You do not need another pep talk about believing in yourself. You need a way to tell whether a coach will help you redesign the work — or just add more homework to a full diary.

When the business already runs you, the wrong support becomes another meeting you resent.

Use this as a kitchen-table checklist before you book anyone, including Carlene.

Step 1: Diagnose your bottleneck first

Before you look at coaches, name what is actually stuck. Most founders at capacity fall into one of these:

Decision: too many options, unclear priorities, an offer that keeps shifting
Delivery: client work takes every hour, nothing is documented
Sales: inconsistent enquiries or difficulty converting them
Energy: you know what to do but cannot sustain it

Write one sentence: “The thing that is costing me most right now is…” Take that sentence into every coach conversation.

Step 2: Ten questions to ask a coach

What kind of founder do you work with most often?
How would you approach the bottleneck I have just described?
What does a typical session or week look like?
How much work happens between sessions, and how long does it take?
What do you expect from me?
How do you handle it when a client falls behind?
What happens in the first 30 days?
How will we know it is working?
What is not included?
What happens if it is not a good fit?

Listen for specifics. Vague answers about transformation are a warning.

Step 3: Red flags

Big income promises or screenshots used as proof
Pressure to decide on the call
A programme that adds hours to your week before it removes any
One method for everyone, regardless of business model
Language that makes you feel behind rather than capable
No clear way to pause, stop, or leave

Step 4: What the first 30 days should look like

Good support for a founder at capacity should feel lighter fairly quickly. In the first month, expect:

A clear picture of where your time and money go
One or two decisions made that you had been avoiding
At least one thing removed, delegated, or simplified
A plan you understand and can explain to someone else

If month one is mostly homework, ask why.

Step 5: Measure progress without fake metrics

Revenue matters, but it lags. Track signals you can see sooner:

Hours spent on delivery versus planning each week
Number of decisions made versus parked
Evenings and weekends protected
How you feel on a Sunday night about the week ahead

Write a baseline before you start. Check it monthly.

A note on Femmeprenista options

Carlene’s work is practical business redesign for women founders. There are two public ways to start: a one-off Freedom By Design Strategy Session, or ongoing Pocket Partnership, which is available by reply. Use the questions above with her too.

If you want a single focused planning session rather than an open-ended programme, Freedom By Design (£397) includes a 90-day Freedom Blueprint — tidycal.com/carlene/freedom-by-design.

What is the one sentence that describes your bottleneck right now?