Ed Howie is a 30-year branding and operations veteran (17 years at Chick-fil-A) who built Lifelong Customers®, a customer retention consulting firm. He's at a pivotal inflection point: ready to scale the business, rebuilding his team from scratch, and assembling a group of executive-level advisors. He specifically asked to meet with you about automation, your take on his business, and collaboration.
You've known Ed since at least 2017 when he was running Brandtricity/M2Digital in San Antonio. He previously referred you a real estate client (Forrest Gregg in Dallas, June 2018) and worked together around EO Atlanta events. This is a reunion of two guys who have each built something significant since they last connected deeply.
Ed texted Brad ahead of the meeting. This reveals his real mindset beyond the polished email.
$50K - $200K per client engagement. He's built a high-ticket model, not a consulting-by-the-hour approach. At even 10 clients, that's $500K-$2M in annual revenue.
"Who are my next 10 customers? Which 3 are fastest path to cash? Which 1 am I closing today?" Simple, focused, pipeline-first. He thinks like a closer.
His last employee from the previous company has her final day July 14. He's got a clean slate to rebuild and explicitly said he doesn't want to make permanent decisions with all options on the table. This is your window.
Has a "Sales Ninja" serving as Chief Revenue Officer on commission only, no base, while looking for his next full-time gig. Building a sales model that can become standard practice. Temporary but strategic.
Plans to license the Lifelong Customers® program to business coaches and companies to implement internally. This is a scale play beyond direct delivery.
59 years old. Has a clear vision for the next 5 years with his wife. Not building to grind forever... building to live well while the business runs. This aligns perfectly with your Passion Pockets / Genius Zone framework.
The Big Picture: Ed has enterprise-grade IP and a high-ticket model, but he's rebuilding infrastructure from scratch. He needs exactly what you preach: systems, delegation, and automation. He's not just a potential partner... he's a potential OA client AND a case study for the book.
"Most leadership teams are still competing in the wrong economy: spending more and more to acquire new customers while quietly losing the ones they already earned."
His tagline: "Stop Chasing Strangers. Love the Customers Who Love You Already."
Ed positions this as an "installable operating system" that transforms existing customers into profitable growth channels. Not a consulting project... a system you install. That language matters.
WOOO = Winning Others Over and Over. Learn more at edhowie.com/wonderofwooo
$50,000 - $200,000 per client engagement. This is high-ticket consultative work. At scale, with his executive brand advisors delivering, this becomes a high-margin business with Ed in the Genius Zone (strategy + IP) and advisors handling implementation.
Lifelong Customer® Retention Assessment ... 12 questions, ~5 minutes. Produces a WOOO Score (0-100) with tier classification, phase-specific scores, industry benchmarking, and one prescribed next step. Ed uses this with all clients as the entry point. "No pitch. No sales deck. Just clarity." He asked Brad to take it for "C-Store Experts."
WalmartChick-fil-A7-ElevenKrogerH-E-BKFCYum! BrandsUnited AirlinesMarriottUTSAAuburn UniversityEOC12
From his text message and email. This is the team he's assembling to scale beyond himself.
These are senior leaders who will take Ed's curriculum and deliver the program directly with clients. This is how Ed scales without being in every room.
Brings enterprise communications credibility. USAA is known for extreme customer loyalty... perfect alignment with retention methodology.
Higher ed revenue leadership. Brings academic credibility and institutional client relationships.
Currently on commission with no base while looking for his next full-time role. Building a repeatable sales model that can become standard practice. Smart move... low risk, high upside if the model works.
Ed's buddy who ran Haribo North America and grew it from $45M to over $700M in 11 years. Joining next year. This is a massive credibility and operational add. That kind of growth track record speaks for itself.
The exact three areas Ed asked to explore in his email, with suggested frameworks for your response.
Ed wants honest feedback on positioning, the assessment tool, and the business model.
Lead with genuine alignment. You live this at OA. No long-term contracts... clients stay because you deliver. That IS retention economics in practice.
What resonates:
Constructive observations:
Questions to ask:
Your wheelhouse. Ed has the IP and methodology. He needs the operational backbone to scale.
Start with the diagnostic: "What are you personally doing right now that someone else could do at 80% of your quality?"
Ed said "I'd love to collaborate with you with a cool brand." And his text shows he genuinely wants to hear how things are going on your end and find ways to help.
This isn't one-directional. Ed explicitly said he wants to "make sure we have time to hear how things are going on your end and find ways I can help you." He's thinking partnership, not just getting advice.
See the Collaboration Strategy tab for the full breakdown of 7 specific opportunities.
Sent before the meeting. This is raw, unfiltered... the real Ed. Reading between the lines here tells you more than the polished email.
"Lifelong Customers® is about to explode. And I have built a model which an engagement per client could be between 50,000 and 200,000. I have several folks on deck to service contractor executive BRAND advisors who could take my curriculum and program and help run the program directly with clients without me being there. Part of the model is that the other opportunity is to license the program to other business coaches and or companies to implement internally.
My last employee from the previous company has her last day on July 14 so I have the full opportunity to rebuild my support team/structure now and immediately I don't wanna make a permanent decision with all the options on the table.
I'm 59 years old I have a good idea of the life I want to build for me and my wife the next five years and I'm just grateful that you have time to spend with me today
I have a Sales ninja that is serving as my chief revenue officer while he looks for his next full-time gig it is commission with no base and he is working to build simple sales model that could then become standard practice
My team of executive BRAND advisors includes the chief communications officer from USAA, former, a partially retiring chief ran officer from Pepperdine University, and then next year, my buddy who has run Haribo North America and grew it from 45 million to over 700,000,011 years is going to be my wingman
My Central business model is who are my next 10 customers. who are the three of the fastest path to Cash and who's the one that I'm gonna close today. I call it 10 3 1.
And then I wanna make sure that we have time to hear how things are going on your end and it will lay I can help you
Can't wait to spend time with you today"
Ed's rebuilding from scratch. Position OA as the flexible, no-commitment option: dedicated VA for assessment pipeline, CRM, scheduling, content. $1,895/mo, cancel anytime. Let him test it without a permanent hire.
Ed runs the retention assessment. His recommendations require people power to implement. OA provides the people. Packaged offering: "Retention System + Dedicated VA to implement it." This gives Ed a value-add to offer clients AND generates OA revenue.
OA serves 500+ clients across 85 industries. Many are growing and losing customers without knowing why. Ed's retention system layered on OA's operational support. Brad refers retention needs, Ed refers operational needs.
Brad on outsourcing/automation/AI, Ed on retention. "Scale Without Sacrifice" meets "Stop Chasing Strangers." Combined keynote at EO, YPO, or industry conferences. Both are experienced keynote speakers with complementary messages.
Ed guests on "Automate & Delegate" podcast. Brad guests on "The Wonder of WOOO." Each gets exposure to the other's audience. Natural conversation topic: "How to keep the customers you win."
When Ed licenses his program to coaches/companies, those licensees will need operational support to run it. OA VAs embedded in every licensed implementation. This is a recurring revenue play for both.
Brad's network (past EO Atlanta president, regional director for 22 chapters, 2,000 members, YPO Atlanta) is full of business owners who need what Ed offers. Warm intros both ways. Ed already has EO and C12 listed as clients.
The Big Opportunity: Ed has enterprise-grade IP and a high-ticket model ($50-200K), but he's early-stage in operationalizing the business itself. He spent 30 years learning retention at the biggest brands. Now he's building a company around it and needs exactly what you preach... systems, delegation, and automation. You're not just a potential partner. You're a potential client success story for your own framework. And the timing with the July 14 team reset is perfect.
Full inventory of Ed Howie's digital footprint across all platforms. Researched July 2, 2026.
Three PDFs attached to Ed's email, plus his email signature image.
Ed's sales deck for prospect calls. Walks through: the problem (rising acquisition costs, silent attrition), the WOOO framework, the four engines, client logos (Walmart, Chick-fil-A, United, 7-Eleven, Marriott, Kroger), testimonials, and the assessment as entry point. $650M figure prominently featured. Ed walks through this on Zoom or in-person to set up the assessment. 13 MB... heavy with visuals and branding.
Their "menu board" showing the full product/service lineup. Engagement tiers, what's included at each level (assessment only vs. full system install vs. ongoing optimization), timelines, and deliverables per tier. This is where the $50-200K range likely breaks down by tier. 314 KB... likely a clean 1-2 page visual layout.
Thought leadership whitepaper making the case for retention as the highest-ROI growth lever. Covers the economics (222% acquisition cost rise, 5% retention = 25-95% profit boost, citing Bain/HBR research), case studies, WOOO methodology in depth, and the C-suite argument. 1.2 MB... probably 15-25 pages with data visualizations and research citations.
All source materials, links, and documents related to this meeting.
Ed, I'd love your feedback and expertise. Below is a quick snapshot of where I am across my key initiatives. At the end, I've outlined some specific questions where your lens would be incredibly valuable.
OA is evolving from a pure staffing company into a full advisory + consulting + staffing firm for small to medium businesses. Think McKinsey's consulting depth, but with our own managed staffing arm, priced for SMBs ($2,300-$2,800/month per staff, no health insurance or FICA).
We're the real deal in SMB: 8 global/national awards, Inc. 5000 #326 (top 7%), fully incorporated in the Philippines with full-time employees, UN SDG-aligned, and we attract the top 1% from thousands of monthly applicants.
Our differentiator: we don't just place people. We do deep consulting upfront (constraint-point analysis, value stream mapping with Lucidchart, the Two-Question Exercise), intensive onboarding, weekly management, a signature client playbook from day one, performance reviews, strategic advisory, industry analysis, and an AI-managed dashboard that aggregates it all.
The strategic pivot: We're leaning INTO the VA + AI convergence head-on while competitors hide from it. Our position is to own "Virtual Assistants + AI" as a category, not run from it.
Across our client base, we're running ~150 different software applications (FieldRoutes, HousecallPro, ServiceTitan, Restaurant 365, Litify, QuickBooks, and more). The finding: companies are only at 15-20% utilization of their software because:
We're building dedicated teams to run the software for clients. The results are staggering:
Same pattern with Henri's Bakery and Deli, Dreamland Barbecue, and District Taco ... our staff is running and integrating all their Restaurant 365 operations.
AI Agents: We're developing API agents that our VAs can interface with to run software across multiple clients simultaneously. This multiplies the value per staff member dramatically.
Franchise Traction: We're working with 1-800-GOT-JUNK, Woodhouse Spa, and College Hunks Hauling Junk at the corporate level... vendor management, accounting, bookkeeping, and franchisee launch acceleration.
Industry Vertical Re-architecture: We're restructuring OA like a true consulting firm with dedicated industry verticals. Each vertical gets its own division leader, talent matching, account management, and sales team. Our initial focus:
Entry points per vertical: executive assistant for the owner, software maximization, and "painkiller" revenue opportunities (e.g., pest control companies leaving money on the table by not re-engaging existing customers).
The strategic filter: focus on industries where AI won't immediately replace human work. You still need someone to spray the yard, cook the food, and treat the patient.
5 years running. ~50,000 connections globally across 25+ EO chapters, Front Row Dads, COO Alliance, podcasting conferences, and more. Run by 2 staff in the Philippines.
Fully turnkey, private-label engagement platform. Members opt in, get matched via brief survey, and connections show up in their inbox. It also connects members to sponsors and pre-connects attendees before conferences.
Value to organizations: Retain existing members, convert new members (it's an offering), win and retain sponsors, and create a revenue stream (chambers can charge $50-100/year for participation).
I'd love your feedback on the pricing strategy ... I have a model I'd like to walk you through.
A standalone thought leadership and media brand. This is the umbrella for my book (launching August 30, 2026), podcast, blog, and all micro-niche software tools (Dugout Ready, Home Command, Senders, and more).
The vision: digital magazines by industry ... "Automate & Delegate for Pest Control," "Automate & Delegate for Restaurants." Case studies, AI tools, technology resources, and best practices for business owners who are struggling with AI adoption, just like they struggled with VAs.
This is where I could really use your brand expertise. The ecosystem:
Key question: House of brands or branded house? How should the architecture look? Social always lives under me personally (people connect with the person, not the brand), but I'm figuring out how traffic flows between bradstevenstraining.com and automatedelegate.com, and whether the newsletter should be one or two.