Hands in the business.
I don't hand you a framework and leave. I sit with the founder and the leadership team, work on both machines at once, and stay until the new pattern holds without me.
Same paradigm. Different depth.
Strategy session
Half day · founder plus leadership teamThe entry point. We go pillar by pillar using the Inner Workbook, find where pressure is leaking, and agree on the first move.
- On site or remote
- Pre-work: a short call and the workbook
- You leave with a one-page leak map
- A clear yes or no on going further
Leadership team
Engagement · monthly retainer · weekly sessionsThe core of the practice. The founder and leadership team work on the Hard Machine and the Soft Machine together, in order, on a steady cadence.
- Four 90-minute working sessions a month
- Your vision first, written into the plan
- The accountability chart: seat before person
- In the room as your leadership team runs it
- Six-month commitment for most firms
Operator-advisor
By invitation · usually with equityOccasionally I take a seat closer in: advisory, board, or an operating role. I hold equity in the firms I work with this way, so my stake is in the outcome.
- A small number at any time
- Usually follows an engagement
- Terms set case by case
Investment depends on the depth and the size of the team. I'll share it on the first call.
From first call to handoff.
The conversation
Thirty minutes. You tell me what's breaking. I tell you what I'd look at first and whether I'm the right person.
Your vision, written down
We start with you: what matters most, defined in terms of one life, not work-life balance. Then it goes into the business plan. The second and third drafts are the ones that stick.
The chart, then the people
We design the accountability chart for the firm you're building, then look at your team against it. The discipline is the best person for the seat, never a seat for the person.
In the room, then out
I sit in on your leadership meetings for the first few, then remove myself. After that, you and I review the meeting notes. If the system is working, you stay out of the room too.
“Most firms go out grabbing athletes and forget about the ball. Your story is the ball. As long as everyone has it, we're all playing the same game.”
Why we start with your story before we touch the org chart
A good fit.
- Founder-led or partner-led firms, especially law firms and other professional service firms.
- Founders who suspect the bottleneck might be them, and want to find out.
- Leadership teams willing to work on the people and the process at the same time.
- Firms that have grown past what the founder can hold alone.
Not a fit.
- Anyone looking for a plan to hand off and never revisit.
- Founders who want the team fixed without looking at themselves.
- Firms that need a speaker for an event. That's over here.
Founders who stopped doing it all.
“When I started working with Travis, I was the bottleneck for everything. I was working every case and running the business while training my only associate. Travis helped me build real systems and track the data that drives decisions. Letting go was the hard part. He showed me how to truly delegate and trust my staff, with clear ownership and reporting built into every role. He also made us figure out who we really are as a firm and what we're willing to sacrifice to get there, not some cheesy core values everybody hangs on the wall. Through all of it, he's picked up every time I've called. Today I'm focused on growth instead of buried in the day‑to‑day. If you're a founder still doing it all yourself, you need Travis.”Gus AnastopouloManaging Partner, Gus Anastopoulo Law
“He saw something in my story that I hadn't fully recognized as needing to be part of my business yet. … I'm learning that my experiences, my voice, and my story are some of the things that make my business uniquely mine and that there is a place for them in business and a way to use them to benefit others.”Marne PehrsonManaging Partner, Legacy Bridge Legal
“This is going to be a challenge for me, because I've never considered it this way. I'd just be like, hey, it's a fun job, come work with us. … It really got me thinking. I don't know if I ever even considered that as a question.”Carrie NguyenFounder, Law Office of Carrie Nguyen · after her first working session
Before you reach out.
Your book is called Your Team Comes Last. Why work with leadership teams?
The team comes last in the order, never in importance. The leadership team is where Self, Customer, and Machine either get built or get skipped, so that's where I work.
Do you only work with law firms?
No. Law firms are where I operate every day, so that's where most of my work lands. The paradigm came from companies in several industries, and it fits any founder-led firm where the founder is still inside the delivery.
How is this different from EOS or a culture consultant?
Operating systems build the Hard Machine. Culture work focuses on the Soft Machine. I work on both together, with the founder's Self as the starting point, and I'm still running a firm while I do it.
When do you step out?
When the leadership team runs its own meetings and the notes show the system holding. At one Charleston firm right now, the managing partner has already stopped attending the weekly leadership meeting. I'm sitting in on four, then I stop too. After that, he and I review the notes.
Remote or on site?
Both. Strategy sessions work best in person. Engagements run on a mix, with on-site sessions when the leadership team needs to be in the same room.
What does it cost?
It depends on the depth of the work and the size of the team. I'll give you a straight number on the first call, before you commit to anything.
Can you speak at our event?
Yes. Speaking lives on travisleehoward.com, with talks, formats, and the booking form.
Tell me what's breaking.
A sentence or two is plenty. I read every one myself and reply within three business days to set up a 30-minute call.
Prefer email? travis@mindful.biz
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