Your First 30 Days - Building Momentum

You don't need to have a finished business plan to get started. You don't need a website. You don't need investors. You don't need business cards. You don't need a logo. You don't need everything figured out before you take action.

What you need is to start building momentum — to take small, consistent steps that each teach you something useful. That's what this chapter is about: a realistic, day-by-day plan to help you go from "I just got laid off" to "I know what I'm building and I'm already talking to potential customers."

The biggest mistake people make after a layoff is spending weeks or months in "planning mode" — reading books, taking courses, building spreadsheets, designing logos — without ever talking to a single potential customer. All of that feels productive, but it's not. The only thing that actually moves your business forward in the early days is conversations with real people about real problems. Everything else is procrastination disguised as preparation.

So let's build a 30-day plan that's centered on action, not theory.

Week 1: Inventory and Reflection (Days 1-7)

The first week is about looking inward. You're not reaching out to anyone yet — you're taking stock of what you know, what you've done, and what lights you up. This is the foundation that everything else builds on.

Day 1-2: Complete the Expertise Inventory

Go back to Chapter 1 and complete the full Expertise Inventory exercise — all five prompts, written out fully. Don't do this in your head. Write it down. Aim for at least half a page per prompt.

If you've already done this exercise, review what you wrote. Add anything new that's come to mind since then. Look at it with fresh eyes.

Day 3: List Your Problem-Solving History

Make a separate list of the three to five problems you solved most often in your last role. For each one, write:
- Who had this problem (what type of person or business)?
- How often did this problem come up?
- What was the cost of NOT solving it (time, money, risk, frustration)?
- What did you do to solve it?
- Could someone outside your company have the same problem?

This list is the raw material for your business. The problems you solved at work are likely the same problems you'll solve as a business owner — just for different people.

Day 4: Map Your People

Write down the types of people you spent most of your time helping in your career. Not names — types. "Frontline managers." "Compliance teams." "Small business owners." "Marketing directors at mid-size companies." "Healthcare administrators."

Now ask yourself: which of these groups did you enjoy working with most? Which ones had the most urgent, painful problems? Which ones were most likely to pay for help?

The overlap between "I enjoy helping these people," "They have painful problems," and "They would pay for solutions" is where your business lives.

Day 5: The Energy Audit

Pay attention to what lights you up when you talk about your work. This is a subtler exercise, but it's important.

When you tell someone about your career, which stories make you lean forward? Which topics make you talk faster, get more animated, use your hands? Which parts of your work made you lose track of time?

These energy signals are clues about direction. The business you build should be centered on work that energizes you, not work that drains you. You can build a business around something you're good at but don't enjoy — but you won't sustain it. Build around what gives you energy, and sustainability becomes much more likely.

Write down your top 3 "energy topics" — the subjects you could talk about for an hour without getting bored.

Day 6-7: Synthesize and Draft Your Direction

Review everything you've written during the week. Look for patterns across all your lists:
- Which problems keep showing up?
- Which types of people keep showing up?
- Which topics give you the most energy?

Draft a rough one-sentence statement: "I help [type of person] with [type of problem] so they can [outcome]." It doesn't need to be perfect. It doesn't need to be final. It just needs to be a starting point.

Example statements:
- "I help small manufacturers optimize their supply chain so they can reduce costs and deliver on time."
- "I help healthcare startups set up compliant operations so they can focus on patient care instead of paperwork."
- "I help mid-size companies implement CRM systems so their sales teams actually use them and close more deals."
- "I help non-technical founders understand their product development options so they can make smart technology decisions."

Goal for Week 1: Clarity on what you know, who you've helped, and a rough direction to explore.

Week 2: Research and Early Conversations (Days 8-14)

Now it's time to leave the house — literally or figuratively. Week 2 is about talking to people and testing your rough direction against reality.

Day 8-9: Prepare Your Outreach List

Make a list of 10 to 15 people you could reach out to. These should be a mix of:
- Former colleagues who know your work and might have ideas about who needs your skills
- Industry contacts — people you've met at conferences, on projects, or through professional associations
- LinkedIn connections who are in relevant industries or roles
- Friends or family members who work in businesses that might have the problem you're thinking about solving

Don't overthink this list. You're not looking for perfect prospects — you're looking for conversations.

Day 10-11: Start Reaching Out

Reach out to the first 5 people on your list. Use a message like this:

"Hi [Name], I hope you're doing well. I'm exploring some new directions after leaving [company], and I'd love to pick your brain for 15-20 minutes. I'm especially interested in your perspective on [specific topic related to your direction]. Would you have time for a quick call this week or next?"

Key principles for these messages:
- Be specific about what you want to discuss. "Pick your brain" is vague — add a specific topic to make it easy for them to say yes.
- Keep it short. People are busy. Respect their time with a concise message.
- Don't pitch. You're not selling anything. You're gathering information.
- Make it easy to say yes. Suggest a short time commitment (15-20 minutes) and be flexible on scheduling.

Day 12-14: Have Your First 5 Conversations

In each conversation, ask these questions:
1. "What's the biggest challenge you or your company is facing right now in [your area of expertise]?"
2. "If you could wave a magic wand and fix one thing about [relevant process/system/problem], what would it be?"
3. "What have you tried so far to solve that problem? What worked and what didn't?"
4. "Do you know anyone else who might be dealing with similar challenges?"
5. "What do you think someone with my background could help with?"

Critical rule: Listen without pitching. The purpose of these conversations is to gather intelligence, not to sell. You're learning what problems actually exist in the real world, how people describe them, and what they've already tried. This information is worth its weight in gold.

After each conversation, spend 10 minutes writing down:
- What problems did they mention?
- How did they describe the problem (use their exact words)?
- How urgent did the problem seem?
- Would they pay someone to solve it?
- Did they mention anyone else I should talk to?

Goal for Week 2: 5 conversations completed. Patterns starting to emerge about what problems people actually have.

Week 3: Deeper Validation (Days 15-21)

Week 3 is where you double down on conversations — but now you're talking to people who might actually be your customers, not just friends and colleagues.

Day 15-16: Analyze Your Week 2 Patterns

Before you start reaching out to more people, take stock of what you learned last week:
- What problems came up most often across your 5 conversations?
- Were there any surprises — problems you didn't expect to hear about?
- Did anyone say something that made you think "I could definitely help with that"?
- Did anyone refer you to someone else? (Always follow up on referrals — they're the highest-quality leads you'll ever get.)

Write down the top 2-3 problems that seem most common, most urgent, and most aligned with your expertise.

Day 17-19: Have 10 More Conversations

This time, be more targeted. Try to talk to people who fit the profile of your potential customer — the type of person or business that has the problem you're exploring.

Where to find them:
- Referrals from your Week 2 conversations — anyone who was mentioned as having a similar problem
- LinkedIn search — look for people with specific titles at specific types of companies
- Industry groups and forums — many industries have active online communities where people discuss problems openly
- Local business groups — chambers of commerce, industry meetups, professional associations
- Cold outreach — yes, really. A well-crafted, specific, personalized message to someone you don't know can absolutely lead to a conversation. Most people are flattered to be asked for their perspective.

For these conversations, keep asking the same core questions from Week 2, but go deeper:
- "When you say [problem], can you walk me through what that actually looks like day-to-day?"
- "What does this problem cost you — in time, money, or stress?"
- "If someone offered to solve this for you, what would that solution need to look like?"
- "What would you be willing to pay for that kind of help?"

That last question feels scary to ask. Ask it anyway. The answer tells you whether you have a business or just an interesting topic.

Day 20-21: The Pattern Recognition Pause

After 15 total conversations, you should have enough data to see clear patterns. Take a full day to review all your notes and look for:

1. The problem that came up most often. If 8 out of 15 people mentioned the same type of challenge, that's a strong signal.
2. The problem people described with the most emotion. When someone leans forward, raises their voice, or says "Oh my God, yes, that's exactly our problem" — that's a pain point worth building on.
3. The problem people said they'd pay to solve. Lots of people have problems. Fewer people have problems they'll open their wallets for. Focus on the ones tied to money.
4. The problem that excites you the most. You'll be spending a lot of time on this. Make sure it's something you actually care about.

The overlap of all four — common, emotional, monetizable, and interesting to you — is your sweet spot.

Goal for Week 3: 10 more conversations (15 total). A clear problem starting to stand out. Beginning to understand what the solution could look like.

Week 4: Direction and Commitment (Days 22-30)

The final week is about synthesis, decision-making, and taking the first tangible step toward building your business.

Day 22-23: Choose Your Direction

Review all your notes from the past three weeks. Ask yourself:

1. What is the single biggest problem I'm best positioned to solve? Not the most interesting problem in the abstract — the one where your specific expertise gives you a genuine advantage.
2. Who is the type of person most affected by this problem? Be specific. Not "businesses" — what size? What industry? What role within the company?
3. Would they pay to solve it? Based on your conversations, is there real willingness to spend money on this?
4. Can I deliver a solution with what I know right now? You don't need to know everything — but you need to be able to provide genuine value from day one.

If you can answer all four questions, you have a direction. Write it down in one clear sentence.

Day 24-25: Define Your Minimum Viable Offer

You don't need a complete product or service catalog. You need one thing you can offer to one type of person that solves one problem. That's your Minimum Viable Offer (MVO).

Your MVO should be:
- Simple enough to explain in 30 seconds. If you can't explain what you do in 30 seconds, it's too complicated.
- Deliverable with what you know right now. Don't build something that requires three months of preparation. Start with what you can deliver immediately.
- Priced based on the value you create, not the time you spend. If you save a company $100,000, don't charge $50/hour. Charge a flat fee that reflects the value.

Example MVOs:
- "A 2-hour strategy session where I audit your supply chain and identify the top 3 cost-saving opportunities — $1,500."
- "A 90-minute compliance assessment where I review your current practices and flag the 5 biggest risks — $2,000."
- "A 4-week advisory engagement where I help you select and implement the right CRM for your sales team — $5,000."
- "A half-day workshop for your leadership team on navigating the new regulatory environment — $3,500."

Notice: none of these require a website, a logo, a business card, or an LLC. They require expertise and a willingness to show up and deliver.

Day 26-27: Go Back to Your Best Conversations

Remember the people from Weeks 2 and 3 who had the problem you're now focused on solving? Go back to them. Not with a hard sell — with an offer to help.

Use language like:

"Hi [Name], I really appreciated our conversation a couple weeks ago about [specific problem]. Since we talked, I've been developing a focused offering around exactly that issue. I'm putting together a [describe your MVO] and I'd love for you to be one of the first people I work with. Would you be open to hearing more about it?"

This isn't cold outreach — these are warm contacts who already told you they have the problem. Many of them will be interested. Some will say yes. That's how your first clients happen.

Day 28-29: Set Up the Basics

Now — and only now — take care of the minimum administrative requirements:
- A way to get paid: Set up a PayPal business account, Stripe, or even just be prepared to send an invoice. You don't need a complicated payment system on day one.
- A simple calendar booking tool: Calendly (free tier) or similar, so people can easily schedule time with you.
- A professional email: Either your existing email or a simple professional one. Gmail is fine. You don't need a custom domain yet.
- A LinkedIn profile update: Update your headline to reflect what you do now, not what you used to do. Instead of "Former Director of Operations at XYZ Corp," try "Helping [type of company] solve [type of problem] | Operations Strategy & Advisory."

That's it. That's all you need to start taking clients. Everything else — the website, the LLC, the business cards, the logo, the social media strategy — can come later. It can come after you already have paying clients. In fact, it should come later, because having clients first tells you what to put on the website and how to position yourself.

Day 30: Your One-Page Business Canvas

On Day 30, write out a simple one-page canvas that captures everything you've learned and decided:

1. The Problem: One sentence describing the problem you solve.
2. The Customer: One sentence describing who has this problem.
3. The Solution: One sentence describing what you offer.
4. The Price: A specific price or price range for your initial offering.
5. The Evidence: The 3 strongest pieces of evidence from your conversations that this problem is real and people will pay for it.
6. The Next 5 Actions: Five specific things you'll do in the next week to move forward.

This isn't a business plan. It's a decision document. It says: "Here's what I'm going to try, here's why I believe it will work, and here's what I'm going to do next." That's all you need.

What You Won't Have After 30 Days (And That's Fine)

Let's be honest about what 30 days does and doesn't give you.

You will have:
- A clear understanding of your expertise and its market value
- A specific problem you're going to solve and a specific type of person you're going to solve it for
- Evidence from 15+ real conversations that the problem is real and people care about solving it
- A minimum viable offer you can deliver immediately
- Possibly your first client or first serious prospect

You won't have:
- A complete business plan
- A website (you don't need one yet)
- An LLC or formal business structure (you can operate as a sole proprietor initially)
- All the answers (you never will — that's the nature of building something)
- Certainty that it will work (see above)

And that's completely fine. You have enough direction to move forward with real confidence — because your direction is based on real conversations, not guesswork. And real conversations are worth more than any amount of planning, researching, or theorizing.

The Most Important Rule of the First 30 Days

If there's one thing I want you to take away from this chapter, it's this: conversations are the currency of the early days. Everything else — the exercises, the planning, the analysis — is in service of having better conversations.

You can't think your way to a successful business. You can't plan your way there. You can't read your way there. You have to talk to people. You have to ask them about their problems. You have to listen to their answers. And you have to use what you learn to build something they actually want.

15 real conversations in four weeks will give you more insight than months of planning alone. 15 conversations will tell you whether your idea has legs, what language to use when you describe your offer, what price the market will bear, and who your first clients might be. No amount of market research, competitor analysis, or business model canvasing can replicate what you learn from actual human conversations about actual problems.

So make the calls. Send the messages. Have the conversations. Everything else follows from there.

Key Takeaways:

• You don't need a business plan, a website, or investors to start — you need momentum from small, consistent steps
• Week 1 is about clarity (what you know), Week 2 is about research (early conversations), Week 3 is about validation (deeper conversations), Week 4 is about direction (choosing a path and making your first offer)
• 15 real conversations in four weeks will give you more insight than months of planning alone
• Your Minimum Viable Offer should be simple, deliverable immediately, and priced on value — not time
• By the end of 30 days, you should have one clear direction to explore further, and possibly your first client or serious prospect