Which Lane Fits You?
Welcome to the Dojo!
Last week, Eric (my co-founder) and I were buried under a time-sensitive marketing project that required outbound email work. We could have done the outreach ourselves, but we were swamped, and honestly hesitant to outsource after a few bad contractor experiences.
Still, we took a chance. The vendor we interviewed was super informative on the sales call. They followed up the same day with additional answers, and the next day with clear packages, easy-to-fill forms, and e-sign contracts. Within 48 hours, they delivered work that went above and beyond.
That feeling? Relief. Confidence. Like someone had lifted the weight off our shoulders.
Excellence isn’t just about doing the job—it’s about giving clients that feeling. And when you experience it, you know you’ll come back, refer others, and sing their praises.
Model your business for excellence.
On the Mat
- DFY Pays Fast. DIY Scales. Which Is Yours?
- September Launch Challenge – Week 2
- Starting a Consulting Business? Ignore These 50 Terms and Go Broke
Let's Train
DFY Pays Fast. DIY Scales. Which Is Yours?
Imagine walking into a gym with three options:
- DIY (Do It Yourself) – You get a workout plan and follow it alone. No coach, no partner, just you and the paper.DIY (Do It Yourself) – You get a workout plan and follow it alone. No coach, no partner, just you and the paper.
- DWY (Done With You) – A coach trains beside you, checking your form, pushing you when you get tired, keeping you on track.
- DFY (Done For You) – You sit back while a trainer does the workout for you (if only!). In business, this means hiring someone to do the heavy lifting while you relax.
This is exactly how consulting works. Your service can fit into one of these three “lanes.” And the lane you choose changes your income, your workload, and the type of clients you attract.
The 3 Consulting Lanes
DIY – Do It Yourself: You give people the tools, templates, or playbooks to solve the problem themselves.
- Example: A $49 “Instagram Growth Playbook” PDF.
- What works: Scales easily, lots of people can buy.
- What hurts: Low price, you’ll need many sales to make good money.
DWY – Done With You: You coach, guide, or train while the client does the work.
- Example: A $1,000/month group program where you teach founders how to write better content and review their work weekly.
- What works: Higher price, you stay involved, clients feel supported.
- What hurts: It still takes time from you, and you can’t handle unlimited clients.
DFY – Done For You: You do the work directly.
- Example: A $5,000/month package where you run a company’s entire content strategy.
- What works: Fastest way to cash flow, very high-ticket.
- What hurts: Heavy workload unless you build a team/system.
When to Use Each Lane
- Just starting out? → DIY: This is the easiest way to get proof that people want what you’re offering. Make a small guide, checklist, or template and sell it cheaply. It gives you reach, credibility, and something to show.
- Looking for balance? → DWY: Done-With-You programs are a mix: you don’t do all the work, but you don’t leave clients alone either. You guide, coach, and support them as they apply what you teach. It scales better than DFY, and still keeps that personal touch.
- Need cash fast? → DFY: Done-For-You services bring in money the quickest because you’re selling your time and skills directly. Think: “I’ll do this for you.” It’s the fastest way to land real clients and pay your bills.
Most successful consultants move through these lanes in stages:
- Start with DFY (get clients + income).
- Layer in DWY (build leverage + systems).
- Add DIY products (reach more people + passive income).
Why This Matters
If you don’t know these models, you can’t clearly explain your offer to clients. And if you can’t explain it, you can’t sell it.
But hey! Knowing the lanes (DIY, DWY, DFY) is powerful, but it’s just the start, because if you don’t know the language of business, you’ll always feel like an outsider.
That’s why I created a new video: 50 Business Terms Every Consultant Must Know.
In 20 minutes, you’ll unlock the vocabulary that decides whether you land clients, protect your profits, and scale with confidence.
Watch the video now and grab your free Fluent in Business Cheatsheet. Walk into your next client call or pitch sounding like the trusted voice everyone listens to.
September Launch Challenge – Week 2
Before airlines launch a new jet, they don’t just roll it onto the runway and sell tickets.
They run test flights.
Why? Because mistakes in the air cost lives.
In business, mistakes cost years (and money).
That’s why validation is your test flight. Safe, small, and priceless.
Here’s your September Launch Challenge – Week 2:
- Talk to 2 people who could be real clients
- Study 1 competitor already selling what you want to sell
That’s it.
Doing the “lite” version this week (2+1) is a starting step that will uncover insights most people never get until it’s too late.
Your business deserves a test flight before it takes off.
Sharpen Your Blade
Be honest, what’s one business term you’ve nodded along to without having the faintest idea what it meant? 🙂 (We’ve all been there.)
When I started my first business building websites for small businesses, I faced a big challenge: no graphic design background. I learned on the job, relying on contractors until we eventually hired an in-house designer.
To get better, I attended a web design workshop. The presenter was brilliant — but he kept talking about optimizing the “copy” and the “creative” for the “persona.”
I had no clue what he meant. I just nodded along with a fake smile.
Too embarrassed to ask, I walked away learning far less than I could have. (Being shy to ask is something that took me a long time to overcome.)
And I wish it had been that one incident, but what I learned over time is that when you start your own business, you’ll be hit with a wave of new terms. If you don’t understand them, you’ll end up confused or can even be left behind.
That’s exactly why I created my latest “50 Business Terms” video.
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