Business consulting
30+ CEO meetings in one month
Multiple six-figure deals now in play.
Back-to-back meetings with C-suite of US mid-market firms — including companies with 1,000+ employees.
How a veteran-owned consultancy went from one call in three months to 30+ CEO meetings in one.
Mike Phalin, a 25-year telecom exec turned specialist consultant, had sold a $357M company and started his own advisory. His new venture had one problem: an empty calendar. He tried it himself, then hired a lead-gen agency — one call in three months. We rebuilt his outbound as precision peer-to-peer messaging aimed at US veteran-owned CEOs. Within a month, thirty-plus CEO meetings booked, multiple six-figure deals in play, and one projected $2–3M commission opportunity.
Before
Stuck in the cold-canvassing trap, skeptical of lead-gen.
Mike Phalin, a seasoned telecom exec turned specialist consultant, was no stranger to sales — but after leaving a 25-year career and selling a $357M company, his new venture faced a brutal truth: getting in front of qualified CEOs was harder than expected. He tried doing it all himself. Then hired a lead-gen agency. The result? One call in three months.
“I was banging my head against the wall. I thought if I just upped my volume, maybe it would work. It didn't.”
— Mike Phalin, FounderChallenges
What was in the way.
- —Total reliance on cold outreach that no longer works
- —Inbox fatigue among CEOs — messages ignored or deleted
- —Tried and failed with another lead-gen firm
- —Empty calendar, massive uncertainty, nearing burnout
What we did differently
Precision, not volume.
- Deep target-market calibration. Laser-focused on US veteran-owned CEOs and business owners — the exact group Mike could serve best.
- Messaging that resonates, not repels. Ditched generic pitches. Every touchpoint handcrafted to sound like a peer-to-peer conversation, rooted in real insight — not “hey, quick question” spam.
- Full-funnel execution. From targeting, list-building, messaging, booking through to CRM handoff — all taken care of. Mike focused only on closing high-value conversations.
- Agile strategy iteration. Early meetings weren't ideal — so we pivoted. Refined filters, repositioned the offer, and dialed in until volume and quality aligned.
“You told me it might take time. And when the floodgates opened, man — they really opened.”
After
30+ booked calls in one month — all with hard-to-reach CEOs.
Mike's calendar flipped from anxiety-inducing white space to back-to-back meetings with CEOs of mid-market firms across the US — including companies with 1,000+ employees. Within just one week of finding message-market fit:
- —24 meetings secured in a single week
- —Conversations with decision-makers in healthcare, manufacturing, tech and more
- —Multiple six-figure deals now in play — including a projected $2–3M commission deal
As it happened
Slack messages during activation.
Real messages between Mike and the Accrevity team as bookings landed — unedited.
“I'm working harder than ever — not chasing leads, but talking to real buyers. I leave every call feeling like I made a new friend.”
Mindset shift
From burnout to bulletproof belief.
“Before working with you, I was ready to quit. Now I have more confidence in my business than ever. I'm walking around my property at night just buzzing with energy.”
Mike no longer sees outreach as a gamble. It's a system — repeatable, scalable, and dialed into his dream audience.
Final recommendation
“If you've been burned by lead-gen before, I get it. So was I. But this isn't mass email spam. It's precision, strategy, and genuine human connection. If you follow their lead — they will deliver.”
Want a result like this for your business?
Book a 30-minute evaluation call. If we don't believe we can credibly add a minimum of $1M to your business, we'll tell you on the call.