1
Legacy Over Income
Your father's guiding principle — it is not about the income, it is about the outcome — is the north star. Three sons are watching. When this is built correctly, the income follows the impact.
Prepared exclusively for Michael J. Kadair Jr.
The 12-Month
Expert Business Launch
A complete roadmap from manuscript to $20,000 per month — the right elements, in the right sequence, executed at the right level of professionalism. Built for an Author, Speaker, and Mentor career grounded in thirty years of earned experience.
Sales is valuable. REAL is rare.
The Bottom Line Up Front
You have spent more than thirty years mastering the thing the market is now desperately searching for. The timing of this book, this message, and this career pivot is not accidental — it is optimal.
The book is done. The foundation is real. The question now is what to build on top of it — in what sequence, at what pace, and with what resources — so that 12 months from today the expert business you are building has replaced your current income.
This plan describes what needs to happen — the nine workstreams, the sequence, the tools, the milestones, and the investment reality. It is a strategic roadmap, not a service proposal.
The core strategic premise: one audience, one outcome, many doors. The high-stakes relationship-based sales professional is the ICP. Human-to-human connection in the AI era is the outcome.
12
Months to income replacement
9
Workstreams to build
$20k
Monthly salary target · month 13
4
Phases · one per quarter
What You Are Building and Why
It's not about the income. It's about the outcome of the people I influence.— A philosophy passed down, now being passed forward
2
Scaled Impact
Thirty years leaving people better than you found them — one conversation at a time. This plan extends that radius to people you will never meet, in cities you will never visit.
3
Identity Evolution
Not a career change — a career evolution. From sales professional who mentors, to recognized expert, author, speaker, and mentor. At 58, with this IP and credibility, age is an advantage.
The income target: $20,000 per month taken as salary by month 13 — fully replacing current income and making the transition from active financial-services sales to expert business permanent.
The Expert Business Model
One audience. One outcome. Many doors.
Primary ICP
Relationship-based sales professionals in high-emotional-impact, high-financial-stakes fields — mortgage, real estate, financial planning, life insurance, legal. Feeling pressure from AI disruption. Skeptical of gimmicky training. Looking for a philosophy they can believe in.
The SLO Model
The advertising strategy is designed so front-end product sales cover ad spend entirely, and back-end high-ticket sales are pure profit. The funnel makes paid advertising sustainable from day one.
DIY24–36 mo
DWYFaster
DFY12 months
The Constellation of Offers
Free
$5–$50
$47–$297
$1k–$10k
$10k–$50k+
Every price point is a door. The goal is to have as many doors as possible — all leading to the same place.
The Self-Liquidating Funnel · How Advertising Pays for Itself
Phase 2 · Test
$2k/mo
3 months of paid ads buying data, not volume.
Phase 3 · Month 1
1× ROAS
Break even — front-end sales fully cover ad spend.
Phase 3 · Mo 5–6
2× ROAS
Front-end profitable. Every buyer is found money.
Phase 4
Scale
$5k–$10k/mo ads generating $10k–$20k gross monthly.
Ad spend is the fuel. The funnel and strategy are the engine. Both are required — and ad budget is separate from any service or engagement investment.
What Has to Be Built
Each workstream stands alone — and compounds with the others.
01/09
Book Publishing & Amazon Launch
The credibility anchor for everything else in this plan.
Finalizing the manuscript for publication, professional cover design, typesetting to Amazon KDP print specs, series naming architecture, keyword and category research, listing description, and paperback published under the author's own KDP account. The Kindle is held for the formal Phase 2 launch campaign.
Key Decisions Before Launch
- Final subtitle — language the ICP actually uses (e.g. "Authentic Selling in the Age of AI")
- Series naming locked before cover finalized: REAL Sells, REAL Sells for Leaders, REAL Prospecting
- 3 Amazon categories chosen for discoverability and bestseller mechanics
- Kindle pricing: $0.99 for 48–72hr launch, then $9.99–$14.99
- Citation resolution — 4+ placeholder citations sourced or removed
- One-sentence primary-reader statement locked
Tools & Platforms
- Amazon KDP — primary publishing
- Publisher Rocket — keyword & category
- IngramSpark — optional expanded distribution
- Adobe InDesign — professional interior typesetting
✓
Phase 1 · Week 4
Paperback live on Amazon with professional cover, typeset interior, optimized listing, correct categories. Kindle held for Phase 2 launch.
02/09
Marketing Strategy, ICP & Offer Design
The foundation every other workstream depends on.
Before traffic is purchased, before funnels are built — the ICP must be airtight, the offers must be grade A, and the messaging must be calibrated to the language, pain, and aspiration of the ideal buyer. An A-grade offer with B-grade positioning fails. A C-grade offer breaks the funnel economics entirely.
Primary ICP — The REAL Sells Reader
- Relationship-based sales pros in high-emotional-impact fields
- Mortgage, real estate, financial planning, life insurance, legal
- Feeling pressure from AI disruption
- Age 28–55, quota-carrying, competitive, experienced
Secondary ICP — The Corporate Buyer
- Sales leaders, VPs, Chief Revenue Officers
- Responsible for team performance in AI-disrupted market
- Cuts the check for keynotes, workshops, programs
- Reached through LinkedIn content and speaking pipeline
✓
Phase 1 · Before Any Paid Traffic
Documented ICP profile, complete offer matrix with names and prices at every tier, messaging framework complete. This document governs every other workstream decision.
03/09
Web Presence & Speaker Brand
The hub every podcast, post, and ad drives toward. If it's weak, everything leaks.
The REAL Sells brand home. A professional website that positions Mike as a speaker, author, and mentor first — with the book as primary credibility anchor, not the main product. A living platform that captures leads and gives corporate training buyers and conference bookers everything they need to say yes.
What Good Looks Like
- Above fold: who he is, who he serves, one CTA
- Speaking reel visible within two clicks
- One-sheets downloadable for bureaus
- Mobile-optimized, loads under 2 seconds
- Meta Pixel + LinkedIn Tag collecting from day one
Tools & Platforms
- Lovable or Webflow — website build
- ConvertKit or Go High Level — email capture
- Calendly — speaking inquiry booking
- Meta Pixel + LinkedIn Insight Tag
✓
Phase 1 · Before Book Launch
Website live with speaker positioning, email opt-in active, speaking inquiry form functional, retargeting pixels installed before the first ad dollar is spent.
04/09
Book Funnel & SLO Architecture
When built correctly, front-end sales cover ad spend. Back-end becomes pure profit.
The Self-Liquidating Offer model. A six-step funnel from free chapter opt-in through strategy call, with three order bumps in between. Target cart average $35–$55 per buyer. Back-end ascension to speaking, workshop, or coaching drives profit.
Funnel Steps
- Free Chapter Opt-In · $0
- Digital Book · $4.95–$7
- Audiobook Bump · +$9–$14
- Video Walkthrough · +$19–$27
- AI Book Agent · +$47
- Strategy Call · $97–$197
ROAS Targets by Phase
- Phase 2 Start — $2k/mo test, 3 months
- Phase 3 Month 1 — 1X ROAS, break even
- Phase 3 Mo 5–6 — 2X ROAS, front-end profitable
- Phase 4 Scale — 2–3X ROAS, $5k–$10k/mo ads
✓
Phase 2 · Month 4
Funnel live with paid traffic at $2k/month. All order bumps active. Phase 3 target: 1X ROAS by month 7, 2X ROAS by months 8–9.
05/09
Traffic Strategy: Organic & Paid
Two parallel tracks. Organic builds authority that compounds. Paid builds volume from day one.
LinkedIn is the primary organic platform — 4,300 existing connections, 3–4 AI-assisted posts per week from the book. YouTube one video per week for long-game authority. Podcast guesting for the fastest warm audience. Facebook/Meta as the funnel traffic engine. LinkedIn Ads for the corporate buyer pipeline.
Organic Channels
- LinkedIn — 3–4 posts/week, AI-assisted via Pressmaster
- YouTube — 1 video/week, 8–15 min, repurposed via Opus Clip
- Podcast guesting — 30 appearances in 12 months
- Weekly email newsletter to opt-in list
Ad Spend by Phase
- Phase 2 — $2,000/mo × 3 months = $6,000 test
- Phase 3 — $2k–$3k/mo while optimizing to 1X then 2X ROAS
- Phase 4 — Scale to $5,000–$10,000/mo at 2–3X ROAS
✓
Phase 1 → Phase 2
Organic content cadence live in Phase 1 with Pixel data collecting. Paid campaigns launched in Phase 2 at $2k/month. Podcast pitch kit ready before outreach begins.
06/09
Content Development & IP Monetization
The book is the IP. This workstream turns it into every form the market can consume.
The REAL Thought and REAL Action sections at the close of every chapter already ARE the mini course curriculum. Twelve chapters = twelve modules. The IP is written. This workstream is primarily packaging and presentation, not creation from scratch.
Ongoing Publishing
- LinkedIn — 3–4/week from book IP
- YouTube — 1/week scripted from chapter content
- Weekly email newsletter
- Short-form clips via Opus Clip
- Leader's Guide — free PDF lead magnet
Speaker & Outreach Assets
- Speaking one-sheet per keynote (3 total)
- Podcast pitch kit: bio, topics, headshots
- Corporate training proposal template
- Speaking reel: 2–3 min professional edit
✓
Phase 1
Content calendar built and 8 weeks banked before organic channels launch. Podcast pitch kit complete. Speaker one-sheets drafted. Leader's Guide written and designed.
07/09
AI Tools & Digital Products
The differentiator. No other sales book author currently offers this.
The REAL Sells brand argues for human connection in the AI era. The AI tools demonstrate that argument — they do not contradict it. "I'm not anti-AI. I'm pro-human. Here's how I use AI to help you become more human in your selling." That is a talking point that books keynotes.
Three Tools, In Order
- REAL Sells AI Book Agent — $47 order bump · Phase 2 build
- Personal Sales Coach App — $197–$297 or bundled with cohort · Phase 3 build
- Sales Manager Companion — free magnet or low-cost · Phase 4 build
Build Stack
- Anthropic API (Claude)
- Lovable — web app build
- Bolt — mobile wrapper
- Replit — rapid prototyping
✓
Phase 2 · Month 5
AI Book Agent live and integrated into the book funnel as an order bump. The differentiator that gets mentioned in every podcast interview and speaking intro.
08/09
Speaking Career Development
The centerpiece of the vision. Highest visibility, credibility, and income tier.
Three flagship talks: The Synthetic Era (the AI-disruption keynote that books itself right now), REAL Sells for corporate sales teams, and Build the Person, Build the Numbers for sales leadership. The speaking reel is priority #1 — without it, booking conversations stall regardless of pitch quality.
Three Flagship Talks
- The Synthetic Era — sales conferences, financial services events
- REAL Sells — corporate sales teams + workshop follow-up
- Build the Person, Build the Numbers — VPs of Sales, CROs
Booking Timeline
- 50% of professional speaking is now virtual — expands Year 1 volume
- Months 1–3 — 10–15 free/low-fee gigs for reel footage
- Months 4–6 — reel produced; direct outreach to program chairs
- Month 7 — first paid engagement ($2,500–$5,000)
- Months 9–12 — first corporate training ($8,000–$15,000); bureau outreach
✓
Across Phases 2–4
Phase 2: reel produced, speaker page live. Phase 3: first paid engagement and first corporate training inquiry converted. Phase 4: speaker bureau relationship initiated.
09/09
Coaching, Mentoring & High-Ticket Programs
Where the light-bulb moment lives. The highest-margin, highest-meaning tier.
Three formats stacked together. 1:1 mentoring (5–7 clients max at $12k–$20k/yr). Group cohorts (12–16 participants, 6–8 weeks, $497–$997). Corporate advisory ($2.5k–$10k/mo, sourced through speaking). When Mike is on Zoom with a client, the REAL Sells principles are being modeled, not just taught.
Format Economics
- 1:1 Mentoring — $12k–$20k/yr · max 5–7 clients
- Group Cohort — $497–$997 × 12–16 seats = $6k–$16k/cohort
- Corporate Advisory — $2.5k–$10k/mo · TCV $30k–$120k/yr
Tools & Delivery
- Zoom — all coaching and group delivery
- Kajabi or Teachable — course and group hosting
- Go High Level — CRM, follow-up, pipeline
- Calendly — session scheduling
✓
Phase 3 → Phase 4
Phase 3: first group cohort launched and sold, first 1:1 client enrolled. Phase 4: corporate advisory pipeline active with 2–3 proposals outstanding.
I feel like this is where everything has led me to this point.— Mike Kadair Jr.
Four Phases. One Destination.
The right things in the right sequence — from manuscript to income replacement.
Phase 01
Foundation
Days 1–90 · Q1
- Manuscript finalized: citations, audience, REAL acronym
- Paperback published on Amazon KDP (Week 4)
- Website live — speaker positioning, pixels installed
- ICP documented, offer matrix complete
- Leader's Guide written and designed
- Content calendar built — 8 weeks banked
- LinkedIn cadence live (3–4 posts/week)
- Podcast pitch kit complete
- Book funnel architecture designed
Phase 02
Launch
Days 91–180 · Q2
- ERC campaign — Early Reader Copies
- Kindle launched — Amazon bestseller campaign
- Book funnel live — all order bumps active
- Paid ads launched at $2,000/month
- First 10 podcast appearances
- YouTube channel — first 8 videos
- AI Book Agent built and launched
- Speaking reel produced
- First speaking proposals submitted
Phase 03
Scale
Days 181–270 · Q3
- Funnel hits 1X ROAS in month 1
- Funnel hits 2X ROAS by month 5–6
- First paid speaking engagement
- First group coaching cohort sold
- Mini course live on hosted platform
- First 1:1 coaching client enrolled
- Corporate training in distribution
- Email list at 1,000+ opt-ins
- Personal Sales Coach App in development
Phase 04
Expand
Days 271–365 · Q4
- Ads scaled to $5k–$10k/mo at 2–3X ROAS
- Funnel generating $10k–$20k gross monthly
- Speaking pipeline: consistent inquiries
- Group coaching cohort 2 open
- Personal Sales Coach App launched
- Corporate training: 2–3 proposals outstanding
- YouTube 24+ videos
- Speaker bureau submission
- $20k/month income target achieved
- Book 2 planning begun
Workstream Delivery by Quarter
When each workstream launches, scales, and delivers its key milestone.
Workstream
Q1 · Days 1–90
Q2 · Days 91–180
Q3 · Days 181–270
Q4 · Days 271–365
Book Publishing & Amazon
BUILD + PUBLISH
KINDLE LAUNCH
Ongoing sales
Book 2 plan
Marketing Strategy & ICP
ICP + OFFERS
REFINE
Ongoing
Ongoing
Web Presence & Speaker Brand
BUILD + LIVE
OPTIMIZE
Ongoing
Ongoing
Book Funnel & SLO
DESIGN + BUILD
LIVE · $2k/mo
1X → 2X ROAS
SCALE $5–10k/mo
Traffic · Organic & Paid
ORGANIC STARTS
PAID LAUNCHES
OPTIMIZE
SCALE PAID
Content & IP Development
BANK 8 WEEKS
PUBLISH + REPURPOSE
Ongoing
Ongoing
AI Tools & Digital Products
AGENT BUILD
AGENT LIVE
COACH APP BUILD
APPS LIVE + SCALE
Speaking Career Development
ONE-SHEETS + PITCH
REEL + FIRST TALKS
FIRST PAID GIG
BUREAU + SCALE
Coaching & Programs
DESIGN PROGRAMS
1:1 CLIENT #1
GROUP COHORT 1
COHORT 2 + CORP
BUILD → LAUNCH → SCALE → EXPAND. Every workstream sequenced so each element compounds into the next rather than standing alone.
Tools & Platforms
The technology ecosystem the REAL Sells business will operate on.
Publishing
- Amazon KDP
- IngramSpark
- Publisher Rocket
- Adobe InDesign
Website & Funnel
- Lovable
- BookFunnels 2.0
- Go High Level
- Webflow
- Stripe
Email & CRM
- Go High Level
- ConvertKit
- Calendly
- ActiveCampaign
Video Production
- Descript
- Opus Clip
- BombBomb
- DJI Osmo
AI Tools & App Dev
- Anthropic API
- Lovable
- Bolt
- Replit
Social & Content
- Pressmaster
- Buffer / Metricool
- Canva
- YouTube Studio
Advertising
- Meta Ads Manager
- LinkedIn Campaign Mgr
- Meta Pixel
- LinkedIn Insight Tag
Courses & Programs
- Kajabi
- Teachable
- Zoom
- SpeakerHub
Three Paths to the Same Destination
How time, expertise, and risk trade off across DIY, Done-With-You, and Done-For-You.
DIY
Lowest capital · 24–36 months · High time cost
DWY
Expert strategy + you execute · 18–24 months
DFY
Professional execution · 12 months · Lowest time
| Workstream | DIY Reality | DWY Approach | DFY Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Book Publishing | 3–4 mo learning. Cover & typeset risk. | Editorial + design execution | HIGH |
| Marketing Strategy | Judgment cannot be delegated. | Expert co-develops; author validates | MEDIUM |
| Web Presence | Messaging risk if DIY. | Strategy + copy guided; build executed | HIGH |
| Book Funnel | 6 elements all grade A. One C breaks math. | Expert architecture + guided build | CRITICAL |
| Traffic | Paid ads require expertise. | Strategy guided; execution supported | HIGH |
| Content | High volume required consistently. | Templates + editorial oversight | MEDIUM |
| AI Tools | API integration is technical. | Architecture designed; build supported | HIGH |
| Speaking | Reel benefits from expertise. | Strategy + pitch kit + booking | MEDIUM |
| Coaching Programs | Curriculum is in the book already. | Structure + pricing + launch support | LOW |
The Revenue Goal · $20,000/Month by Month 13
Speaking · Year 1
$20k+
4+ engagements avg $5k
Corporate Training
$15k+
1–2 at $8k–$15k each
Funnel Revenue
$12k+
Phase 4 at 2X ROAS
Coaching Programs
$12k+
1:1 + group cohort
Combined year-one potential=$59k–$80k+— month 13, the $20k/month run-rate is in reach.
From Plan to Motion
The foundation is real. Thirty years of earned experience. A manuscript with genuine writing quality. A thesis perfectly timed for the moment we are in. A vision grounded in something deeper than income.
What this plan adds is sequence, infrastructure, and execution discipline — the right elements, in the right order, at the right level of professionalism. That is the difference between two years of trial and error and twelve months of compounding momentum.
The next step is simple. Read this. Let it settle. Ask whatever questions it raises. Then let's talk about what moving forward together looks like.
1
Read & Digest
Read this plan carefully. Let the full picture settle. Sleep on it.
2
Answer the Questions
ICP, subtitle, keynote topic, funnel platform — your answers shape the build.
3
Decide How to Execute
DIY, DWY, or DFY — or the blend that fits your time, capital, and skill.
4
Move
The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best is right now.
“
When's the best time to plant a tree? Twenty years ago.Michael J. Kadair Jr.
When's the next best time? Right now.