ABC Home & Commercial
Growth Discovery: Final Presentation
Prepared by: Brainforge
Date: January 2026
Engagement Period: December 2025 - January 2026 (4-Week Discovery)
Table of Contents
- Executive Summary
- Best Hits: What We Learned
- Questions You Asked (Addressed)
- Opportunity Matrix: Menu of Wins
- Now, Next, Future Roadmap
- Investment & ROI Summary
- Data Team & Infrastructure Recommendations
- Les Transition Plan
- Appendix: Discovery Details
Executive Summary
Discovery Objectives
Over the past 4 weeks, Brainforge conducted a comprehensive growth discovery engagement to:
- Identify the top 2-3 highest-ROI growth opportunities
- Map the customer journey across Awareness, Conversion, and Retention
- Assess data infrastructure and reporting capabilities
- Prepare for Les’s knowledge transfer before March 2026
Top 5 Key Findings
-
The Core Problem is Lead Volume, Not Conversion
- Phone calls are down; conversion rate (~70%) is actually strong
- “The phone doesn’t ring as much as it has previously” - Bo
- Growth has plateaued at 2-3% vs. target of 10-15%
-
Attribution is Broken
- Cannot reliably answer “where are leads coming from?”
- Google Analytics is not connected to advertising
- Spending more, getting less - but can’t identify which channels
-
The “Leaky Bucket” is Real
- High volume of cancellations (even with good retention rate)
- $265K+ in monthly refunds from cancel-before-service
- “Gazillions of canceled customers” sitting unused
-
Multi-Service is the Key to Retention
- Average customer has only 1.5 services (goal is 5-7)
- Single-service customers are highest churn risk
- Rewards program exists but customers don’t know about it
-
Data Team is Maxed Out
- 2 people supporting entire company’s analytics
- 80% of time spent on preparation, 20% on actual analysis
- No centralized data warehouse; manual Excel processes
Recommended Immediate Actions
| Priority | Action | Owner | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fix Google Analytics tracking gaps | Marketing/IT | 2 weeks |
| 2 | Launch cancel-before-service intervention | CSR Team | 2 weeks |
| 3 | Email segmentation pilot | Marketing | 3 weeks |
| 4 | Les knowledge transfer sprint | Marketing | Ongoing to March |
| 5 | Data warehouse foundation | IT/Brainforge | 4-6 weeks |
Expected Impact
If ABC executes on the “Now” recommendations:
- Lead quality improvement: 10-15% better attribution accuracy
- Revenue recovery: $50-100K/month from cancel-before-service intervention
- Retention lift: 5-10% from email segmentation and targeting
- Operational efficiency: 50% reduction in report preparation time
Best Hits: What We Learned
From Bo & Steven (Leadership)
“The big frustration is that we’re only growing at 2 or 3%, and that’s not satisfactory in this market.”
“The phone doesn’t ring as much as it has previously, we’ve had fewer leads, and with fewer leads, we’re not growing at the rate [we want].”
“Holy Grail for us is not to do a service for a customer. It’s to do 5, 6, and 7 services for a customer.”
“I worry that in certain channels… How do I raise above endless pockets [PE competitors]?”
“I don’t know that we’ve got a really good analysis of what’s working.”
Key Insights:
- Lead volume decline is the #1 concern - this is a top-of-funnel problem
- Multi-service strategy is critical - single-service customers churn faster
- PE competition is real but the answer is efficiency, not outspending
- Attribution blindness prevents confident marketing decisions
- Les retirement (March 2026) creates institutional knowledge risk
From Julie (IT/Operations)
“We’re missing important conversations. We meet once a week and it’s more of an exchange information type of meeting… we’re never really having those in-depth meetings.”
“I feel like we’re still steering the ship like a small company. And we’re not.”
“There’s a lot of customers with reward points… What’s the point of having them if we’re not [using them]?”
“Once it’s canceled, once my team closes it out… that’s it. Done. Nobody’s following up.”
Key Data Points from Julie:
- Refunds: $265,000 in one month just from cancel-before-service
- Services per customer: Average is only 1.5 (goal is 5-7)
- Rewards program: Tons of customers have points; redemption rate unknown
- Canceled customers: No systematic follow-up or win-back campaigns
- Monthly reports: Julie runs these manually - labor intensive
Cancellation Flow Gap:
Customer calls to cancel
↓
CSR skips the service
↓
Team refunds money
↓
Nobody follows up ← OPPORTUNITY
↓
Customer gone forever
From David Lopez (Data/KPIs)
“Right now it’s just kind of like, head just above water type of situation. We’re like, man… But it would be great if I could do some swimming stunts.”
“I’m tired of surviving. I want to switch into thriving.”
“We are doing a lot of our time… it’s just about preparing. And even when we’re done preparing, we get the flood of corrections.”
“Having a central database would be fantastic. It’s something that we’ve wanted to do for a while.”
Data Team Reality:
- Team size: David + Brian (2 people for entire company)
- Time allocation: 80% preparation, 20% analysis
- Tools: Power Automate, some Power BI, mostly Excel
- Bottleneck: If either person is out, there are delays
- Desire: Want to do proactive analysis but can’t find time
- Blocked: SQL access request denied for security reasons
What David Needs:
- Centralized data warehouse
- Automated dashboards/scorecards
- Time to do actual analysis (not just report prep)
- Clear roadmap for data team expansion
From Les (Marketing)
“There is definitely a leaky bucket problem. And it’s probably nobody calls it… that’s what I’ve used for three decades.”
“The service business is way different than the typical retail… people call because they have a problem.”
“A service company is like a hospital. Outside the birth of a child, there is nothing good about going to a hospital.”
“I’m maxed out… Things have gotten busier.”
“I’ve got another 25 people that are my freelancers, agencies, compadres… that’s how I’m able to do as much as I do.”
Les’s Key Insights:
- Digital evolution: “20 years ago digital was just a website. Now it’s 50+ channels.”
- Budget: Fixed percentage of revenue (~4%), grown with company
- Network: 25+ freelancers/agencies that only Les manages
- Capacity: Completely maxed out
- Transition risk: “If someone comes in and doesn’t have a network like that, I don’t know how it’s going to happen.”
CSR Challenge (Les’s Perspective):
- 17 service lines with different rules each
- Different pricing structures (free estimates vs. paid estimates)
- Different seasonality patterns
- “It’s tough to be an ABC customer sometimes because every vertical has its own set of rules”
Cross-Cutting Themes
| Theme | Evidence | Implication |
|---|---|---|
| Lead Volume Down | ”Phone doesn’t ring as much” | Top-of-funnel problem, not conversion |
| Attribution Broken | ”Don’t know what’s working” | Can’t optimize spend effectively |
| Leaky Bucket | $265K refunds, no follow-up | Losing customers we’ve already paid to acquire |
| Multi-Service Gap | 1.5 avg vs. 5-7 goal | Massive upsell opportunity sitting untapped |
| Data Team Maxed | 80% prep, 20% analysis | Can’t get ahead of problems |
| Siloed Operations | Departments don’t share info | Missed opportunities, duplicate work |
| Les Transition Risk | March 2026, no documentation | Institutional knowledge at risk |
Questions You Asked (Addressed)
Throughout discovery, leadership raised critical questions. Here’s what we found:
“Where are leads actually coming from?”
Finding: Attribution is unreliable.
- Current method: CSR asks “How did you hear about us?”
- Problem: Customers say “I’ve always known about ABC” - doesn’t identify trigger
- Gap: Google Analytics is not connected to advertising platforms
- Result: Cannot track which campaigns drive which bookings
Recommendation:
- Connect Google Analytics to ad platforms (immediate)
- Implement AI analysis of call transcripts to extract true attribution
- Add UTM tracking to all digital campaigns
”Why is growth stagnating at 2-3%?”
Finding: It’s a volume problem, compounded by churn.
The Math:
Leads In (declining) - Customers Lost (high volume) = Flat Growth
- Conversion rate is actually good (~70%)
- But: Lead volume is down (“phone doesn’t ring as much”)
- And: Cancellation volume is high (even with good retention rate)
- Result: Growth stagnates
Recommendation:
- Fix attribution to optimize marketing spend
- Launch retention interventions (cancel-before-service, win-back)
- Don’t just add more spend - improve efficiency first
”What’s working in our marketing mix?”
Finding: Unknown - no systematic ROI tracking.
- Les manages intuitively based on 25+ years of experience
- Budget is fixed % of revenue, grown over time
- No channel-by-channel ROI analysis exists
- “Spending more in a growing market, getting less” - but which channels?
Recommendation:
- Establish monthly channel performance review
- Create dashboard with key metrics per channel
- Identify 2-3 underperforming channels to cut/optimize
”Where are customers dropping off?”
Finding: Multiple drop-off points identified.
| Stage | Issue | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Website | Click-to-buy takes too long | High abandoned cart rate |
| Pre-Service | Cancel before first job | $265K+ refunds/month |
| Post-Service | Single-service customers churn | 1.5 avg services, goal is 5-7 |
| Canceled | No follow-up | ”Once canceled, done. Nobody follows up.” |
Recommendation:
- Click-to-buy UX audit and optimization
- Cancel-before-service intervention process
- Single-service customer outreach campaign
- Win-back campaign for canceled customers
”How do we compete with PE-backed companies?”
Finding: Efficiency beats spend.
- PE competitors have “unlimited budgets” - can’t outspend them
- But: ABC has advantages they don’t:
- 17 services (vs. their 1-3)
- High customer satisfaction / retention culture
- 600+ trucks as mobile billboards
- Strong local brand awareness
Recommendation:
- Focus on efficiency: better targeting, better conversion, better retention
- Leverage multi-service advantage (cross-sell, bundle)
- Maximize organic channels (SEO, referral, ChatGPT/AI search)
- Compete on customer experience, not ad spend
”What happens after Les leaves?”
Finding: Major risk without mitigation.
At Risk:
- 25+ vendor/agency relationships
- Channel strategy and historical context
- Budget allocation rationale
- Tribal knowledge on “what works”
Recommendation:
- Immediate knowledge transfer sprint (now through March)
- Document all vendor relationships and contacts
- Record channel strategy and budget rationale
- Consider split role: in-house coordinator + agency partners
Opportunity Matrix: Menu of Wins
The following opportunities are organized by business area and prioritized by effort vs. impact. Focus on Low Effort, High Reward items first to build momentum.
How to Read This Matrix
HIGH IMPACT
│
┌────────────────────┼────────────────────┐
│ │ │
│ DO SECOND │ DO FIRST │
│ (High Effort, │ (Low Effort, │
│ High Reward) │ High Reward) │
│ │ │
────┼────────────────────┼────────────────────┼────
│ │ │
│ DON'T DO │ DO IF TIME │
│ (High Effort, │ (Low Effort, │
│ Low Reward) │ Low Reward) │
│ │ │
└────────────────────┼────────────────────┘
│
LOW IMPACT
HIGH EFFORT ◄────┼────► LOW EFFORT
A. Acquisition & Awareness
Low Effort, High Reward (DO FIRST)
| Opportunity | Description | Effort | Impact | Est. Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fix GA Tracking | Connect Google Analytics to advertising platforms for demographic and conversion data | Low | High | 2 weeks |
| SEO Quick Fixes | Optimize existing pages that are underperforming (meta tags, headers, content) | Low | Medium-High | 2-4 weeks |
| Clean Traffic Sources | Eliminate bot/unwanted traffic distorting metrics | Low | Medium | 1-2 weeks |
| Click-to-Buy Reporting | Establish baseline metrics and regular reporting on conversion funnel | Low | Medium | 2 weeks |
High Effort, High Reward (DO SECOND)
| Opportunity | Description | Effort | Impact | Est. Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Ad Testing | Systematic A/B testing of campaigns, audiences, creative | High | High | Ongoing |
| Landing Page Optimization | Redesign key landing pages for conversion (with Monkey Boy) | Medium-High | High | 4-8 weeks |
| AI/ChatGPT SEO | Optimize for AI search results (free leads, not saturated in home services) | Medium | High | 4-8 weeks |
| Call Transcript Analysis | AI-powered attribution extraction from call recordings | Medium | High | 4-6 weeks |
B. Revenue Optimization
Low Effort, High Reward (DO FIRST)
| Opportunity | Description | Effort | Impact | Est. Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Analytics Cadence | Monthly reporting on bundling impact, discount usage, purchase patterns | Low | High | 2-3 weeks |
| Branch Insights Sharing | Provide sales teams with data on what to promote based on local patterns | Low | Medium-High | 2 weeks |
| Bundle Performance Dashboard | Track which bundles sell, at what margin, to which customer segments | Low-Medium | Medium-High | 3-4 weeks |
High Effort, High Reward (DO SECOND)
| Opportunity | Description | Effort | Impact | Est. Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing Experiments | Test dynamic pricing by service, region, season | High | High | 8-12 weeks |
| Predictive Upsell Model | Identify which customers are most likely to add services | High | High | 12+ weeks |
C. Commercial (B2B) Growth
Context: Currently 5-30K/year) and longer customer lifetime.
Low Effort, High Reward (DO FIRST)
| Opportunity | Description | Effort | Impact | Est. Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic B2B Reporting | Establish visibility into commercial pipeline, conversion, retention | Low | Medium-High | 2-3 weeks |
| Website B2B Path | Create clear conversion path for commercial leads (separate from residential) | Low-Medium | High | 3-4 weeks |
| Lead Routing | Ensure B2B leads go directly to commercial sales team | Low | Medium | 1-2 weeks |
High Effort, High Reward (DO SECOND)
| Opportunity | Description | Effort | Impact | Est. Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B2B Advertising Pilots | Test campaigns targeting hotels, multifamily, restaurants, healthcare | Medium-High | High | 6-8 weeks |
| Industry-Specific Campaigns | Tailored messaging and offers by commercial segment | High | High | 8-12 weeks |
| Commercial Account Management | Systematic approach to growing existing commercial accounts | Medium | Medium-High | Ongoing |
D. Retention & Churn
Low Effort, High Reward (DO FIRST)
| Opportunity | Description | Effort | Impact | Est. Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Email Segmentation | Stop sending one email to everybody; segment by customer type, service, lifecycle | Low | High | 3-4 weeks |
| Newsletter Targeting | Relevant content to relevant customers (currently falling on deaf ears) | Low | Medium-High | 2-3 weeks |
| Cancel-Before-Service Intervention | Process to save customers who book then cancel before first job | Low-Medium | High | 2-3 weeks |
| Rewards Program Awareness | Promote existing rewards program that customers don’t know about | Low | Medium | 2 weeks |
High Effort, High Reward (DO SECOND)
| Opportunity | Description | Effort | Impact | Est. Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMS Booking & Communication | Enable text-based booking and service updates (high open rates) | Medium-High | High | 8-12 weeks |
| Win-Back Campaign | Target “gazillions” of canceled customers who left on good terms | Medium | High | 6-8 weeks |
| New Development Marketing | Always-on campaigns targeting new apartment/home developments | Medium-High | Medium-High | 8-12 weeks |
| Predictive Churn Model | Identify at-risk customers before they cancel | High | High | 12+ weeks |
E. SEO & Content
Low Effort, High Impact (DO FIRST)
| Opportunity | Description | Effort | Impact | Est. Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blog Optimization | SEO improvements to existing blog content | Low | Medium-High | 2-4 weeks |
| Landing Page SEO | Optimize service landing pages for local search | Low-Medium | High | 3-4 weeks |
| Geo/Local Alignment | Ensure SEO strategy aligns with geographic markets | Low | Medium | 2-3 weeks |
| Monthly SEO Reporting | Track organic growth and identify opportunities | Low | Medium | Ongoing |
High Effort, High Impact (DO SECOND)
| Opportunity | Description | Effort | Impact | Est. Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Content Expansion | New blog posts targeting underserved keywords | Medium | Medium-High | Ongoing |
| AI Search Optimization | Ensure ABC appears in ChatGPT, Google AI, etc. | Medium | High | 4-8 weeks |
Now, Next, Future Roadmap
NOW (0-30 Days) - Quick Wins
These items require minimal investment and can show results quickly. Start here to build momentum.
| # | Initiative | Owner | Effort | Expected Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fix Google Analytics tracking | IT/Marketing | Low | Enable attribution tracking |
| 2 | Cancel-before-service intervention | CSR/Operations | Low | Recover $50-100K/month |
| 3 | Email segmentation pilot | Marketing | Low | Improve engagement 20-30% |
| 4 | B2B conversion path on website | Marketing/Monkey Boy | Low | Capture commercial leads |
| 5 | Les knowledge transfer sprint | Marketing | Medium | Preserve institutional knowledge |
| 6 | Basic revenue analytics dashboard | Data Team/Brainforge | Low-Medium | Visibility into bundling, discounts |
| 7 | Rewards program awareness push | Marketing | Low | Increase redemption/engagement |
Total Investment: ~50-150K/month in recovered/incremental revenue
NEXT (30-90 Days) - Build Foundation
These items require more investment but create infrastructure for sustained growth.
| # | Initiative | Owner | Effort | Expected Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Data warehouse implementation | IT/Brainforge | Medium-High | Enable self-service analytics |
| 2 | Automated KPI dashboards | Data Team | Medium | Free up 50%+ of prep time |
| 3 | SEO content optimization | Marketing | Medium | Improve organic traffic 15-25% |
| 4 | Click-to-buy conversion testing | Marketing/Monkey Boy | Medium | Reduce abandoned cart rate |
| 5 | Win-back campaign pilot | Marketing/Sales | Medium | Target high-value canceled customers |
| 6 | AI call analysis pilot | Brainforge | Medium | Attribution + coaching insights |
| 7 | Commercial reporting system | Data Team | Medium | Visibility into B2B pipeline |
Total Investment: ~200-400K/year in efficiency + incremental revenue
FUTURE (90+ Days) - Scale & Optimize
These items require significant investment but offer transformational impact.
| # | Initiative | Owner | Effort | Expected Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Full digital ad experimentation program | Marketing | High | Optimize channel mix, improve ROI |
| 2 | SMS marketing and booking flows | Marketing/IT | High | New channel with high engagement |
| 3 | B2B advertising pilots | Marketing | Medium-High | Grow commercial revenue 20-30% |
| 4 | Predictive analytics suite | Data Team/Brainforge | High | Churn prediction, upsell scoring |
| 5 | AI-powered call analysis at scale | Brainforge | High | Every call analyzed for insights |
| 6 | Marketing tech stack modernization | IT/Marketing | High | Integrated, automated campaigns |
Total Investment: ~1M+/year in growth + efficiency
Visual Timeline
NOW (0-30 days) NEXT (30-90 days) FUTURE (90+ days)
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────►
[GA Tracking Fix]
[Cancel Intervention]
[Email Segmentation]
[B2B Website Path]
[Les Knowledge Transfer ─────────────────────►]
[Revenue Dashboard]
[Rewards Push]
[Data Warehouse ────────►]
[KPI Dashboards]
[SEO Optimization ──────►]
[Click-to-Buy Testing]
[Win-Back Pilot]
[AI Call Analysis]
[Digital Ad Program ──►]
[SMS Marketing]
[B2B Advertising]
[Predictive Analytics]
Investment & ROI Summary
Quick Wins (NOW) - ROI Analysis
| Initiative | Est. Cost | Expected Annual Impact | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fix GA Tracking | $2-5K | Enables $50K+ optimization decisions | 10x+ |
| Cancel-Before-Service Intervention | $5K (process change) | $600K-1.2M recovered revenue | 100x+ |
| Email Segmentation | $5-10K | $100-200K incremental revenue | 10-20x |
| B2B Website Path | $5-10K | $50-100K in captured leads | 5-10x |
| Les Knowledge Transfer | Internal time | Risk mitigation (unquantifiable) | Essential |
| Revenue Dashboard | $10-15K | Decision support (efficiency) | 5x+ |
| Rewards Awareness | $2-5K | $25-50K incremental retention | 5-10x |
Total NOW Investment: ~825K - $1.55M
Aggregate ROI: 15-25x
Foundation Building (NEXT) - ROI Analysis
| Initiative | Est. Cost | Expected Annual Impact | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Warehouse | $30-50K | $100K+ in efficiency savings | 2-3x |
| KPI Dashboards | $20-30K | $75K in time savings | 2-3x |
| SEO Optimization | $15-25K | $150-300K in organic traffic value | 6-12x |
| Click-to-Buy Testing | $20-30K | $200-400K in conversion improvement | 7-13x |
| Win-Back Campaign | $15-25K | $300-500K in recovered customers | 12-20x |
| AI Call Analysis | $25-40K | $100-200K in attribution + coaching | 3-5x |
| Commercial Reporting | $10-15K | Enables B2B growth decisions | 5x+ |
Total NEXT Investment: ~925K - $1.5M
Aggregate ROI: 5-7x
Summary: Total Program Investment
| Phase | Investment | Annual Impact | ROI | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOW | $30-60K | $825K-1.55M | 15-25x | 0-30 days |
| NEXT | $135-215K | $925K-1.5M | 5-7x | 30-90 days |
| FUTURE | $200-400K | $1M+ | 3-5x | 90+ days |
| TOTAL | $365-675K | $2.75M-4M+ | 5-10x | 12 months |
Data Team & Infrastructure Recommendations
Current State Assessment
Based on conversations with David Lopez and Julie:
| Dimension | Current State | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Team Size | 2 people (David + Brian) | Insufficient for company scale |
| Time Allocation | 80% prep, 20% analysis | Can’t do proactive work |
| Tools | Excel, Power Automate, some Power BI | Manual, not scalable |
| Data Storage | Individual systems, no warehouse | Can’t join data for insights |
| Self-Service | None | Every request requires analyst time |
| Redundancy | None | If one person is out, delays occur |
Recommended Target State
| Dimension | Target State | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Team Size | 3-4 people (add 1-2) | Capacity for proactive analysis |
| Time Allocation | 20% prep, 80% analysis | Focus on value-add work |
| Tools | Modern BI platform (e.g., Rill, Tableau, Looker) | Self-service, automated |
| Data Storage | Centralized warehouse (BigQuery) | Single source of truth |
| Self-Service | Dashboards for leadership | Reduce analyst bottleneck |
| Redundancy | Cross-training + documentation | Business continuity |
Infrastructure Investment Path
Phase 1 (NOW): Foundation
├── BigQuery data warehouse setup
├── Connect Evolve, 8x8, GreenRope data
└── Basic dashboards for leadership
Phase 2 (NEXT): Self-Service
├── Automated KPI scorecards
├── Department-specific dashboards
└── Training for managers
Phase 3 (FUTURE): Advanced
├── Predictive analytics
├── AI-powered insights
└── Real-time monitoring
Budget Estimate
| Component | One-Time | Annual | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BigQuery setup | $10-20K | $5-10K | Data warehouse |
| BI Platform | $5-10K | $15-25K | Dashboards, reporting |
| Integration work | $20-30K | - | Connect data sources |
| Training | $5-10K | - | Upskill team |
| Additional headcount | - | $75-100K | 1 analyst role |
| TOTAL | $40-70K | $95-135K | Year 1 |
Les Transition Plan
Timeline Overview
NOW MARCH 2026
│ │
├─────────────────────────────►│
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Knowledge Capture Phase │ │
│ │ (8-10 weeks) │ │
│ └─────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Documentation Sprint │ │
│ │ (4-6 weeks) │ │
│ └─────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Successor Overlap │ │
│ │ (4-8 weeks ideal) │ │
│ └─────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
Les Departs
Knowledge Capture Priorities
| Category | What to Capture | Format | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vendor Relationships | All 25+ agencies, freelancers, contacts | Contact database + notes | Critical |
| Channel Strategy | Why each channel is used, historical performance | Written summary | Critical |
| Budget Rationale | How budget is allocated, what trade-offs are made | Document + examples | Critical |
| Seasonal Playbook | What runs when, why, how to adjust | Calendar + notes | High |
| Creative Guidelines | Brand standards, what works, what doesn’t | Guide + examples | High |
| Vendor Contracts | Terms, renewals, key contacts | Contract summaries | High |
| Reporting Process | What reports exist, how to run them | Walkthrough videos | Medium |
| Tribal Knowledge | ”If X happens, do Y” scenarios | FAQ document | Medium |
Succession Structure Recommendation
Given Les’s scope (25+ vendor relationships, multiple channels, $5M+ budget), a single replacement is unlikely to succeed. Recommended structure:
Option A: Hybrid Model
┌──────────────────────────────────┐
│ Marketing Director │
│ (In-House, Senior) │
│ - Strategy & oversight │
│ - Vendor management │
│ - Budget ownership │
└────────────────┬─────────────────┘
│
┌────────────┼────────────┐
│ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼
┌────────┐ ┌────────┐ ┌────────┐
│Digital │ │Trad. │ │Content │
│Agency │ │Media │ │Agency │
│ │ │Buyer │ │ │
└────────┘ └────────┘ └────────┘
Option B: Full Agency Model
┌──────────────────────────────────┐
│ Marketing Coordinator │
│ (In-House, Mid-Level) │
│ - Agency liaison │
│ - Performance tracking │
│ - Internal coordination │
└────────────────┬─────────────────┘
│
▼
┌──────────────────────────────────┐
│ Full-Service Agency │
│ - Strategy │
│ - Creative │
│ - Media buying │
│ - Reporting │
└──────────────────────────────────┘
Risk Mitigation
| Risk | Mitigation |
|---|---|
| Successor not hired in time | Document everything now; consider interim agency support |
| Knowledge not captured | Start weekly capture sessions immediately |
| Vendor relationships lost | Create contact database with relationship notes |
| Performance drops post-transition | Establish baseline metrics now for comparison |
| Over-reliance on Les’s judgment | Document decision frameworks, not just decisions |
Appendix: Discovery Details
Stakeholders Interviewed
| Name | Role | Date | Key Topics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bo Jenkins | CEO | Dec 2, 2025 | Vision, strategy, challenges |
| Steven | COO | Dec 2, 2025 | Operations, regional growth |
| Les Stobart | Marketing Director | Dec 11, 2025 | Marketing strategy, transition |
| Julie Fredlund | IT Manager | Dec 14, 2025 | Systems, data, operations |
| David Lopez | Data/KPIs | Dec 15, 2025 | Analytics, reporting, team capacity |
| Yvette Ruiz | CSR Manager | Multiple | CSR operations, Andi usage |
Systems Inventory
| System | Purpose | Owner | Data Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evolve | FSM, scheduling, billing | Julie | Customer, service, financial |
| Call Source | Call recording, transcripts | Marketing | Attribution, quality |
| 8x8 | Call center platform | IT | Call metrics |
| GreenRope | Email marketing | Marketing | Campaign performance |
| Dream | Sales system | Sales | Pipeline, conversion |
| Sage | Accounting | Finance | Financial data |
| Front | Text/chat | CSR | Customer communication |
| Google Analytics | Website analytics | Monkey Boy | Traffic, conversion |
Key Metrics (Baseline)
| Metric | Current State | Target | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth | 2-3% | 10-15% | Leadership |
| Call volume | 80K+/month | Maintain/grow | Call Source |
| Conversion rate | ~70% | 75%+ | Sales |
| Services per customer | 1.5 avg | 5-7 | Evolve |
| Customer retention | ”Very high” | Maintain | Leadership |
| Cancel-before-service | $265K+/month | Reduce 50% | Julie |
| Marketing budget | ~4% of revenue | Optimize | Les |
Documents Referenced
- ABC Discovery Wiki
- Meeting agendas and transcripts (Dec 2025)
- Brainforge x ABC Discovery Proposal (Nov 2025)
- Evolve reports (provided by Julie)
- David’s KPI documentation
Next Steps
Immediate Actions (This Week)
- Schedule Les knowledge transfer sessions - Weekly until March
- Initiate GA tracking fix - IT/Marketing coordination
- Design cancel-before-service intervention - CSR/Operations
- Approve data warehouse project - IT/Leadership
Follow-Up Meetings
| Meeting | Participants | Purpose | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Review | Bo, Steven, Matt | Review findings, approve roadmap | This week |
| Marketing Kickoff | Marketing team, Les | Begin transition sprint | Next week |
| Data Team Planning | David, IT, Brainforge | Warehouse implementation | Next week |
| CSR Intervention Design | Yvette, Operations | Cancel-before-service process | This week |
Questions for Leadership
- Which “NOW” initiatives should be prioritized first?
- What is the approved budget for Phase 1 (NOW) initiatives?
- What is the succession plan for Les’s role?
- Who will own the data warehouse project internally?
Document prepared by Brainforge | January 2026
For questions, contact: Uttam Kumaran (uttam@brainforge.ai)