We had it backwards


Have you ever been so sure of something only to gain a new perspective that challenges everything you thought you knew to be true?

That happened to me earlier this year during a conversation with Tonya Kubo, our chief marketing and operations officer (you can call her the MOO 🐮).

For years, I've run the Quarterly Tune-Up (QTU), a program designed to help business owners plan and achieve their goals. You’ve probably heard me talk about it.

But when planning our October event, Tonya pointed out a surprising observation: the real magic wasn't happening during our quarterly sessions. It unfolded in the quiet, consistent work between those big planning days.

This perspective hit me like a lightning bolt. The true value of the QTU wasn't in the quarterly planning itself, but in the week-to-week accountability that kept participants on track. And with that knowledge, everything has shifted.

As a business owner yourself, you know the importance of evolving with the market and listening to what your clients truly need. That's why I'm excited to announce a significant change to our signature program...

To honor the true hero of the process, we’re now calling the program the Weekly Course of Action, or WCA, to focus attention on the 52 consecutive weeks of true accountability and micro-coaching we deliver to all clients.

The WCA program will continue to include the Quarterly Tune-Up virtual planning retreats in January, April, July and October.

Here's what else you need to know:

  1. The WCA includes high-touch weekly accountability check-ins with personalized private feedback and quarterly virtual planning retreats (the original QTU).
  2. With this change comes a new flexible pricing structure: $497 for the first month, then $297 per month after that. You can try the program for as long as you like with no minimum required commitment beyond the first month.
  3. Enrollment now takes place at the beginning of each quarter. This change gives you time to establish the accountability habit before the quarterly planning retreat.

We limit WCA enrollment to ensure we can provide top-notch support to each participant. However, with this change in our program, we likely can accept 3-5 new clients this month.

If you're curious about how the WCA might benefit your specific business situation, let's chat. Reply to this email, and we'll set up a time to discuss your goals and how the WCA can help you achieve them.

To your success,

Gwen Bortner
Founder, Everyday Effectiveness


Are Your Business Goals Working Against You?

SMART goals might actually be dumb. There, I said it.

Not just to you but also to everyone who listens to The Business You Really Want.

While the SMART framework — Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound — can be useful, it often leads us to prioritize easy measurement over meaningful impact. And when you prioritize the wrong behavior, your goals won’t be truly motivating.

Listen to this week’s episode to hear Tonya Kubo and I explain why goals can be good for some, but not necessarily for you. Make sure to stick all the way to the end of the episode for a practical action plan you can personalize to your own situation.

Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

  • Schedule a call to discuss how I can help you design your business with intention.
  • Join the Small Biz Book Club to discuss applying big ideas from business books to small business reality.
  • Book me as a speaker or podcast guest.

PO Box 1133, Merced, CA 95341
Unsubscribe

Everyday Effectiveness | Biz Ops Exposed

Gwen Bortner is a no-nonsense Operational Strategist and Business Advisor with an intuitive coaching mindset. She helps visionary female entrepreneurs achieve their most ambitious goals without the stress and overwhelm of trying to do it all on their own. Her approach comes from the belief that personal and professional success looks different for everyone, and most business owners waste time and energy trying to conform to outside expectations and definitions of success. From finance to IT, and small business operations to academia, Gwen has seen cookie-cutter strategies put organizations on the fast track to frustration, burnout, and eventually failure. Problem-solving is her zone of genius, and Gwen can quickly discern the root cause of issues, simplify systems and processes, then create the most direct path to any given solution.

Read more from Everyday Effectiveness | Biz Ops Exposed

Reader — Hope you had a restful long weekend. If you're like most of my clients, you're probably easing back into work mode today. And maybe feeling that familiar tug of overwhelm as you look at everything on your plate. Here's a question I want you to sit with: What if the business you're returning to isn't actually the business you want to be running? I know that sounds dramatic, but hear me out. Recently, I've had several conversations with successful business owners who all said some...

Reader — Success doesn't require working yourself to the bone. But that’s a false belief causing countless business owners to burn out while their profits stagnate. Here's what I've discovered after working with hundreds of entrepreneurs: your business runs exactly as it was designed to run. If you're exhausted and overwhelmed, that's by design — not by necessity. The truth is that alignment reduces friction. When the GEARS of your business work together harmoniously, everything flows with...

Reader — Q1 is coming to a close, and I have one question for you: How is 2025 shaping up so far? It’s been a busy travel season for me, a little for work and a little for fun. I was in Phoenix for a few weeks at a couple of networking events, just finished our annual ski trip, and getting ready to speak at both Creativation and Craftcation in April. I know a lot of people hate bouncing from airport to airport, but it doesn’t faze me. I enjoy traveling solo or with others, especially if...