Figure Your Sh*t Out

(That's right. I said it.)

It's time to

Build a mission-driven 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.

The support & accountability you've been waiting for

The Figure Your Sh*t Out (FYSO) accelerator is a program created to help community-focused entrepreneurs hone their business model and accelerate their progress through a no-bullsh*t, fun, and results-driven approach.

I want in on this!

Group of women entrepreneurs being goofy and happy, along with a handful of male advisors that are allies

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 the FYSO accelerator 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.

Processed with VSCO with g3 preset Processed with VSCO with a4 preset

"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, May 30, 2020 - May 31, 2020. 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.

—

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.

"FYSO was definitely preferable to any other program that I was pitched, and I was pitched a lot of other programs (and accelerators). I feel like there is a lot of bullsh*t that goes with that. It's a lot of 'You can do anything if you buy this simple 15-step program...' and it's just not worth it. I have been through a couple of other programs that I walk out and feel inspired, but I didn't gain anything. I didn't actually accomplish anything. Whereas with FYSO, not only are you given all of these tools to help your company grow, but you are also given a cohort of people you can stay in contact with and continue to update each other on your growth... you have this lifelong network that you can lean on each other as you grow"

Click here to see Ivana share more about her FYSO experience.

Ivana Vasquez

Founder, Ghost Flowers Art Promotion

The Nitty Gritty Details

First off, we'll have some fantastic speakers for you to learn from over the weekend workshop.

To give you an idea of what to expect, here are the speakers from our latest kickoff workshop:

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.

Here is our agenda for the weekend:

Saturday, May 30th

Thanks to our partnership with the incredible HQ Raleigh, we'll be spending the weekend at one of their gorgeous locations. 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.

You'll have the option to opt-into joining us for a private group dinner at a local restaurant.

Sunday, May 31st

We'll kick day #2 off at 9:00am. Again, we'll be providing breakfast (and maybe some pedialyte popsicles if you're feeling a bit dehydrated, 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 3:00pm.

The optional not-so-corporate photo shoot will take place from 3:30pm-4:30pm in a special location we've scouted out just for you.

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 2 weeks after the workshop, 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 third week after the workshop, Christina will share a short digital lesson related to marketing & strategy and then she'll be available for group office hours to discuss the lesson & coach 2 members of FYSO that volunteer to be in the 'hot seat' every other Monday night from 7:30pm-8:30pm 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.

Jalen, a black, college-aged young man in bow tie & suit smiling on campus

"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

Get Started Today

If you think the FYSO Accelerator sounds like it's the right fit for you, go ahead and apply & we'll set up a time to connect!

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

The final deadline to apply for our next cohort is April 30, 2020.

Day

Hour

Minute

Second

I'm ready to apply to be in the next FYSO cohort!

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.

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, May 30th - 31st!

I'm ready to apply for FYSO!

Rewards for the early birds

Apply by April 20 to be eligible for an extra special photo op for 5 new, professionally-edited not-so-corporate headshots PLUS a bonus pre-FYSO group coaching call on Monday, May 11th. Here is a sample of my headshot portfolio. The total value of this reward is $500!

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the FYSO Accelerator for?

The FYSO Accelerator was created for community-focused entrepreneurs 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 $1,495 or three installment payments of $525 for our 6-month program.

In turn, during the accelerator, you'll receive more than 30 hours of direct coaching and strategic content in addition to more than 18 hours of peer-to-peer support offered over the 6-months.

You'll also 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.

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?

FYSO was created to help you find your support network.

While traditional programs are focused on access to connections & to financial resources, our program is focused on making an investment in your own success.

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

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 the FYSO 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.