Step Back Coaching
Picture your business running well, whether you're there or not.
Your team handles the everyday decisions.
You get your time back for the life you love.
A buyer sees a business that's ready to transfer.
Step Back Coaching is for founders with a team who want their business to depend on them less.
A free 5 to 7 minute check that scores how ready your business is to run without you.
.png?format=500w)
Picture your life
- You're away for two weeks, and your team handles what comes up.
- Your weekly numbers say the business is running well.
- You're on a trip to Thailand, and nothing pulls you back to your inbox.
When you're ready to sell
A buyer's team goes through the business and finds every system within the business documented, and people they can count on.
They see less risk, which can mean:
- a higher offer
- better terms
- a shorter transition
I know this may be hard to believe from where you are right now.
Where you are now
You built a successful business, and it still leans on you.
- A client question or decision that waits for your answer
- A deal that closes only when you're on the call
- A new hire who learns by asking you
- A process that lives in one person's head
You may be short on time and energy, and this can look like one more big project.
It's possible for you. I did it myself, and I have a proven method I can walk you through, one decision at a time.
What changes
What changes when your business depends on you less
Documented systems, the right people, and weekly numbers give you your time back, and you decide what fills it.
Joy is a business metric.
Your time and your joy
Your days are filled with the people and work you love most.
Protection if someone key is out
If you or a key person is ever out unexpectedly, a business with every system documented keeps running.
Consistency as you grow
Clients get the standard of service you're known for, because a new person can run each system the way you would.
Confidence to step back
Core weekly numbers show you early if something you've handed off begins to slip.
A stronger position with buyers
Buyers look closely at owner dependence, and they can ask the owner to stay on, sometimes for years, to ensure a smooth transition. A business that runs on documented systems and a team you trust looks less risky to them, which can strengthen your position on price, terms, and transition.
How it works
The Step Back Path
Every founder's business depends on them in a different mix of ways, so the work is built around yours.
An in-depth audit
You complete the Step Back Audit, a detailed look at every place your business still depends on you. Then we talk through the results, so we're both clear on every part of your business that still needs you.
Your customized strategy
We get clear on your goals and timeline, and decide what needs to be true for each part of the business to run well without you. You choose how far to step back, and we decide the order of the work together.
Your role map
A map of every role and the systems each one owns, so everyone knows who runs what. If a role needs a new hire, we plan who and when.
Your documentation
Every system within the business written down so a new person can run it without asking you. The writing happens with Step Back Foundations or through my done-for-you documentation.
Your weekly numbers
Core numbers you check each week, like new leads, projects delivered on time, or open roles, that show you early if something begins to slip. If you run EOS, we make sure your weekly scorecard catches it.
You get your life back
We shape the days you want, with time for the people you love, your health, and the work you enjoy most. You decide how involved to stay, and we make sure the business keeps running well. Then we plan what's next, whether that's a sale, a new project, or enjoying what you built.
Who this is for
Step Back Coaching is a good fit if:
- You have a team and a successful business in any industry, with 5 people or 500, and you're still involved in the day-to-day
- You plan to sell at some point, whether in 12 months or in 5 years
- You'd like a coach who has done it herself
You make the decisions. I guide each one, and every change is yours to approve.
If you're a solopreneur, the free scorecard and Step Back Foundations are a good place to start.
Working with your advisors
Working with a broker, M&A advisor, exit planner, or CPA?
I work alongside them. They lead the financial side of the sale, including your financials, valuation, tax planning, and deal terms. My focus is reducing how much the business depends on you.
If you'd like, your advisor receives the plan, the audit results, and your documented systems organized by role.
I don't advise on financials, valuation, taxes, legal matters, or deal terms.
My story
A coach who has done it
I built two counseling centers over 15 years, stepped back to about 5 hours a month for 5 years, and sold both in early 2025 without staying on for a transition.
I use what I learned as both an entrepreneur and a licensed therapist to help with the decisions in this work: what to hand off, how to trust others with it, and how to shape the days you want afterward.
Kind words
What People Are Saying
Lindsay Smith is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to operating a successful business and doing it while living a life you love. I trust her fully and have seen a huge impact on the growth of my business as a direct result of our work together. Lindsay speaks the truth, has your best interests in mind, and will do whatever she can to ensure you succeed.
I knew Lindsay for 10 years before I hired her as my coach. I have always been impressed with her tenacity and drive, her innovation and her passion, but also her zest for life and positive spirit as she has grown her businesses and developed her own amazing life! I hired her to coach me as I FINALLY took the plunge and started my own practice, and her guidance was exactly what I needed to have the confidence to get started and thrive. She was supportive yet direct and helped me stay focused so that I had time for everything else in my life that was important to me. Lindsay was also receptive to feedback and flexed with me when I needed her to. I can’t say enough thank you’s to Lindsay, because were it not for her guidance and support, starting my practice would have been MUCH more difficult and I’m sure I wouldn’t have made the strides I have in such a short amount of time. I can confidently say that my business is thriving, more than I could have ever imagined, in just under two years of practice. I recommend her with the highest regard!
I have been so fortunate to be the recipient of Lindsay’s entrepreneurial coaching. Her skillful listening, engagement and direction has been invaluable for supporting our company’s vision and helping me to further develop as a leader.
Lindsay is an extraordinary coach, leader and human. She is a powerhouse of knowledge and wisdom and has a beautiful heart for serving others. She has created an amazing life and business for herself and is a wizard at helping other women do the same. Anyone that works with Lindsay will be blessed beyond measure.
Lindsay is one of the best advocates for women entrepreneurs that I know. If you are looking to create more joy or advance your business, her focus, skills and years of experience are exactly what you want. You would be very lucky to have her on your side working for your benefit.
Having known Lindsay for more than a decade and a half, I immediately recognized a fairly unique set of qualities that I knew would lead to success in anything she pursued. Running a professional business isn’t easy and there isn’t a road map. Lindsay brings her infectious enthusiasm to her work with her clients and her employees. She is compassionate and insightful with her clients and contributes mightily in bringing other colleagues together for networking events that further build the quality of helping professions. Despite her passion for her work, Lindsay has always prioritized her time with and attention to her family. She also manages, somehow, to take care of herself. Lindsay has been an inspiration to me, and I know she has been to many other professionals as well.
Read more kind wordsShow fewer
I learned a lot about business from Lindsay. Her thoughtful and creative suggestions coupled with her enthusiasm and drive for success were powerful factors in helping me realize my own professional success. I also learned a lot from the example she provided in business. She practices what she preaches.
Lindsay is a charismatic and dynamic leader that has become a mentor to many women in business. Lindsay has built an invaluable resource for teens, families, and the community in Silicon Valley. I would highly recommend seeking guidance, support, and wisdom from Lindsay.
Lindsay Smith radiates positive energy! She’s driven, focused, and passionate about coaching others to be their best selves. I’ve loved watching her growth, both personally and professionally, over the years and am elated to see the businesses she’s built and the clients she’s supported.
Not everyone can say looking back that their middle and high school friends were always kind, supportive and pillars of strength. I am lucky enough to have known Lindsay since we were in the throes of adolescence together and can attest, then and now, she is all that and more. Her passion in helping others is so admirable, as well as her tenacity to continue to grow and maintain a healthy life balance. Decades later she continues to be a positive force in my life who I can always count on for genuine advice in all arenas and a good laugh as a bonus. She will change your life for the better, I am confident in that.
Lindsay is the most genuine person I know. She cares deeply for others and has a heart of gold. She is also extremely talented and successful, and never ceases to amaze me as she dreams big and makes those dreams a reality. She is simply exceptional.
Lindsay is one of my favorite people to work with and to be around. She is always super stoked on what is going on in your life and hers, which is so motivating to be around. I love that she is always willing to help and I love how all-in she is with everything she does!
Lindsay is exuberant! She is full of energy and passion and is such a beautiful bright light!
Questions
Questions about stepping back and selling
What's included in the Step Back Audit?
The Step Back Audit is a detailed look at every place your business still depends on you. It covers:
- The tasks you handle day to day
- The decisions that wait for you
- The client relationships and revenue tied to you
- Who has access to each system
- Which processes are written down well enough for a new person to run
Then we talk through the results together, so we're both clear on every part of your business that still needs you, and where to start.
What if I'm not sure I want to sell?
That's okay. Start with the scorecard. A business that depends on you less gives you your time back either way.
What if I plan to sell within 12 months?
We start with the audit, and your go-to-market date sets the timeline. We decide the order of the work together and plan a pace that works for your goals and your team.
Does a business that depends on its owner less sell for more?
Buyers look closely at owner dependence. A business that does not depend on its owner is viewed as less risky to the buyer. What a business sells for also depends on your market, your numbers, and the buyer, so I can't promise a price. I can help you reduce the owner dependence buyers see as risk.
Will this get my business ready to sell?
It helps with one important part. A business that runs well without you, with its systems written down, is easier for a buyer to understand and less risky to take over. Getting ready to sell also includes your financials, legal work, and valuation, and those are best handled by your CPA, attorney, and broker or M&A advisor. I'm glad to work alongside them.
Does this work for a larger company?
Yes. Every business with a team runs on systems, and each one can be identified, given an owner, and written down. A larger team has more roles, so we take them one role at a time. The audit shows what your business needs, and the plan is built around it.
What does it cost?
Each engagement is custom to your business. On our first call I learn about your business and your goals. Then I share the investment in a follow-up, once I understand where your business is today and where you'd like it to go.
A note from me
I believe this is possible for you, because I lived it. I know what it's like to love your business and have it take more of your life than you planned. I also know the other side: time to travel and be present with the people I love, and trust that the business is in good hands.
I'd love to partner with you to bring that freedom into your life. I'd be honored to be beside you at each decision, and to celebrate with you the first time you take a week away without checking your phone or your inbox, while the business keeps running well.
Lindsay