Five years in, the business was working and it had stopped feeling like it. That gap is not failure. It’s information. Here are the three lessons that came out of rebuilding around one person, one product, and one funnel.
The first five years were successful by any measure.
We did $5M in revenue in five years. Served over 500 women in 18 cohorts of Passport. Revised, refined, and dare I say perfected the Passport coaching program. And our women were getting real results — over $8.1M in new consulting contracts in just 12 months.
So why was I so disappointed at the start of Year 6?
The numbers looked impressive on paper. The testimonials were glowing. The client outcomes spoke for themselves.
But behind the scenes, something felt… off.
I was still working too many hours. I was still the bottleneck for too many decisions. And despite all our success, the business felt more fragile than ever.
The wake-up call came in September 2024.
After letting my entire sales team go, I spent the next three months rebuilding the top of our sales funnel from scratch — driven by one bold question:
How can we bring in reliable revenue every month, scale with minimal overhead, and hit $10M/year in sales — without a single salesperson?
This was more than just a shift. It was a transformation. And like every big leap I’ve made in my business, it started with investing in coaching:
- A mindset coach to help me lead through discomfort — and challenge everything I thought I knew about how the coaching industry works
- A webinar coach to help me craft a message that turns perfect strangers into paying clients
Because five years in, I’d learned a powerful truth:
Success isn’t just about revenue. It’s about building a business that serves your life — not the other way around.
Everything had to change. And it did. If you’re in this phase — or headed toward it — here are the biggest lessons that took our small-but-mighty team toward $10M/year.
Lesson 1: Why one ideal client beats a broad market
After five years and 500 women, we were still refining who we served best.
Early on, I thought it was simple: experienced corporate women who wanted to start consulting. But through trial and error (and four distinct client personas), we discovered Passport works best for two specific types of women:
- Type 1: Still in corporate, ready to plan a smart and permanent exit
- Type 2: Already left, stuck between job applications and starting a business
Here’s the kicker: nearly all of them wanted to start consulting. They just didn’t have the formula for how. And timing mattered more than we realized — our women weren’t ready to sell, they were ready to plan.
Once we shifted Passport to focus on getting them client-ready — with the right foundation, strategy, and clarity — everything clicked: confidence grew, results improved, client satisfaction soared, and our messaging became razor sharp.
The more specific you get about who you serve, the more powerful your impact becomes.
Lesson 2: The power of ONE product
In Year 6, we made some tough calls. We sunset two programs that just didn’t have the momentum — or the joy — of Passport.
Consulting Kickstarter helped women clarify their business idea. It addressed a real need, but after months of promotion, only five sales. So we pivoted, creating a custom GPT niche finder that does the job in 30 minutes instead.
Passport+ was designed as a continuation program after graduation, but we found that 70% of our grads weren’t ready to leap into selling — they needed time, severance, or the space to prepare. And those who did join Passport+ showed up inconsistently, because they were off testing offers with real clients (which is a good thing).
The result: neither program moved the needle. The lesson: more programs doesn’t mean more success.
We realized we could sell just one more Passport per month and reduce coaches, eliminate extra calendar events, cut communication overhead, and free up so much energy.
Now we’re laser-focused on one bold goal: help 365 women start consulting businesses this year.
Focus isn’t just about what you choose. It’s about what you’re willing to stop choosing.
Lesson 3: The power of ONE funnel
Sales doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, simplicity is what makes it work.
At the end of Year 5, I hired a webinar coach. $5K investment. 90 days to build. Six months later, that webinar had already 200x’d our investment.
Here’s the system: Facebook ads drive registrations. A 90-minute live masterclass runs every Tuesday. Women show up, learn, and love it. About 10% of registrants enroll in Passport.
No sales team. No commissions. Just real value leading to real results. We follow up with a “Next Steps” session two days later — like a group coaching Q&A, where women get a feel for Passport before joining.
Our sales cycle went from over 300 days to just five. This weekly rhythm has become our heartbeat. Everyone on the team knows their role, and it runs like a dream.
Simplicity scales. Complexity kills.
What should you simplify after year five?
At ThriveHive, we try to model what real business building looks like for the women we serve — messy moments and all.
You probably spent 20+ years getting where you are now. With the right strategy, mentorship, and community, you can create the life you want in way less time.
This year, we’ll take eight-plus weeks of PTO, work four-hour days Monday through Thursday, enjoy a three-day weekend every week, finish at $3M in revenue, help 365 women launch thriving consulting businesses, and never take our laptops on vacation unless we want to.
No emergencies. No burnout. Just a business that supports real life. And you can have that too.
We hope this series has inspired you, been an example of what’s possible, and given you greater insight into what’s needed to build the lifestyle you’ve only been able to dream about in corporate.
Most of all, I hope it’s reminded you: you weren’t meant to settle. You were meant to thrive.
And remember — you were made to thrive.
Not sure what you'd even consult on?
Start there. Answer eight questions to discover your consultant type and get a personalized Consulting Success Report mapping the fastest path to your first client.
