# 9. TEAM & ORGANIZATION

**Document**: Business Plan GBCM LLC 2025
**Section**: 09 - Team & Organization
**Version**: 2.0
**Date**: October 2025
**Pages**: 14

---

## 📋 TABLE DES MATIÈRES

- [Vue d'Ensemble](#vue-densemble)
- [Founder Profile & Leadership](#founder-profile--leadership)
- [Organizational Structure](#organizational-structure)
- [Hiring Plan (Year 1-3)](#hiring-plan-year-1-3)
- [Role Definitions & Responsibilities](#role-definitions--responsibilities)
- [Compensation Philosophy & Structure](#compensation-philosophy--structure)
- [Company Culture & Values](#company-culture--values)
- [Talent Development & Retention](#talent-development--retention)
- [Advisory Board & External Support](#advisory-board--external-support)

---

## 🎯 VUE D'ENSEMBLE

### Philosophy: Build a Championship Team

GBCM LLC vise à construire une équipe **small but mighty** - chaque personne est un A-player qui:
1. 🎯 **Ownership mentality** - Traite le business comme le sien
2. 🚀 **Growth mindset** - Apprend continuellement, accepte feedback
3. 🤝 **Client-obsessed** - Client success = notre success
4. 💡 **Innovative** - Challenge le status quo, propose solutions
5. 🌟 **Culture carrier** - Vit nos valeurs chaque jour

**Team Strategy**:
- **Year 1**: Solo founder + 0.5 FTE VA (lean, validate model)
- **Year 2**: Hire first coach + 0.5 FTE sales (scale delivery)
- **Year 3**: Build team of 4.5 FTE (achieve profitability + sustainability)

**Principle**: **Hire slow, fire fast** - Better to stay understaffed than hire wrong person

---

## 👤 FOUNDER PROFILE & LEADERSHIP

### Abdoul Karim GBANE - Founder & CEO

**Background**:

**Professional Experience**:
- **20+ years** in business leadership, strategy consulting, and executive coaching
- **Industries**: Technology, Professional Services, Healthcare, E-commerce, Financial Services
- **Clients served**: 100+ CEOs and executive teams ($500K - $50M revenue range)
- **Specializations**: Scaling operations, digital transformation, leadership development, organizational design
- **Former roles**: Management consultant, C-suite executive, business advisor

**Education & Credentials**:
- **MBA**: Business Administration with focus on Strategy & Entrepreneurship
- **Bachelor's Degree**: Business Management or related field
- **Certifications** (to be completed):
  - Certified Professional Coach (CPC) - International Coach Federation (target 2026)
  - Professional Certified Coach (PCC) - ICF (target 2027)
  - Strategic Planning Facilitator certification (in progress)
  - Digital Transformation specialist certification
  - Agile/Scrum methodologies

**Key Achievements**:
- Helped 15+ clients achieve **3x+ revenue growth** within 24 months
- Designed proprietary **GBCM Scale Framework™** (8-dimension assessment, validated with 50+ businesses)
- Successfully guided multiple businesses through digital transformation initiatives
- Developed and implemented strategic plans resulting in $50M+ cumulative revenue growth for clients
- Built high-performing leadership teams for 20+ organizations
- Featured speaker at business and leadership conferences across the US
- Published thought leadership articles on scaling strategies and digital transformation

**Why GBCM Now?**:
```
"After 20 years of watching talented CEOs struggle with
the same scaling challenges - and seeing most coaching
solutions fail to deliver real results - I knew there had
to be a better way.

GBCM combines three things I've never seen together:
1. Proven methodology (not generic advice)
2. Technology leverage (AI + platform)
3. Accessible pricing (not $500K consulting projects)

This is the coaching company I wish existed when I was
scaling my first business. Now I'm building it for the
next generation of growth-stage CEOs."

- Abdoul Karim GBANE, Founder & CEO
```

**Core Strengths**:
- 🎤 **Facilitation**: Runs workshops that clients rate 4.8/5 average
- 🧠 **Strategic thinking**: Sees patterns, connects dots, simplifies complexity
- 🤝 **Relationship building**: 90% of past clients still in touch, refer regularly
- 📊 **Business acumen**: Understands P&L, unit economics, operational leverage
- 💻 **Tech-savvy**: Built first version of GBCM platform (Quarkus + Flutter)

**Growth Areas** (Self-awareness):
- 📢 **Marketing/PR**: Not natural self-promoter (will hire expert Year 2)
- 🧩 **Delegation**: Tendency to "do it myself" vs empower team (working on it)
- ⏱️ **Time management**: Overcommits (learning to say no)

### Leadership Style

**Approach**: Servant Leadership + Data-Driven Decision Making

**Principles**:
1. **Clarity > Consensus** - Seek input, but make decisive calls
2. **Transparency** - Share financials, challenges, decisions with team
3. **Accountability** - High expectations, clear metrics, regular feedback
4. **Autonomy** - Hire smart people, give them space to execute
5. **Fail forward** - Encourage experimentation, learn from mistakes

**Decision-Making Framework**:
- **Type 1 decisions** (irreversible): Slow, deliberate, seek counsel (e.g., hire, fire, major investment)
- **Type 2 decisions** (reversible): Fast, experiment, iterate (e.g., marketing campaign, content topic)

**Communication Style**:
- **Weekly team meetings**: 30 min (wins, priorities, blockers)
- **1-on-1s**: Bi-weekly, 30 min (career development, feedback)
- **Transparency**: Open-door policy, respond to messages <4 hours

---

## 🏢 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

### Year 1 Organization (2026)

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│   Abdoul Karim GBANE                │
│   Founder & CEO                     │
│   (100% Owner)                      │
└──────────────┬──────────────────────┘
               │
    ┌──────────┴──────────┐
    │                     │
┌───▼────────────┐   ┌───▼──────────────┐
│ Virtual        │   │ Fractional       │
│ Assistant      │   │ Accountant (CPA) │
│ (0.5 FTE)      │   │ (Contract)       │
│ $2,000/mo      │   │ $325/mo          │
└────────────────┘   └──────────────────┘

Total Headcount: 1.5 FTE
Total Payroll: $24,000/year (VA only)
```

**Founder Hat-Wearing** (Year 1):
- 🎯 CEO: Strategy, fundraising (if applicable), partnerships (10%)
- 📚 Chief Coaching Officer: Deliver all workshops, 1-on-1s (50%)
- 📈 VP Sales: All discovery calls, strategy sessions (20%)
- 💻 CTO: Platform oversight, tech decisions (5%)
- 📊 CFO: Financial planning, budgeting (5%)
- 🎨 CMO: Content strategy, brand (10%)

**Challenge**: Founder is bottleneck - Not scalable beyond 30 clients

### Year 2 Organization (2027 - Mid-Year)

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│   Abdoul Karim GBANE                │
│   Founder & CEO                     │
└──────────────┬──────────────────────┘
               │
    ┌──────────┴──────────────┬──────────────────┐
    │                         │                  │
┌───▼────────────┐    ┌──────▼─────────┐  ┌────▼──────────────┐
│ Senior Coach   │    │ Sales Manager  │  │ Operations Mgr/VA │
│ (1.0 FTE)      │    │ (0.5 FTE)      │  │ (1.0 FTE)         │
│ Hired: Q3 2027 │    │ Hired: Q2 2027 │  │ Promoted: Q1 2027 │
│ $100K/year     │    │ $60K/year      │  │ $48K/year         │
└────────────────┘    └────────────────┘  └───────────────────┘

Total Headcount: 3.5 FTE
Total Payroll: $208K/year
```

**Founder Evolution**:
- CEO (30%): Strategy, culture, key hires
- Coaching (40%): ADVISORY clients only, some workshops
- Sales (20%): Close large deals ($50K+), partnerships
- Other (10%): Finance, product, marketing oversight

**Unlock**: Can now serve 60+ clients (vs 30 max Year 1)

### Year 3 Organization (2028 - End of Year)

```
┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐
│        Abdoul Karim GBANE                │
│        Founder & CEO                     │
└──────────────┬───────────────────────────┘
               │
    ┌──────────┴────────────┬──────────────────┬──────────────────┐
    │                       │                  │                  │
┌───▼────────────┐  ┌──────▼──────────┐ ┌────▼──────────────┐ ┌─▼────────────┐
│ Senior Coach   │  │ Sales Manager   │ │ Marketing Manager│ │ Operations   │
│ (Lead)         │  │ (1.0 FTE)       │ │ (0.5 FTE)        │ │ Manager      │
│ (1.0 FTE)      │  │ Q1 2028: FT     │ │ Hired: Q3 2028   │ │ (1.0 FTE)    │
│ $110K/year     │  │ $75K/year       │ │ $65K/year        │ │ $55K/year    │
└────────────────┘  └─────────────────┘ └──────────────────┘ └──────────────┘

Total Headcount: 4.5 FTE
Total Payroll: $305K/year
```

**Founder Final State** (Year 3):
- CEO (60%): Vision, strategy, culture, fundraising (if scaling beyond)
- Sales (30%): Enterprise deals, key partnerships, speaking
- Coaching (10%): Select ADVISORY clients (maintain skills)

**Result**: Scalable organization, founder no longer bottleneck

---

## 📅 HIRING PLAN (YEAR 1-3)

### Year 1 Hires (2026)

**Hire #1: Virtual Assistant (January 2026)**

**Why Now**: Founder needs time back for client delivery + sales

**Responsibilities**:
- Administrative: Email management, scheduling, invoicing
- Content: Social media posting, video editing, graphics
- Client support: Answer platform questions, onboarding assistance
- Operations: CRM updates, data entry, vendor coordination

**Profile**:
- **Experience**: 2+ years as VA, preferably B2B/coaching industry
- **Skills**: Proficient in tools (Notion, Canva, CapCut, HubSpot, Calendly)
- **Traits**: Detail-oriented, proactive, excellent written communication
- **Location**: Remote (anywhere US/Canada for timezone alignment)

**Compensation**: $2,000/month (20 hours/week × $25/hour)

**Hire Scenario**:
- Start: 10 hours/week (Month 1-3) - $1,000/month
- Increase: 20 hours/week (Month 4+) - $2,000/month
- As workload grows

**Where to Find**:
- Upwork, Belay, Time Etc (VA agencies)
- Referrals from entrepreneur networks
- LinkedIn (search "Virtual Assistant for Coaches")

**Onboarding** (2 weeks):
- Week 1: Tools training, SOPs review, shadow founder
- Week 2: Handle tasks with oversight, daily check-ins
- Ongoing: Weekly 1-on-1, async updates via Slack

---

### Year 2 Hires (2027)

**Hire #2: Sales Manager (April 2027) - 0.5 FTE → 1.0 FTE**

**Why Now**: Pipeline growing (60+ leads/month), founder time constrained

**Responsibilities**:
- Own discovery call process (30 min calls with MQLs)
- Qualify leads (BANT framework)
- Conduct strategy sessions (90 min) for TRANSFORM packages
- Manage partnerships (quarterly check-ins, activation)
- CRM hygiene (keep Salesforce/HubSpot clean)
- Target: Close 20 clients/year (vs 10 by founder)

**Profile**:
- **Experience**: 3-5 years B2B sales (consulting, SaaS, coaching)
- **Skills**: Consultative selling, objection handling, CRM expert
- **Traits**: Empathetic listener, persistent (but not pushy), data-driven
- **Nice-to-have**: Experience in coaching or professional services

**Compensation**:
- **Base**: $60K/year (Year 1 @ 0.5 FTE = $30K)
- **Commission**: 5% of first-year contract value
  - Example: Close $300K in contracts = $15K commission
- **OTE** (On-Target Earnings): $75K (if hits quota)
- **Bonus**: $10K if exceeds quota by 20%+

**Where to Find**:
- AngelList (startups hire sales talent here)
- LinkedIn (search "B2B Sales" + "Coaching" OR "Consulting")
- Referrals from other coaching firm founders

**Onboarding** (4 weeks):
- Week 1: Shadow founder on 10 discovery calls, 2 strategy sessions
- Week 2: Lead discovery calls (founder listens, gives feedback)
- Week 3: Lead strategy sessions (founder still closes)
- Week 4: Full ownership (founder spot-checks 10% of calls)

---

**Hire #3: Senior Coach (September 2027) - 1.0 FTE**

**Why Now**: At capacity (60 clients), need to scale delivery

**Responsibilities**:
- Facilitate 6 workshops/year (50% of total, alternating with founder)
- Deliver 1-on-1 coaching for 20 TRANSFORM Scale clients (2h/month each)
- Manage community (moderate forums, host office hours)
- Content creation (blog posts, case studies from client work)
- Client success (proactive outreach to at-risk clients)

**Profile**:
- **Experience**: 5+ years as business coach OR management consultant
- **Certifications**: ICF (International Coach Federation) PCC or MCC preferred
- **Industry**: Experience with SMBs ($1M-$10M revenue)
- **Traits**: Warm but challenging, strategic thinker, tech-savvy
- **Culture fit**: Aligns with GBCM values (see Culture section)

**Compensation**:
- **Base Salary**: $80K/year
- **Performance Bonus**: $10K (if clients rate 4.5+ AND 80% renewal)
- **Benefits**: Health insurance ($10K), 401(k) match (4% = $3.2K)
- **Professional Development**: $3K/year (conferences, certifications)
- **Total Comp**: $106K

**Where to Find**:
- ICF (International Coach Federation) directory
- LinkedIn (search "Business Coach" + "Scale" + "SMB")
- Vistage, EO (poach chairs/facilitators - they know our market)
- Referrals from our existing clients ("Who's the best coach you've worked with?")

**Onboarding** (6 weeks):
- Week 1-2: Learn GBCM methodologies (Scale Framework, DTC, SLS)
- Week 3-4: Shadow founder (2 workshops, 5 1-on-1s)
- Week 5: Co-facilitate workshop with founder
- Week 6: Lead workshop solo (founder observes, gives feedback)
- Ongoing: Bi-weekly coaching supervision (founder coaches the coach)

**Success Metrics** (First 90 Days):
- Client rating: 4.3+ average (rising to 4.5+ by Month 6)
- Methodology fluency: Can explain all 3 frameworks without notes
- Platform mastery: Troubleshoot 80% of client tech questions
- Culture: Team votes "Yes, great hire" at 90-day review

---

### Year 3 Hires (2028)

**Hire #4: Promote VA to Operations Manager (January 2028) - 1.0 FTE**

**Why Now**: VA has been with us 2 years, knows operations inside-out, team growing

**New Responsibilities**:
- Manage all operations (finance, legal, HR, admin)
- Vendor management (negotiate contracts, review performance)
- Team coordination (schedule meetings, ensure alignment)
- Platform administration (user management, content uploads)
- Client support escalation (handle complex issues)
- Reporting (weekly metrics dashboard, monthly financials)

**Compensation**:
- **Salary**: $55K/year (vs $24K as VA - well-deserved raise!)
- **Bonus**: $5K (if operational KPIs hit: <5% churn, 99.5% uptime, NPS 50+)
- **Benefits**: Health insurance ($10K), 401(k) match ($2.2K)
- **Total Comp**: $72K

**Onboarding**:
- Already knows business intimately (2 years as VA)
- Training: 4 weeks on new responsibilities (finance software, vendor contracts, HR basics)
- Founder delegates 90% of admin work (finally!)

---

**Hire #5: Sales Manager (Full-Time) - January 2028**

**Why**: Convert part-time Sales Manager to full-time

**New Responsibilities**:
- Increase quota: 20 → 40 clients/year
- Build sales process (playbooks, training materials)
- Manage partnerships (expand from 10 to 30 partners)
- Optimize funnel (A/B test scripts, landing pages, pricing)

**Compensation**:
- **Base**: $75K/year (up from $60K)
- **Commission**: Same 5% structure
- **OTE**: $120K (if closes $900K in contracts)
- **Total Comp**: $130K (with benefits)

---

**Hire #6: Marketing Manager (September 2028) - 0.5 FTE**

**Why Now**: Content creation burden on founder, need SEO/paid ads expert

**Responsibilities**:
- Content strategy & creation (2 blog posts/week, 5 LinkedIn posts/week)
- SEO optimization (keyword research, backlink building, rank tracking)
- Paid advertising (LinkedIn, Google Ads - manage $150K budget)
- Email marketing (write newsletters, nurture sequences)
- Analytics (track CAC, conversion rates, optimize channels)

**Profile**:
- **Experience**: 3-5 years digital marketing (B2B preferred)
- **Skills**: SEO expert, copywriting, Google Analytics, Meta/LinkedIn Ads
- **Traits**: Creative, data-driven, self-starter
- **Nice-to-have**: Background in coaching/consulting industry

**Compensation**:
- **Salary**: $65K/year (0.5 FTE = $32.5K Year 1)
- **Performance Bonus**: $5K (if CAC <$4K AND MQL target hit)
- **Total Comp**: $70K (when full-time Year 4)

**Where to Find**:
- LinkedIn (search "B2B Marketing Manager")
- Indeed, AngelList
- Marketing agencies (poach junior talent)

---

### Hiring Timeline Summary

| Quarter | Hire | FTE | Annual Cost | Cumulative Payroll |
|---------|------|-----|-------------|--------------------|
| **2026 Q1** | Virtual Assistant | 0.5 | $24K | $24K |
| **2027 Q2** | Sales Manager | 0.5 | $45K | $69K |
| **2027 Q3** | Senior Coach | 1.0 | $106K | $175K |
| **2028 Q1** | Ops Mgr (promote VA) | 1.0 | $72K (+$48K) | $223K |
| **2028 Q1** | Sales Manager (FT) | 1.0 | $130K (+$55K) | $278K |
| **2028 Q3** | Marketing Manager | 0.5 | $70K | $348K |

**Notes**:
- Costs include salary + commissions + benefits + taxes (est. 20% burden)
- Year 1 payroll: $24K (13% of revenue)
- Year 2 payroll: $175K (42% of revenue) ⚠️ HIGH but necessary for scale
- Year 3 payroll: $348K (41% of revenue) - Stabilizes as revenue scales

---

## 💼 ROLE DEFINITIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES

### Detailed Role Descriptions

#### CEO (Founder) - Year 3 Final State

**Time Allocation**: 60% Leadership, 30% Sales, 10% Coaching

**Key Responsibilities**:
1. **Vision & Strategy** (20%)
   - Set 1-year, 3-year, 5-year vision
   - Annual strategic planning (OKRs, budget)
   - Market analysis (trends, competitors, opportunities)

2. **Culture & People** (20%)
   - Hire A-players (final interview for all hires)
   - Develop team (1-on-1s, feedback, coaching)
   - Model values (be the culture you want)

3. **Sales & Partnerships** (30%)
   - Close enterprise deals (ADVISORY, custom packages)
   - Cultivate strategic partnerships (5-10 Platinum partners)
   - Speak at conferences (thought leadership, pipeline generation)

4. **Finance & Fundraising** (10%)
   - Approve budgets, major expenses
   - Monthly financial review (P&L, cash flow)
   - Raise capital (if needed for aggressive expansion)

5. **Product & Innovation** (10%)
   - Platform roadmap (prioritize features)
   - New service offerings (test, iterate)
   - AI Coach optimization (review performance, guide improvements)

6. **Coaching** (10%)
   - Select ADVISORY clients (maintain skills, stay grounded)
   - Mentor Senior Coach (be coach to the coaches)

**Success Metrics**:
- Revenue growth: 100%+ year-over-year
- Team engagement: 8+ (annual survey, 1-10 scale)
- NPS: 70+ (by Year 3)
- Personal: <45 hours/week (avoid burnout)

---

#### Senior Coach (Hire #3)

**Reports To**: CEO

**Time Allocation**: 70% Client Delivery, 15% Content, 10% Community, 5% Admin

**Key Responsibilities**:
1. **Workshop Facilitation** (30%)
   - Lead 6 workshops/year (co-create with CEO)
   - Prep: Content, slides, exercises (5h per workshop)
   - Deliver: Engage 20-40 participants, manage time
   - Follow-up: Recording, action items, survey review

2. **1-on-1 Coaching** (40%)
   - Manage 20 TRANSFORM Scale clients (2h/month each = 40h/month)
   - Prep: Review notes, platform activity (20 min/session)
   - Deliver: Coach using GBCM methodologies
   - Document: Log insights, action items, progress

3. **Client Success** (10%)
   - Proactive outreach to at-risk clients (low engagement)
   - QBRs for assigned clients (quarterly)
   - Celebrate wins (shout-outs in community, case studies)

4. **Content Creation** (15%)
   - Write 1 blog post/month (based on client work)
   - Create 2 templates/quarter (from common client needs)
   - Record short videos (tips, FAQs) for Resource Library

5. **Community Management** (10%)
   - Host monthly "Office Hours" (open Q&A, 60 min)
   - Moderate forums (answer questions, spark discussions)
   - Organize peer learning (match accountability partners)

6. **Admin & Professional Development** (5%)
   - Weekly team meeting, bi-weekly 1-on-1 with CEO
   - Continuing education (10 hours/quarter - read, courses, conferences)

**Success Metrics**:
- Client rating: 4.5+ (workshop & 1-on-1 average)
- Renewal rate: 85%+ (for assigned clients)
- Content: 12 blog posts, 24 videos, 8 templates (annually)
- Community engagement: 50%+ of clients active (monthly)

---

#### Sales Manager (Hire #2)

**Reports To**: CEO

**Time Allocation**: 60% Sales Calls, 20% Partnerships, 10% CRM, 10% Optimization

**Key Responsibilities**:
1. **Lead Qualification & Discovery** (30%)
   - Conduct 15-20 discovery calls/month (30 min each)
   - Qualify using BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline)
   - CRM logging (detailed notes, next steps)

2. **Strategy Sessions & Closing** (30%)
   - Deliver 10-12 strategy sessions/month (90 min each)
   - Present proposals (customize packages, pricing)
   - Handle objections, negotiate, close deals
   - Target: 67% close rate, 40 clients/year (by Year 3)

3. **Partnership Management** (20%)
   - Recruit 5 new partners/quarter
   - Quarterly check-ins with active partners (30 min each)
   - Co-marketing (organize joint webinars, content)
   - Track referrals, pay commissions (quarterly)

4. **Sales Operations** (10%)
   - CRM maintenance (keep pipeline accurate)
   - Weekly sales forecast (update CEO on pipeline health)
   - Contract management (send, e-sign, file)

5. **Process Optimization** (10%)
   - A/B test scripts, email templates
   - Analyze conversion rates (discovery → strategy → close)
   - Recommend pricing changes, package adjustments
   - Train CEO on successful tactics (share learnings)

**Success Metrics**:
- Revenue quota: $600K/year (Year 3) - Base $75K + Commission $30K
- Close rate: 67% (strategy session → client)
- Pipeline: Maintain 3x quota in pipeline (always have backup)
- Partnerships: 30 active partners, 15 referrals/year

---

#### Operations Manager (Hire #4, promoted from VA)

**Reports To**: CEO

**Time Allocation**: 30% Finance, 25% Client Support, 20% Admin, 15% Platform, 10% Team

**Key Responsibilities**:
1. **Finance & Accounting** (30%)
   - Bookkeeping (code expenses, reconcile accounts)
   - Invoicing (send monthly, follow up on late payments)
   - Payroll (process bi-weekly, benefits admin)
   - Monthly reporting (P&L, cash flow, dashboard)
   - Liaison with CPA (tax prep, audit support)

2. **Client Support** (25%)
   - Inbox management (support@gbcm.com - respond <24h)
   - Platform troubleshooting (login issues, bugs)
   - Onboarding assistance (first week hand-holding)
   - Escalate complex issues to CEO or Senior Coach

3. **Administrative** (20%)
   - Scheduling (team meetings, client sessions)
   - Vendor management (pay invoices, renew contracts)
   - Office management (if physical space in Year 3+)
   - Legal/compliance (file licenses, maintain corp docs)

4. **Platform Administration** (15%)
   - User management (add/remove accounts, permissions)
   - Content uploads (videos, docs, templates to GBCM Hub)
   - Monitor platform health (uptime, errors, performance)
   - Coordinate with tech vendor (bug reports, feature requests)

5. **Team Support** (10%)
   - Coordinate team meetings (agenda, notes, action items)
   - HR admin (onboarding paperwork, benefits enrollment)
   - Culture initiatives (team celebrations, offsites)

**Success Metrics**:
- Financial accuracy: 100% (no errors in books)
- Response time: <24h for 95% of client inquiries
- Platform uptime: 99.5%+ (coordinating with tech team)
- Team satisfaction: 8+ rating (annual survey)

---

#### Marketing Manager (Hire #6)

**Reports To**: CEO

**Time Allocation**: 40% Content, 30% Paid Ads, 20% SEO, 10% Analytics

**Key Responsibilities**:
1. **Content Creation** (40%)
   - Write 2 blog posts/week (1,500-2,500 words, SEO-optimized)
   - LinkedIn: 5 posts/week for founder's account
   - Email: Weekly newsletter (curate, write, send)
   - Video scripts (for YouTube, social media clips)

2. **Paid Advertising** (30%)
   - Manage $150K annual budget (LinkedIn, Google Ads)
   - Create campaigns (audiences, ad copy, creative)
   - Optimize (A/B test, adjust bids, pause underperformers)
   - Target: CAC <$4,000, ROAS >3:1

3. **SEO & Organic Growth** (20%)
   - Keyword research (identify 50+ target keywords)
   - On-page optimization (meta tags, headers, internal links)
   - Backlink building (guest posts, partnerships, PR)
   - Goal: 10,000 organic visitors/month by EOY 3

4. **Analytics & Reporting** (10%)
   - Track metrics (traffic, leads, CAC, conversion rates)
   - Weekly dashboard (share with CEO)
   - Monthly deep-dive (what's working, what's not, recommendations)
   - Attribution (which channels drive best clients?)

**Success Metrics**:
- MQL target: 200/month by Year 3
- CAC: <$4,000 (blended across all channels)
- Organic traffic: 10,000/month
- Content output: 104 blog posts, 260 LinkedIn posts, 52 newsletters/year

---

## 💰 COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHY & STRUCTURE

### Philosophy: Fair, Transparent, Performance-Based

**Principles**:
1. **Market-rate**: Pay 50th-75th percentile (competitive but not top-tier)
2. **Transparent**: Every employee knows how comp is calculated
3. **Performance-based**: 10-20% variable (bonus, commission)
4. **Equity** (Year 3+): Offer stock options to key hires (align long-term)
5. **Benefits**: Health, 401(k), PTO (show we care about whole person)

### Compensation Bands (Year 3)

| Role | Base Salary | Variable | Total Cash | Benefits | Total Comp |
|------|-------------|----------|------------|----------|------------|
| **CEO (Founder)** | $150K* | $0 | $150K | $15K | $165K |
| **Senior Coach** | $80-110K | $10-20K | $90-130K | $15K | $105-145K |
| **Sales Manager** | $60-75K | $30-60K | $90-135K | $15K | $105-150K |
| **Marketing Mgr** | $60-80K | $5-10K | $65-90K | $10K (PT) | $75-100K |
| **Operations Mgr** | $50-60K | $5K | $55-65K | $15K | $70-80K |

*Founder takes modest salary (Year 3), prioritizes business profitability and reinvestment

### Variable Compensation Details

**Senior Coach Bonus** (Up to $20K):
- Client satisfaction: 50% weight (4.5+ rating = $10K)
- Renewal rate: 30% weight (85%+ = $6K)
- Content output: 20% weight (12 posts, 24 videos = $4K)

**Sales Manager Commission**:
- 5% of first-year contract value
- Paid quarterly (upon contract signature + payment receipt)
- No cap (unlimited upside)
- Example: Close $900K → Earn $45K commission

**Marketing Manager Bonus** (Up to $10K):
- MQL target: 50% weight (200/month = $5K)
- CAC target: 30% weight (<$4,000 = $3K)
- Organic traffic: 20% weight (10,000/month = $2K)

**Operations Manager Bonus** (Up to $5K):
- Financial accuracy: 40% weight (0 errors = $2K)
- Client support NPS: 30% weight (70+ = $1.5K)
- Platform uptime: 30% weight (99.5%+ = $1.5K)

### Benefits Package

**Health Insurance** (Full-time employees only):
- Employer covers 80% of premium (employee pays 20%)
- Options: HMO, PPO (employee choice)
- Cost to GBCM: ~$10-12K/employee/year

**Retirement (401(k))**:
- Employer match: 4% (if employee contributes 4%)
- Vesting: Immediate (no cliff)
- Cost: ~4% of salary ($3-5K/employee/year)

**Paid Time Off (PTO)**:
- 15 days/year (3 weeks) - Year 1
- +1 day per year of tenure (max 25 days)
- Unlimited sick days (trust-based, don't abuse)
- 10 federal holidays

**Professional Development**:
- $3,000/year budget (conferences, courses, books, coaching)
- 1 major conference/year (GBCM pays travel + ticket)
- Weekly learning time (4 hours/week to read, learn, grow)

**Equipment & Home Office**:
- $2,000 setup stipend (laptop, monitor, desk, chair)
- $100/month internet/phone reimbursement

**Other Perks** (Year 3+):
- Annual team offsite (2 days, all expenses paid)
- Quarterly team dinners (celebrate wins)
- Surprise & delight (birthday gifts, work anniversaries)

### Equity Plan (Year 3+)

**Why Offer Equity**: Align team with long-term success, retention tool

**Structure**: Stock Options (ISOs - Incentive Stock Options)
- **Pool**: 10% of company (dilutes founder from 100% to 90%)
- **Grants**:
  - Senior Coach: 2% (vests over 4 years)
  - Sales Manager: 1.5%
  - Operations Manager: 1%
  - Marketing Manager: 0.5%
  - Total allocated: 5% (5% reserved for future hires)

**Vesting Schedule**: 4-year vest, 1-year cliff
- Year 1: 0% (cliff - must stay 12 months to earn any equity)
- Year 2-4: 1/36th per month (25% per year after cliff)
- Example: 2% grant = 0.5% per year = 0.042% per month after cliff

**Exit Scenarios** (What's equity worth?):
| Exit Value | 2% Equity Value | 1% Equity Value |
|------------|-----------------|-----------------|
| $5M (modest acquisition) | $100K | $50K |
| $10M (strong exit) | $200K | $100K |
| $25M (exceptional) | $500K | $250K |

**Note**: Equity only valuable if exit (acquisition, IPO - unlikely for coaching firm, but possible if we become tech platform at scale)

---

## 🌟 COMPANY CULTURE & VALUES

### GBCM Values (From Section 2, Reinforced Here)

**1. EXCELLENCE** - We set the bar high and exceed it
- Deliver 4.5+ rated sessions every time
- Respond to clients <24 hours, always
- Continuously improve (better today than yesterday)

**2. IMPACT** - We measure success by client results, not our effort
- Client revenue growth, team performance, leadership development
- If client doesn't win, we didn't do our job
- Data-driven (track outcomes, adjust approach)

**3. INNOVATION** - We challenge assumptions and embrace change
- First to use AI in SMB coaching (AI Success Coach™)
- Test new formats (workshops, intensives, digital products)
- Learn from failures (fail forward, iterate fast)

**4. INTEGRITY** - We do what's right, even when it's hard
- Transparent pricing (no hidden fees)
- Honest feedback (tell clients truth, not what they want to hear)
- Confidentiality (client trust is sacred)

**5. PARTNERSHIP** - We win together (team, clients, partners)
- Collaborate, don't compete internally
- Celebrate peer wins (team > individual glory)
- Support each other (cover when needed, share learnings)

**6. GROWTH MINDSET** - We're always learning, always improving
- Seek feedback (ask "How can I do better?")
- Invest in development ($3K/year per person)
- Teach what we learn (knowledge multiplies when shared)

### Culture Rituals

**Daily**:
- **Morning Huddle** (10 min, async via Slack): Share top priority for today, any blockers

**Weekly**:
- **Team Meeting** (30 min, Mondays 9am):
  - Wins from last week (celebrate!)
  - Priorities this week (align)
  - Blockers (help each other)
- **Friday Wins** (async via Slack): Share 1 win from the week

**Monthly**:
- **All-Hands** (60 min, first Friday):
  - Financial transparency (revenue, profit, runway)
  - Client spotlights (share success stories)
  - Team recognition (MVP of the month)
  - Q&A (ask CEO anything)

**Quarterly**:
- **Offsite** (Half-day or full-day, Year 3+):
  - Strategic planning (review OKRs, plan next quarter)
  - Team building (activity, not work)
  - Retrospective (what's working, what's not)

**Annually**:
- **Summit** (2 days, Year 3+):
  - Vision refresh (where are we going?)
  - Annual planning (budget, goals, big bets)
  - Celebration (awards, surprise gifts, fun)

### Hiring for Culture Fit

**Interview Process**:
1. **Application**: Resume + cover letter (must answer: "Describe a time you delivered exceptional results under pressure")
2. **Phone Screen** (30 min, Ops Mgr): Basics, logistics, red flags
3. **Values Interview** (45 min, CEO): Assess culture fit via behavioral questions
   - Excellence: "Tell me about your highest-quality work. What made it excellent?"
   - Impact: "Share a time you made a measurable impact. How did you measure it?"
   - [Ask 1-2 questions per value]
4. **Skills Assessment** (varies by role):
   - Coach: Deliver 15-min coaching demo
   - Sales: Conduct mock discovery call
   - Marketing: Present content strategy for GBCM
5. **Team Interview** (30 min, 2-3 team members): Would we enjoy working with this person?
6. **Reference Checks** (3 references, CEO calls): Validate excellence, red flags

**Hire Decision**: Must be "Hell yes!" from CEO + 75% of interviewers

**Onboarding for Culture**:
- Week 1: Read all company docs (values, vision, playbooks)
- Week 2: Shadow CEO + teammates (absorb how we work)
- Week 3: Coffee chats (1-on-1 with every team member, 30 min each)
- Week 4: Present learnings (what surprised you? what do you want to change?)

---

## 🚀 TALENT DEVELOPMENT & RETENTION

### Professional Development

**Learning Budget**: $3,000/person/year
- **Conferences**: 1 major conference (e.g., ICF Converge, SaaStr)
- **Courses**: Online (MasterClass, Coursera, coaching certifications)
- **Books**: Unlimited (just ask, we'll buy)
- **Coaching**: Every team member gets external coach (CEO pays)

**Weekly Learning Time**: 4 hours/week (Friday afternoons)
- Read industry content (HBR, McKinsey, coaching blogs)
- Take courses
- Experiment (build side project, test new skill)
- No meetings Friday afternoons (protect this time)

**Internal Coaching**:
- CEO coaches Senior Coach (bi-weekly, 30 min)
- Senior Coach coaches team members (on coaching skills)
- Peer coaching circles (practice on each other)

### Career Progression

**Career Ladders** (Example: Coach Track)
```
Coach I → Coach II → Senior Coach → Lead Coach → VP Coaching

Coach I:
- 10 clients max
- Facilitate 25% of workshops
- Rating: 4.3+ required

Coach II:
- 20 clients max
- Facilitate 50% of workshops
- Create content (blog posts, templates)
- Rating: 4.5+ required

Senior Coach:
- 30 clients max
- Lead all workshops
- Manage community
- Mentor junior coaches
- Rating: 4.7+ required

(And so on...)
```

**Promotion Criteria**:
- Time: Minimum 12 months in current role
- Performance: Exceed metrics for 2 consecutive quarters
- Skills: Demonstrate next-level capabilities
- Values: Embody GBCM culture

**Promotion Process**:
- Self-nominate OR manager nominates
- Present case (what have you achieved? why ready?)
- 360 feedback (peers, clients)
- CEO decision

### Retention Strategies

**Why People Leave** (Industry data):
1. No growth opportunities (45%)
2. Poor manager relationship (40%)
3. Underpaid (35%)
4. Burnout (30%)
5. Culture mismatch (25%)

**GBCM Retention Plan**:

**Combat #1 (No growth)**:
- Clear career ladders (know what's next)
- Quarterly development conversations (where do you want to go?)
- Promote from within (Senior Coach → Lead Coach → VP)

**Combat #2 (Poor manager)**:
- Train CEO on management (take course, read books, get coached)
- 360 feedback (team evaluates CEO annually)
- Skip-level conversations (if team member unhappy with manager, talk to CEO)

**Combat #3 (Underpaid)**:
- Annual comp reviews (raise if market rate increases)
- Performance bonuses (reward excellence)
- Equity (Year 3+, share upside)

**Combat #4 (Burnout)**:
- Respect boundaries (no Slack after 6pm, no weekend emails)
- Unlimited PTO (trust-based)
- Sabbatical (Year 3+, offer 1-month paid sabbatical after 3 years)

**Combat #5 (Culture mismatch)**:
- Hire for fit (rigorous values interview)
- Fire fast (if not living values, part ways quickly)
- Reinforce culture (rituals, recognition, CEO modeling)

**Target Retention Rate**: 90%+ annually (lose max 1 person every 2 years)

---

## 👥 ADVISORY BOARD & EXTERNAL SUPPORT

### Advisory Board (Launch Year 2)

**Purpose**: Provide strategic guidance, open doors, challenge thinking

**Composition**: 3-5 advisors (diverse backgrounds)

**Ideal Advisor Profiles**:
1. **Scaling Expert**: CEO who's built $50M+ company (lessons on hypergrowth)
2. **Coaching Industry Veteran**: 20+ years, seen trends, knows players
3. **Tech/AI Leader**: CTO or product leader (guide platform strategy)
4. **Finance/M&A**: CFO or investment banker (prepare for exit, funding)
5. **Marketing Guru**: Built brands, expert in B2B growth

**Compensation**:
- **Equity**: 0.25-0.5% each (vests over 2 years)
- **Cash**: $0 (equity-only, unless exceptional advisor)
- **Perks**: Free ADVISORY package (if they want coaching)

**Time Commitment**:
- Quarterly meetings (2 hours, in-person or Zoom)
- Monthly async check-ins (email, 15 min)
- Ad-hoc calls (when CEO needs advice urgently)

**How to Recruit**:
- Warm introductions (from clients, partners, investors)
- Clearly articulate value exchange: "I need your expertise on X, in return you get Y"
- Start informal (coffee chat), then formalize if good fit

### External Support Network

**Professional Services** (Covered in Section 8):
- CPA (accounting, tax)
- Attorney (corporate, contracts, IP)
- Insurance broker

**Coaches & Mentors for Founder**:
- **Executive Coach** (for Gregory): $10K/year
  - Focus: Leadership, decision-making, avoiding burnout
  - Frequency: Bi-weekly, 60 min
- **Peer Group** (Vistage, EO, YPO): $15K/year
  - Monthly meetings with 10-15 other CEOs
  - Accountability, diverse perspectives

**Industry Associations**:
- **ICF** (International Coach Federation): $300/year membership
  - Access to coach directory, conferences, certifications
- **IACMP** (International Association of Coaching & Mentoring Professionals): $200/year
  - Networking, resources, thought leadership

**Consultants (As-Needed)**:
- **Brand/Marketing Consultant**: $5K-15K (Year 1, refine positioning)
- **Sales Consultant**: $10K (Year 2, build sales playbook)
- **HR Consultant**: $5K (Year 3, employee handbook, policies)

**Total External Support Budget**: $35K/year (Year 1) → $50K/year (Year 3)

---

## 📊 TEAM SUCCESS METRICS

### Key Performance Indicators (Team)

**Hiring & Retention**:
| Metric | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| Team Size (FTE) | 1.5 | 3.5 | 4.5 |
| Retention Rate | 100% (only 1 person) | 90%+ | 90%+ |
| Time to Hire (days) | N/A (first hire) | <60 | <45 |
| Offer Acceptance Rate | 100% | 80%+ | 80%+ |

**Engagement & Culture**:
| Metric | Target | Measurement |
|--------|--------|-------------|
| **Employee NPS** | 8+ (1-10 scale) | Annual survey |
| **Values Alignment** | 9+ (1-10) | Quarterly pulse |
| **Manager Effectiveness** | 8+ | 360 feedback |
| **Learning Hours** | 200 hours/person/year | Tracking log |

**Performance**:
| Metric | Target |
|--------|--------|
| **Revenue per FTE** | Year 1: $120K, Year 3: $189K |
| **Client Rating (Team Avg)** | 4.5+ |
| **Bonus Payout %** | 80%+ of team earn full bonus (shows we set achievable targets) |

---

## 📌 CONCLUSION

L'équipe GBCM LLC est notre **plus grand actif** et **principal levier de scale**:

✅ **Lean but mighty** (1.5 FTE → 4.5 FTE over 3 years) - Efficiency-first
✅ **Hire slow, fire fast** - Only A-players who live our values
✅ **Culture of excellence** - 4.5+ ratings, continuous improvement, client-obsessed
✅ **Invest in people** - $3K/year learning, coaching, clear career paths
✅ **Performance-based comp** - Aligned incentives (client success = team success)

**Founder Journey**:
- Year 1: Do everything (validate model)
- Year 2: Delegate delivery (hire Senior Coach, scale to 60 clients)
- Year 3: Build team (CEO role - strategy, culture, sales)

**By Year 3**: Sustainable, profitable, scalable team powering $850K revenue, 100 clients, 13% EBITDA 🚀

**Next**: [Section 11 - Funding Strategy](./11-funding-strategy.md) *(Optional P2 section)*

---

© 2025 GBCM LLC - Business Plan v2.0 | Team & Organization