unlock the entire Insider library on StrategyTraining.com and Strategy Training apps (email team@firmsconsulting.com within 30 days of purchase of this single program if you want to take advantage of this opportunity).

We care about your success and are here to support you. Feel free to reach out with questions at team@firmsconsulting.com.

Thank you for being a part of the StrategyTraining.com community.

Access New Program (Insider Members)

The MasterPlan Advanced: new episodes

We just released new episodes of The MasterPlan Advanced, bringing the total to 26 episodes. Over the past seven years, we have introduced three transformative programs within The MasterPlan series.

Core Programs

• The MasterPlan (available to Insiders and Legacy members)

• Implementing the MasterPlan (available to Insiders and Legacy members)

• A MidLife Strategy Update (exclusive to Legacy members)

New Additions

We are now introducing two significant new additions to the MasterPlan universe:

• The MasterPlan Advanced (for Insiders & Legacy members)

• The MasterPlan: Next Level (members-only book exclusive to the SCR (A) members)

Disclaimer: Please note that we are not licensed financial planners or advisors. We share information based on our own experiences and the insights we've gained from working with clients all over the world. We strongly recommend consulting with qualified professionals before making any investment decisions or significant life choices.

In these new episodes, we dive into the following:
- Spouses having compatible careers (Episode 25 2:50)
- Combining having a family and managing a successful career (Episode 25 5:00)
- Building long-term relationships (Episode 25 6:15)
- Managing a personal crisis (Episode 25 7:00)
- Dealing with a demanding spouse while having a stressful career (Episode 25 9:40)
- Setting boundaries: implementing the red line (Episode 25 10:50)
- Crossing the line (Episode 25 12:25)
- Spiraling down (Episode 25 13:10)
- Facing personal ruin while managing a demanding career and being responsible for a 3-year-old child (Episode 25 14:00)
- How identities are shaped and shifted (Episode 25 15:10)
- A common mistake clients who immigrate to the US make (Episode 26 1:10)
- Something that is not really a choice (Episode 26 3:00)
- What causes identity shifts (Episode 26 4:50)
- How often identity shifts happen (Episode 26 5:30)
- When identity shift often happens for clients who immigrate from Asia to the US (Episode 26 6:00)
- Why we decided identity shift was necessary (Episode 26 9:00)
- Strategy that resulted in getting a coveted US20 million government loan (Episode 26 15:00)
- Counterintuitive things we have done to close the $20 million deal (Episode 26 21:11)
- And more

Program Distinctions

These programs serve distinct purposes, building upon each other to provide a comprehensive MasterPlan development and implementation path.

• The MasterPlan and Implementing the MasterPlan are the foundational programs that introduce core concepts and strategies for personal and professional growth, setting the stage for further exploration and application.

• The Midlife Strategy Update provides a detailed case study of developing and implementing The MasterPlan during midlife (around age 45).

• The MasterPlan: Next Level is a members-only book exclusively available to the Strategy Control Room (Advanced Level) members. It significantly updates and refines the concepts from the original program, serving as a bridge to The MasterPlan Advanced. It includes robust exercises designed to baseline your life, providing a practical framework for assessing and planning your growth.

• The MasterPlan Advanced can help you bring your MasterPlan to the next level. It is designed for those seeking a more in-depth understanding and ready to apply advanced strategies to their personal and professional lives.

The MasterPlan Program Impact and Evolution

The original MasterPlan and Implementing the MasterPlan have consistently been the most viewed programs on StrategyTraining.com, receiving outstanding feedback for their transformative impact on our members' professional journeys and life strategies. A MidLife Strategy Update holds the record for the most viewed among Legacy offerings. The MasterPlan Advanced was born from the experiences Michael and I have had over the last two years while updating our own MasterPlans for the next few decades and working with executive clients through the same process.

The MasterPlan Advanced introduces powerful new concepts around investing, relationships, building a strong family unit, and more. It is a full new program being released in parallel with "The MasterPlan: Next Level" (SCR (A) members-only book).

Don't Want to Work on This Alone?

In addition to these programs, there is also The MasterPlan Acceleration executive coaching program, where you can work personally with Michael and me as you develop your MasterPlan. This allows you to receive our mentorship and coaching on each aspect of your MasterPlan, taking into account your unique set of assets, your life's purpose (including helping you figure out what your life's purpose is), and your unique situation. The program is designed to allow clients to see the opportunities and risks they may otherwise miss, and develop new powerful ways of thinking and making decisions.

I often hear from members of the FC community that they did not apply for executive coaching with us because they are not as successful as some of our clients. I personally encourage you to apply. If you know my story and if you know us, it will not be a surprise to you that what we are looking for when selecting clients is not your level of success but the kind of person you are and what your intentions are as it relates to using the power and influence once you get it.

If you take a look at our 1-year long executive coaching program, where we work very closely with each client (1:1 in very small groups) as we progress from week to week towards particular goals, each client within a 1-year program is a prior coaching client. And some of those clients started with us while at university and we had the honor of being their guide throughout their entire career journey. Apply here.

Get Started

If you are a member, access the new episodes here or click the button below.

The MasterPlan Advanced (Insiders & Legacy Members)

If you are joining as a new member, start with:

• The MasterPlan 

• Then Implementing the MasterPlan

• A MidLife Strategy Update (if you are a Legacy member)

• Then, The MasterPlan: Next Level (if you are a SCR (A) member)

• And The MasterPlan Advanced to make the most of this seminal program

To access The MasterPlan Advanced, enroll below (scroll down to membership options and select Insider or Legacy).

www.strategytraining.com

As we approach the last 4 months of the year, it's wise to reflect on our progress and make adjustments if needed. Continuing with the same approach and expecting different results will not work. 

The MasterPlan series provides a comprehensive framework for personal and professional growth. It offers a structured approach to developing a cohesive career and life plan, refining your decision-making process, and identifying your unique strengths and advantages. By following The MasterPlan, you can gain clarity and direction, enabling you to make the most of the remaining year and beyond.

Take this opportunity to invest in yourself and your future. The MasterPlan can be transformative, but it's up to you to take action. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at team@firmsconsulting.com.

This is how the transition to self-employment needs to happen...
With Paying Clients in Hand

Imagine this moment...

You’re flying over the Andes, en route to Santiago and beyond, when an unexpected LinkedIn message pings in. Someone found your chapter in a book you co-published with us, and they want more. They’re asking to follow your content, engage in conversation, and now, you’ve got a Zoom call scheduled for next week. This isn’t just idle chatter. This could be your first paid coaching client.

One of our clients found themselves in a situation like this. They followed the strategy we teach (leveraging their chapter), even without posting content. Suddenly, someone reached out. They hadn’t even started building an audience yet, and now, here was a real opportunity knocking.

Their mind raced: What should I ask on the call? How do I turn this conversation into something meaningful, maybe even a coaching relationship? How much should I charge in case of a coaching relationship? 

You can probably feel the excitement and the tension. This is the exact moment where your corporate knowledge, your unique expertise, and our publishing strategy converge into something powerful. You haven’t left your job yet, but opportunities are already lining up.

It’s the moment where you’re not just writing a chapter. You’re laying the groundwork for a new career, one where clients come to you, and they’re ready to pay to work with you because you have already demonstrated your expertise and the value you can deliver.

So, what happens next?

This is the precise process we’ve designed: to help you create real-world opportunities, to have those calls with prospective clients scheduled, and to not start from zero when you make the leap to self-employment. No guesswork. No ‘starting from scratch.’

Instead, you can have paying clients in hand before you even walk out the door of your current role.

We’ve done this. We’ve seen it happen time and time again. And now, it’s your turn.

In this 3 part Legacy program, we focus on signing your first client when moving to self-employment, including:

- What protects you from burnout (Episode 1, 6:00)
- Conditions that must be met before you know if you are focusing on the right market (Episode 1, 9:00)
- Being stuck in a green card process example (Episode 1, 9:30)
- Crucial criterion when selecting the market (Episode 1, 11:40)
- Dangers of intoxicating freedom and how to avoid a mistake many new business owners make (Episode 1, 13:15)
- Questions to ask yourself to determine what you should focus on (Episode 1, 17:00)
- The foundation of how to help people (Episode 2, 0:50)
- Key distinction of why people come to you (Episode 2, 2:00)
- What many mentors don't do, but they must (Episode 2, 6:30)
- A tell where you know a client is heading in the wrong direction (Episode 2, 9:50)
- The key thing to do to prevent large losses (Episode 2, 12:00)
- A formula to use with clients (Episode 2, 14:30)
- How to structure the conversation with a potential client (Episode 3, 1:30)
- The approach to use to collect the information you need to advise the client (Episode 3, 2:50)
- A powerful technique we use with clients to get the data needed to provide informed guidance and coaching (Episode 3, 4:50)
- Structuring the coaching program with a client (Episode 3, 7:20)
- Why session-by-session coaching is not effective and how you can explain it to a client (Episode 3, 9:20)
- Something you must never do when agreeing to coaching engagement (Episode 3, 10:50)
- Technology to use (Episode 3, 12:30)
- What people think helps but actually hurts the effectiveness of coaching sessions (Episode 3, 13:15)
- What adds value to coaching (Episode 3, 14:00) 

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If you're a Legacy member, the full program (Parts 1, 2 and 3) is now available in your account on StrategyTraining.com.

Not a Legacy member yet? Enroll here: www.strategytraining.com (scroll to membership options).

And if you want to be a co-author in the next book we are putting together with some of our outstanding senior clients, you can learn more and apply here. This is the type of book that this client was a part of. Our signature books with selected senior clients. 

We’re committed to your success and are here to support you. Feel free to reach out with questions at team@firmsconsulting.com.

Thank you for being part of the StrategyTraining community.

Access New Program (Legacy Members)

P.S. If you are an Insider, you can upgrade to Legacy and come back to Insider WITHOUT losing Insider status. To upgrade, you can go to the Legacy section on StrategyTraining.com, the system will offer an option to upgrade. The system will also automatically use any credit you have associated with your Insider account towards Legacy membership. As a Legacy member, you will not only unlock additional programs within the Legacy membership area but will be able to submit 2 questions per month and receive tailored input from Michael or me, taking into account the specifics you shared of your unique situation. That alone is worth a lot more than the cost of the upgrade. You can get personalized guidance twice a month. If, down the road, you want to switch back from Legacy to Insider, please email team@firmsconsulting.com so we can ensure your Insider status is retained (provided there are no gaps in membership).