You’ll Wish You Met Me Sooner

When I first chose the tagline “You’ll wish you met me sooner,” it wasn’t a clever marketing line. It was born from decades of watching business owners come to me almost too late.

By the time many business owners reach out, they’ve already spent thousands chasing symptoms—bad marketing, poor sales, staff turnover, shrinking margins—without realizing those are not the real problems. The real issues are deeper. They’re structural, strategic, and systemic. And they’re invisible to the untrained eye until it’s nearly impossible to recover.

The “Almost Too Late” Pattern

If I had a dollar for every time a client said, “I wish I had called you sooner,” I could fund a startup myself. These owners are brilliant, determined, and hardworking. But they share one dangerous trait: they wait too long to ask for help.

When business is struggling, it’s easy to convince yourself you can fix it. You tighten expenses, change marketing agencies, or switch salespeople—thinking each move will finally solve the problem. But those are band-aids on deeper wounds.

What they really need is a strategic audit—a 360-degree review of their business structure, operations, financials, and strategy—to identify the land mines ahead before they explode.

The Cost of Waiting

Here’s the hard truth: you can pay $5,000 now or $50,000 later.

I’ve seen businesses spend ten times more trying to recover from mistakes that could have been prevented early on.

• A company that ignored declining margins until it needed an emergency turnaround.

• A partner who didn’t plan for a buyout clause and lost control of the company.

• An owner who skipped professional strategy review and ended up losing both her brand and her reputation.

Each one believed they were saving money by “doing it themselves.” Each one discovered the opposite.

Penny Wise, Pound Foolish

Every business owner thinks they can see the warning signs. Most can’t.
They know their product. They know their customer. But they don’t know what they don’t know.

When I conduct a strategic business audit, I’m not guessing—I’m analyzing. I look for patterns, metrics, and risks that most owners miss because they’re too close to their own business. My role is not to criticize—it’s to protect your investment, your people, and your future.

And the smartest owners—the ones who come early—save more than money. They save time, reputation, and peace of mind.

Why You’ll Wish You Met Me Sooner

Because I’ve been where you are.
I’ve built, scaled, and exited multiple 7- and 8-figure businesses. I know what it feels like to think everything is fine right before it isn’t. I also know what it takes to fix it.

My goal isn’t to be the person you call in crisis.
My goal is to be the person you call before the crisis.

When you invest in a strategic audit early, you gain foresight. You see the hidden cracks before they become fractures. You get to make decisions from strength, not desperation.

So yes, my tagline is bold—“You’ll wish you met me sooner.”
But it’s also a warning. And if you’re reading this now, take it as your opportunity to act before “sooner” becomes “too late.” If you're not sure when to start, just ask any of my current clients. They all stated they wished they hired me two years earlier. 

Written by Darlene M. Ziebell 

Frequently Asked Questions 

What does “You’ll wish you met me sooner” mean?
“You’ll wish you met me sooner” means that many business owners wait until their problems are too advanced before seeking expert help. Early strategic guidance can prevent costly mistakes and business decline.

What is a strategic business audit?
A strategic business audit is a full review of your company’s operations, marketing, financial health, and leadership structure to identify risks, inefficiencies, and missed opportunities before they become major problems.

How much does a strategic audit cost?
A professional strategic audit typically costs around $5,000, depending on the scope and size of your company. However, addressing problems early can save you tens of thousands later in crisis recovery or restructuring costs.

Why do business owners wait too long to seek help?
Business owners often believe they can fix issues themselves or want to avoid additional costs. Unfortunately, this “penny wise, pound foolish” approach often leads to much greater financial losses later.

When is the best time to request a strategic audit?
The best time to schedule a strategic audit is before your business shows signs of trouble—ideally when you’re planning to scale, pivot, or invest in new growth initiatives.