Once a month, a black envelope shows up at your door. You see the logo in the upper left. And your name printed on a gold label. You don't open it right away, because you know what it is. Instead, you finish your coffee. You take a call. Push the feeling aside. But the envelope stays on your desk, waiting.
Inside: a small book. Roughly 40-70 pages. One idea. One punch to the chest. No fluff. No cheerleading. No digital dopamine. Each issue is built around one pattern I've seen cost capable people years. Not theory. Not advice I read somewhere. Thinking that comes from twenty-five years of sitting across from 400+ entrepreneurs just like you doing the work.
A real story from a real client. Where they were stuck. What they couldn't see. The moment something cracked. What actually changed. And how. Maybe it's about the illusion of growth. Maybe it's about how your need for control is quietly destroying your company. Maybe it's the conversation you've been avoiding for six months. Whatever it is, you'll see yourself in it.
Your inbox is where things go to die. Your desk is where real thinking happens. You can't swipe past it. You can't half-read it between calls. It sits there. It waits. It bothers you a little. That's not a bug. That's the point. Print forces friction. Digital is disposable. Print demands attention. It creates a deliberate moment where you choose one thing instead of a thousand things. That physical weight on your desk? That's you doing the work—not consuming content, not saving for later. Actually doing it.
The Apex Memo is not cheap. That's intentional. It's not for beginners. Cheap things don't change us. And free things let you off the hook. The price creates friction. And friction creates honesty. It gives you skin-in-the-game. It forces you to show up, read it deliberately, and sit with what's hard.
The best ideas don't change you because they're clever. They change you because they haunt you.
There's nothing to complete. No action steps. No framework to install. No calls. No groups.
Nothing to add because this is about deliberate subtraction.
Every subscriber receives my complete archive of Small Biz Profit Builders, a 15-issue, print-only tactical newsletter I published in 2018 and 2019.
These issues have never been available digitally. Until now, the only way to access them was to be an active subscriber.
Inside are more than 60 hard-won, real-world tactics I have used for years with my private clients. This is not theory. It is not recycled advice.
It is the exact thinking, decisions, and actions that help business owners succeed faster, live better, and create lives they actually want.
This is the work from the trenches. Clear. Practical. Proven.
Once a month, I email you. That's it.
No portal.
No app.
No "coaching platform."
Just an email from me, to you. On the last day of each month, you'll get a short note with a few prompts. They're not clever. They're not optimized. They're practical. You reply. Ten minutes, tops.
You tell me:
That's the whole exchange. Then, early the following month, I read it carefully and write back. Not with platitudes or worksheets. With a real response. Pattern recognition. A nudge. Sometimes a push. Sometimes a question you don't really want to answer but know you should. It's not "coaching" in the formal sense. It's not a program. It's not meant to impress you.
It works because it's small and honest.
Most people don't need more information. They need a reason to pay attention. This is that. If that sounds useful, you already understand why it works.
For the first 50 subscribers, who I'm calling Founding Members...
On the last day of each month, you'll get a short note with a few prompts.:
You reply. Then, early the following month, I read it carefully and write back a real response. The pattern, a nudge, maybe a push, maybe a hard question. It's not "coaching" in the formal sense. Most people don't need more information. They need a reason to pay attention. This is that.
Regardless of whether you choose to subscribe monthly or annually…
If you stick around long enough, you'll start receiving invitations. Quiet ones. Things that don't get announced.
Dinners. Private calls. Long weekends with other founders.
Regardless of whether you choose to subscribe monthly or annually…
If you stick around long enough, you'll start receiving invitations. Quiet ones. Things that don't get announced.
Dinners. Private calls. Long weekends with other founders.
I'm not going to give you a bunch of how-to's.
I'm going to give you ways to think differently. And when you stack them—month after month—the how-to's become obvious.
12 issues a year. 12 patterns examined.Your marriage stops being a background hum of tension. You stop resenting your business partner. You release control to your team before you feel ready. You start the thing you've been afraid to start.
This isn't about tactics. It's about becoming who you need to be in order to have the things you always imagined you would have. The business you run, not the other way around. The life you want, not one you need to escape from.
If you're still hoping the next 'thing' fixes it, this isn't for you.
If you're ready to stop pretending—I'll see you in your mailbox.
Once a month, a black envelope shows up. Inside: 40-70 pages. One pattern examined. One client story. One shift in how you think.
Why this matters: Most business problems aren't tactical—they're you. The partner who won't change. The conversation you keep avoiding. The control you can't release. When you fix you, everything else gets easier. That's what these 12 issues do over a year.
What you get:Annual subscribers also get: Monthly email coaching. Three questions on the 30th. You answer. I respond by the 10th. Simple accountability.
Your inbox is where clarity dies. Your desk is where it lives.
12 issues. 12 patterns. 12 things that aren't problems this time next year.
I'm not going to give you a bunch of how-to's.
I'm going to give you ways to think differently. And when you stack them—month after month—the how-to's become obvious.
12 issues a year. 12 patterns examined.Your marriage stops being a background hum of tension. You stop resenting your business partner. You release control to your team before you feel ready. You start the thing you've been afraid to start.
This isn't about tactics. It's about becoming who you need to be in order to have the things you always imagined you would have. The business you run, not the other way around. The life you want, not one you need to escape from.
If you're still hoping the next 'thing' fixes it, this isn't for you.
If you're ready to stop pretending—I'll see you in your mailbox.
Once a month, a black envelope shows up. Inside: 40-70 pages. One pattern examined. One client story. One shift in how you think.
Why this matters: Most business problems aren't tactical—they're you. The partner who won't change. The conversation you keep avoiding. The control you can't release. When you fix you, everything else gets easier. That's what these 12 issues do over a year.
What you get:Your inbox is where clarity dies. Your desk is where it lives.
12 issues. 12 patterns. 12 things that aren't problems this time next year.
Here's what you may be wondering. If your question isn't here, or you feel like it's different, shoot me an email at [email protected] and I'll address it.
Yep...
And when you subscribe you'll know why. Cheap things don't change you. Free things let you off the hook. The price creates friction. And friction creates honesty. It gives you skin-in-the-game. It forces you to show up, read it deliberately, and sit with what's hard.
The Substack is free. It's me thinking out loud. Ideas I'm working through, things I notice, stuff I want to share. It's good, and I'll keep writing it. The Memo is different. It's one idea, examined fully. A real client story with the full arc. It's structured to confront something specific—and to sit with you until it does. It's not content. It's a tool. And it's print. On purpose. Because if it lived in your inbox, you'd treat it like everything else in your inbox.
Good. Some issues will stack up on your desk. That's expected. They'll sit there, daring you to crack them open. You'll get to them when you're ready—or you won't, and you'll know exactly what you're avoiding.
If you're subscribed, you get what ships. If you miss one, it's gone. I might sell back issues individually down the road—but they'll cost more than your subscription. If that matters to you, don't miss one.
Cancel. No hard feelings. No refund for the month you're in, but you won't be charged again.
No. You pay whatever the price is when you come back.
Just savings. $119/month or $1190/year. Annual gets you two months free for committing to the entire year upfront.
If you're too busy to read 40-70 pages, that's exactly why you need this. The memo doesn't add more to your plate. It shows you what to take off.
No you're not. And no it isn't. You're not the exception. The only question is whether you're ready to stop pretending you are.
Doesn't matter. This isn't about your industry. It's about you.
"I started working with Chad in 2019. We had a baby under one and I was pulling what very little hair I had out between work, running to daycare, picking her up, managing home life. Working 40, 50 hours a week, making OK money, but just losing my mind."
"Chad came in the store one day for something unrelated. We hooked up, we chatted. We went outside and sat on the back of his pickup truck and talked for a few minutes. That was the start of our coaching relationship."
"5 years later, I own 2 stores. I work less than a third of what I worked in those days. I make probably 3 times as much money. I own 2 rental properties. And I love my work a lot more."
"I started working with Chad around 6 years ago now. My incorporated architecture business was 4 years old, but 10 years total with my entire business career in architecture at the time. I had spent 4 years located in a great market for exceptional architecture in Muskoka, Ontario, Canada. My pricing had increased since my small beginnings and I thought I had the world by the tail. I was winning great projects at the time but I lacked discipline, real purpose and future goal setting that mattered. I was living for the moment and trying to complete work/projects as best I could between the drunken and high Muskoka summer nights and weekends. Looking back now, I was pissing away critical building time and if I had clear goals and a mentor to help me meet them, stay on track and keep me accountable, I wonder where I would be today."
"Night and day. In an entrepreneurial world, it is lonely. Unless you have a partner in business, and even then, no one quite understands the things you think about. No one knows about the self-sabotage that may creep in, the worthiness issues that come with charging more, and just plain elevated conversation about things you care about is hard to find. With Chad, I know that at least weekly, I have someone that knows me personally, knows my business and can guide and listen to real time problems or wins that I might be facing or enjoying. Having weekly meetings keeps it top-of-mind and keeps me accountable. I now think about and act on real goal setting, my purpose is true and my pricing and win rate for architectural projects has never been higher. It's also important to note that Chad helps me with personal items as well and our conversations between personal and business ratio is around 50/50. I have learned from Chad that if your personal life is overturned, there is little chance that your business life can soar - they are so tightly intertwined."
"I think I've been a client of Chad's for over 8 years at this point and I am beyond grateful to have him in my life. I am also a member of EO (Entrepreneur Organization) and have been in a forum of peers for over 10 years. I originally got into EO as I felt isolated in the Mountains of Colorado as an entrepreneur/ architect. Getting access to a room full of other world beaters for 4 hours every month helped me enormously. Not just in business but also personally, which I did not anticipate. It was they would recommended I hire a coach for myself and it took me a while to get my head around the idea.. Why did I deserve a coach? I was an imposter…"
"But once I engaged with Chad I found that these beliefs plagued most entrepreneurs. He's helped me name my deep seeded worthiness issues that have been with me since childhood and be aware of how this belief impacts how I show up as a leader, manager, dad and husband."
"I used to catastrophize on the regular about something in front of me and fear setting with Chad has become a tool that I use frequently to talk myself off cliffs and lose the paralysis that comes from this."
"He's helped me understand my wife of 18 yrs and business partner of 20 in ways that my less self-actualized self could never have imagined. I've obtained many tools to reframe conflict in the two primary relationships in my life and that alone has been worth the time spent working on these skills."
"Before I met Chad, I had just started a business with a relative who was also my main investor. I was really struggling to navigate that relationship, especially the challenge of working with and for an older family member. On top of that, I was still thinking like an employee instead of an entrepreneur, and I didn't fully have the confidence or mindset to operate like a true owner yet."
"Working with Chad completely changed my old way of thinking and how I work. He pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me think differently (more like an owner). He challenged me to take more ownership, move faster, and start doing things I probably wouldn't have done on my own. My growth has since been accelerated than if I had tried to do that on my own. The biggest change, business wise, has been moving away from relying on one primary investor/family member. Chad pushed me to buy and start new businesses, which was something I had never thought of before. Now I own three businesses (always looking for more) with an equal partner, and I've shifted my focus to building and owning businesses without debt or outside investors. All my personal and professional growth in the past 5 years have attributed to Chad's coaching."
"My life and business was a ball of emotions and fire suppression before we started together. I did not have any real vision or goals for the future of the business, and I was doing a terrible job of separating my business and personal life. I was heavily involved in day to day operations, and I was not taking time to look at the future of the business."
"My life now has a much better balance between work and personal life. I have a great team that takes care of things that they need to, so that I can take care of the things that I need to. We are completing our first operating budget as a company, and we are also completing revenue projections for the company."
"Corporate. Dull. Drab. Comfortable."
"Okay with being uncomfortable - hell, WANTING to be uncomfortable because we know that's where real progress happens. Pressing for real growth and building something meaningful instead of being comfortable for the sake of our own comfort. Chad has been instrumental in my transition from corporate senior manager to entrepreneur - from trading comfortable to uncomfortable and navigating that transition out of corporate life."
"I was two years into this journey when my wife suggested I get a coach. It was rough. I only had a small understanding of what I was doing but I was willing to learn. I went in thinking that what the previous owner was doing was working so all I needed to do was repeat that. Chad has helped me see things on a bigger scale than what I would have done."
"Chad is not just a coach but he's a mentor. A big brother that has made mistakes and is eager to teach someone else. Sometimes it's a coaching session, sometimes it's a therapy session. Sometimes I get mad at him, usually though it's because he is right where I am wrong. Sometimes productive and sometimes I don't want to hear it. I'm glad though to be working with him."
"I lacked drive, focus and really was ok settling (for whatever the outcome ended up being), regardless of my true position."
"I have become more and more determined to own/steer my work/life in a way that meets my goals/hopes.... Deliberate. I am actively working towards a work/life balance and taking steps not only to drive near term change but to allow me to meet long term aspirations."
"I felt like I was on an island before working with you."
"Now I have someone who is in my corner to pick me up when I am down, get my head out of the clouds, set a bold vision, pop my inflated ego, and allow me the space to find the right solutions to any problem that is in front of me."
"I thoroughly enjoyed working with Chad over the past year. He truly understands the ups and downs of the small business owner and I found his breadth of knowledge to be extremely valuable. He has a keen sense of when to approach a conversation with a focus on the emotional, when to approach it with a focus on the day to day tactical, and when to step back and take the 40,000 foot view. And he is rock-solid on all of these approaches."
"I also appreciated how patient with me he was -- willing to work through my obstacles, yet also willing and able to call a spade a spade and give me the proper kick in the butt when necessary. Many of our sessions from working together are now staples in my day to day, and week to week routines. I highly recommend working with him."
"My relationship with Chad started in 2016 when he agreed to become my Executive Coach through a mutual connection we shared. Although Chad was in Steamboat Spring, Colorado focused primarily on coaching start-ups and SMB's, and I was in Atlanta, Georgia leading a global team for one of the largest software companies in the world, Chad provided immensely value to me personally and my leadership team as well."
"He has a knack for asking the hard questions and encouraging you into areas you may not yet have considered and was the perfect coach for me at the perfect time in my leadership journey. He also lead my entire global team through the DiSC assessment. He is a master at this tool and provided incredible insights into the individual behaviors and personalities on my team and how we can best interact with each other. Over time, Chad has grown from being a truth telling coach to being a truth telling friend. I have been privileged to have him as part of my leadership journey."
"Chad approached me with the suggestion that he could help me as a new business owner who has been some what disillusioned by the daily grind of operating a business to help me refocus and realize the big plans and dreams I had before I bought my business. He has absolutely delivered on his promise."
"He's helped me re-take ownership and re-focus on the important things that will help grow my business and deemphasize efforts on minutia that is time consuming and better delegated. Chad's experience and expertise has been immeasurable. For a business owner of a company with revenue of $1MM+ I cant recommended him enough."
"Chad has been a 1:1 business and life coach for me and Chad also was the co-founder and leader of a mastermind for coaches that I participated in. In both cases, I grew significantly and Chad helped me stay on track and challenged me to go farther and at the same time to simplify and take it easy. I need both of these types of support."
"At times I am prone to getting stagnant and a bit lazy and Chad reminds me of my goals and vision. At other times, I'm almost paralyzed and unable to act because I'm taking myself too seriously - Chad catches that and speaks truth into my life in those cases too. Chad plays all out - in life and in his work. Chad says he is a profit coach and that is true, but the result of working with him has been 'profit' in all areas of my life, not just $."
"Chad James is an outstanding business coach. He has the courage to challenge you. The skill to guide you. And the business savvy to help you lead your business beyond what you currently believe is possible. If you are serious about growing your business, Chad can take you on the ride of your life. I have known and worked with Chad for over years, and I can recommend him without hesitation."
"Chad, in a word, is the man. We've been working with Chad since September of last year and have derived tremendous value from his advice, coaching, and the accountability that he's helped us instill within our partnership and business. Chad has evolved into a friend as much as he is a coach and mentor, and continually challenges us to strive to do better."
"He's able to objectively analyze problems, giving us a fresh point of view that makes complex issues much simpler to solve. If you want a partner to help drive your business forward and build an organization that people are proud to be a part of, I would strongly recommend Chad's services."
"I hired Chad to help my business grow and make a transition to a new location. I was scared so deep in my head I could see how to accomplish my change and manage the business. Chad served me not only as friend, but taught me how to run business with much better insight, planning and overall stress free management."
"Today I am so thankful for his help. I hardly have to spend time in my business at all these days yet make more take home income than ever. Chad, thank you for guiding me in my journey...I will be forever grateful for the experience and you teachings (which continue to benefit me every day)."
"Chad's unique insight and communication skills were instrumental in improving many of the processes we use to manage our business daily. We found our culture, we learned to work on our business instead of just in it, and we learned a lot about better budgeting and planning. All of this enabled us to take our business to the next level and become better leaders within it. I cannot recommend his services more highly to a small business looking for direction on a better way to do things."
"Chad is an outstanding business coach and wonderful person. He's helped me tremendously over the years and coached me for over 2 years during which I achieved new heights within my business and also helped uncover what my true life goals. He's extremely intelligent and generous with sharing his knowledge in a way that is approachable."
"He has a gift of connecting people together so that people can rise together. He truly wants all people to be the best they can and knows the right way to help motivate them into action. His coaching style helps people realize that BIG goals and ideas can be achieved through confidence and determination."
"I met Chad on a leadership retreat in 2017 and he is really someone whom you instantly like. In our particular case he used the DISC profile system to help us understand our team's behavior and helped uncover fascinating insights about ourselves and each other. His expertise and advice have helped to make our team much tighter and more collaborative. I highly recommend working with Chad. He has become a trusted advisor and you'll quickly see why in the way he genuinely connects with people."
"Chad helps me better understand my business and think through though decisions in a thoughtful, intentional and concise manner. Chad's mastery of seeing the big picture and helping clients obtain the ever-elusive 'work/life balance' has been invaluable to my professional development."
"I am so excited to be on the First Cal Team with Chad. He has sparked some new motivation in our team with his cutting edge ideas. He is a very inspirational team player. Chad has a that unique ability to make you feel like you're old friends right when you meet him. His clients are lucky to work with him because he truly cares about helping them. I had the pleasure of spending 4th of July with him and his family in Steamboat Springs and got to see him in action with his community. What a great guy! He is a local town celebrity because he shows so much love for the people and the town."
"Chad was always very innovative and proactive in the work that he did, constantly thinking outside of the box with creative and enjoyable ways to get people engaged. I was very impressed with his technology savy and the ability to net things out as well as put things into positive perspective. He was a joy to work with and someone who I admired and respected."
"I participated in various training sessions with Chad as the leader. His knowledge and enthusiasm allowed me to get a great deal out of these sessions. I also knew Chad as a member of the local Optimist Club where he was very active and eventually became an officer. In addition, Chad became a friend and eventually a client of my own company S&H Lifetime Planning, Inc. I highly recommend him for anything he chooses to do as I know he will be successful."
"Over the past few year, I have had the privileged of working with Chad on numerous projects and have learned a better way of thinking like a client. His vision of a project and his dedication to the best product for your client has helped me to see projects, not as I envisioned them, but as how my clients/users will see them and use them."
"So many times in business, we find that a misunderstanding of our clients is why we struggle. Chad will keep you on track and never put your goals ahead of your clients. This approach will increase your business's returns and help your business to prosper. He will lead you and your business into a better approach that will make your clients want to return and work with you again and again."
"With so many consultants out there, you deserve to hire a consultant who has succeeded at businesses and can show you how to do the same. Don't look any further, Chad is your man."
"Chad and I met over a decade ago and I've had the privilege of working closely with him over the last 2 years on several projects. Chad's ability see all sides of a business never ceases to amaze me. In addition to the client work we've collaborated on in the past, I've relied on Chad for advice on many of my own personal business challenges. His consultation is always very straight forward and actionable. Most recently, I've worked with Chad on a web design project that involved weekly meetings over the last 4 months. Through this process I got to see first hand how Chad manages idea generation and thought sharing. I sincerely enjoy working with Chad and hope to tackle future projects together."
"I have known Chad since the mid 90's. I met him at an Optimist club meeting and later worked with him at Kimball Intl. When I started my Financial Planning Practice, Chad was one of my first clients. He then moved on to start his own E-Learning company and moved to Steamboat, CO where he later started a home loan business. I think of Chad as a friend, client and a genuine sharp guy. He is a very astute business man as well as a very caring individual. He is a man of high integrity and honesty. I recommend him to any and all those seeking good sound advice concerning a home mortgage."
"Chad is a seasoned, insightful, and creative coach. It has been a pleasure to partner with him in formal and informal ways, and our conversations always stimulate new thinking and action for me. I would highly recommend Chad to anyone who wants to turbocharge their growth."
"I've observed Chad's leadership and coaching skills in both the community organizations we volunteer for and with some of his professional clients. In each case I found him inspiring people to raise their own expectations of themselves, serving as a counselor in helping them reach those expectations, and firmly holding them accountable for doing so."
"Thank you Chad! Wow 😮 Talk about fantabulous, amazing charismatic Coaching! Chad DELIVERS it with surgical precision! He has skill sets born from years in the trenches and a desire to overcome great odds (Extremely Stuck Clients who are not always coachable) and he does it with many tools including the 'love factor' 'the kill factor' and 'the self-reflection factor'!"
"I am thankful to have worked closely with Chad on a very important project, (ME)! His commitment to causing a transformational breakthrough has been stunning and has helped me to grow beyond what I thought was now possible! If ever you have questions please feel free to contact me at (612)867-0104 and I will recreate any of the vital, loving, surgical, creative breakthroughs I have had in Chad's care! It can also be said that his value is priceless! I highly recommend and commend him!!"
"Chad has an uncanny ability to help business owners become the success story they dreamt of becoming when they initially started their business. His experience, technique and aptitude for business are second to none. Chad has been a fantastic resource for myself as well as my clients."
"Chad's been there. He's seen and experienced his share of struggles. He'll never ask a client to take on something that he hasn't already faced. Chad's a student of his experience. Multiply that practice over many, many years, and you've got yourself one heck of a coach!!"
"Chad's approach to business and life is inspiring, motivating, and practical no matter who you are. His insight and experience is invaluable and challenges you to think outside the box. Highly recommend for any entrepreneur who wants to take their business to the next level."
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