Level 1: Valerie scheduled lunch because she NEEDED more business. She NEEDED more referrals. Her obvious need was costing her referrals, because she was focusing on selling to the person she was talking to at Team meetings and at individual coffee appointments.

• It's clear to me that if I want more referrals I'm the only person who can make that happen, but it wasn't clear to Valerie.
• She thought her Team Members should be doing more business with her, and sending her more business ready to close.
• Her intense personal need was costing her the alliances that would generate referrals.

Level 2:  She'd been in business for more than five years, so I asked what was different now, and learned that her daughter had been accepted at a prestigious college.  Congratulations, right?

Level 3:  Valerie deeply wants to give her daughter a platform for success that doesn't include school debt. She wants to give her daughter the legacy of education that her parents gave her.  It's their family culture. 

I recently met with Jennifer who owns a day care in Louisiana.  She's using a small payroll service in her town.  She's shopping services because her current payroll provider doesn't have the capability to provide direct deposit or employee portals, both of which are important to her and her employees.  Although our fees are a little higher than what's she's paying, she's very interested in switching to Payentry because of the additional services we offer.  Price isn't always the most important factor for my clients!

37 year old David came in with a bad low back. Multiple herniated and degenerative discs in lumbar spine. He had previously been a very active individual. He was still in very good muscular shape, but in constant low back pain keeping him from exercising and playing the sports he wanted to play. At first, he just wanted his back to feel better so he could play with his young childen. It took a couple months of adjusting and rehab but his back started feeling so good that he decided he wanted to run marathon with only 4 months to train. He did. He ended up with some some foot ankle and knee issues bc of the lack of training time that we worked throught. Then he started playing pickleball and tennis. It was important for him to be able to pick up and wrestle his kids, but more importantly he realized he could have his entire life back. This is what truly mattered to him. 

Mary and John first came to me wanting a bigger home as they started their life together. They wanted to be in a specific area. At first, I took them at face value and thought that it was important to them to feel like they were establishing a home that was their vision of life together as opposed to life as a single adult. As we continued looking for homes (and each subsequent home after that), I came to realize that what they really wanted was create a home that was the destination of family and friends. They wanted a home that was big enough to accommodate a large crowd and had features that made it a desirable choice for gatherings. Family and friends are very important to them and they wanted a home that reflected that. 

Sharon said that she needed to disown one of her two children. The son with whose family she now lived should be the sole beneficiary of her estate on her death. The other child, she explained, though the child had helped her in the past as she aged, was now distant and after a small argument a year ago, they no longer spoke. She needed to cut the child with whom she no longer spoke out of the inheritance. After we discussed the emotional firestorm that the favored son would likely endure upon her death – the disinherited child would “take it out on him” and may even pursue litigation, Sharon was uncertain how to proceed. I proposed pairing a no contest provision with an amount to leave to the disfavored child sufficient to serve as a deterrent to bad behavior. This is the plan which I drafted for Sharon. It accomplished what truly mattered to Sharon, showing her appreciation to the son who was caring for her without creating a difficult situation which would interfere with his future relationship with his sibling.

This story is very similar for several of my clients, but we will talk about Nicole and her business partner today. Nicole had started her business in the past 3-4 years and was hoping to be able to purchase a building and move her business into that space as well as to have some room to rent out to other businesses. Commercial Real Estate can be a great  piece of an investment portfolio, when its the right property at the right price. That combination can be tough to find, especially in today's market. Many commercial properties are not priced to sell quickly, they are putting a high price and hoping that someone shows interest and gives an offer close to that. A lot of these buildings will have deferred maintenance or major repair work needed to be usable, and a lot of owners are not factoring those costs into the sale price. 

Nicole wanted a space to have some office space, some storage space and a showroom or workroom type area. Some of this would require a build out to convert any space into what her dream space looks like. The first step was to find out what she could afford, so I referred her to some of the great commercial lenders that I work with. After finding out their pre-approval amount we went to check the market to see what options were out there. Most of the properties were well outside of the range for now, but there were a couple that could have fit. After looking at the two options, the properties needed too much work and didn't quite have the ideal visibility that she was hoping for.

They wanted to be able to buy a space to start to grow their business and to earn more money instead of paying a landlord or someone else. It was important to them to set up roots and find a space to grow within their community, but to also be able to share their space with other compatible business or like-minded business owners. The sense of community and collaborating with other business owners was very important to them and they wanted to create something that could be like an incubator for new or growing businesses. Their mind and goals are in the right place, but the timing just wasn't right for them. We looked at all of the options and they  decided it made more sense to rent for now and build up their business, and then to be able to purchase their space in the next few years when they and their business are ready for that giant leap away from leasing and into owning a property. 

Level 1:  What did they say they needed?

Susan came to me to get help with dropping some weight and taming her high blood sugar.  We talked about it and as part of the Discovery Session I do with each potential client, we did my "5 Reasons Why" exercise to get down to the core of their "need".

Level 2:  Why did I think that was important to them?

As we dove deeper into her "5 Reasons Why" exercise, she revealed that she wanted to do coaching work with me not for vanity reasons.  Susan needed to get her health under control because her daughter wasn't willing to leave her alone with the new grandchild when she was so out of shape and exhausted in her current condition.

Level 3:  At the core, what did I discover that truly mattered to them.

Susan wasn't interested in showing off a svelte body on stage in a bikini.  She really wanted to be the first-choice babysitter for her new grandchild.  That deep emotional "WHY" was the big reason why I took her on as a client, because I knew that we could use it as an driver for her success.

Level 1: What did they say they needed?
James said he wanted to form an LLC and get appropriate contracts in place so he could provide consulting services to businesses after taking early retirement from a Fortune 500 company.

Level 2: Why did you think that was important to them?
After a long and successful corporate marketing career, James was stepping into unfamiliar territory with business ownership. He understood in theory that he needed an LLC and contracts both to protect his personal assets and to be taken seriously as a consultant, but the process felt overwhelming and uncertain. That led him to procrastinate — not because he lacked the skills or the discipline, but because he didn’t want to get it wrong.

Level 3: At the core, what did you discover truly mattered to them?
At the core, James wanted confidence. He was the first in his family to walk away from the predictability of a paycheck and define himself as a business owner. It wasn’t just legal protection that he needed — he wanted to feel prepared, legitimate, and ready to trust himself in his new venture.

Level 1: They wanted lower homeowners insurance rates

Level 2: They were recently married, in grad school, and purchased their first home the prior year. They were looking to lower expenses to finish the last semester of grad school.  

Level 3: After  confirming the home secifications and running a reconstruction calculator, their home was underinsured by over $100,000 and there was no increased cost endorsement on the policy which would have provided additional coverage at the time of loss. What truly mattered to them was avoiding a possible $100,000+ deficiency in coverage while saving less than $50 a month. 

Ryan has a demanding position at work and time is not always on his side, however, about 8 years ago, he wanted to buy a house for he and his family to call home.  Having worked with his sister for years with real estate clients as well as helping her buy her own townhome then dream home with her new husband, she let him know working with me would be his best option, so off we went.  We did his loan app on the phone, had him send me the most necessary documents to do the pre qual and got to know his head of HR well from getting everything else needed that he didn't have time to track down. Getting his cleared to close was music to his ears and getting to celebrate his 1st closing with him and his wife was amazing for me!  Since then, I did a refinance for him, a mortgage for his next home and am working on an equity line for him, but all on his time.  Ryan has also given me several referrals over the years from his company and family, all of which I enjoyed celebrating their closings with them as well. Working with his schedule, overcoming some odd circumstances, being creative with solutions and getting past any and all obstacles with underwriting is what I did for all of them, and what I do for all my borrower's! Ryan worked and continues to work with me, as well as refer me to others, because he knows I will fulfill their mortgage wants and needs quickly, without stress or worry, and most importantly, on their time!

Client: Mark

Level 1 — What did he say he needed?

Mark said he needed stronger project managers so problems would stop landing on his desk.

Level 2 — Why did I think that was important to him?

Because every time a job issue came up, he felt obligated to step in. His phone rang at night. His team waited for his call. He was tired of being the safety net.

Level 3 — At the core, what truly mattered?

Mark wanted to sit at dinner without feeling responsible for every decision in the field. He wanted to trust his team and be present at home without the phone pulling him away.

Commander’s intent:
Build a team that can run jobs without chasing him into the evening.

Level 1: Ann wanted to order a gift card as a thank you gift.

Level 2: It was important to her to show her appreciation, support my business, and allow the recipient to pick her own clean-crafted choices.

Level 3: At the core, the gift giver cares most about expressing genuine appreciation, strengthening their connection, and ensuring that the recipient feels valued. It is about showing that they understand the recipient's taste, and providing a thoughtful gift. 

Mitch reached out to me about two years ago. He and his wife had set up a business about ten years earlier - computer consulting services. Mitch indicated that he thought he was missing out on business tax deductions and paying too much income tax. As we started speaking and as I started working with him, I realized it wasn't missing out on tax deductions that was the most important part of this.

The most important part was that they weren't saving enough for themselves and saving enough for retirement. There's two different aspects to building the "buckets" of retirement and personal savings/investments - one path was to help them increase their business profits to push more money into their “bucket” and the other aspect was to set up the retirement plan and be consistent with pushing money into savings / investments. The extra money largely went to build retirement and personal savings.

What was really important was building his net wealth - he looked at saving taxes as a critical part of that -but the other parts are much bigger and more important to achieving this goal.

Client Susan asked us to come out and inspect their roof.

They were concerned they might need repairs or a replacement and wanted to know if insurance would cover it .
 Susan wanted to just be sure of the condition of her roof. She had 2 other roofing companies that had come out and gave her 2 different responses and quotes telling her she needed a full replacement.

she was referred to us by her insurance agent. She just wanted to know the truth and wanted it from someone who was reliable. 

Client Name: Mr. Johnson

Mr. Johnson said,
“My driveway is very green. I need it pressure washed before my family reunion.”

He wanted his home to look clean because relatives were coming over. He didn’t want people walking up to a dirty driveway. He also mentioned he didn’t want anyone slipping.

What really mattered was pride and respect.
He wanted his home to represent him well. He wanted his family to feel welcomed. He wanted to feel confident, not embarrassed.

It wasn’t just about removing mold and mildew.
It was about protecting his reputation, keeping his family safe, and feeling proud of his home.

At Val’s Pressure Wash, we don’t just clean concrete.
We restore confidence.

My clients, the Kohls, were ready to remodel their kitchen and knew from the start that they needed design expertise. The husband, an engineer and quite handy around the house, was comfortable with the technical aspects, but as a couple they recognized the value of having a kitchen designer guide the process. What mattered most to them was a turnkey experience—someone who could bring the options to them, simplify decision-making, and deliver a thoughtful design that stayed within their budget.

My client Mark is 62 and runs a baking business with his wife. This is the second marriage for them both and they have 3 older children as well as their 14 year daughter.

The business is doing well but weighed down by a high interest SBA loan. They were struggling to turn a profit and had to deal with some employee turnover. They needed an additional source of income. I initially believed they were looking for money for the business based on how things were presented.

After further discussuion, what they really were concerned about was making sure to have sufficient income for their daughter to finish high school and start college. We looked at the possibility of using social security. We ran the numbers and Bob decided it made sense to apply for social security now, even though he knew he was giving up a lot of money later. His breakeven between taking it early versus later was many years out. But, if he took social security now, his daughter as a minor could also get benefits until she turns 20.

When Linda first came to me, she'd had multiple losses earlier in the year and was facing her first holiday season without loved ones.

Support was important for her since this was a major loss, which resulted in a change in the family's typical holiday traditions. Together, we worked on honoring the memory of her loved ones while building new traditions and making new memories.

As we worked together longer, it became evident that additional ripples were occuring through the family dynamics that became important to address. Through expanded understanding of grief concepts and how roles change after loss, she was able to navigate new family relationship dyamics without losing herself in the process. 

When working with clients, I offer support, education & coaching around grief & loss. The goal is to help my clients gather and master tools, skills & knowledge to help them understand and process grief and loss, now and in the future.

Scott knew his pension from his old company was going to stop in two years and wanted to plan to replace that income for him and his wife. They did not want to change their lifestyles and spending habits but knew that the full income amount may not be able to fully replaced with the current investable assets he and her have. They wanted to use a big name company that they can trust and that they know will be around for the long haul. Nationwide was the best solution for them to start a guaranteed income for them both in two years as planned. We could only replace half of the income that they are losing but he will have another bucket of investable funds that is available before that two year time period that can also be used for additional guaranteed income if that is still the need for them both at that time. Retirees do not worry about dying, they want to know they have enough money and income to live their lives. His biggest concern was to ensure the income will continue for his wife if he passes away, which it will completely.

Level 1: Kurt came to me because he wanted to rollover his IRA after he changed jobs. 

Level 2: I think that was important to him because it helped him keep his investments in one place, reducing the need for logins and keeping up with various statements. 

Level 3: At the core, he wanted to be able to provide his twin daughters with beautiful weddings without sacrificing his ability to take care of his bride throughout retirement. Now he has the financial freedom to respond with "when do you want to go?" when his wife suggests a two-week getaway to Sanibel Island.

I worked with Deirdre.  She wanted a house near to the airport for a shorter commute.  She hesitated on several properties closer to the airport, as she was worried about her safety coming home as a single woman, late at night off of long flights.  When we dug deeper on her motivation and what was important to her, it turns out being near to family who could keep an eye on her house when she was gone on multi day trips and also being near to family on her 15 days off a month out weighed the need for a short commute.  Proximity to family and a single family home in a safe neighborhood were more important than a short commute. 

With what I do, in health insurance, things can be complicated and confusing. My intent is to bring clarity for all of my clients and even those that I am just able to advise. Sandra came to me seeking to make changes to her public market (Obamacare) plan. So I asked questions, listened to her to assess her situation, and reviewed ALL of her available options. We were able to find her something on a different market that fit her needs better, and she walked away with more clarity about how health insurance works. She was now confident in her decision and was grateful that I took the time and explained things. Instead of just being an order taker like so many others in the industry.

I’ve worked with Will for about nine months.

Level 1: What did he say he needed?
He told me he needed a reliable contractor who could respond quickly to issues at his multi unit properties.

Level 2: Why did I think that was important to him?
Because managing multiple properties means constant pressure. Tenants call him first. Ownership calls him next. Delays cost money. He needed speed plus consistency so problems did not escalate.

Level 3: At the core, what truly mattered?
What I discovered was that Will did not just want fast response. He wanted fewer decisions. He wanted to stop carrying the mental load of “Who do I call, will they show up, will I have to chase this?” At the core, he wanted confidence that when his phone rang, he had one trusted solution.

His Commander’s Intent was peace of mind in the middle of constant pressure.

Level 1. What did they say they needed.

Mary and Kyle own a number of small internet based businesses. One of those businesses creates digital programs for school sports events. They wanted to create some seperate branding and sales plan so that they could sell an adapted version at an expo for school bands, choirs and orchestras. 

Level 2. Both Kyle and Mary are deeply invested in their business and their local brass band. With their girls now heading to middle school, being able to offer their services to that school would be a great business opportunity, as well as helping to assist the band raise funds through sponsorship opportunities.

Level 3. After some specific questioning (and a little bit of marriage counselling) we determined that the sports program side of the business wasn't doing as well as it could be, and that exploring other uses (like band and theater programs) for the same software would add some much more lucrative markets to their portfolio! That was the real intent behind their thinking! 

my client, Mike, needed catering for his sons Graduation. He wanted to celebrate his sons graduation. yet what I found is that he didnt want to have to worry about the cooking or setting up. What he wanted to  do was spend time with his son before he left for college. 

Becca said she needed a flexible venue for an after-wedding celebration. Somewhere casual, not a ballroom, with good food and room for people to move around.

She didn’t want her wedding to feel scripted or formal. Flexibility meant she could skip rigid timelines, let guests mingle naturally, and design something that actually felt like her, not a template she was supposed to follow.

What Becca really cared about was authenticity. She wanted her people to feel relaxed, connected, and genuinely happy, like they were all hanging out together, celebrating love, not attending an “event.” Her real goal wasn’t a venue; it was creating a memory that felt honest, personal, and shared.

At Roswell Junction, we didn’t start by selling her a room; we listened. We asked how she wanted the night to feel, not what the schedule needed to look like. We built the layout around movement and mingling, leaned into the food hall experience so guests could choose what they loved, and removed unnecessary rules that would’ve made it feel stiff or formal.

We permitted her to break the mold and then supported its operation. No pressure to follow a script. No pushing upgrades that didn’t fit her vision. Just a space that worked with her idea instead of against it.

Becca wasn’t looking for a venue. She was looking for a partner who would protect the vibe she imagined and make sure her people felt at home. Our job was to create the container, and then get out of the way so the moment could happen naturally.

Dave,  Said he needed a new car charger. 

I figured he wanted to be able to get to work and back each day and not worried about his car getting a full charge while plugged in. 

Turns out Dave worked from home and rarely drives. Yes the ability to get a full range charge quickly  is something all EV drivers enjoy.  Yet dave was quite into modern tech and flat out thought it was cool. Dave wase aware of advances in battery technology coming in the future that having this charger installed could make possible. 

Dave wanted to be ready. 

Michael scheduled a consultation because he needed a full backyard renovation.
He said he needed:

• A new paver patio

• A covered structure (pergola or pavilion)

• Better lighting

• Privacy screening

• A cleaner “high-end” look

His obvious need was the outdoor space. But what stood out immediately was that he kept circling back to one line:

“I just want it to feel finished… and I want it to feel like it matches the house.”

He said the yard felt unfinished, and he didn’t want to keep throwing money at it in pieces.

He wasn’t just shopping for a patio.

Michael had a beautiful home, but the backyard didn’t reflect the life they were actually living. He had kids, a busy schedule, and limited time off — and he felt like when he finally had time to breathe, the space didn’t support it.

He was also carrying stress from a few past contractors who had “done work,” but the results didn’t feel cohesive, and he didn’t trust the process anymore.

So the real importance wasn’t design. It was control.
He wanted a plan, a professional, and a result he didn’t have to second-guess.

What Michael truly wanted was to create a place where his family would naturally gather — without effort.

The deeper truth came out when he mentioned:

• His kids growing up fast

• Their weekends being packed with activities

• The fact that they were always “going somewhere” to relax, instead of relaxing at home

At the core, Michael didn’t want a patio.

He wanted a home base.

He wanted the feeling of walking outside, seeing everything complete, and thinking: 

“This is ours. This is where our memories happen.”

His Commander’s Intent wasn’t “a nicer backyard.”
It was building a legacy space — a place his family would actually use, remember, and associate with comfort and togetherness.

I recently worked with a client named Liz. She told me she needed new carpet on her stairs because they were looking worn and dirty all the time. But as we talked more, I realized it wasn’t just about the look. She felt like no matter how much she cleaned, the stairs made the whole house feel messy. At the core, what really mattered to her was peace of mind. She was juggling work and family, and she didn’t want her home adding to her stress. My intent with Liz was to give her one less thing to worry about when she walked through the door.

Level 1: What did they say they needed?

Sarah first came to me wanting a cheaper merchant account to lower her overhead. She was focused strictly on the line-item cost and hitting a specific budget goal for her surgical center.

Level 2: Why did you think that was important to them?

At first, I took her at face value and thought it was important to her to feel like she had financial control over her vendor costs. I assumed she needed the transparency of an Interchange Plus model landing between 1.5% and 2.9% to prove to her partners that she was effectively managing their "mystery fees."

Level 3: At the core, what did you discover truly mattered to them?

As we looked deeper into their daily operations, I realized what she really wanted was to reclaim her team's time. Because their hardware didn't "talk" to the CRM, her staff was staying until 7:00 PM every night manually reconciling transactions. At the core, I discovered that staff culture and data accuracy were what truly mattered. She wanted an integrated system that eliminated burnout and the risk of audit errors, allowing her team to focus on patients instead of paperwork.

I'm Julia with Pinnacle Payments. 

When initially introduced to potential client, Katie, it was about explaining her business processing statement to her & looking for potential savings. As we went thru their last few statements, I not only discovered an annual technology fee of $499 but also their current company's upcoming rate increase.  I was able to match their current rate prior to increase, avoid annual fees and provide them with a terminal for clients to pay in-person along with a dashboard to invoice them as they had been manually entering card data thus providing additional savings. 

I'm Julia Knott with Pinnacle Payments.