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Hey Maude, If you’re here, there’s a good chance you do knowledge work. And unless you already moved to Mars (see you soon), you know about the offensive AI has launched on our work. No worries. I’m not going to terrorize you with more news of AI coming for your lunch. Today, I bring you the other side of AI. Away from what clickbait-thirsty media pubs and influencers thrive on, and toward the massive potential that still sits at your fingertips. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/6e99ec4d-0816-4863-b41d-17a1ba21128f/Group_682.png?t=1769867000) Caption: Quick update from my side: The first cohort of the Offer Accelerator Group Intensive kicks off Tuesday. We’re locked and loaded, with six kickass business owners set to develop their most sellable, profitable offers **ever**. Which they’ll **sell by the end of the program**. So exciting! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/58b51e5c-7f11-4870-82d1-d718bbb050d7/Offer_Accelerator_by_Profit_Ladder_-_Bruno_Selun_Testimonial.png?t=1771616971) Caption: If you’ve been DIY’ing it and… * not enough people are paying attention * not enough people are booking calls * not enough people are buying I’d love to help you finally fix this, and make 2026 the year you get to say _**“Booked out till 2027!”**_ Let’s do this. SEE HOW IT WORKS (https://tally.so/r/A7LR1y) 9 spots left. Closes in 4 weeks (prices go up). View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/0ded64be-f57d-48f5-8372-d3be75a9eb1e/Group_683.png?t=1771617155) Caption: On Wednesday night, I sat on my couch and read, [Something Big is Happening](https://shumer.dev/something-big-is-happening) by Matt Shumer. Matt is a technical entrepreneur working deeply in AI. Here’s the gist of his 5,000-word essay: “_AI models will be substantially smarter than almost all humans at almost all tasks by 2026 or 2027._ _Let that land for a second. If AI is smarter than most PhDs, do you really think it can't do most office jobs?_ _Think about what that means for your work._“ — Matt Shumer Not gonna lie, a cocktail of anxiety and uncertainty poured over me while reading it. But here’s the thing… I’m a fucking entrepreneur, and so are you. We’re foremost experts at regularly dealing with **HOLYSHIT!#@$!%WTF^&*$%BBQ?!** And so sure, I was a shook. But I was also motivated. Because, as much as your work is changing and will likely disappear in its current form, the opportunity to do something about it is substantial. But you need to do something about it. Today. “_Here's a simple commitment that will put you ahead of almost everyone: spend one hour a day experimenting with AI. Not passively reading about it. Using it. Every day, try to get it to do something new... something you haven't tried before, something you're not sure it can handle. Try a new tool. Give it a harder problem. One hour a day, every day. If you do this for the next six months, __**you will understand what's coming better than 99% of the people around you**__. That's not an exaggeration. Almost nobody is doing this right now. __**The bar is on the floor**__._“ — Matt Shumer #### Here’s what I did about it I’ve had this itch to AI-iffy at least one part of my work for months now. So I spent 3 hours doing just that. Vibe coding, as the kids say. Dude, let me tell you - with every bit of progress I made, I was equally delighted, terrified, and astonished. And it’s been compounding. Quickly. For context, I was a software engineer for the first 7 years of my career, and worked in tech for the next 13. What I spent 3 hours designing and building Wednesday night… 10 years ago, it would have taken 6 months of work from 1 Product Manager, 4 Engineers, 2 UX Designers, and 1 QA Analyst. Zero exaggeration. #### Start with one, important problem I took one task I do with clients and replaced myself with an AI-built tool. A complicated, hand-wringing, _this hurts my brain _task. A task where my client and I build their financial model of projected revenue, costs, and margins for their new offers. Not only is this a time intensive lift for me, but an important moment for clients. They see their numbers for the first time and say: “_WHOA… This is gonna work!_” But before I’d built this tool, for the past 4 months I’ve been using a Google Sheet to do this work manually. I was lucky enough to have the help of a strategic partner, Peter Giordano. He and I (mostly him) built that spreadsheet over many rounds of feedback and iteration. I spent months using it on my own business and across client businesses. I knew it upside down and backwards. I needed to, because it’s an important problem to get right for my clients. If the math doesn’t math, your offer is dead in the water. I didn’t just choose to wield AI on some random problem. I was intentional about which one I targeted. **My deep expertise from solving this problem manually, enabled me to use AI in a smart, effective way. **Otherwise, I’d have been feeding garbage in and getting garbage out. I’m double-clicking into this because it’s important. Before you run off and build your own AI app to tell you what it means when your dog secretly moves your shoes. Stop and ask yourself: * Am I building something that will take me in a completely different direction? * Or am I building something that will make my current work (and my clients’ results) significantly better? There’s no right or wrong choice right now. This is a moment you can make a big shift, because the tools are that good. You can re-invent fields and leapfrog pre-existing, market-entrenched solutions. But if you’re committed to your work and want to use AI to insulate yourself, choose a problem your clients already need help with. Choose a problem you already solve today. And use AI to solve it better and faster than anyone else. #### The Offer Optimizer It’s not ready ready yet, but let me be a proud papa for a second and show you what I built. It’s called, Offer Optimizer. It allows you to take the offers you design in my Offer Accelerator and build financial models around them. You plug your numbers into your wedge and signature offer(s). View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2c7ca06c-45a3-4668-85f6-1a210c362c1f/Offer_Optimizer_-_Offers__Profit_Ladder_.png?t=1771627933) Caption: Then you compare scenarios to see which combo and format of offers will generate the most revenue, most margin, or least amount of delivery hours. You get to pick what you prioritize. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/d51df5e9-b231-4778-b664-e57e04a1ca59/Offer_Optimizer_-_Scenarios__Profit_Ladder_.png?t=1771627915) Caption: Then the app helps you run 18-month projections with various flows, conversions, and workload while calculating your month-by-month revenue and capacity. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/93cd5929-7135-49c9-9e75-a4b309d1c0c1/Offer_Optimizer_-_Projections__Profit_Ladder_.png?t=1771627950) Caption: I can’t quite explain the zen you feel as you see your numbers, clear as day, in front of you. It’s a catalyzing moment, to say the least. The app isn’t yet production-ready, but I’ll get it there in the next few weeks. Just in time for my three current 1:1 clients and the folks in my Offer Accelerator cohort to benefit from it. (wink, wink) I used [Lovable](https://lovable.dev/invite/QXSQIRI) to build the app. I have friends using [Claude Code](https://claude.com/product/claude-code), which is a bit more in the weeds, but more flexible/powerful. I’ll check that out next. If you build something, will you tell me about it? View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7a344af0-3d45-45f4-8917-a64bdf9fa9dd/Group_687.png?t=1769868983) Caption: #### Resources worth considering 🪜** **Once you've nailed your offer and sales are rolling in, it’s time to blow the doors open with website and messaging where your clients see your offer and think, _“I get it. I need this.”_ My friend Caitlin Lang does these 90-minute branding roadmaps, where she helps you communicate the real impact of what you do. It’s $975 (and well worth it) but if you tell her I sentcha, [she’ll knock off $100](https://www.liquidformdesign.com/work-with-me#roadmap). View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/b2dc9a2f-54ef-40b2-beb9-86c00426737f/Jay_Melone_-_Profit_Ladder.png?t=1724946092) Caption: Jay Melone ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://newsletter.profitladder.net/p/delighted-terrified-astonished

Hey Maude, Fair warning: For the first time in 110 newsletter issues, today’s is a completely personal topic that may cause some stress to read. Read till the end, where I make it up to you with a story that will warm your heart. ——————————————————————————— For my entire adult life I’ve shut out politics. I’ve shut out the news. As in, I can’t hold a conversation about either topic. As in, third graders know about elected leaders, world events, and (especially) tragedies days before I find out. It’s a decision I made in my late teens. That, I didn’t need to participate in what I find to be overlaid with the ugliest parts of humanity. Power, greed, violence, separatism. And in large part, it served me well. The doom and gloom many others carried, never landed in my lap. For 30+ years, I’ve focused on family, friendships, nature, sports, and business. I prided myself on being someone who **didn’t** open the conversation about the car crash on the parkway, the baby who was abducted, taxes, or the 8th public figure of the week involved in another “scandal.” How exhausting. As corny as it may sound, I subscribe to the belief that your energy really does flow where your attention goes. So I steered clear of anything that pulled it down. But over the past 12 months - and certainly this past week - this world we’ve created has become impossible to tune out. And it’s not like I’m sitting here watching CNN. Hardly. It’s that the environment I built around me - carefully tuned to only let in the _right_ information - is breaking down. My own backyard, where immigrant families are being torn apart while neighbors I mistook as friends show their true colors. My safe spaces are crumbling… My work. TV shows. Football games. Technology outlets. Business-first channels. Questions my sons are asking me. Conversations around the dinner table. All overrun with a general sense of unease. Of panic. And a way of living, which I fought my entire life to resist, is becoming harder to avoid: us vs them. I hate that notion. It is the literal opposite of how I aim to exist in this world. In my heart of hearts, I believe we’re all one. But there’s a growing population of people with wealth, power, or fame who don’t see it that way. They don’t celebrate diversity. They don’t play well with others who don’t look, speak, act, vote, or live how they do. They don’t share my longstanding belief that everyone is doing the best they can. Everything is a fight with them. Absolute power or bust, as they singe the world around them. And while I’ve never been a guy that’s tried to change their minds, let alone save them… I don’t know if I can ignore them anymore. But I can do something. I can remain true to my beliefs and values. I can surround myself with people who put love above hate. Who would sooner create a world that’s filled with peace and equal abundance, than one to be controlled and won (as if that’s a thing). I’m sorry if this email upset you. I’m sorry if this newsletter was one of your safe spaces, where you came to tune out the world. Next week, I’ll go back to talking about offers and business growth so we can all make enough money to buy a big island away from egomaniacs and AI. But today, I chose to use this little platform of mine to share some hard truths I’ve been battling with. And now, to make up for any anxiety I may have caused you, let me share a very personal experience that brought me so much joy this week. I bought [this card game](https://howdeepwillyougo.com/) to spark more deep, meaningful conversations with my family. The very first question: **What motivates you in life?** Without hesitation, my 15-year-old Brody said, “Jason.” (his 17-year-old brother) With tears in my eyes, I asked him, “Why Jason?” He said, “Because he’s a good person.” This meant the world to me, on a couple levels. Brody has been struggling since COVID. He never rebounded from the happy boy he was. He went from the kid that lifted up friends, classmates, and teammates, to continually disappointed with the world. And subsequently, he’s closed lots of doors around him. But his bond with his brother has only gotten stronger. Especially in the last year, where Jason - entirely on his own - has built a relationship with God. And as his light has continued to shine brighter, it’s helped cast away some of Brody’s shadows. It gets better. Dozens of Jason’s friends are following suit. They’re not drinking and doing drugs. Not mistreating one another. Not doomscrolling TikTok drama. They’re waking up at 7 AM and going to church. They’re going to youth group to pray and volunteer. They’re sitting at the library to talk about the bible. All on their own. Without needing to change anyone, but quietly inspiring others in their wake. What Jason is doing for his brother, his Dad, family, and community is all that any of us can do. To be ourselves. To be a light. To model love and kindness. And hope that the world reflects it back to you. ——————————————————————————— P.S. Instagram is still a source of positivity for me. Here are several accounts I follow that lift me up. [Good News Movement](https://www.instagram.com/goodnews_movement/) [Humans Choose Kindness](https://www.instagram.com/humanschoosekindness/) [The Daily Show](https://www.instagram.com/thedailyshow) - slightly more political, but with tons of comic relief [Unforgettable Bloopers](https://www.instagram.com/unforgettablebloopers/) - pure, light-hearted comedy [Ocie Elliot](https://www.instagram.com/ocieelliott/) - love their music, but also how they post songs singing to each other [Love Animalsgram](https://www.instagram.com/love_animalsgram/) If you follow more accounts like these and few negative, drama, within a few short weeks your feed will become a refuge, too. 🤘 See ya next week, View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/b2dc9a2f-54ef-40b2-beb9-86c00426737f/Jay_Melone_-_Profit_Ladder.png?t=1724946092) Caption: Jay Melone ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://newsletter.profitladder.net/p/hes-a-good-person

Hey Maude, There’s one gap in my sales process that’s cost me more business over the past 15 years than anything else. It’s one of those mistakes that’s simple to spot after the fact. And as obvious as it is to fix, I keep avoiding it. **And every time I do, I lose the deal.** I’m spelling it out today to hold my own feet to the flame. And if it hits home, use my story and what I’m doing differently to your advantage. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/6e99ec4d-0816-4863-b41d-17a1ba21128f/Group_682.png?t=1769867000) Caption: The first cohort of the Offer Accelerator closes tomorrow: Monday, Feb 9. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7a4f06cb-9322-473d-be76-396c0a752901/Offer_Accelerator_by_Profit_Ladder_-_Miro_Workspace.png?t=1770509767) Caption: I’m thrilled to share that more folks have signed up than I planned on! And so I’ve decided to make room for 2 more. If you want to claim one, apply today: APPLY TO THE ACCELERATOR (https://tally.so/r/gDdKBO) On Tuesday, the price goes up. More details **[here](https://tally.so/r/gDdKBO)**. (or hit reply if you have questions) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/5572f73c-090e-4f39-918f-5d255e5dfc9c/Group_683.png?t=1769877037) Caption: I had a discovery call with a prospective client this past week that followed a frustrating pattern I’ve allowed to fester for way too long. This person has been circling their offer for months. They’ve rewritten their website copy a couple dozen times. Tried new pricing. Repacked it. Posted about it on LinkedIn. And built a few new shiny lead magnets. Some weeks they felt close, then the next they’re spiraling when no one buys. I have 4-5 of these conversations every week. I hear the same stories, hopes, challenges, and failed attempts. This is a good thing. Because I know I can help these smart, creative consultants solve an urgent, expensive business problem in the most effective, efficient way. I know the questions to ask surface their problems, diagnose the related impact, and connect it to what I do. It all checks out. And when I stick to the plan, they say ‘yes’, we work together, and their business turns a big corner. Everyone wins. The problem is, I break the plan more times than not. They share their own vague interpretation of the problem. Or they minimize it. But instead of really hearing them, I think, _“Yep, I know where this is going. I can help.”_ And right then, I start speeding through my process, taking shortcuts. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Check, check, check. I don’t dig. I don’t slow down. I don’t back up. And I certainly don’t make them sit with what they just said. **I keep things pleasant**, and then jump to the work I do to fix their “obvious problem.” Where I assume they’ll be eating out of my hands and sending a deposit before I even tell them what they’ll leave with. Instead, I lose the sale. Every time. It plays out the same exact way… _“Thanks, Jay. I’m gonna spend a bit more time experimenting. I think I’m close. I’ll circle back.”_ Or, _“This sounds great, Jay. I need to get some more cash in before I can justify spending money on your services. Let’s talk in a few months.”_ That’s not on them. Not even a little. It’s entirely on me. Not to be dramatic… It’s not like the work I do saves lives. But by letting them DIY it for another 3 or 6 months, I’m letting their problems worsen. And the reason I back off… the reason I don’t dig? It’s simple. I don’t want to come across as being _manipulative_. Like I’m using their stories and pains against them to win their business. I’d rather keep rapport. Remain chummy. Make them feel _lighter_, I suppose. But that’s me choosing my own comfort over being useful. I think: _“If they like me, they’ll come back when they’re ready.” _Nope. Deep down, they knew they needed help. But when I prioritized being friendly over helpful, they lost trust in me. And that’s hard to win back. If you went to a mechanic and said, _“My tire is flat.”_ But the mechanic told you your car looked great, wished you luck patching it yourself, and sent you on your way, you wouldn’t praise them for being polite. You’d chalk them up to being useless, and go to the next shop. So here are a few simple (not easy) habits I’m forcing myself to hone, until they’re second nature: **When they hide behind vague language** Make them translate it into reality. Ask for the last three examples, or the last 30 days, or the numbers. _“When you say inconsistent pipeline, what happened last month?”_ **When they minimize the pain** Reflect what they already told you and hold the mirror up. _“You said you’ve been circling this for months and deals keep stalling. How is that not a big deal?”_ **When they describe the problem** Don’t switch topics. Stay there long enough to find the cost. _“What’s that costing you in time, money, or energy right now?”_ **When they say they’re “close,”** Have them define what close means. Did someone convert? What happens if you’re still circling _close_ 18 months from now? That’s the difference between a friendly conversation and a discovery call that actually helps someone see the unobvious gaps. And then make the right decisions that get them the results they need. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7a344af0-3d45-45f4-8917-a64bdf9fa9dd/Group_687.png?t=1769868983) Caption: #### Resources worth considering 🪜** **Get an honest assessment of your [revenue operations](https://www.revopsinflection.com/contact) within your B2B SaaS company from a long-time PE-backed operator. 🪜** ** 🤘 See ya next week, View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/b2dc9a2f-54ef-40b2-beb9-86c00426737f/Jay_Melone_-_Profit_Ladder.png?t=1724946092) Caption: Jay Melone ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://newsletter.profitladder.net/p/polite-calls-lost-deals

Hey Maude, Ever had a prospect demand a detailed proposal on a 48-hour deadline, then send a 4-word rejection after you delivered the whole thing? That’s what we’re digging into in this week’s issue. First, a quick update from my side. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/6e99ec4d-0816-4863-b41d-17a1ba21128f/Group_682.png?t=1769867000) Caption: Behind the scenes, I’ve been working hard to expand my premium, 1-on-1 Offer Accelerator into a group format. It’s ready, and I’m so excited to tell you about! Same results my VIP clients received over the past 18 months: You leave with everything needed to confidently sell premium clients your most compelling, profitable offers ever, without chasing or custom proposals. And you’ll be in an intimate, curated room of other growth-minded business owners. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/53c1c551-3a4f-4a0b-9632-d5d3d2124fc5/Offer_Accelerator_-_Group_Intensive_Timeline__Profit_Ladder_.png?t=1769875029) Follow image link: (https://tally.so/r/gDdKBO) Caption: After 6 structured weeks, you’ll walk away with: * Entry-point Wedge Offer that attracts and pre-sells premium clients * Signature Offer premium clients buy without custom proposals * Projected revenue, costs, margins that prove your new offer stack * Sales-ready one-pagers that help you win premium clients immediately There are **3 spots left** in the founding cohort. **Closes Feb 9**. Investment: $2,500 (after Feb 9: $5,000) For more details and to grab one of the remaining spots, apply here: APPLY TO THE ACCELERATOR (https://tally.so/r/gDdKBO) Now, let’s talk about why sending custom proposals with a hyper-personalized playbook will put you out of business. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/71bf4a92-f6af-45fe-bc55-d2209e2826a5/Group_683.png?t=1769877008) Caption: A consultant (let’s call her Rachel) in a community I’m part of shared an experience that triggered me and everyone else inside. A prospect reached out for fractional marketing services to stand up a new ABM (account based marketing) function. After a few frenetic emails back and forth, the prospect asked for a proposal in 48 hours because she _“needed to decide yesterday.”_ Then came the kicker… She wanted it detailed enough that a junior marketer on her team - with zero ABM context - could follow. In other words, she asked Rachel to do free work in the form of a mini ABM playbook. Rachel did what most well-intentioned operators do. She leaned in, believing that what separates her from others is how personalized and bespoke she treats each client engagement. Six hours of work later, Rachel produced a lengthy, detailed account of everything she would do… along with pricing, terms, etc. Two days later, the prospect replied with a curt _“Thanks, going with someone else.”_ This is the part that gets under your skin as much as it does mine. Because it feels so casually unacceptable. Someone asks for the world, you over-deliver, and they treat it like they were buying apples… _Meh. Not this one, but that one._ But as hard as this is to internalize, it wasn’t the prospect’s fault. It was Rachel’s. Here’s the advice I offered her, which I wish someone offered me 12 years ago. A bespoke approach can be what clients love **once they’re working with you**. But while they’re buying, **bespoke + process overload creates friction**. The buyer isn’t asking you to prove you’re smart. They’re asking you to help them feel confident. Confident that you’ve done this before. Confident with what they get by the end. Confident (and clear) what their investment is - time and money. The prospect asked Rachel for a playbook because she wasn’t confident in Rachel or clear that her goals would be met. Within that initial email exchange (which should have been a call), Rachel failed to surface the prospect’s pain and the impact it caused. She failed to summarize, simply, how her services work to solve those exact problems. Something that sounds like: _So the way it works is simple. I do this thing so that you can have these results within this much time. The investment is $X, and if you’re interested in starting, the next step is Y._ That’s it. Address questions from there. Fill in details as needed. Handle objections. And most important, get the ‘yes’ on the call - or schedule the next call to give them time to think about it. If you can’t get them to express serious interest on the call, that means your offer needs work. And not only will your proposal **not** fix it - making it detailed and bespoke only makes it worse. 🔥 Did Rachel’s experience trigger you, too? View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7a344af0-3d45-45f4-8917-a64bdf9fa9dd/Group_687.png?t=1769868983) Caption: #### Resources worth considering 🪜** **My friend Jac invited me inside her Honeybees Group to talk about Offers that Close Faster. If you’d like to join the (free) session, check out [Honeybees](http://honeybeesgroup.co). I’ve heard great things from several friends inside. 🪜** **My friend Catherine is hosting her annual GROW conference. It’s one of my favorite events to attend, and this year it’s hosted at a warm, sunny resort in Galveston, Texas. [See you there](https://www.theghgn.com/GROW-2026)? 🤘 See ya next week, View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/b2dc9a2f-54ef-40b2-beb9-86c00426737f/Jay_Melone_-_Profit_Ladder.png?t=1724946092) Caption: Jay Melone ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://newsletter.profitladder.net/p/they-wanted-a-free-playbook

Hey Maude, It’s Saturday night. I’m writing this issue later than I want to be… scrambling not to miss tomorrow’s deadline. And I already missed last week’s newsletter for the first time since I started publishing in October 2023. The missed issue bothered me more than it should have. It wasn’t because I think I owe the internet more f*n content. It was because these small habits are part of my discipline, and how I built what I’m grateful to have. Posting on LinkedIn, writing these issues, and showing up consistently enough that trust compounds. So when I miss, my brain does what it always does when something matters. It catastrophizes… _All the trust I’ve worked for is going to evaporate overnight._ _Everyone will move on while I’m busy building._ I know it’s ridiculous. And still, those stories sound pretty damn believable in my head. ### The big bet Here’s where I’m going with this. I’m in the middle of a big build. The next chapter of Profit Ladder. For the last 18 months, my 1:1 done-with-you Offer Accelerator has produced the exciting results it has for one main reason: I facilitate and think with each client one-on-one. I can hear the nuance, challenge the assumption, and get the offer to click with them in real time. I’m transitioning that into a group intensive. A group naturally means less one-on-one time with me, which means the “offer brain” that lives in my head has to be accessible to the room at all times. The curriculum has to carry the thinking. The structure has to create momentum. The systems have to make the experience feel structured, practical, and useful. So that’s what I’ve been doing… * Rebuilding the curriculum without dragging out timelines * Adding activities, examples, and deliverables without slowing ROI * Creating a format for the group and smaller pods so people stay engaged * Rebuilding the onboarding so the gang feels excited from minute one I ultimately want to stick to the promise my 1:1 format has always delivered: optimized offers they can sell immediately. This is the kind of work that requires long, uninterrupted stretches. Which is impossible when I keep stopping to ~~feed my LinkedIn addiction~~ _remain consistent on LinkedIn_. I worked on the group intensive all weekend. The whole time, there was a voice in my head saying I needed to stop what I was doing and write the newsletter before it was too late. That’s pure fear pulling me off-center. And so at around the 250-word mark of this newsletter, I wrote this down because I needed it in plain language. “**The newsletter builds trust. LinkedIn builds trust. Trust compounds over time.** **My writing streaks feel safe. My writing streaks mean I’m disciplined. But streaks are not the business.** **A big bet that pays off creates leverage, and leverage changes everything. But big bets require sacrifice.**“ — And that last part is the punchline: Anything important that’s worth doing requires sacrifice. It’s the part that’s easy to say and harder to live, especially when the sacrifice feels like abandonment. These small habits do real work for me. They keep me connected, keep my name familiar, and keep trust warm in a way I can see day to day. So when I’m making a big bet, it messes with me, because the work needs quiet focus and quiet is what my fear signals as danger. I have to keep reminding myself that this group intensive will have more impact on me and the clients I work with than a few missed LinkedIn posts and a month or two of infrequent newsletters. If I do this well, it changes everything: 1. The expanded impact I’m able to make for more business owners 2. My revenue, margins, and capacity - as well as my expertise and energy And that’s the entire reason I created Profit Ladder. Because I believe our offers should do some of the heavy lifting to market and sell our work. So we’re not the only engine keeping the whole thing afloat. Building this next generation of my offers is me modeling what I coach… even when my nervous system tells me to go feed the algorithm monster. Alright then, back to work. See ya next Sunday 👋 P.S. If you’ve been stuck in the small stuff because the big bet feels risky, have you found any good strategies or tools to help rewire your brain? View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/b2dc9a2f-54ef-40b2-beb9-86c00426737f/Jay_Melone_-_Profit_Ladder.png?t=1724946092) Caption: Jay Melone ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://newsletter.profitladder.net/p/fear-of-being-forgotten

Hey Maude, Over the course of 2025, I had the chance to work with hundreds of consultants, coaches, fractionals, and agency owners. Smart, passionate people doing legitimately good work. Almost all of them were stuck on the same thing: Turning their skills and services into a clear, compelling offer that actually sells. It’s, quite literally, the only thing you need to sell your services and make money. Your offer. Not your website or an optimized LinkedIn profile. Your offer. But creating a good offer, let alone an irresistible one, is _**not**_ a skill most people develop. They whip something together, then pour their energy into “more marketing” and hope the best. So over 2025, I saw, worked on, and overhauled hundreds of offers. And three mistakes showed up more than any others. That’s what I’ll cover today. Enjoy. And always reply back with ideas or questions. ——————————————————————————— ### Offers that sell for you If I handed you 10 perfect-fit leads, could you confidently tell me what you’d sell them, how it works, and the profit you’d pocket by the end? I’m opening spots for my first Offer Accelerator group intensive, where founding members will develop clear, compelling, profitable offers to take to market. You’ll calculate the numbers to prove your revenue and margins, and customer research to back them up. Plus, offer one-pagers so you can start bringing sales in immediately. Founding members get a significant discount. 📌 Reply **FOUNDING** for details. ——————————————————————————— And now onto today’s issue… ### The three offer mistakes that kept repeating ##### 1. Not knowing when enough is enough Many business owners try to sell the full transformation as the first engagement. They bundle in more services, more outcomes, more teams, and more best practices, all in an attempt to prove value and justify a premium price. What it actually does is overwhelm the buyer. Your prospect came to you with a specific problem they want solved now. They did not ask you to fix their entire organization, rewire every process, and future-proof the business in one very long and very expensive engagement. When an offer tries to do everything, it feels over-promised and under-believable. The strongest offers focus on getting one meaningful win quickly and cleanly. Leave the bells & whistles along with every best practice to the side, and instead focus on delivering results that feel obvious and worth paying for. Once that first win lands, selling the next step becomes easy. Where momentum replaces your need to persuade. ##### 2. Selling the service instead of the offer This one is subtle, but fatal. Most founders sell the plumbing. The process. The phases. The access. The frameworks. And… ugh… the jargon. But, that’s the service. The offer is something else entirely. It’s the packaging. It’s the outcome. It’s what the client gets for their investment. When buyers hear a service-heavy pitch, they’re forced to do too much mental work. They have to translate activities into value and imagine what success might look like. And believe me, more case studies is not the answer. Because that was still a different company, with different people. They care about themselves and their results. Instead, strong offers remove that burden by clearly stating five things: * The promise it delivers on * The specific results or deliverables included * The type of return they can expect and by when * How long the engagement takes * How much it costs When these five things are clear, the offer becomes something a buyer can evaluate and say yes to with confidence. Which brings us to the third mistake. ##### 3. Making “it depends” the answer to everything _“It depends”_ sounds thoughtful and honest. In practice, it usually signals that the offer hasn’t been fully baked. When pricing depends. Timeline depends. Scope depends. Outcomes depend. The buyer is left holding all that uncertainty. They can’t picture the finish line. They can’t explain the investment internally. And they certainly can’t feel confident committing. They’ll likely (justifiably) start to wonder how much of an expert you are if ever detail, question, or objection they raise is met with a long song and dance by you. The best offers absorb uncertainty so the buyer doesn’t have to. That doesn’t mean your delivery never adapts. It means your offer has a clear starting point, a clear endpoint, and a clear investment. Specificity builds trust. It signals experience. It tells the buyer you’ve done this before and know what it takes to get them a win. Customization can still happen. It just stops happening before the deal is closed. ### Your takeaways Clear offers outperform clever marketing every time. Your job is not to sell everything you can do. It is to sell the next obvious win. **Action to take this week:** Write your offer on a single page using the five elements in mistake #2 above. If any part still “depends,” that’s your next iteration to sharpen. See ya next Sunday 👋 View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/b2dc9a2f-54ef-40b2-beb9-86c00426737f/Jay_Melone_-_Profit_Ladder.png?t=1724946092) Caption: Jay Melone ### P.S. Meg is a stand-out authority on helping business owners [get recommended by AI](https://clappingdogmedia.com/webinar/). Join her free, live workshop to make sure ChatGPT, Gemini, etc is endorsing your business. ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://newsletter.profitladder.net/p/top-offer-mistakes-i-saw-in-2025

Hey {{first_name|there}}, You made it to the final email in this little welcome series. I hope it got your gears going. Now it’s time to make moves. I’m going to make your next step dead simple - a 100% free masterclass where you’ll develop an entry-point offer that sells for you. It’s the Wedge Offer Masterclass - a live, interactive session that’s exclusive for B2B consultants. If you’re approved to join, you’ll work alongside fellow, seasoned business owners to create a simple, scalable offer that * Pre-sells your premium work * Diversifies revenue * And frees up your time **Here’s when you should join:** If you’ve always won new clients by referrals but they’ve been thinning out lately. If clients love the work you do but it’s harder to convince cold leads to buy. If the only way to win more clients is to do more prospecting and pitching. If every client requires their own bespoke, customized proposal. If you want to scale where every sale doesn’t demand more of you. You’ll fix all of that, and more, in the masterclass. Ready to rock? REQUEST YOUR FREE INVITE (https://elinkfb4.newsletter.profitladder.net/ss/c/u001.0QsE-RmeE3Vb5uMqD9DBSz4WJt7AUJ9vjNDNLpKyTBoEX5i92CtwHSR1l83N5TUpp9TRJIIBh_Uw6QPCZvORzQ/4n4/DYnX4XkwQX2CsPS4iUqKVQ/t0/h001.SnKVAM2XluhWLlpGp9UPl1I4jTQgDy1SrlLMomJGyrU 📌 P.S. If you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed about developing your offers on your own, **hit reply** and mention “accelerator.” I’ll fill you in on how we can work together to build & launch your revenue engine. ——————————————————————————— And with that, we wrap up the welcome series. Hope you’ve appreciated it. From here on out, I’ll see you each and every Sunday inside my weekly newsletter. 🤘🏼 View image: (https://elinkfb4.newsletter.profitladder.net/ss/c/u001.Tyml8yqtAbwmh7ha0Tw3jmTXOUrL5G-cSPeImPN6D_i6SNihc5NSEvbRe-NBGuHgOCoTkvC36Jarj69Llup9RsSugQbTWmZGUh0UjU60jZ9zvfVJFfl00Od5ZVa1notNF0ECxabDSMTKpeEM61NkmBuYdAsDdVg8IDOdW_M0Iqptq57KSWZIVsvnIDBpJt_nJbPaSKdNkjTa2WqT2tNQzgCCF8IhwBZoyhISbOmv4I8--wNqlhu7qypYhJ7mUCt0kzSZAtwbzptkcMOp7w6wiw/4n4/DYnX4XkwQX2CsPS4iUqKVQ/t1/h001.67eee94FWFTrSmIXklO7LAH151Tuh-_w-3iCh9Ty258 Caption: Jay Melone

Hey {{first_name|there}}, We’re almost at the end of this series, so let’s recap the big ideas: It starts with having a clear, compelling _signature offer_ - the work you want to be known for. Your high-touch, big-ticket services. Then, you attract and convert more of your best-fit clients with a smaller wedge offer. One that’s productized, easy to buy, and delivers a quick (valuable) win. And once clients experience your wedge, they sell themselves on taking the natural next step to your signature offer. That’s what it looks like to evolve your vague, hard-to-sell services into a revenue engine powered by killer offers. View image: (https://elinkfb4.newsletter.profitladder.net/ss/c/u001.Tyml8yqtAbwmh7ha0Tw3jmTXOUrL5G-cSPeImPN6D_i6SNihc5NSEvbRe-NBGuHgOCoTkvC36Jarj69Llup9RsSugQbTWmZGUh0UjU60jZ9zvfVJFfl00Od5ZVa1notNF0ECxabDSMTKpeEM61NkmMW1LCQ9YyFYI2pRRuM39HiKnlwF1I3v7KnmJ0xYfqbVbCOYXWIwBHeICZhpRHBaGEJeOJnK08Io3BgYeWRxNar-wdN-6xdyCQ-e_0ejGTi8Ab9QXc_LL4Bv9lbCa7hnzixWnlqm9fKzy9Nx-MvLIVE/4n3/X7p_L0O2QeqCm6gmNWSBMQ/t0/h001.psQAMsiYn-ns46BAh4_ZmH_58TZG8RsjqySqIX2XO3w Caption: And here are the very real results from one consultant who recently did this: * Swapped low-fit leads in her pipeline with premium buyers * Boosted close rates from 20% to 55% (while increasing prices) * Sold 5 wedge offers in her first 30 days of launch * Upsold $47,000 in premium services 4 weeks later Read those stats again. Imagine them showing up in _your_ business… **Now ask yourself:** What’s stopping me from having them? (Hint: It’s not “more marketing”) Hit reply with your answer. I read & respond to every email. View image: (https://elinkfb4.newsletter.profitladder.net/ss/c/u001.Tyml8yqtAbwmh7ha0Tw3jmTXOUrL5G-cSPeImPN6D_i6SNihc5NSEvbRe-NBGuHgOCoTkvC36Jarj69Llup9RsSugQbTWmZGUh0UjU60jZ9zvfVJFfl00Od5ZVa1notNF0ECxabDSMTKpeEM61NkmBuYdAsDdVg8IDOdW_M0Iqptq57KSWZIVsvnIDBpJt_nJbPaSKdNkjTa2WqT2tNQzgCCF8IhwBZoyhISbOmv4I8--wNqlhu7qypYhJ7mUCt0kzSZAtwbzptkcMOp7w6wiw/4n3/X7p_L0O2QeqCm6gmNWSBMQ/t1/h001.vhsMsjhn4xQj45ua7b95v4-eu_T5XpVaIy5orJPkZjs Caption: Jay Melone

Hey {{first_name|there}}, At a certain point, the problem is no longer leads or revenue. It’s the weight of everything you’ve built. Custom proposals. Shifting scope. And clients who love the work but need you at every step. And now that your calendar is full, growth feels impossible - unless you give up even more of your time. This is where productizing your services creates your next stage of business scale. When you productize your services they become focused on one problem for one type of clients you know intimately. Productized services are also packaged clearly - less like a service and more like a product. A set of work you (or anyone) can fulfill repeatably. And by doing so, your delivery gains velocity. But so does your sales… You stop selling bespoke, one-off projects and start selling clear, compelling outcomes. And when clients know what they’re buying, what they’ll get, and when they’ll see a return they buy, quickly. Net net: Productizing will not only scale your operations and profits, it scales your ability to attract and convert more of your best clients. These are the offers I want to help you build. So stick around - we’ll keep digging into this. Or if you’ve already heard enough, come build your first productized offer in the Wedge Offer Masterclass. [It’s free](https://elinkfb4.newsletter.profitladder.net/ss/c/u001.0QsE-RmeE3Vb5uMqD9DBSz4WJt7AUJ9vjNDNLpKyTBoEX5i92CtwHSR1l83N5TUpQBsC2Zl2CqwTo21L4TCMvA/4n2/XdTe2E-zRzG7o7_xr-g_cw/t0/h001.PqNoDMBKXBed31gUaKvOKFfnpsArXzTdbtRuHvGZuJs 🤘🏼 View image: (https://elinkfb4.newsletter.profitladder.net/ss/c/u001.Tyml8yqtAbwmh7ha0Tw3jmTXOUrL5G-cSPeImPN6D_i6SNihc5NSEvbRe-NBGuHgOCoTkvC36Jarj69Llup9RsSugQbTWmZGUh0UjU60jZ9zvfVJFfl00Od5ZVa1notNF0ECxabDSMTKpeEM61NkmBuYdAsDdVg8IDOdW_M0Iqptq57KSWZIVsvnIDBpJt_nJbPaSKdNkjTa2WqT2tNQzgCCF8IhwBZoyhISbOmv4I8--wNqlhu7qypYhJ7mUCt0kzSZAtwbzptkcMOp7w6wiw/4n2/XdTe2E-zRzG7o7_xr-g_cw/t1/h001.9sIg7n0cCsJA04hWMAbVZKBJ9d3UxVUZhvu8bkdtZII Caption: Jay Melone

Hey {{first_name|there}}, For years, I tried to grow my former consulting business with more services, more marketing, and a **lot** of frenetic prospecting & pitching. It burned me out. Like… years of sleepless nights burnt out. Like… close my office door and cry at my desk burnt out. Like… On my knees, I give up burnt out. After some much needed time away, I came back and started asking myself one question that changed everything: _“What if this was easier?”_ I started selling _smaller and more tightly packaged_ versions of my premium services. These _[wedge offers](https://elinkfb4.newsletter.profitladder.net/ss/c/u001.abxWMkWoZ3u8wgMBfemJURIMLS_RhurOYU5sFTci_3rrBA3AtupSmnURmaT-Dn8u84LXDpQ7yx7rR-gfb2C7pfu682Mhf6k6G8Ld6tst_Fs/4n1/nyQ3azyOTG6dTUNG9vEbjA/t0/h001.rcO90H_tW5rEHAlgyQeusOhwwq3-kkUim1IizB1_Uxo gave prospects an easy "yes," delivered quick wins, and sold them on buying my signature offer. Those breakthroughs I experienced and systems I created for that consulting business became the foundation that led to Profit Ladder, where I help B2B consultants productize their services into repeatable, profitable offers that unlock real scale. **So hit reply and tell me… **_What about your business feels hard to scale?_ View image: (https://elinkfb4.newsletter.profitladder.net/ss/c/u001.Tyml8yqtAbwmh7ha0Tw3jmTXOUrL5G-cSPeImPN6D_i6SNihc5NSEvbRe-NBGuHgOCoTkvC36Jarj69Llup9RsSugQbTWmZGUh0UjU60jZ9zvfVJFfl00Od5ZVa1notNF0ECxabDSMTKpeEM61NkmBuYdAsDdVg8IDOdW_M0Iqptq57KSWZIVsvnIDBpJt_nJbPaSKdNkjTa2WqT2tNQzgCCF8IhwBZoyhISbOmv4I8--wNqlhu7qypYhJ7mUCt0kzSZAtwbzptkcMOp7w6wiw/4n1/nyQ3azyOTG6dTUNG9vEbjA/t1/h001.pGwiYg0qCrNpRu_2KcSuWm6LSKnWDCYg2vUcIHho7Ow Caption: Jay Melone P.S. If you're curious you can [read my full backstory](https://elinkfb4.newsletter.profitladder.net/ss/c/u001.r8gqpFpTby_dcmWmayB8rHSGVdPWkOVn8v-fF5AYgCEabels05P2FKPMvj24KNNS/4n1/nyQ3azyOTG6dTUNG9vEbjA/t2/h001.J_NFdvl-PntMiuGStkoP7Gy8dqtUbxI6vcysvp0i5lI and how it all came together.

Hey {{first_name|there}}, Glad you’re here. Really. I started Profit Ladder to help B2B consultants like you build a _revenue engine_… where your offers are so clear and compelling, they sell for you. Where they’re so productized, you swap out all of the custom proposals and delivery with profitable work anyone can fulfill - while you focus on true scale. This welcome series is short, punchy, and built for people who want momentum, profits, and the freedom that comes with. Over the next few days, I’ll send you strategies that help you: * Fill your pipeline while you’re deep in client work * Attract premium clients with a clear, easy on-ramp * Eliminate custom proposals (really) * Grow & diversify revenue without increasing your workload * Scale your work and profits * Let you step away without things grinding to a halt So here’s where you and I begin… **Hit reply and tell me**: What’s the #1 frustration you’re facing when it comes to scaling your business? Talk soon, View image: (https://elinkfb4.newsletter.profitladder.net/ss/c/u001.Tyml8yqtAbwmh7ha0Tw3jmTXOUrL5G-cSPeImPN6D_i6SNihc5NSEvbRe-NBGuHgOCoTkvC36Jarj69Llup9RsSugQbTWmZGUh0UjU60jZ9zvfVJFfl00Od5ZVa1notNF0ECxabDSMTKpeEM61NkmBuYdAsDdVg8IDOdW_M0Iqptq57KSWZIVsvnIDBpJt_nJbPaSKdNkjTa2WqT2tNQzgCCF8IhwBZoyhISbOmv4I8--wNqlhu7qypYhJ7mUCt0kzSZAtwbzptkcMOp7w6wiw/4mz/U4EHajcyThOxdorxH1XkhQ/t0/h001.HJGbVqQtkHyRx9hN3sqz5dppaoTEf3183i3G0RvCb9Q Caption: Jay Melone 👉 P.S. If we’re not already, _[connect on LinkedIn](https://elinkfb4.newsletter.profitladder.net/ss/c/u001.szjbsd2ArrrGu8-NosIKmGET-A4VH62hdeAzsa2bA5057-CrUbskXe5SNo_BgqIKPm_oVoBl0tPOvB3fvxsjIDSStRvH9Uz2sHoYvjcmBkgwD5l-zoppLDCr_5ELLoRvxjP0ABL5WWxndPOj-H9gLIE2R5UrHqXxsPrnKkok1wzSXHFbaJ9hq4lGyqHICdQK/4mz/U4EHajcyThOxdorxH1XkhQ/t1/h001.Va6-plkhnDeiVZvZfgkGCSKKVb9fWTeHPs3rzmU2I64