Stop chasing the illusion of progress.

You’re starting more than you’re finishing. Working harder than ever. And nobody sees the value you’re delivering.

Your work is invisible. The value you deliver is invisible. The friction burning you out is invisible.

When we make it visible, everything changes.

Get on the January List

10 Sessions Only

What Is This?

The Visibility Value Check™ is a 50-minute working session where we make your invisible work visible—so you can see what’s actually happening, name the friction, and take your next best step.

Three steps. 50 minutes. Immediate clarity.

How It Works

Step 1: Make It Visible (15-20 min)

Get everything out of your head and onto a board.

  • Brain dump everything competing for attention
  • Sweep up hidden work (the stuff nobody sees but takes all your time)
  • Close open loops (decisions waiting, questions unanswered, things half-done)

Step 2: Make It Clear (20-25 min)

Map it, sort it, see the patterns.

  • Sort by value and effort (what matters most vs. what’s easiest)
  • Sort by urgency (what’s screaming vs. what can wait)
  • Color-code the dissonance (when urgent ≠ important)
  • Name the friction and gaps using the three-gap framework:
    – Clarity gaps: You don’t know what to do or why
    – Value gaps: You’re doing work that doesn’t matter
    – Traction gaps: You know what to do but can’t move on it

Step 3: Make a Call (10-15 min)

Choose your best next step.

  • Check in: How does this land? What are you seeing?
  • Surface your wins (the 2-3 things you’re doing well)
  • Pick ONE thing to focus on (the thing that matters most right now)
  • Define how you’ll handle friction (delegate it, drop it, or schedule time for it)
  • Identify your best next step (the 10-minute action that moves you forward)

What You Leave With

Concrete deliverables. Not vague promises.

✓ Visual map of your work – Downloadable. Show-able to your boss.
✓ Friction identified and named – Clarity gaps, value gaps, traction gaps.
✓ 2-3 wins surfaced – What you’re doing well that you couldn’t see before.
✓ Clarity on what to focus, delegate, or drop – Not everything. Just what matters.
✓ ONE best next step – A 10-minute action you can take immediately.

Proof: Eric’s Story

This is what happened when Eric made his work visible.

Eric showed up with competing priorities and work piling up—invisible friction everywhere.

We made everything visible. Sorted by value and effort. Tagged the friction points.

When he could see it all laid out, he said:

“This was that thing I’ve been looking for for the past like three years of my career.”

It made clear what to focus on, what to delegate, what to drop. He walked away with direction.

Then he shared the output with his leadership team.

And asked to do it monthly because “month-to-month shifts are noticeable.”

You can too.

Why This Works

I’m not a coach. I’m a guide.

Advisor – I’ve been solving these problems for 20+ years under pressure, in complex situations. I think through your gnarliest challenges WITH you. I ask the questions that surface what’s actually happening, help you get a clearer picture, and build the clarity to move forward.

Catalyst – I use power, not force. I create pull, not push. I convert clarity into directed action that delivers value faster. Once we know what needs to happen, I help you do it and handle the things getting in the way.

Concierge – I curate the path so your energy goes to outcomes, not overhead. You focus on the problems only you can solve.

You can’t thrive when you’re trying to survive. And you can’t do this alone.

What You Need to Bring

Just show up with your chaos.

  • No prep required
  • No slides to make
  • No agenda to write

50 minutes. Safe space. Honest conversation.

I’ll guide you through the process. You bring the work. We’ll make it visible together.

What This Is NOT

Let’s be clear about what this session delivers:

✗ Not a one-page summary for your boss (yet—that comes later if you want it)
✗ Not a full strategic plan (yet—that takes more time)
✗ Not a magic bullet (there isn’t one)

This is the first step that breaks the paralysis.

Make it visible → Forge clarity → Take your best next step.

Get on the January List

What Comes Next (Optional)

The Visibility Value Check™ is complete on its own.

But if you need more, there are two paths:

Path 1: The Starter

Two hours together + follow-up.

We take what we started in the VVC and finish it.

  • Turn your visible work into a complete visual map
  • Package it so you can show it to leadership
  • Build the clarity and confidence to move on it

You walk away with: Something you can showcase. Something that demonstrates value people can see.

Path 2: The Three-Month Package

If the problem is bigger than one deliverable—if you need ongoing support to transform how you and your team work—we’ll talk about a three-month engagement.

This isn’t for everyone. And I only take a handful of clients at a time.

But if you’re serious about solving this for real, let’s have the conversation.

That’s it. Two paths. Both start with the Visibility Value Check™.

But that’s only if you want it. The Visibility Value Check™ stands on its own.

It’s January 7th.

You started the year with big plans. Clear priorities. This was going to be the year you got ahead.

And you’re already drowning.

Week 1 and the chaos is back. The invisible work is piling up. The friction is winning.

This is the moment to break the cycle.

Not in Q2 when you’ve lost another 3 months. Not “when things slow down” (they won’t).

Right now. While you can still salvage January.

The January Pilot: 10 Sessions

This will eventually be a several-thousand-dollar offer.

But right now, it’s free—because I’m running reps and gathering feedback.

I’m doing 10 sessions in January to refine the process before I scale it.

When those 10 are gone, you’ll wait for the February cohort.

This isn’t artificial scarcity. This is real capacity.

I’m pausing mid-January for a Disney trip with my family. When I come back, I’ll open February slots based on what I learned in January.

First 10 people who fit get in.

Who This Is For

This works best for:

  • Technical leaders or high-performers on a leadership track who influence decisions even if they don’t have the title yet
  • Feeling overwhelmed by conflicting priorities and starting more than you’re finishing
  • Want a thinking partner (not someone to do it for you)
  • Ready to make invisible work visible (even if it’s uncomfortable)

Who This Is NOT For

This won’t work if you:

  • Want answers handed to you
  • Aren’t willing to brain dump your chaos onto a board
  • Are looking for a magic bullet that solves everything instantly

You need to own your own story. I’ll help you make sense of it.

Get on the January List

10 Sessions Only

50 minutes. Free. No prep required.

Just show up with your chaos. I’ll guide you through making it visible.

Get on the January List

First 10 people who fit.

About Michael

I’ve built teams, written books, delivered keynotes, and advised Fortune 500 companies on how to demonstrate value when the work is invisible.

For 20+ years, I ran Security Catalyst—where every win is invisible and every failure is catastrophic. That taught me how to make technical complexity legible to executives who don’t understand it.

Then I realized: every technical leader faces this. Not just security.

So I built ValueSmith® to solve it.

I’m not a coach. I’m an operator who’s sat in your meetings, fought your battles, and learned how to make complexity legible to people who don’t speak your language.

And I’m not selling you a framework. I’m walking you through the same process I use when I’m overwhelmed—because I still get overwhelmed. I lead by example.

When you’re ready to make your work visible, I’m here.

Get on the January List

Three questions. Takes 2 minutes.