How One Business Owner Turned Goals Into a Roadmap
When I first sat down with Laura Martinez, she was exhausted. Her business - a specialty packaging company that had grown to $12M in annual revenue - looked successful on the outside. But behind the glossy numbers, Laura was overwhelmed, her leadership team was stretched thin, and she admitted she didn’t even know if she wanted to keep running the company for the next five years.
Like so many owners, Laura had just experienced her triggering event: a private equity firm had approached her about acquiring the business. The interest was flattering, but the due diligence questions they fired her way exposed how unprepared she really was. That wake-up call forced Laura to ask: “If I want this business to support my long-term vision - whether I sell it or keep it > what needs to change?”
The first step was clarifying her vision. Laura wanted financial freedom, more time for her family, and a business that could run without her daily oversight. Once that vision was clear, we moved into the next step of the Value Acceleration Methodology (VAM): setting goals.
Turning Vision Into SMART Goals
I explained to Laura that goals can’t just be wish lists. They need to be S.M.A.R.T.:
Specific – Clear, actionable steps, not vague aspirations.
Measurable – With real metrics and numbers behind them.
Aspirational – Big enough to inspire growth and align with her vision.
Realistic – Achievable given current resources and conditions.
Time-Based – Bound by deadlines that hold people accountable.
Instead of saying, “We need stronger financial reporting,” we reframed it as:
“Implement a monthly financial dashboard within 90 days that tracks sales by channel, gross margin, and cash conversion cycle.”
That shift gave Laura’s team clarity. Everyone knew exactly what success looked like and by when.
Building a Roadmap
I told Laura to think of goals as the mile markers between her current state and her future vision. Without them, she’d keep reacting to problems instead of steering the business toward where she wanted it to go.
Together, we mapped out goals across the seven major categories that drive transferable value, but not all at once. The sequence matters.
Prioritizing Goals: The Value Hierarchy in Action
We walked through the hierarchy I use with every client:
Derisking – We uncovered a major customer concentration risk: two clients made up 65% of her sales. That became Goal #1: diversify customer base so no client represents more than 25% of revenue within 18 months.
Strategy – Once risk was addressed, Laura needed to clarify the company’s direction. We created a strategic goal: launch two new product lines tied to growing sustainability trends within 24 months.
Productivity – Her team was bogged down by manual order entry. A SMART goal was set: implement an ERP system within 12 months, reducing order processing time by 40%.
Sales & Marketing – With a more resilient base, we set the next goal: hire a dedicated marketing director and increase lead generation by 30% in the next 18 months.
Financial – Stronger systems needed stronger numbers. Goal: build a 13-week cash flow forecast and update weekly, starting within 60 days.
Leadership & People – Laura admitted she was the bottleneck for every major decision. Goal: delegate operational oversight to her COO by Q3 next year, with documented SOPs in place.
Culture – Finally, to ensure long-term stability, we set a cultural goal: create a leadership development program and launch it within 12 months to start building a “next generation” bench.
What Changed for Laura
By breaking down her vision into SMART goals and sequencing them in this order, Laura moved from feeling overwhelmed to having a roadmap she and her team could follow.
Three things stood out for her:
Quick wins built momentum. Starting with derisking and financial reporting gave her immediate relief and confidence.
The order mattered. If she had jumped into new sales initiatives without fixing concentration risk and process gaps, she would’ve been scaling chaos.
Her team bought in. SMART goals gave everyone ownership and accountability - they weren’t “Laura’s goals” anymore, they were the company’s roadmap.
Eighteen months later, Laura’s business wasn’t just more profitable - it was also far more transferable. That private equity firm that once scared her away? They came back to the table. But this time, Laura had options. She could sell on her terms… or keep enjoying the business she’d finally built to run without her.
The Takeaway
SMART goals, aligned with vision and prioritized by value, are what transform a stressed-out owner into a confident leader with choices. Whether you’re preparing for an exit, or simply building the company you always wanted to run, the roadmap begins with goals.
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