Figure Your Sh*t Out

(That's right. I said it.)

It's time to

Build a business that supports the life of your dreams.

Work "on" your business, not just "in" your business.

Find "your people": other entrepreneurs ready to do the work.

You deserve a business that supports the life you want, gives you purpose, & makes a sustainable profit.

This September...

We’re launching Figure Your Sh*t Out (FYSO), an accelerator program created to help entrepreneurs & small business owners hone their business model and accelerate their progress through a no-bullsh*t, fun, and results-driven approach.

I want in on this!

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What to expect

Strategy & Support

Giving you a safe space to get strategic advice and support is of the utmost importance to us.

We designed FYSO to give you the support to:

Build & grow a business that will align with your life goals
Give you the accountability you need to gain traction
Take the time to deeply understand the customers you serve (or want to serve)
Explore what makes your company unique
Develop a marketing strategy with clear messaging
Discover how to use purpose as a strategic advantage
Connect you to a cohort of entrepreneurs at a similar stage

We will assign you to a cohort of 4-6 non-competing businesses and all participants will be required to sign an NDA.

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"One of my biggest challenges as a small business owner is perspective. I spend every day in the trenches - analyzing market trends, agonizing over revenue and cash flow, trying to connect with my customers - all while trying to stay authentic and relevant. FYSO took me out of the daily grind and elevated me to a place where I could see the big picture. That perspective has proven invaluable to my business and my own health and well-being."

Jenny Cohan

Owner, The Mercantile

Actual Results

📈
A plan
A clear, strategic, and steps-based plan on how to connect with your customers and get the life you’ve envisioned
💎
A network
New entrepreneurial besties to lean on
🎉
A win
Feeling like a bada** because you're one step closer to having your sh*t figured out!

How it Works

We'll be kicking-off the accelerator program with a 2-day Figure Your Sh*t Out Workshop in Raleigh, NC on September 28th - 29th. This kickoff is where you will get to know your cohort and the FYSO community in a deep way. Throughout the year, we'll have virtual check-ins for accountability and support.

2 Day Immersive

Kickoff Workshop

Over the course of the weekend you will:

Explore your life goals and how your business may align with them
Understand how having a clear purpose can give your business a competitive edge
Investigate whether the business you're building will yield the profit and growth you need to thrive
Learn a simple framework to position your company in a way that stands out
Learn how to gain customer insights in a way that's truly effective
Leave with a strategic plan detailing what you need to accomplish in the next 90-days for your business to thrive
Meet lifelong friends you can lean on throughout the ups and downs of your entrepreneurial journey!

Throughout the 6-month program

After the workshop, your cohort will meet every other week on Monday evenings for a 90-minute virtual check-in. These meetings are to hold you accountable to your goals and give you the support you and your business need to thrive.

On alternating Mondays, Christina will be available for group office hours from 7:30 to 9:00 pm ET to answer strategic questions. This will give us the opportunity to learn and grow together. We'll record these sessions, so you can watch them later if you aren't able to attend.

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We decided to make these meetings virtual to allow the accelerator program to be more accessible for participants with full-time jobs, as well as to make participation possible even if you live elsewhere.

"The FYSO accelerator will inspire and change both you and your business. The group coaching setting gave me the opportunity to hear and learn from other business owners who are experiencing the same struggles that I am facing. The benefits of being held accountable to achieve my goals is one of my biggest takeaways from the program."

Jalen McGee

Founder, YouEmbark

The Nitty Gritty Details

First off, we've got some fantastic speakers for you to learn from over the weekend:

Geraud Staton, a brilliant black man with dreadlocks and a beard smiling

Maggie Kane, a beautiful lady with red hair at her coffee shop

Brendan Andrade, a white man with a beard smiling

Geraud Staton

Executive Director, The Helius Foundation

Geraud is an entrepreneur, coach, and oil painter. He has spent the last five years working with necessity driven entrepreneurs. He specializes in helping entrepreneurs get to the place where they are making a living wage and he is great at giving practical advice about all of the minute details that come with building a thriving business. He's also passionate about leveling the playing field when it comes to minority and women owned businesses.

Maggie Kane

Executive Director, A Place at the Table

Maggie founded A Place at the Table to provide community and healthy food for all, regardless of their means. A Place at the Table is Raleigh's first "pay-what-you-can cafe." In its first year, A Place at the Table was featured on the Today Show for the positive impact it's making on the community. Kelly Clarkson was so inspired, she tweeted about it! Maggie is an incredible storyteller, community builder, and overall leader. She recently received the honor of Tar Heel of the month.

Brendan Andrade

Director of Product Management, Abrigo

Brendan is an expert in launching new SaaS (software as a service) products. He has led the creation of numerous banking applications and led multiple product teams. He is an expert in customer interviews as well as the entrepreneurial process. It's also worth noting that he's a former Startup Weekend: Makers Edition Winner where in one weekend he led a team of entrepreneurs in the creation of a functioning wireless leash for children.

We've also got a detailed agenda planned for the weekend to help you get to the next level:

Saturday, September 28th

Thanks to HQ Raleigh, we're going to be hosting our FYSO workshop at their brand-spanking-new Gateway location. We'll be providing breakfast and lunch for you throughout the day, so you can focus 100% on figuring your sh*t out.

We'll kick things off at 9am and we'll wrap-up the day at 5:30pm, just in time for us to have the option to go grab dinner downtown and enjoy the Wide Open BlueGrass Festival.

If you're down to party, definitely plan for a night out on the town-- since we know all the best (local) spots to have an epic dance party!

Sunday, September 29th

We'll kick day #2 off at 9:00am. Again, we'll be providing breakfast (and maybe some pedialyte popsicles, yes - they are a thing!)

Together we'll wrap up our goal setting for the next 6 months and end on a high note.

The day will officially wrap up at 1:00pm.

However, the optional not-so-corporate photo shoot will take place from 1:30pm-3:00pm in a special location we've scouted out just for you.

Remember: this is an added bonus for anyone that has applied for FYSO by August 27th!

Old man on guitar and quote that reads "Come on home, you don't have to be alone."

The next six months

Every Monday evening you'll kick the week off right.

Starting the week of October 14th, you'll kick-off your bi-monthly 1.5 hour virtual check-in calls with your team to keep you on track. Every other Monday night from 7:30pm-9pm EST you'll check-in on your progress, get advice, and hold you accountable to getting to the next level.

Starting the week of October 21st, Christina will be available for group office hours every other Monday night from 7:30pm-9pm EST.

We'll be recording these office hours, so you can watch them later if you aren't able to attend.

You'll also have access to support any time on the FYSO slack channel, which is a channel we've created specifically for current and former participants in the accelerator program. Feel free to use this as a resource to share marketing campaigns you're working on, ask questions, and discover new resources.

If you are an NC-based small business, you are eligible to receive help with for-profit formation and 3 months of general counsel support courtesy our sponsor, Law Plus Plus.

Get Started Today

If you think FYSO sounds like it's the right fit for you, go ahead and apply & we'll set up a time to connect! Or, if you have any questions and would like to set up a call first, schedule a time for us to chat.

Don't wait — we only have 20 spots for this cohort & the program is already starting to fill up!

The final deadline to apply is September 9th.

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I'm ready to apply for FYSO!

As part of our mission to make a positive impact, 5% of profits from the FYSO Accelerator will be going to support The Helius Foundation, which provides free business coaching for necessity-driven entrepreneurs.

Rewards for the early birds!

Apply by August 27 to be eligible for an extra special photo op for 5 new, professionally-edited not-so-corporate headshots PLUS a $100 discount off FYSO. Here is a sample of my headshot portfolio. The total value of this reward is $400!
Apply by August 30 for a $100 discount off FYSO.

You don't want to miss out on these rewards, so be sure to apply ASAP!

Our Process

1
Fill out an application
2
We'll review your application
3
You and Christina will have a call to discuss your goals
4
You'll hear back within 2 weeks
5
Meet your cohort in Raleigh September 28th - 29th!

I'm ready to apply for FYSO!

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is FYSO for?

The FYSO accelerator was created for entrepreneurs, small business owners, and freelancers that want to accelerate their progress. Typically FYSO participants have been in business for less than 5 years, ranging from having a business idea that they want to bring to life to wanting to take their business to the next level.

FYSO might be right for you if:

You take your business seriously, but not yourself. You're ready to Figure Your Sh*t Out in an ego-free environment.
You recognize that you shouldn't try to build a business 100% on your own and that by investing in getting support and the right insight, you substantially increase the likelihood of meeting your goals and tackling them more quickly.
You are ready to carve out time to work 'on' the business and not just 'in' the business.
You are tired of second guessing yourself on whether the strategy you have chosen makes sense.
You want to get an outside perspective to help you make key decisions.
You want to be held accountable to sticking with a plan.
You recognize that it's important to hone in on your ideal customer and develop a business model that truly serves their needs.
You also recognize that you need to design your business in a way that it aligns with your life goals.

FYSO starts by asking the question: what type of life do you want?

From there, we then dig deep into how to develop a business that matches your vision for your life.

What does "community-focused" mean?

As part of this program, you'll learn the importance of having a strong "why" and we'll explore how having purpose can give you a competitive advantage.

"Community-focused" means that you're not just building your business to simply make a profit, but that you believe that your business should also help build your community in some way.

You can define what this means to you. All that we ask is that you build a business in a way that moves the needle in the right direction.

It could mean that your mission is to provide great jobs that truly take care of employees and pay a living wage, that you are committed to supporting local businesses in how you operate, or that you donate a percentage of your profits to a non-profit that aligns with your mission.

You might even consider exploring a 'social enterprise' business model by taking this free B impact assessment.

If you have any questions about this, reach out & let's talk about it!

What is the investment I'll be making?

To participate in FYSO, participants will invest $1,250 or three payments of $425/month for our 6 month program.

In turn, you'll receive unlimited access to our network of entrepreneurs and small business owners, both on our private slack channel and through group coaching, that you can lean on throughout your journey as a business leader.

This is a one-time-only price as a reward to the trailblazers participating in the launch. In order to scale sustainably, we expect it to increase, so you definitely don't want to miss this deal!

If price is a barrier, please do not let that stop you from applying. We will be offering a limited number of need based discounts based on household income.

Why should I pay to be part of an accelerator?

This is an opportunity to invest in the development of a strategic plan for your business and we believe that the insight you will gain will generate a return on investment (ROI). This ROI might include:

Saving you from wasting months or even years of your time and potentially thousands of dollars on investing in a strategy that isn't going to work
Pivoting to a more profitable business model or identifying a more profitable potential customer
Time saved by having access to other entrepreneurs for insight and perspective
Feeling less stressed as you build and grow a business that's truly going to match your life goals
Having the confidence that you're moving forward with the right strategic plan

Also, if you are considering, or will be considering taking on investment in your company, it likely comes with strings attached. When people have a financial investment in your company, if it's a large stake, they are going to have influence on the strategic decisions you're making moving forward. With FYSO, you can remain 100% in control of your strategy and direction.

Further, if you want to build and grow your own business and you feel seeking investment is a natural next step for your company, you'll leave our accelerator program with a strategic plan that will help you attract the investment money needed to help your business thrive.

If you want to build and grow your own business from the ground up, FYSO is the perfect program to empower you to get the strategic support you need while leveraging the powerful accelerator model to help you build a bada** business.

Our Guarantee

Our Sponsors

We are so grateful to our sponsors for helping to make this work possible — from providing free legal support to FYSO participants to giving us a space to meet & collaborate — thank you! If you're interested in learning more about sponsorship opportunities, please reach out to hello@christinamarienoel.com.