Announcing: A month of partnership with Sonia Simone

I’m launching a new way of working with business owners.

It stems from the fact that nearly every time I develop an amazing result with a client, we end up wanting to get business-married.

In other words, we’re both tempted for me to come into their business as a full-time partner.

I’m just one of those people who takes ownership of anything I’m passionate about. And I don’t work with clients or businesses that I can’t be passionate about.

But being a partner in 10 different businesses doesn’t sound like something that would be good for my brain — or for your business.

So I’m offering an opportunity to work together as partners for a limited, intense period of time.

The one-month business partnership was born from that desire.

Who it’s for

I work with both small and medium-sized organizations that have these things in common:

• They’re in a position to act on decisions ... even if they feel stuck right now about actually making those decisions
• There’s an opportunity in their business that could open up rich new possibilities, if they could just get it out the &$%* door
• They know their product or service helps people
• They’re looking for sustainable business growth, not short cuts
• They’re kind people with healthy boundaries

I also won’t work with an organization that’s in panic mode or facing a critical cash flow crisis. It’s not ethical for me to take a fee from a business in that position, and trying to make long-term decisions in the context of short-term panic doesn’t work anyway.

This program is currently in Beta

I’ve got availability for three Beta clients.

You get a nice price break and first pick on my calendar.

You'll probably also get a few more deliverables than later clients will. (I’ve found that refining a service offering tends to pare things away. My Beta clients will get the “overdeliver” option.)

Scroll down if you want to jump into the Beta!

The Partnership Month has four major pieces:

#1: Observation

Over our month together, we’ll meet on Zoom or Skype three to four times to come to a deep understanding about your business.

What matters most to you about your business? What’s your definition of success? What do you feel you do exceptionally well? What do you wish worked better?

What are the deep questions you’ve been avoiding? Or that you’re not convinced you have nailed yet?

This is the core of the Client Partnership process: Thoughtful and wide-ranging conversations about your own business DNA and where you most want to go next.

Until you know — profoundly and fundamentally — who you are, you won’t know where to go.

I’ve found that every conversation like this tends to go a little deeper. We work through the superficial layers and start to dig into the real archeology of your business. Where you came from and where you’re going.

I think of these as “mini masterminds.” But unlike a room of 30 or 40 people, we’re here to focus completely on your business’s needs, dreams, concerns, and desires.

Typically we’d schedule these once a week for four weeks, with a break week for implementation if needed. But there’s room for flexibility if you need to structure that a little differently.

#2: Assessment

Throughout our partnership month, I’ll be sifting and re-sifting through our observations to look for the gaps.

Every business has gaps between where it is today and where it could be. Between the dream and the reality.

And no matter how exceptional your business brain, another pair of informed eyes will see things that you have grown blind to. It’s just human nature. What we see every day, we quit seeing it at all.

We’ll also find strengths that you’re probably taking for granted. Opportunities for strong, sustained growth based on what you already do incredibly well.

This phase is key to uncovering your strongest areas for improvement — sometimes by filling a gap, and sometimes by going all-in on something that’s already working.

#3: Copy

As we work together, projects tend to come up that I can give you a hand with.

This could be an email sequence, an opt-in incentive, improved sales copy, or a stronger version of a cornerstone piece like a manifesto.

It might be some coaching for your team or your lead writer, to help them think more strategically or sharpen your message.

I’ve found it often works better to let this emerge from our time together. But if you have something that you know you want to work on, feel free to bring that to the table.

Because I’m a partner in your business for our month together, one of my roles will be to contribute what I’m really good at.

That means that you get access every trick and technique I’ve learned about creating relationship-building content and sales copy.

(As well as to my professional judgment about when to avoid “tricks” and keep things straightforward and low-key. This is something no “hotshot copywriter” will give you — and sometimes it’s hugely important.)

Superpower extra ingredient

While we work together, you’ll have access to my incredible project manager, Claire Emerson, to keep us focused and on track.

Claire is truly my right-hand person in all things. With her help we’ll make sure that our cool ideas actually see the light of day.

You'll have a dedicated portal where you have access to everything we're working on.

Claire will prepare a project plan for the deliverables and projects we discuss, so you’ll know exactly what steps need to be done.

And if there are still a few steps before the finish line at the end of the month, you’ll have your plan in front of you so you can get everything crossed off.

(If you need more hours with Claire, we may be able to make arrangements for that, depending on her availability.)

#4: Lifelines

Throughout our partnership month, you are welcome to use me as your “Call a Friend” option.

Want to run an idea for a new product past me? Want to figure out precisely how the flow should look for that sales sequence? Or get some insights on working with a tricky vendor or employee?

Or just rant about something that’s driving you bananas?

Gimme a shout.

Often we can knock these out with a few quick notes on Slack. Sometimes a quick call works better.

This isn’t 24/7 access. (My Copyblogger Media partners didn’t have that, either!)

When we get started, one of the first things we’ll do is find good times on both of our calendars to meet, both formally and for quick questions. And Claire is on hand to facilitate finding a time if we start to experience any scheduling back-and-forth.

After our month wraps up

After our month together, you’ll have a bundle of building materials for your business — neatly stacked, ready to implement, with the key decisions made.

Everything will be there for you on your portal for a full year.

And, of course, you'll own the copyright to any content or copy I work on for your business.

Maybe most important, you'll have the clarity and confidence to put your foot on the accelerator for your business. If your wheels have been spinning, this is how you'll get traction and move forward again.

You'll know what you want to do and how you're going to make it happen.

And please do feel free to ping later on Slack or by email if you have a business question you want to run by me. My client partners are friends, and I’m always happy to share my thoughts with friends, the same way I do with my one-time partners at Copyblogger.

(Of course, if you want more in-depth consulting time or additional content deliverables, or to schedule a future partnership month, we can get that onto the calendar as a separate project.)

My “no meter” policy

I’ve found it’s incredibly counterproductive to keep a constant eye on the clock when doing this kind of work.

During our month together, it’s my job to think about your business.

About who you are and what you want. About your priceless relationship with your audience. About your mission in the world.

That means that yes, I’m thinking about your business when I’m in the shower. And walking my dog. And grabbing a coffee.

That’s why I work for a monthly flat fee.

I work with one client partner at a time. During that time, I don’t take other client projects, significant professional obligations, or major speaking engagements. I also don’t schedule client partnerships when I have big projects going on in my personal life, like a vacation with my family.

(Note for the holidays: November and December will count as a single month, to make room for family time and other end-of-year tasks.)

Now, like every business owner, I have tasks that come up that need my attention.

But my business brain is dedicated to you for the month we’re together. For those 30 days, I’m a partner in your business, and you are my professional priority.

Who is this Sonia person, anyway?

If you're reading this page, you're probably reasonably familiar with my work, but you still may want some reassurance that I know what I'm talking about.

Here's some of my street cred:

• 10 years as a founding partner and chief content officer for Copyblogger Media, publisher of the web's most influential blog on content marketing. Copyblogger receives about a half-million unique visitors a month, and has been called the "Bible of content marketing."
• 5 years creating and developing direction for referral-building content for a luxury travel brand, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in repeat and referral business
• Passionate serial "part-time partner" for small, founder-driven businesses that rely on their relationship with an audience to thrive.

I'm always happy to chat about projects I've tried, what's worked (or hasn't worked) in my experience, and how my experience can get you the result you're looking for in your own business.