One of three phases
Authority Foundation
The audience that matters and how you’ll serve it.
- Before they grant you their valuable attention, people want to know who you are, who you’re for, and what you’re going to do for them.
- This is for someone whose influence and credibility don’t yet match their accomplishments and expertise.
Many people come to me believing they already have these questions answered. On the exploratory call, we will walk through your audience, your problem, and your idea together, and the gaps show. This phase goes deeper and produces something new or more refined: a document you can hand to anyone who works on your behalf.
At a glance
The scope, in brief.
- The decision. Who should hear from you, and which idea you lead with.
- Start here if. You can’t yet say in a sentence who you serve and which of your ideas to lead with. Or you believe you can, and want it tested.
- How we work. A 45-minute kickoff call, two three-hour working sessions on separate days, and two more 45-minute calls to present and finish the brief.
- You receive. The Authority Foundations Brief, a written document of about ten pages.
- Not included. Building anything. The brief tells you what to build first, and why.
What it covers
Inside Authority Foundation.
- Your ideal audience, defined narrowly enough to reach.
- The core problem you solve for them.
- Your credibility markers: what’s checkable now, and what’s missing.
- An expert bio that does the work before you walk in the room.
- The big idea: the one to lead with.
- An opportunity assessment and a recommendation on what to build.
How it runs
From first call to finished brief.
Kickoff
A 45-minute Zoom call to set the goals and the agenda, so the first working session starts on substance.
First working session
Three hours, in two 90-minute blocks with a break, on your audience, the problem you solve, and your credibility.
Second working session
Three hours, on a separate day, on the big idea and what to build first.
The brief, presented
I write the brief, about ten pages, and walk you through it on a 45-minute Zoom call.
Your review
Two weeks to read it, share it, and send me your changes.
The finished brief
A final 45-minute Zoom call to revise the brief from your feedback.
What you receive
A document your team can use.
The Authority Foundations Brief is written for you. Anyone who works on your behalf can read it and know who you serve and what you stand for.
Example contents
The Authority Foundations Brief
- 01 The short version
- 02 Who you serve and the problem you solve
- 03 Your credibility, audited
- 04 Your expert bio: long, short, and one line
- 05 The big idea: three candidates
- 06 What to build first, and next steps
A closer look at section 03. What a search engine, an editor, and an AI assistant find when they look you up today, and what’s missing.
An example of the kind of document you receive. Yours is written for you, and its sections may differ.
After this phase
The other two are open to you.
The Authority Foundations Brief is yours either way. If you want more, Idea Forge and then Platform Strategy follow, in that order, and each is priced and agreed on its own.
Next step
Start with one conversation.
A free, 30-minute exploratory call. Engagements begin at $12,500.