What Happens in the First 30 Minutes of a Strategy Call

April 23, 2026

CEOs ask what to expect on a strategy call. Here’s the honest answer: 30 minutes of direct questions designed to find where your business is actually stuck.

Minute 1-5: Context

Revenue. EBITDA. Growth rate. Headcount. How long you’ve been running it. Where you think you’re stuck. I’m not taking notes to use later. I’m mapping the shape of the business in my head.

Minute 5-15: Diagnosis

This is where the real work happens. I’ll ask about customer concentration. Product margin. Leadership bench. Cash conversion. The questions get uncomfortable fast. Most CEOs realize in this section that the problem they thought they had isn’t the one they actually have.

Minute 15-25: Priorities

Once I can see the shape of the business, I tell you what I’d do in the next 100 days if I were running it. Specific. Prioritized. No hedging. You don’t have to agree. But you’ll hear a perspective you haven’t heard from anyone on your team.

Minute 25-30: Fit

We talk about whether ongoing coaching makes sense. Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. The call is useful either way. A direct outside read on your business is worth more than most CEOs realize.

How to get one

I take a limited number of strategy calls each month. If the questions in this post landed on you, book one.

Ready for a direct conversation about your business?

Bill Canady takes a limited number of strategy coaching calls each month with middle market CEOs, founders, and owners who want a direct read on where their company stands and what to do next. No pitch. No fluff. One honest conversation about growth, profitability, and exit readiness. Book your strategy coaching call at billcanady.com.

About the Author

Bill Canady

Bill Canady is a national best-selling author, Founder & CEO of The 80/20 Institute, and a global business leader known for transforming companies into high-performing, profitable enterprises. Over the course of his career, Bill has led multibillion-dollar organizations through their most critical challenges—navigating complex regulatory, investor, and media environments—while consistently delivering profitable growth.

Drawing on decades of executive experience, Bill created the Profitable Growth Operating System (PGOS), a proven framework designed to help leaders cut complexity, focus on the critical few, and accelerate growth. Through The 80/20 Institute, he and his team partner with CEOs, executives, and entrepreneurs worldwide to apply the 80/20 methodology in real-world settings, unlocking revenue growth, margin expansion, and shareholder value.

As both an operator and advisor, Bill’s mission is clear: to give leaders the tools, systems, and confidence they need to achieve sustainable, profitable growth — without sacrificing focus, culture, or execution.

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