Robert, here's how I'd lead · Cody Bramlett · September 2026

You stay in your zone. I run the machine.

A clear way for the supplement business to move fast without you pushing it every day. Start with the one-minute story, then open whatever you want more of.

5 min
weekly report for Robert
Monthly
sprint plan with the exec team
30 days
to a clean money picture
3 months
to the new system running
Start here

You said you love failure stories. Here's one I had a front-row seat for.

I coached a founder who, on paper, looked a lot like you. He was the face of his brand, doing somewhere between $12 and $15 million a year, with contractors all over the world and almost no real employees.

Before he ever hired me, he'd already built and fired two full teams. Each was around six people, and each one cost him somewhere between $70,000 and $150,000 a month. Neither got the job done.

Then he started working with me, and I kept telling him the same thing: stop shopping for big names and build from inside. He had a woman on his team who understood him and his creative process better than anyone. Promote her. He didn't listen. Instead he hired two CEOs, one after the other, each in the $180,000 to $300,000 a year range. He wanted the best money could buy.

Both CEOs walked in wanting to rebuild the whole company in their own image. Their plan for him was basically: step out, show up for filming days, make content when we ask, and that's it. That's not who he was. He couldn't let go, they couldn't move, and neither one lasted. By the time he finally tried to promote the woman I'd been pointing at, the deal he offered her fell apart and she left too.

You told me about your friend whose CEO ran his company into the ground. Same lesson, different ending. CEOs aren't the problem. The wrong setup is. It burns money, and worse, it burns years.

Here's what I think you should do

  1. Don't hand the company to someone who wants to rebuild it without you. You want to stay involved, and you should.
  2. Build on the team you already have. Florencia is incredibly capable. She needs clear priorities and backup, not a replacement.
  3. Bring in a fractional CEO who already knows you and the business. Someone who takes your vision, makes sure it gets done, and brings you the numbers every week.

That's what I'm proposing. I'd love for that person to be me. And if you choose someone else, this page is still the playbook, and I'll help them succeed.

— Cody

The shift

Same business. Progress stops waiting on Robert.

Today

Everything runs through Robert. When he's traveling or busy, things wait.

With Cody

Robert sets direction. Cody makes sure it happens. The team reports to Cody, and Cody reports to Robert. One point of contact, one clear picture.

The whole plan in one picture

Robert steers. Cody drives. The team builds. Finance keeps score.

Robert · the vision

Vision, product innovation and the big direction calls. He's also the face of the brand, recording the ad content on 4–6 filming trips a year, scheduled when he decides.

Cody · fractional CEO

Robert's single point of contact. Turns direction into plans, sets priorities, backs up Florencia, and reports back every week.

Florencia & team · the daily run

Run the business day to day: customer support, pages, funnels, launches, deadlines and quality.

Finance · keeps score

Prepare and check the books so the numbers Robert sees are real.

And AI in every part of the business

Cody brings AI into every department so the same team gets far more done. It starts with website builds and customer service, then spreads everywhere.

Website + funnel buildsCustomer serviceEmail + SMSAd creativeReporting + dashboardsOperations
Robert's time

No daily work. A weekly check-in when Robert's available.

Tap each one to see what it involves.

Nothing required

0–5 min
  1. The team runs the dayFlorencia & team handle delivery and customer support. Cody backs them up.
    Florencia & team&Cody
  2. Robert only hears if something truly needs himOne short note from Cody, answered in a couple of minutes.
    Robert
The plan, in detail

The full plan, in six parts

What you're looking at: this is the complete plan for how Cody would run the supplement business. It's split into six parts, and each one answers a question Robert would ask.

How to read it: the line under each title is the short answer. Tap a part to see what's in it. Tap any piece inside for the step-by-step version, including who does each step and when.

0 of 6 parts opened
Part 1

Who does what?

Robert keeps the vision. Cody owns getting it done. Florencia & team run the day.7 pieces · about 3 min

What this part covers: exactly who is responsible for what, how decisions get made, and which businesses Cody would and wouldn't run. This is the part that prevents the failure story above.

What Robert owns

Vision, product innovation, big direction calls, and the ad content.Open

Robert told Cody he loves strategic vision, new products and formulations, and marketing strategy. That stays with Robert. What goes away is having to push every project himself.

  1. The visionWhere the brand is going and what gets built next.
    Robert
  2. Product innovationNew products and formulations.
    Robert
  3. Big direction decisionsThe total budget, owner payouts, financing, ownership, and any future sale.
    Robert
  4. The ad contentRobert is the face of the brand. He records the ads and videos on 4–6 planned filming trips a year.
    Robert4–6× a year

What changes: team calls become optional. Things keep moving whether or not Robert is on them.

What Cody owns

Robert's point of contact. Turns an idea into a plan, and a plan into a launch.Open
  1. Robert names the priority"Beet powder is next." That's all he needs to say.
    RobertSprint call
  2. Cody writes a one-page planGoal, offer, budget, owner, deadline, and how we'll know it worked.
    CodyWeek 1
  3. Robert approves itYes, no, or change it. One read.
    Robert
  4. The team builds it, with AIPages, copy, emails, product setup.
    Florencia & teamWeeks 2–3
  5. Cody checks it's ready and launches itTracking works, claims are checked, stock is there.
    CodyWeek 4
  6. Results show up in Robert's weekly reportThen they decide: push it, fix it, or stop it.
    Robert&Cody

What Florencia & team own

The daily run, customer support included. Cody backs them up.Open

Florencia is incredibly capable and her team already delivers a lot. Cody isn't replacing that. He's adding clear priorities, faster decisions, AI tools and backup so they aren't pulled in five directions at once.

  1. Run the day-to-dayAssignments, deadlines, quality checks.
    Florencia & team
  2. Customer supportEvery customer question, order issue and refund.
    Florencia & team
  3. Cody sets priorities with FlorenciaOne list, in order, so nobody guesses what matters most.
    Cody&Florencia
  4. Cody backs them upClears roadblocks, brings in AI tools, and talks to Florencia before any team change.
    Cody
  5. New direction goes through one channelRobert's new ideas come to the sprint call or to Cody, so the team hears one plan.
    Robert

What finance owns

They prepare and check the books. Cody makes sure it gets used.Open

Cody isn't the bookkeeper or accountant. Finance professionals prepare the books, reconcile the accounts and produce the reports. Cody makes sure the reports show up on time, every gap has an owner, and the numbers drive decisions.

  1. Record and reconcileEvery sale, refund, bill and payout lands in the books and matches the bank.
    FinanceOngoing
  2. Produce the reportsWeekly numbers, monthly P&L and balance sheet.
    Finance
  3. Chase gaps and deadlinesIf a report is late or a number looks wrong, Cody gets it fixed.
    Cody
  4. Give accessBank, processors, accounting software, and the people who run them.
    RobertWeek 1

How a decision gets made

Inside the budget, Cody moves. Outside it, Robert decides.Open
  1. Cody checks: is this inside the plan and budget?
    Cody
  2. If yes, Cody decides and the team movesRobert sees it in the weekly report.
    Cody
  3. If no, Cody sends Robert a short decision noteCost, recommendation, the tradeoff, and what happens if we wait.
    Cody
  4. Robert answers yes, no, or change it
    Robert
  5. The team gets one clear answer
    Florencia & team

The dollar limits get agreed before day one. Silence never counts as a yes on a decision that belongs to Robert.

What Cody runs, and what he doesn't

The supplement + digital business only.Open

Robert's personal social media company, Enduramind and the clinic stay separate and led on their own. They connect where it helps, like content feeding supplement sales and supplement customers being referred to the clinic.

The team over the next 12 months

Work out which people should work directly for the company.Open

Robert has raised this before: a company is worth more when its key people work for it, not through an agency. Over the next year, Cody works out which roles belong inside the company, including a direct part-time role for Florencia or bringing some of her team onto the payroll.

  1. Watch how the work really flows
    CodyMonths 1–3
  2. Map the options with FlorenciaCost, continuity, and what she wants.
    Cody&FlorenciaMonths 4–6
  3. Robert decidesNothing changes for anyone until he approves it.
    Robert
Part 2

What happens in the first six months?

Clean up and win the holidays, then make it work, then run it.4 pieces · interactive · about 3 min

What this part covers: the actual timeline, month by month, starting with the holiday season. Between now and New Year's, the monthly sprints run in practice mode on real holiday promotions, so the team learns the new way of working while making money.

The six months at a glance

Three stages, two months each.Open
Rebuild, clean up, and win the holidays
  1. Clean up the existing ecosystemWebsites, funnels, offers, tools. Fix what's broken, cut what's not needed.
    Cody&Florencia & team
  2. Organize all the financesA clean money picture and the weekly report.
    Finance&Cody
  3. Launch the holiday offersThanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas and New Year's.
    Cody&Florencia & team
  4. AI in website builds and customer serviceThe first two areas to speed up.
    Cody
  5. A new working rhythm with RobertWeekly report, weekly call when available, monthly sprint call.
    Robert&Cody

Months assume an October start. If we start later, everything shifts with it.

Practice mode: the holiday season

Learn the new rhythm on Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas and New Year's.Open
  1. Sprint 1: clean up and build the Thanksgiving + Black Friday offers
    Florencia & team&CodyOctober
  2. Sprint 2: pages, emails and SMS ready for Black Friday + Cyber Monday
    Florencia & teamLate Oct – Nov
  3. Sprint 3: run Black Friday, then build Christmas
    Florencia & team&CodyLate Nov – Dec
  4. Sprint 4: Christmas + New Year's promotions
    Florencia & teamDecember
  5. Review what the season taught usCarry the lessons into January's sprint call.
    Exec teamJanuary

Why practice mode: the holidays already have hard deadlines. They're the perfect place to learn the new rhythm, because the team is building things it has to build anyway.

How one monthly sprint works

One planning call, then three weeks to build and launch.Open
  1. Executive sprint callRobert, Cody, Florencia, Michael, Art and John review last month and pick this month's priority.
    Exec team
  2. Cody writes the briefGoal, owner, budget, deadline, and the number that tells us it worked.
    Cody

Target once it's running: 1–2 new products or funnel versions a month. A new physical product takes longer than a new funnel, and some tests need more than one sprint to prove themselves.

AI in every department

A new page in under a week instead of three or four.Open

Robert brought up the Bezos idea: get things done three times faster than a normal team and you grow three times faster. That's the goal. With AI, a new web page goes from 3–4 weeks to under a week. Often the slowest part will be the warehouse, not the team.

  1. Website buildsPages and funnels built in days.
    CodyMonths 1–2
  2. Customer serviceFaster answers, better follow-up, nothing falls through the cracks.
    Cody&Florencia & teamMonths 1–2
  3. Every other departmentEmail and SMS, ad creative, reporting, operations.
    CodyMonths 3–4
  4. Train the team, side by sideOn real projects, not in a classroom.
    Cody&Florencia & team
  5. A person still checks everythingAI drafts. People review. Nothing goes out unchecked.
    Florencia & team
Part 3

How will Robert know it's working?

A 5-minute report every week. Full books every month.5 pieces · about 3 min

What this part covers: the reports Robert gets, how the money gets cleaned up in the first 30 days, and how money moves between his different businesses.

The weekly report

A page like this one: sales, cash, what launched, what needs Robert.Open
  1. Numbers pulled from every systemBank, payment processors, order systems and CRMs feed one dashboard.
    Finance
  2. Cody checks it and writes the summaryWhat launched, what's next, anything odd. Estimates are labeled as estimates.
    Cody
  3. Robert reads it on his phoneAbout five minutes, whenever suits him.
    RobertWeekly

Every month and quarter

Real P&L, balance sheet, and what each offer earns.Open
  1. Finance closes the monthP&L, balance sheet, cash movement, actual vs. budget.
    FinanceMonthly
  2. Cody adds a five-line summaryWhat changed, why, and what we do about it. Reviewed on the sprint call.
    Cody
  3. Offer-by-offer viewWhich products and traffic sources actually make money after costs.
    Cody&Finance
  4. Quarterly reviewWhere to put more money and what to cut.
    Robert&CodyQuarterly

The first 30 days

Get a clean starting picture of the money.Open
  1. Open the doorsAccess to bank accounts, processors, accounting and the people who run them.
    RobertWeek 1
  2. Map everythingEvery company, account, card, processor and CRM, and who owns each.
    Cody&FinanceWeek 1
  3. Match orders to moneySales should equal money that actually arrived, after refunds and fees.
    FinanceWeek 2
  4. Sort the costsProduct, shipping, ads, commissions, team, software, inventory and owner spending, each in its own bucket.
    FinanceWeek 3
  5. First real report + a gap listEvery open question gets a name next to it.
    CodyWeek 4

Money between Robert's businesses

The supplement company pays his social company like a sponsor.Open

Right now it's hard to tell how much of the business is Robert and how much is the machine. Splitting it this way shows exactly what his audience is worth, which matters a lot to a future buyer.

  1. Agree a content feeThe supplement company pays Robert's social company for recording, like a sponsor would.
    Robert&Cody
  2. Agree a commission on sales Robert drivesSales from his channels get tracked and paid separately.
    Robert&Cody
  3. One card per companyEach company's cards pay only that company's costs.
    Finance
  4. Advisors put it on paperRobert's accountant and lawyer handle the agreements and the tax side.
    Robert's advisors

A cash cushion

Build up 3–6 months of costs over time.Open
  1. Robert names his monthly numberWhat he needs taken out each month.
    Robert
  2. List what's already promisedInventory orders, bills, taxes.
    Finance
  3. Split the rest between growth and a reserveBuilding toward 3–6 months of costs, so the business can hire, stock up, or jump on things like more saunas.
    CodyOver time
  4. Robert approves every owner payout
    Robert
Part 4

How do customers flow through the business?

Eight stops from first ad to loyal customer, and what gets fixed at each.Interactive · about 3 min

What this part covers: the path every customer takes, from seeing an ad to becoming a loyal customer. Tap a stop on the funnel, or use Next, to see what happens there, what the team will improve, who owns it, and what Robert will see in his report.

How each stop gets scored

Profit per step: what each stop earns per customer.Open

Most people only watch total sales. Cody looks at every stop on its own: money earned at that stop divided by the customers who reached it. That shows exactly where money is leaking, so the team fixes the right thing instead of guessing.

  1. Measure every stop
    Cody&Florencia & team
  2. Find the weakest stop and fix that first
    Cody
  3. Test one change at a time, and give it enough sales before judging it
    Florencia & team
  4. Robert sees each stop's number monthly
    RobertMonthly
Part 5

How does Robert's content get made?

A film crew meets Robert 4–6 times a year, when and where he chooses.3 pieces · about 2 min

What this part covers: Robert's most important job in the plan. He's the face of the brand, so his ads and videos drive sales. Instead of recording in bits and pieces, it all happens in a few focused filming trips a year.

4–6 filming trips a year

2–5 days each, when and where Robert decides.Open
  • A professional video crew meets Robert when and where he decides: at home, while he travels, or anywhere that suits him.
  • In 2–5 days they film all the ads, product videos, emails and social content for the next few months.
  • One trip becomes months of content. Robert's social team still runs his own channels.

Robert's commitment: 4–6 filming trips a year, protected on his calendar. This is the one thing the whole plan depends on.

How one filming trip works

From picking dates to months of finished content.Open
  1. Lock the datesRobert picks when and where.
    Robert~8 weeks before
  2. Plan every piece neededAds, product videos, emails and social for the next 2–3 months, plus hiring and booking the crew.
    Cody~4 weeks before
  3. Quick review of the scriptsSo it sounds like Robert.
    Robert~1 week before
  4. The crew filmsRobert shows up and talks. Everything else is handled.
    Robert&Video crew2–5 days
  5. Edit, cut and scheduleOne trip becomes months of ads and content.
    Florencia & teamAfter

Ads that work without Robert on camera

So the company is worth more to a future buyer.Open

Robert said it himself: if he's in every ad, the company is less sellable. So alongside his content, the team builds ads that don't need him: creator videos, stills, and AI voiceovers. He keeps his main account and keeps growing it.

  1. Test creator and still-image ads
    Florencia & teamMonths 3–6
  2. Track which ones sell without Robert
    Cody
  3. Grow the share of sales that don't depend on him
    Cody
Part 6

How does the business grow?

Find out what each dollar returns, then put more dollars in.4 pieces · about 3 min

What this part covers: the part that takes trust. To grow, the business has to spend more to make more. Step one is proving what every dollar returns. Step two is giving the business a budget with room to invest more once the numbers prove it works.

Step 1: find the return on every dollar

For each $1 spent, how much revenue and profit comes back?Open
  1. Clean up the numbersPart of the first 30 days. Without clean numbers, nobody can see the real return.
    Finance&CodyFirst 30 days
  2. Measure the return on each kind of spendingOffers, channels, team and tools: what goes in, and what revenue and profit comes out.
    CodyMonths 1–2
  3. Show Robert the return in his monthly numbersSo he can see exactly what's working.
    RobertMonthly

Step 2: put more in when it works

Not $10K. $20K, $30K, $40K, as long as each dollar keeps returning.Open

If $1 in reliably brings $3 back, the winning move isn't protecting the $10,000. It's putting in $20,000, $30,000 or $40,000, because more in means more out. That's the whole formula: make more money per dollar, then put more dollars in.

  1. Start with a flexible growth budgetEnough room to invest from day one, not just keep the lights on.
    Robert&Cody
  2. Every investment gets a target returnWhat it should bring back, and by when.
    Cody
  3. Review the results on the monthly sprint callWhat's returning more than it costs gets more money. What isn't gets cut.
    Exec teamMonthly
  4. Robert approves each step up
    Robert

What the growth budget pays for

Not ads or ad agency fees. People and programs that build new income.Open

This isn't ad spend. It's investing in the people, tools and programs that let the business do more. For example:

  1. A direct-mail advisorSomeone experienced to run the mail program, building on Robert's postcard test.
    CodyMonths 1–3
  2. A temporary AI builderSomeone brought in short-term to build a better AI platform around everything the business needs.
    CodyMonths 1–4
  3. A brain coaching program, run with an agencyA partner runs the whole program. It creates a new income stream and, over time, leads people to the clinic.
    Cody&RobertMonths 3–6

The pattern: each one costs money up front and is expected to bring back more than it costs. If it doesn't, it stops.

Why this takes trust

Spending often goes up before the extra profit shows up.Open

Every new program or person costs money before it earns money. That dip is normal. What makes it safe:

  • Clean numbers first, so every decision is based on real returns.
  • A target return for everything, checked monthly.
  • Robert approves the budget and every step up.
  • Anything that doesn't pay back gets cut quickly.

What Robert needs to do: trust the process long enough for the numbers to prove it. The goal is a business that makes more per dollar, and has more dollars working.

How I can work with you

A fractional CEO role, two ways

Nothing here to click or submit. These are the options to talk through on our call.

My time
5–10 hrs / weekLeadership, priorities, the weekly report and call, and the monthly sprint call.
10–20 hrs / weekAll of that, plus owning finance, rolling AI into every department, and the team plan.
How I'm paid
A · Strong fixed feeSimple and predictable every month.
B · Lower fee + upsideA share of new profit only, above what the business already makes.

What do you think this role is worth?

I know what my time is worth. But I don't want to be the one to put a number on this first. I'd like to hear what you think this position should be paid, and we'll build the right option around it.

When to start
October
November
December
January

Starting in October or November catches the holiday season as our practice run.

The details

What each level includes

5–10 hours a week, or 10–20.Open
  • Priorities and keeping every project on track
  • Weekly report and weekly call with Robert
  • Running the monthly executive sprint call
  • Backing up Florencia and the leads
  • Running the finance process (finance needs its own owner)
  • Rolling AI into every department

How the two pay options work

A: a strong fixed fee. B: a lower fee + share of new profit.Open

A strong fixed monthly fee for the level chosen. Simple and predictable.

A lesson Cody paid for himself

Why Cody won't take a cut of profit Robert already has.Open

When Cody's own supplement business was scaling, his business partner brought in a senior COO from the music industry, on a big monthly salary plus a percentage of profit.

The problem: he was taking a slice of profit the business was already making. He picked up something that worked and got paid on it. It weighed on the whole company.

Cody doesn't want to do that to Robert. That's why Option B only pays on new profit.

What's not in Cody's fee

The team, ads, tools and filming are a separate budget.Open

Cody's fee pays for leadership and accountability. It doesn't replace the people doing the work. These stay in the company budget:

  • Florencia's team and other contractors
  • Ad spend and traffic partners
  • Software and AI tools
  • Filming trips, crew and travel
  • Finance and accounting specialists

Compared with hiring an outside CEO

Cost, ramp-up time, and what they'd want to change.Open

In the story at the top, each outside CEO cost $180,000–$300,000 a year, and both wanted to rebuild the company and move the founder out of the way. From Cody's experience, an outsider also needs 6–9 months to really learn how the founder works.

Cody already knows Robert, Florencia, the products and the numbers, and he wants Robert involved. The team can be moving in the first sprint.

Next step

I'd love to build this with you.

You keep doing the parts you love. The business keeps moving when you're traveling, at home, or off the call. And you see the numbers every week.

If it's meWe agree on a contract: scope, authority, pay and start date. Then the first sprint starts.
If it's someone elseA smooth handoff. I'll share everything I know so they can be a successful CEO, and I'll keep working with them as a consultant and coach going forward.

I'm in your corner either way.

— Cody

A proposal for discussion. Nothing here is a signed agreement, and no fees, percentages or limits are set yet.