The University of Chicago Booth School of Business

University of Chicago

Transforming your self-funded business into a high-profit company through strategic operational support

Los Angeles, California, United States

My clients often say, “I wish I had an MBA,” or “I wish I had taken a some business classes.”

Well, I’m here to tell you: even if you'd tried, the business strategy course YOU need didn’t exist.

Every first-time small business founder has a learning curve, even if we have an MBA or ran a business unit of a larger company. Running a self-funded business is usually hard-won skill, done through experience.

What if you could leave behind the stress and anxiety you feel about what you don’t know? What if I taught you how to do just the things that really make a difference?

That’s how I designed my six-week CEO Confidence course. If you’re a self-funded business owner, you’re in the right place. Using my five-step framework, you'll evaluate where your business can work better, align your pricing and offerings with customers who have the highest value, and learn where to apply your efforts to get paid and build the company on your terms.

We do this as a small group because it’s a lot more fun! You deserve that community of support. We meet weekly to share ideas, celebrate breakthroughs, and workshop where we’re getting stuck.

The guided coursework can be done on your time, at your own pace. You’ll also have my 1:1 support to design and run the business YOU want.

You are the right CEO for your company. And your company can work for you. Grab a strategy session with me and let's figure it out: <a href="https://calendly.com/jilljames/strategysession">https://calendly.com/jilljames/strategysession</a>

The Jill James (formerly Sif Industries)

CEO Confidence Course

You have a vision for your business, a purpose you want to fulfill in the world. You have personal and business financial goals. And you have a lot of questions about how to make that work.

There's a version of your business that meets your goals, with the sustainable profitability to pay you, hire support, and deliver a great product or service to customers who value you. Together, we'll design how we get from here to there.

That's part one. Now that we've got a roadmap, we'll help you implement the strategic operating plan that supports your growth. You focus on sales, customers, and products. We make sure you've got advice, finance, pricing, operations, and compliance support. We'll put systems and procedures in place so you spend less time running your business and more time building it.

In this process, we answer questions like:

-  How can I do more of the things I love, with flexibility?
-  How can I be more profitable?
-  Can I build a sustainable business with this service or product set?
-  Am I spending the right amount on my operations?
-  Should I hire people?
-  How much can I pay myself?

Together, we’ll evaluate your business design and lay the strategic and operating foundation for the company you want to run.

We’ll talk about your vision versus where you are today. We'll review your products or services, revenue, costs, operating expenses, and staffing. We’ll evaluate whether your current business can meet your financial and life goals. If it doesn’t, we’ll rework your margins, unit economics, and revenue plan to see how we’ll get there.

The outputs include:

-  a written strategic plan, with numbers and financial projections, aligned to your vision
-  3 months of implementation support to get you on the right track
-  a how to run it roadmap with a staffing plan and operating budget

Ready to be intentional in how you build your company? Schedule a 1:1 strategy session with me: <a href="https://calendly.com/jilljames/strategysession">https://calendly.com/jilljames/strategysession</a>

Business Design Bootcamp

Supporting the CEO & founder of Boutique Box on launch, product/market fit, and fundraising.Leveraging experience, data, and handpicked D2C designers, Boutique Box delivers professional women a truly personalized and curated shopping experience.

Boutique Box

Advisor

Functioned as COO, CFO, and CMO for personalized matchmaking services and technology company from product/market fit to Series A completion. Grew run rate to $2.5 million with path to profitability. Expanded from two to six metro areas and 2 to 30 full-time employees.

Three Day Rule

Fulfilled my commitment to the Panache earnout following acquisition by WPP. Reconcepted the video offering for agencies and brands and led growth of North America video ad network.

Real Media Group - a division of 24/7 Media Inc.

Pivoted the firm from platform professional services to a digital video workflow and ad product solution that drove sales development to reach EBITDA break-even for exit. Acquired by WPP PLC for a multimillion dollar, undisclosed amount.

Panache

VP, Marketing

Learned everything digital marketing, e-commerce, creative, SaaS, analytics, media, consumers, kids, and moms from the best in the business. My favorite part was putting Barbie on Facebook. Clients included Mattel, Disney-ABC  Television Digital, SOAPnet/ABC Daytime, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts (WDPRO), LA Metro, and Munchkin.

Razorfish

Account Director

We helped progressive brands test and optimize their e-commerce sales and marketing. Designed and executed e-commerce marketing optimization programs for Fortune 500 marketing departments including Sears, Intuit, T-Mobile, <a href="http://Blinds.com">Blinds.com</a>, Fandango, and Kelly Blue Book. The professional services arm of Offermatica, an Accel-backed venture acquired by Omniture ($65M), now Adobe Site Catalyst Test and Target.

Offermatica

Client Manager, Otto Digital

Back when there were only a few SaaS products, launched first two open source web-based collaboration suite products. We helped a lot of large companies give everybody an email inbox. The company was backed by Accel and Redpoint and was acquired by Yahoo! ($350M), now VMWare Zimbra.

Zimbra

Product Marketing Manager (Internship)

Where I got my first taste of supporting a CEO. I spent every day with the CEO and executive team to support our insurance, direct sales, and mutual fund operations in the US. Wrote speeches, ran offsites, evaluated opportunities, worked on mergers, looked for opportunities to improve the company, wrote speeches, organized offsites, generally wrangled.

Before that, I spent two years advising individuals and small businesses on their personal and business financial planning and wealth management.

AXA Financial, Inc.

Project Analyst to the Chairman & CEO

In the dot com boom, figured out how to automate our services for scale and build internet software for trading stuff. Ran post-auction settlement for global domain name marketplace acquired by <a href="http://Register.com">Register.com</a> ($60M); defined business requirements, added relationships for escrow and credit card processing.

Afternic.com

Commerce Strategy Manager

Managed $150 million leveraged lease portfolio while restructuring to release $30 million in cash to the business unit.