Private 1:1 business coaching
Something needs to change.You just don't know what yet.
Pre—Strategy is private business coaching for business owners who feel stuck in the business they built, and aren't sure whether they need a new strategy, a different business, or simply a different way of working inside it.
Before you spend $3K on a new logo, a rebrand, a pivot or a new hire, it helps to know what you're actually trying to solve.
Maybe you're here
"I built the business I said I wanted. Why don't I want it anymore?"
- "I should be able to handle this."
- "Maybe if I just…"
- "Other people just do it all."
Maybe the business is working. Maybe other people think you're doing well. Maybe nothing looks off from the outside, and yet you keep opening Indeed, imagining a different offer, pricing a rebrand, thinking about hiring, wondering whether you're burned out, or wanting to disappear from the whole thing for a while.
You have plenty of ideas. What's harder is knowing which one fits what's actually going on.
It's hard to know what to change when you don't yet know what the feeling is trying to tell you.
It's okay to feel stuck in the business you built.
You don't have to abandon yourself to build something that works.
What problem am I actually trying to solve?
Until we know that, another strategy is still a guess.
It might be one thing. It might be a few, tangled together.
The personWhat do you want now, and what does this season leave room for?
The businessDoes the model, the offers or your role inside it still fit, or is it asking more than it gives back?
The next moveA new offer, better systems, a slower season, a pivot, an exit, or simply room to hear yourself think?
Pre—Strategy gives you the space and structure to notice what's actually going on, without judgment, before you decide whether anything needs to change.
Core principle
A good strategy amplifies clarity. It can't create it.
Hi. I'm Carissa.
Feeling trapped in the thing you built for freedom is a special kind of exhausting.
I've been there. I spent $3K on a logo hoping it would make everything feel lighter. I was bored, aimless, scared and deep down, I just wanted someone to tell me what to do.
I've spent 13 years helping people through change, first in movement and Pilates, and now in coaching. Insight matters, and insight alone is not always enough. The work has to make room for the person, the patterns, the body, the business and real life.
I built Pre—Strategy for the moment before the prescription: the place where we slow down long enough to understand what is actually happening, what you actually want, and what kind of support or strategy would be useful next.
What movement clients say
"I have never felt so understood and seen by an instructor before."
Private movement client
"She knows how to ask questions as you're moving that keeps you tuned into your body."
Private movement client
"She helps you achieve success with your clients and with/in yourself."
Pilates instructor, mentored by Carissa
The Pre—Strategy Method
Six weeks to get clear on what's actually going on, and what you want to do about it.
Notice what's real
We start with you: your values, desires, ambition and capacity. Then we look at the business as it actually runs, the offers, schedule, role, money and energy drains.
Find the fit
We put the person and the business side by side, name what fits and what doesn't, and look at the beliefs, patterns and systems likely to keep you stuck.
Choose your next move
You leave with a 90-day direction you trust, and we meet again 30 days later to see what happened in real life.
The full method
Five movements across six weeks- 01Connect / DreamDefine what you're trying to align with: values, desires, ambitions, capacity, curiosity, life and work.
- 02Notice / AuditLook at the real business: offers, schedule, role, systems, clients, money, energy drains and what works.
- 03AlignPut the person and the business side by side. Name the fit, the mismatch and what actually needs attention.
- 04AddressExplore beliefs, patterns, fear, systems, capacity and the things likely to keep you stuck.
- 05Reflect & RecommitTurn clarity into a 90-day direction, then return 30 days later to see what happened in real life.
A broader lens
The person and the business are part of the same conversation.
Life coaching can help you understand yourself. Business coaching and consulting can help you put plans into action inside the business. Pre—Strategy connects the two before the next move is chosen.
| What it does | Life coaching | Pre—Strategy | Business coaching / consulting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starts with you as a person | Core | Core | Sometimes |
| Examines the business itself | Sometimes | Core | Core |
| Values, desires, capacity and your definition of success | Core | Core | Sometimes |
| Offers, role, schedule, systems and structure | Sometimes | Core | Core |
| Helps you uncover your own answer | Core | Core | Sometimes |
| Structured business-alignment process | Not the focus | Core | Not the focus |
| Builds your funnel or rebrands your site | Not the focus | Not the focus | Sometimes |
The toolkit
These aren't generic templates. You build them as we go.
Each one is filled with your answers, patterns, priorities and decisions.
The Pre—Strategy Workbook
The living record of your reflections, exercises, discoveries, questions and decisions.
Custom 90-Day Roadmap
A focused direction for what matters now, what you're doing, and what can wait.
Detour Map
Warning signs, recurring patterns, how you recognize you're off course, and the path back.
Calendar Work
Planning tools that reflect your goals, values, energy, capacity, founder roles and actual life.
Founder Avatar
A condensed reference for your goal feelings, alignment signals, 90-day direction and permission slips.
Where this could go
You're highly capable. You can probably keep making it work.
If nothing changes
- Another round of logos, rebrands and email flows that don't touch what feels off.
- The same Sunday dread about the week ahead.
- Making it work, with no clear goal and no clear words for what feels off.
- Feeling trapped in the thing you built, maybe even resenting it.
What could be different in six weeks
- You know what's off and what matters next.
- You can separate temporary overwhelm from meaningful misalignment.
- Your plan is built around the capacity you actually have.
- You have a 90-day direction, and a way back to yourself when you drift.
Your business won't transform overnight. It can feel even 1% lighter, and it can change shape as you do.
The program experience
Six weeks of work, distilled into something you can come back to.
- Six private coaching sessions, completed within a seven-week window so there's room for real life.
- At least 90 minutes together each week, with up to two hours reserved.
- The Pre—Strategy Workbook.
- Personalized session recaps, offered as one perspective, yours to keep or leave.
- Time between sessions to try, notice, change and experiment in real life.
- A private 30-minute Reflect & Recommit call, 30 days after your last session.
- About three hours a week in total, including coaching, reflection, notes and implementation.
Questions
Good questions to ask first.
Can my business be doing well?
Absolutely. Pre—Strategy is especially useful in the gap between "this works" and "this works for me."
What if this is just burnout?
Then burnout is part of what's true, and we don't need to make it more dramatic. The work helps separate temporary overwhelm from meaningful misalignment.
What if I decide to quit, pivot or get a job?
That can be a valid outcome. We'll use the remaining sessions and materials to help you move toward that decision with clarity and care.
Will you tell me what to do?
No. I'll coach, ask questions, reflect patterns, offer observations and help you work the process. You make the decision.
Do I need a diagnosis or a clear goal to apply?
No. You don't need a failing business, a fully formed goal, or a neurodivergence diagnosis. Neurodivergent founders are explicitly welcome, and you can tell me anything about how you think, focus or manage energy that would help me coach you.
Is this therapy?
No. This is forward-focused coaching. It doesn't diagnose or treat mental health conditions and isn't a substitute for therapy or crisis support.
Is this a group program?
No. Pre—Strategy is private 1:1 coaching.
What if I miss a week?
You have a seven-week window to complete six sessions. Unused sessions are nonrefundable and nontransferable.
How much time does this take?
About three hours a week, including coaching, workbook reflection, notes and trying things in real life.
When does the next round start?
January 2027. Join the wait list and you'll hear first. If you'd like to start sooner, fill out an application and I'll be in touch.
What happens after six weeks?
A private 30-minute Reflect & Recommit call is included 30 days later. Ongoing support may be available separately, and it's never required.
Can we talk before I apply?
Yes. There's a free 15-minute call for exactly this, so we can see together whether Pre—Strategy fits what you're navigating. You'll find it just below.
Not sure yet whether this fits?
Find a time to talkWhen you're ready
The work before you decide what's next.
You don't have to know whether you're simplifying, scaling, pivoting, staying or leaving before you reach out. That's the point.
You only need to know that the question is taking up enough space that you're ready to look at it, with structure, support and room for the answer to be yours.
Not ready yet? Get the newsletter for updates, new offerings and a little invitation to pause.
Or read along on Substack, where I write about building a business that fits.
Private 1:1 coaching / 6 weeks / $2,400 / Next round January 2027