From Reputation to Revenue: Turning Expertise into a Scalable Business

Starting a business is often fueled by passion and expertisebut turning that into revenue requires a different skill set. In a recent Idea Citizen Mentor Series conversation, Tori Smith, founder of The Welcome Standard, and Makena Finger Zannini, founder of The Boutique COO, unpacked the emotional and strategic challenges of early-stage founders learning to sell.

The Expertise Trap

Toris story is familiar to many first-time founders: she built a service she knew was valuable, but struggled to get it in front of decision-makers. "I thought clients would fall from the sky," she joked. Her concierge onboarding service helps relocated talent feel at home in Tampa Baya high-touch offering that improves retention and reduces turnover. But as Makena pointed out, services like this are often seen as discretionary, even when they solve expensive problems.

Sales Is Not PersonalIts Math

Makena offered a powerful reframing: sales is math. "How many people do I need at the top of my funnel? What percent get on a call? How many convert?" This mindset helps founders detach emotionally from rejection and focus on volume, conversion rates, and lead qualification. Tori agreed: "Adding data into it makes it scientific, methodical, less personal."

Pricing and Packaging Matter

One of the biggest mistakes Makena sees is unclear pricing. Founders often overcomplicate their offerings or fail to anchor them to market value. Her advice: start with one or two clear packages, add an hourly rate for custom work, and make sure your pricing reflects the impact you deliver. For Tori, that meant reframing her service as an insurance policy on high-value hiresa retention tool, not a luxury.

Visibility Is Strategy

Both founders emphasized the importance of visibility. Tori is active on LinkedIn, where her ideal clients live, and is working on simplifying her messaging. Makena recommended tools like Instantly and Apollo for cold outreach, and stressed the importance of immediacy: "If someone is in-market, respond fast. Otherwise, theyll go to your competitor."

Final Takeaway: Simplify, Systematize, Sell

The path from reputation to revenue isn't just about being great at what you do. Its about:

• Simplifying your offering so its easy to understand

• Systematizing your outreach so it scales

• Selling with clarity so your value is obvious

Whether youre a first-time founder or refining your next venture, the lesson is clear: expertise is the starting point. Sales is the bridge.

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