AT THE INTERSECTION OF STRATEGY, CONNECTION, CREATIVITY, AND ACTION…
This is where we meet, at the Inside Edge - REGISTRATION FOR 2025 NOW OPEN!
- The Inside Edge Program - Two Options Available
NEW for 2025 - The 5-month Inside Edge Bootcamp (Condensed Program)
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For those who are wanting to allow themselves more time to implement and integrate their learnings, plans, and strategies into their business over an entire year. This is especially helpful if you’re looking to build long term networking relationships with fellow business owners in the cohort (yes, it starts to feel like we’re family).
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For those who are keen to hit the ground running, focus on implementation of their learning and new strategies in the first half of the year so they can launch into Q3 and Q4 with a strong foundation to grow from. This option requires an intensive commitment to your business, yourself, and the tight-knit group of business owners who are in your bootcamp. Don’t worry - you’ll be supported and cheered on… every step of the way.
A COLLECTIVE SPACE FOR BUSINESS BREAKTHROUGHS
Our learning should never end, and let’s face it… there’s a lot to keep up with as a business owner, leader, and entrepreneur. We believe there is so much more to learning and growing when we get to do it in the company of other driven and curious people. The Inside Edge is about coming together in a safe and supportive environment to learn, improve, and grow in business.
“Keep showing up for your side of the job and give genius a chance to do its part.”
1-YEAR COHORT - THE DETAILS
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The Inside Edge is specifically designed to meet small business owners where they are. The fundamental business management topics are relevant to virtually all industries and presented in a way that is supportive of all experience levels. Whether you’re just starting out or are a seasoned small business owner, the Inside Edge content has been specifically curated to help you gain both knowledge and confidence.
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One of the features of the Inside Edge that makes it so successful is the small group environment. Each cohort will have no more than 10 members which allows every individual to get maximum “air time” and value out of their learning experience. Small groups breed connection and collaboration as well. We offer multiple intake points throughout the year for new cohort start ups.
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Each quarter, we get laser focused on a series of different business/management topics. Collectively, the 12-month curriculum prepares participants to excel in their business/career pursuits with a well-rounded understanding of fundamental concepts, but also a spark of unique insights that truly provide them with an “inside edge”.
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The key to getting the most out of the Inside Edge content is to apply the learning in real time. Our 2-hour monthly zoom calls offer an accountability check-in point for participants and we can also problem solve together in a supportive environment.
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A variety of educational tools, resources, templates, surveys, and more are curated to meet the needs of the cohort. Get ready for “aha” moments, inspirational content, easy-to-implement tools and strategies, and a fresh new way of looking at business and management.
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An additional option for Inside Edge members is a one-hour 1:1 accountability session or strategy session (each month) with Kristen to discuss the current workshop topics and/or dig into one’s individual challenges and opportunities.
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Based on our experience so far, it would be nearly impossible for people to NOT want to connect and collaborate outside of the Inside Edge. Strong ties, partnerships, and friendships start here. We’re proud of that. We maintain regular communications through a private Facebook group and we also create opportunities for socializing outside of the “work” too.
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There are additional ‘bonus’ sessions offered to each cohort throughout the year, depending upon needs, interests and current events. This may include guest speakers, mini-workshops and more!
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Your Inside Edge Cohort Membership includes all of the above, PLUS a complimentary 1-hour 1:1 Strategy Partner Session, 2 x 1-hour Accountability Partner Sessions (you can use them at any time throughout the year), a copy of The ONE Book, and 20% off other KEA Consulting small business workshops and supports for the life of your membership.
$299/month + GST
*OPTIONAL - add on (1-hour) 1:1 Strategy Partner Sessions or Accountability Partner Sessions for an additional $99 +GST per session.
5-MONTH BOOTCAMP DETAILS
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To ensure that everyone has the support they need to immediately apply their learning and implement their strategies, we keep our Bootcamp groups to a max of 6 people.
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We will tackle the same content offered in the 1-Year Cohort option but condense it into monthly full-day workshops.
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To compliment the monthly workshops, we will also have monthly group Zoom check-ins to keep our progress on track.
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Everything else offered in the 1-Year program is provided in the Bootcamp program - it’s just accelerated! We’ll have ongoing connection opportunities in a private Facebook group and an additional bonus Creative Circle Session too.
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Your Inside Edge Bootcamp Membership includes all of the above, PLUS a complimentary 1-hour 1:1 Strategy Partner Session, 3 x 1-hour Accountability Partner Sessions (you can use them at any time throughout the 5 months, a copy of The ONE Book, and 20% off other KEA Consulting small business workshops and supports for the life of your membership.
$3,999+ GST (monthly instalments available).
*OPTIONAL - add on (1-hour) 1:1 Strategy Partner Sessions or Accountability Partner Sessions for an additional $99 +GST per session.
Part 1: Strategic Foundations
Many of the challenges that small business owners face can be traced back to not having a well-thought out strategic foundation for themselves. Without this kind of structure, it is all too easy to be burdened with divergent priorities, to get stuck in 'reactive mode', and to waste our precious time, money, and energy. The work we'll be completing in this quarter will become a transformational point in your business. You'll have greater clarity on what you're doing, why you're doing it, and what may have been holding you back all this time. We will rediscover flow and ease in the present moment, and we will be answering some fundamental questions for you and your business that will help shape your long-term game too. All topics covered in the remainder of the year will lead back to the foundational work that we complete in Part one.
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Together, we will learn about:
The small business strategic essentials: Vision, Mission, Purpose, Values, and OATH Goals
The importance of small business systems and processes (and how to map them)
Priority setting and time management strategies
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After working through these topics in Part 1, you will have the following tangible outcomes:
A strategic framework for your businesses (a beautifully designed one-pager outlining your Vision, Mission, Purpose, and Values)
A structured goal list for the year (organized into areas of focus and timelines)
A prioritized list of your most important internal processes (existing and those to be created)
A high-level system/process map for your business
Newly implemented strategies for improving your prioritization and time management practices
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kills that will be used (or gained):
WRITING: Creating power with our choice of words and sentence structure
CREATIVITY: Working in Canva to create a beautiful one-page strategy framework
STORY-TELLING: Sharing our business story in an impactful and meaningful way
GOAL SETTING: With clarity, direction, and alignment
PROCESS MAPPING: The basics of systems and process design for the purposes of improvement/efficiency
PRIORITY SETTING: Different strategies and methods for clarifying and organizing ALL the priorities
TIME MANAGEMENT: Different strategies and methods for making the best use of our time (and energy)
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In Part 2, we will be taking all of your homework items and using them to inform your high-level marketing and sales strategy. It's imperative that your communication about your business to the rest of the world is in alignment with your business identity, business model, and your goals (or why bother marketing yourself?). We will also be taking your high-level system/process map and using it to streamline things, reduce wasted time, money, and energy and find more flow within your business (internally and outwardly with your clients).
Part 2: Strategic Marketing+
Now that you have developed your Strategic Foundation (your vision, mission, purpose, and values), you are ready to start sharing your story with the rest of the world. We want to be thoughtful and methodical with our marketing though, because it can be a significant drain on our most valuable resources. Many small businesses struggle with investing in their marketing without really seeing a tangible return on their investment. This is something we want to avoid!
Marketing is more than meets the eye. We'll touch on branding and why it matters but we'll also do a deeper dive into all the other really important (often overlooked) aspects of marketing. No - it isn't all about social media! We're going to connect some critical dots between your Unique Value Proposition and how to market your offers in a way that is aligned with your strategic foundation but also as attractive to prospective clients/customers as possible.
A big success factor with continuous professional development is applying the learning to relevant and timely situations in our businesses. This is why we'll be taking the processes you identified in Q1 and using a minimum of one of them to practice different process improvement methods. This is where we really start applying our learning to help you make the most of your time, money, and energy. It truly is where the rubber hits the road. Get ready for making some tweaks and changes for the better!
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Together, we will learn about:
Process Improvement methodologies (LEAN, FMEA)
Excellence and Unique Value Proposition
Marketing Fundamentals (including pricing)
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After working through these topics in Q2, you will have the following tangible outcomes:
A Strategic Marketing Outline
A Strategic Marketing Plan
A minimum of one process within your business refined and optimized
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Skills that will be used (or gained):
WRITING: Creating influence with our marketing voice
STORY-TELLING: Sharing about our Unique Value Proposition
PROCESS IMPROVEMENT: Applying the basics of process improvement methodology
MARKETING STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT: Focusing on alignment, communication practices, and and optimizing different sales channels
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In Q3, we will be building off of our marketing conversation and start exploring the best practices around strategic communications and partnerships. We'll also expand into actual sales training so that you feel even more confident and comfortable with pitching your offers to your ideal clients. Lastly, we'll be exploring one of the most important aspects of small business ownership: mindset. It truly is one of those things that can make or break a business owner's path to success.
Part 3: Strategic Relationships
We will round out our Q2 learning about strategic marketing by now applying this knowledge to improve our sales skills and relationship management. It really does come down to effective communication and so much of what we’ll be learning in this quarter will be transferrable into other life settings. We'll complete a condensed "LET'S GO" sales training as part of our full-day workshop and we’ll also explore the power of having (and sustaining) a positive business management mindset.
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Together, we will learn about:
Strategic communications as it relates to marketing and sales channels
Sales skills using the “LET’S GO” method
Partnerships and collaborations
Managing our business mindset
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After working through these topics in Part 3, you will have the following tangible outcomes:
A new perspective on building relationships in your sales tactics (hint - it’s EMPATHY based)
An outline of your sales strategies as it aligns with your Strategic Marketing Outline and pricing structure
A list of strategic relationships that you want to pursue with strategies on how to initiate and manage them
Tools and techniques for getting in a positive business mindset (and for staying there)
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Skills that will be used (or gained):
WRITING: Creating compelling sales copy that encourages curiosity and trust with prospective clients
CREATIVITY: Strategies for using creative brainstorming to get in and stay in a positive business mindset
STORY-TELLING: Sharing our business story in an impactful and meaningful way
COMMUNICATION: Fundamental (and transferable) communication strategies to help you network and build more effective partnerships and collaborations
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In Part 4, we will be weaving together many of the concepts covered throughout the year while also covering essential topics that will help you build your business for the ‘long game’, including performance metrics, risk management, change management, and quality improvement.
Part 4: Strategic Performance
In this quarter, all of the learning and building we’ve done throughout the year will come together into that solid strategic foundation we need to grow and evolve our businesses into healthy and sustainable ventures. In Q4, we will drill down into some of the most essential parts of managing a business - performance metrics, quality, risk and change management. This focus area is intended to support you building out a business model for the 'Long Game' and one that will be resilient - even during market/economic challenges.
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Together, we will learn about:
Small business performance metrics and how to use them
Assessing and managing risk
Planning for and managing change
Integrating continuous quality improvement
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After working through these topics in Part 4, you will have the following tangible outcomes:
A Risk Management Assessment and Mitigation Plan
Tools and strategies for diagnosing, planning, and managing change
A quality/performance matrix (modified balanced score card)
Newly implemented quality improvement habits and practices
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Skills that will be used (or gained):
WRITING: Creating if/then scenarios
CREATIVITY: Creative problem solving to manage risk, change, build innovation, and quality improvement
RISK ASSESSMENT: Being able to anticipate, assess, evaluate and deal with real and perceived risks in your business
OBJECTIVE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION: Being able to ‘get out of the weeds’ and beyond the emotion of assessing one’s business performance to enable greater odds of improvement and sustained profitability
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After completing Part 4 of the Inside Edge Cohort, you will have established a solid foundation for your business that will carry you into the following year with confidence, structure, and a renewed passion for your business’ future. We strongly encourage our Inside Edge members engage in a Strategic Planning workshop for their next calendar/fiscal year as this will help with more of the proactive operational planning that makes running a small business that much easier. Our cohort members will also be invited to a bonus workshop that is filled with fun, creativity, and a bit of celebration for all of their hard work and commitment shown over the past year.
Bonus Session
Our cohort members will explore so many ways to build and expand their business over the year and our Creative Circle bonus session is the best way to cap everything off. The Creative Circle Workshops are a fun and interactive opportunity to learn effective brainstorming and problem solving techniques. We will engage our heads, hearts, and hands in this workshop as we learn, create, and yes... play together to find innovative breakthroughs in our businesses.
10 INSIDE EDGE COHORT MEMBERSHIP TIPS
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1. Start a binder for all of the useful content that will be shared.
Each month, you will receive a set of worksheets, quick reference notes and other resources to help you start building your Inside Edge library. We have curated some of the best videos, blogs, tools, and other resources to enhance your learning experience.
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2. Build out a list of topics that are of special interest to you in your business/career.
While we have outlined a set of monthly topics, there is always room for flexibility if you have a special interest or learning need. You are welcome to bring them forward to your cohort and we always encourage members to share their knowledge and expertise too.
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3. Check in on your current mindset.
Before embarking on this kind of commitment, it is important to do a check in and see where things stand. Learning and professional growth requires a high degree of self-awareness as well as an open mind (and heart for that matter).
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4. Keep a journal or your personal reflections and to track your learning.
Sometimes we don’t realize our progress until we look at things in the rearview mirror. Partaking in this kind of commitment will require to learn, apply, test, try, reflect… learn, apply, test, try, and reflect again.
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5. Get prepared by thinking a through a few key goals you're looking to achieve.
It is undeniable… when we write our goals down, we are far more likely to do the work to achieve them. Call it manifestation… call it an action plan… we think goal setting is key no matter what.
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6. Get used to asking questions.
You get to decide how deeply you want to dive into the content and the conversations but we promise… the richness of this experience lies beneath surface-level engagement. Questions are always encouraged.
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7. Set aside some time in your week to dedicate to your learning commitment.
We’re all busy. But if you truly want the learnings to stick from this program, there is a time investment required. Schedule it in like the other activities that matter in your routine.
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8. Consider what you can contribute to the group.
Your knowledge, experience, and insight are so valuable. The greatest learnings happen in settings when there is dialogue and the offering of different perspectives. Don’t be shy here!
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9. Trust the process - even if it feels daunting.
You’re making incredible connections with your fellow members here. In fact - the learning will sometimes feel secondary to the support and collaboration that naturally comes from our sessions. Never be afraid to ask for some help. That’s what we’re here for.
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10. Always lead with kindness.
It’s our number 1 rule. Besides… the boomerang effect is real!
READY TO JOIN?
We will be opening up the Inside Edge to new members into 2-3 cohorts every year. Our first cohort always starts in January but if you’re interested in joining, we’ll put you on the list for our next cohort group.