Assess. Decide. Grow Your Business
Grow Your Business to the Next Level With Someone Who's Already Been There.
Get to Eight Figures With Someone Who's Already Been There. More Than Once.
As your advisor, I will bring decades of real-world experience to your business, help you see what you may be too close to see, challenge the decisions that need challenging, and guide you through the strategic choices required to reach your next level. I’ve made the journey to eight figures more than once. You won’t have to make yours alone.
Let’s talk about where your business is today, where you want it to go, and whether I’m the right advisor to help you get there.
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Getting to the Next Million Requires Different Decisions
The decisions that got your business this far may not be the decisions that take it to seven figures and beyond...
As your company grows, everything becomes more complex. More employees. More customers. More money at risk. More opportunities competing for your attention. And decisions that once had relatively small consequences can now cost hundreds of thousands of dollars or change the direction of the company.
You may know where you want the business to go. The challenge is determining what needs to change to get there.
Do Any of These Questions Sound Familiar?
- Why has our growth slowed when we're working harder than ever?
- What is really keeping us from reaching the next revenue level?
- Am I focusing on the right priorities, or just the most urgent problems?
- Do I have the right leadership team and organizational structure to support a larger company?
- Where are we losing profit, time, or opportunities without realizing it?
- Should I invest more in marketing, sales, people, technology, or operations first?
- Which opportunities should I pursue, and which ones should I walk away from?
- What needs to change before I try to scale further?
- What risks or weaknesses am I not seeing because I'm too close to the business?
- How do I grow without creating bigger problems along the way?
- Who can I talk to about the decisions I can't comfortably discuss with my employees, partners, or vendors?
- What would someone who has already built an eight-figure company do if they were sitting in my chair?
You don't need someone to run your business. You need someone who can help you see it differently.
Why a Strategic Advisor?
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As your business grows, the decisions become more important, more complex, and more expensive. And as CEO, you are often expected to have the answers.
But who do you turn to when you need an answer?
Your employees see the business from their individual roles. Your leadership team may be too close to the same problems you are trying to solve. Vendors have something to sell. Friends and family may not understand the realities of running a multimillion-dollar company.
A strategic advisor gives you something different: an experienced, objective perspective from someone whose only priority is helping you make the best decisions for your business.
As your strategic advisor, I will help you:
- See what you may be too close to see. We step outside the day-to-day demands and look objectively at what is really happening in your business.
- Identify what is holding back your growth. Before adding more people, spending more money, or pursuing another opportunity, we determine what actually needs to change.
- Make difficult decisions with greater confidence. You have someone experienced to challenge your thinking, examine the alternatives, and talk through the consequences before you act.
- Focus on what matters most. Not every problem deserves the CEO's attention. Together, we determine what requires your involvement and what does not.
- Recognize risks before they become expensive problems. Growth creates vulnerabilities. An outside perspective can uncover issues that are difficult to recognize from inside the company.
- Turn strategy into action. We don't stop at talking about what should happen. We determine what needs to happen next and keep your business moving forward.
How I Work With You?
This Isn't a Program. It's Your Business.
There is no predetermined curriculum and no one-size-fits-all formula. We start with your company, your goals, and the decisions standing between where you are today and where you want to go.
As your strategic advisor, I work directly with you to understand what is happening inside your business, identify what deserves your attention, and help you determine the best path forward.
We Assess
We take an objective look at where your business is today. What's working? What's not? Where is growth getting stuck? Where are profits being lost? What risks, opportunities, or weaknesses may be hiding beneath the surface?
Sometimes the problem you think you have isn't the problem that's actually holding the company back.
 We Decide
Once we understand what's really happening, we determine what matters most.
Together, we evaluate your options, challenge assumptions, consider the financial and operational consequences, and establish clear priorities.
You still make the decisions. My job is to help you make them with better information, a broader perspective, and the benefit of experience.
 We Grow
Then we focus on moving the business forward.
That may mean changing your growth strategy, strengthening profitability, improving operations, restructuring your organization, repositioning the company, addressing risk, pursuing a new opportunity, or deciding what not to do.
The objective isn't growth for the sake of growth.
It's building a stronger company capable of reaching and sustaining the next level.
You Have Someone to Call When the Decision Matters
Some months we may work on your long-term growth strategy. Other times, you may call because an opportunity, problem, or major decision landed on your desk that morning.
That's the value of having an experienced advisor beside you.
You don't have to make every important decision alone.
CHOSE YOUR PROGRAM TODAY
Darlene has MUCH to offer small business owners, regardless of whether they are just starting out or have been around for years. She has owned several types of businesses herself and has both broad experience and a unique approach to offer. Moreover, her style is refreshing. She doesn’t waste your time! She zeroes-in on the issues and talks-turkey to help the business owner confront the barriers to greater success. Darlene was a board member for two nonprofit organizations that I served as a consultant. I’ve seen her work in numerous settings and absolutely trust her judgement.Â
- Katheryn Weidman, Ph.D. CEO Centerpoint InstituteÂ
I had the pleasure of working with Darlene M. Ziebell, whose business knowledge and strategic insight are unmatched. With decades of experience in entrepreneurship and consulting, Darlene brings a rare and highly effective level of expertise. She doesn't just advise - she partners with you to understand unique challenges, identify growth opportunities, and deliver actionable strategies that drive results. Her approach is tailored, authentic, and always focused on helping businesses reach their highest potential. I highly recommend Darlene to any business owner or leader aiming to take their organization to the next level.
- Joellen Reichechen, CEO Select SalesÂ
Darlene has a remarkable instinct for business strategy of not only knowing WHAT improvements to make, but WHEN and HOW to implement them. In the 20+ years I’ve known her, she has always provided us with useful management advice including accounting methodology, personnel and legal issues, contemporary marketing foresight, even spot-on location suggestions. Darlene is a true professional, honest and straight forward, whose insights have guided us through nearly 25 years of success as a growing national entertainment company.
- Mark Seven, CEO Get Away With Murder, Inc.
Why Darlene?Â
Because I've Been Where You're Trying to Go.
There are plenty of consultants, coaches, and advisors who can tell you how a business should grow.
I've actually done it. More than once.
I've built four businesses from the ground up, taken companies through seven figures and into eight figures, managed hundreds of employees, navigated periods of rapid growth and serious setbacks, and successfully exited businesses I built.
I've also spent decades consulting with business leaders, including executives within some of America's largest companies.
But perhaps the most valuable experience I bring to you didn't come from consulting.
It came from sitting in the CEO's chair.
I've had to make payroll. Hire and fire people. Manage cash flow. Deal with banks. Face aggressive competitors. Make expensive mistakes. Change strategies when something wasn't working. Decide when to take a risk and when to walk away.
I've experienced the opportunities that come with growth and the problems nobody warns you about until you're living through them.
You Get the Perspective of Someone Who Has Lived It.
When you bring me a problem, I'm not looking at it only through the lens of a consultant.
I'm looking at it as someone who has built companies, owned the outcome, lived with the consequences of the decisions, and learned what it takes to keep moving forward when things don't go according to plan.
I won't run your company for you.
I won't make every decision for you.
And I won't simply tell you what you want to hear.
I will challenge you, question assumptions, share what I've learned, help you see alternatives, and stand beside you while you make the decisions that determine where your company goes next.
You've Built the Business. Now Let's Build What's Next.
If seven or eight figures is where you want to go, work with someone who's already made the journey. More than once.
SELECT A CONVENIENT PROGRAM AND START TODAY
Private Business Author Advisory
Receive a higher level of private support throughout the writing and self-publishing process by meeting twice per month.
This program includes:
- Two private strategy and guidance sessions each month
- Personalized book and content development support
- Detailed guidance on your chapters, messaging, and organization
- Help turning your business experience into strong written content
- Guidance on editing, formatting, design, and publishing decisions
- Book launch and business integration planning
- Email support between scheduled sessions
- Access to the monthly Business Growth Forum - MastermindÂ
This option is ideal for business owners who want closer support, more frequent feedback, and direct access to an experienced business advisor throughout the process. Cancel anytime.
START NOW
Business Author Guidance
Receive ongoing monthly guidance as you write and prepare your book for self-publication.
This program includes:
- One private strategy and guidance session each month
- Review of your ideas, book structure, and progress
- Guidance on chapter development and content organization
- Help strengthening your message and business positioning
- Guidance on the responsible use of AI writing tools
- Advice on editing, formatting, covers, ISBNs, and publishing platforms
- Email support between scheduled sessions
- Access to the monthly Business Growth Forum - Mastermind
This option is ideal for authors who can complete much of the work independently but want experienced guidance, accountability, and help making important decisions. Cancel anytime.Â
START BY SIGNING UP TODAY
Not Ready for Ongoing Coaching?
Start with a one-time 90-Minute Business Author Strategy Session
Not everyone is ready to commit to a monthly coaching program.
If you're still exploring your book idea or want to see how I work before making a larger investment, start with a private one-on-one strategy session.
During this 90-minute session, we'll discuss:
- Your business and long-term goals
- Whether a book is the right strategy for your business
- The best topic for your book
- Your ideal reader
- How your book can help attract clients and build credibility
- An outline for getting started
- How AI can accelerate the writing process while preserving your expertise
- How to self-publish your book on Amazon and make it available in multiple countries
- The next steps to move your project forward
You'll leave with greater clarity, practical direction, and a personalized roadmap for your business book.
Best of all...
If you decide within 30 days to enroll in either the Business Author Guidance Program ($997/month) or the Private Business Author Advisory Program ($1,497/month), your entire $397 strategy session fee will be credited toward your first month's investment.
Think of it as a risk-free way to determine if we're the right fit to work together.
SCHEDULE YOUR SESSION NOWFrequently Asked Questions. . .
Do I need a finished manuscript?
Do I need to be a professional writer?
Will you write the entire book for me?
Can I use AI to help write my book?
Will you publish the book for me?
How long does it take to complete a book?
Will writing and publishing a book guarantee I will make money?
What does it cost to publish a book?
What is your cancellation and refund policy?
Select the Level of Strategic Support That Fits You
Regardless of whether we meet once or twice each month, the advisory process is the same: I become an ongoing strategic resource for you and your business. You may choose either a monthly or annual investment option, depending on how you prefer to structure your engagement. We meet privately via Zoom to review what is happening in your company, work through challenges and opportunities, evaluate important decisions, and determine what needs your attention next. But our relationship doesn't stop when the Zoom meeting ends. I expect you to reach out between sessions by text or email when questions, concerns, challenges, or unexpected opportunities arise. Sometimes the most important decisions can't wait until our next scheduled meeting.
Every CEO Strategic Advisory relationship also includes complimentary membership in my Business Growth Forum, giving you additional access to strategic discussions, live sessions, and the perspective of other business owners working to grow their companies.
Choose the level of private access that best fits how you want to work with me.