What Clients Say About Their Work With A 25 Hour Day, LLC...

"I have spent years and thousands of dollars trying to grow my business, come up with new marketing ideas, get more clients, etc.

Often when I have hired consultants, I have been left with meaningless stacks of paper and a myriad of theories that I have no idea how to execute.  In the end, I feel more overwhelmed and exhausted than I did when I started.
 
My experience working with Joy Duling at A 25 Hour Day has been entirely different.  Joy is my business coach and mentor and is simply amazing. 
 
She provides "hands-on" tactics that are easy to execute. 
But, best of all, you see results... and fast."
 
Michelle Tjelmeland, Owner, E-websmart, www.e-websmart.com 

"Joy is a fabulous coach and an extraordinary out-of-the-box thinker. I have personally worked with Joy on my 5-year strategic business plan. Over the years, I have worked with a number of strategic planners and Joy is by far the most practical strategic consultant I have ever worked with. I USE the plan. My consultants USE the plan. Joy's process is well thought through and the end documentation is something that guides you and your organization to success. I love the fact that it is not a 2 inch document that collects dust on a shelf.

I have also worked with Joy through our professional organization NAWBO and she is a shining professional in everything she does. She has helped to grow the organization and is regarded as a strong leader in the chapter."

Stephanie Calahan, CEO, Calahan Solutions, www.calahansolutions.com

"I have worked with Joy over the past three years on numerous projects and I can't even come close to express in words how easy it is to work with Joy as a client and a colleague.

Joy has an uncanny way of understanding her clients, what their needs are, and how to motivate them to move in the right direction in order to meet their goals. She offers a calm presence that takes the edge off of any "overwhelmed" business professional - no matter what business they are in.

I highly recommend A 25 Hour Day with Joy Duling to anyone seeking the direction, focus and resources to move forward to acheive their goals.

Thank you, Joy, for everything that you have helped me with ... my business, my clients and my success."

Sharon Hewitt, Owner, SharonIDesign

"Joy Duling is the key to my business growing from an over glorified hobby to a business with professional goals. She has provided perspective that has opened my eyes to greater possibilities.

Uniquely, they are not her ideas directly, but rather, she studies me and my responses to bring out the best in me.

A consulting genius."

Jeff McSweeney, Owner / Creative Strategist
 www.jeffmcsweeney.com

"We were very glad to have an opportunity to work with Joy because we definitely needed an outside person to review our proposal and to see if we were articulating what the RFP had stated. And sure enough, what we had discovered was that we were really missing the mark with that regard and Joy competently and compassionately, I think, pointed us in the right direction.
 
The technical assistance that she provided was just incredible. She divided the Request for Proposal into a manageable document. What had previously seemed like this almost incomprehensible document from the state was now something that made a lot more sense the way Joy broke it down for us. And I feel like Joy made the workshop we attended more enjoyable and she made just the whole grantmaking process more understandable from the point of view of the grantor as well as the grantee.
 
After working with Joy, I can definitely say that our proposal is a much better document. It’s much more focused on what the grantor was looking for, and I would recommend Joy because of her strong technical skills that she conveys and very compassionate manner.
 
I think there were times our proposal was maybe kind of going in the opposite direction that we needed it to, and Joy was able to kind of point us in the right direction.
 
I feel like not only our proposal, this particular proposal, is better, but I feel like our organization is better because I feel like I definitely have a much better understanding of the grantmaking process and what we need to do to make out grant work, to answer the questions in the RFP and make sure we’ve got a better chance of being funded.
 
So thank you, Joy, for working with us."

Billy Woodward, Director of Emergency Services
Red Cross of Central Illinois

 

"Behind death, taxes, getting married and having kids, the next biggest fear in life might be opening your personal and professional lives to a business strategist.

How I wish I had met Joy Duling 15 years ago when I went into the writing and graphic design business for myself. I can only imagine how far along I'd be now if our paths had crossed sooner.

I'm an extreme right-brain creative person, and organization of my desk and my business matters have been left to chance for years. And as a result, I was going nowhere when I should have been celebrating many more business, professional and personal achievements.

I had written eight books, but I could never figure out how to develop a business plan that made sense, was reasonably painless and had attainable goals. 

Then I met Joy Duling.

I gambled and attended one of Joy's two-hour workshops in December 2006 on developing the One Page Business Plan. I was giddy and terrified simultaneously when I grasped the essence of what she was touting as the benefits of such planning that need not be elaborate, but concise, flexible and meaningful.

She turned what for me was a very complicated concept into something that made sense, was doable and didn't have to be perfect. Her personable approach made it non-threatening and a non-self-defeating exercise.

A couple of weeks later, Joy was describing the entrepreneurial mastery program she wanted to offer to a small group of individuals for the first six months of 2007. I really didn't think my business and profession fit into this type of program, but what I had learned from the simple exercise of the One Page Business Plan was that I needed to finally invest in myself. And now seemed the right time to do it.

Joy's program involved monthly one-on-one consultations and group meetings. After sitting down for the first private session with Joy in early January, my entire attitude about myself — who I am and what I do for a living — was completely transformed.

She knew the right questions to ask to dig deeper into the hows and whys of what I do and how I can do it better.

When Joy summarized in writing the results of that meeting, I was amazed at what I had achieved and how much further I could go in this world with just a little planning, organization and focus. 

And with her enthusiastic and realistic guidance, I finally began to believe in what I could accomplish. 

The group sessions added another practical piece of the puzzle as our diverse backgrounds and business experiences blended in such a way that we learned much from each other on how to take calculated risks and promote ourselves. The intimacy of this setting gave us a valuable sounding board for what has and hasn't worked and how we can tackle old and new challenges with greater confidence.

I owe more to Joy Duling than I can ever repay for what she allowed me to finally give myself, a clearer vision of all that I can do for myself and the world.

She helped me concisely articulate my professional and life missions for the first time in my life. She pushed without nagging for me to stay focused on me and my goals, and you won't find anybody who is gentler and tougher all rolled in one. 

No, Joy doesn't have all the answers herself for her clients' unique situations, but more importantly, she's shown us how to find them ourselves, and that's the greatest gift she could offer.

Working with Joy Duling as my business strategist has been one of the best investments I've ever made in myself." 

Monica Vest Wheeler, Owner, Write Away, www.monicavestwheeler.com
Co-Owner, BF Press, www.bfpress.com 

 

"After meeting with Joy and learning about the One Page Business Plan I immediately implemented the process as my Chiropractic office business plan.

After using this as an active tool, yes a tool, for day to day operations, we as a team used it to form plans for each position in the office. This has helped us define roles and tasks for each person on staff, keeping us focused daily on our goals.

I even hired Joy to come in for one of our staff meetings to take our team through the process so all of us could be on the same page in implementing the processes of the One Page Business Plan.

Lately, we have taken the One Page Business Plan as far as using it to hire an office manager. The skill set learned and the application of the One Page Business Plan has a value far more than what it costs to learn.

Forget the big monster trillion page plan that collects dust and you never use. Talk to Joy and learn the easy implementation of the One Page Business Plan."

Dr. Bret Glas, Owner, Glas Chiropractic, www.glaschiropractic.com
 


Hi, Joy! I just wanted to leave you a quick message and thank you from the bottom of my heart.

When we started our work together, and I came to you and said that I wanted to start my foundation, I never imagined all the things that you would truly be able to help me with, from filling my board of director spots to helping me write my grants to assisting me with my website copy, and coaching me on the day to day activities of things that I could better do to be more efficient with my foundation. 

I am so confident that my foundation is going to continue to flourish because of all of the assistance that you’ve given me.

And really, I have to say that I owe you because you took my vision and you crafted it into something miraculous. 
 
Now, through my foundation, I can make others’ dreams come true, and there’s no better feeling than that.
 
I cannot wait to work on future projects with you, and I hope you have a great day because you've made this one of the best years of my life.
 
Thank you!
 
Michelle Tjelmeland, Founder, Cochlear Implant Awareness Foundation
www.ciafonline.org

"I've had the pleasure of helping Joy with many marketing and writing projects. She is one of the best planners that I know! She knows where she wants to go with an idea and sets out to accomplish her goals in an intentional way.

When it comes to planning business strategies for clients, she has a knack for bringing structure and focus to the table and inspiring her clients to grow beyond the expectations and truly maximize their potential."

Darcy Meinke, DLM Virtual Solutions
www.dlmvirtualsolutions.com

  

 
"Working with Joy Duling and my Mastery Group is like having my own Board of Directors... 
 
I joined the Mastery Group program because I wanted to bring a greater focus to my business. I’ve been in business on my own for just about two years, and wasn’t feeling like I was getting all that I could out of my business.
 
What I discovered was that I was not alone in how I was running my business, and that there were other business owners that had similar situations to me and by working together we can solve each other’s problems and provide new insights that being a small business person does not typically allow you to have.
 
Working with Joy Duling and my Mastery Group is like having my own Board of Directors in that we meet on a monthly basis, and review what my goals and aspirations are.
 
My board gives me insight in how I can go forward and do things more efficiently, and in a good way, hold my feet to the fire regarding what my goals are and what my focus really should be.
 
I’ve seen real change in my business – in my attitudes towards customers, prospecting better customers, and realizing the value of some and the lack of value of others in trying to attain my ultimate goals.
 
Before discovering the Mastery Group program I felt quite happy, but I knew that something wasn’t right, and if I was going to be successful and continue to grow my business, I needed to examine it personally, and have others look at it closely as well.
 
I would recommend the Mastery Group program to anyone who is a small business owner.

 
Jeff McSweeney, Owner / Creative Strategist
 www.jeffmcsweeney.com 

  
 
"You get a rave review for promoting a model planning system that works in the real world.

I thoroughly enjoyed and learned a vast amount in your workshop on “The One Page Business Plan:  Business Planning for the Real World". I have been in private practice of chiropractic for over 8 years and have never had a business plan. Within the past four months I have been preparing my business plan, you know the one that is 40 pages long and collects dust once it is written. Your workshop could not have come at a better time for me since writing my business plan has been a struggle and a chore.
 
WOW! I ABSOLUTELY LOVED the material you shared. After preparing my nightmare of a business plan “The One Page Business Plan” is frosting on the cake of business plan writing. It was easy to understand, easy to work through in the workshop and easy to implement on my own. The next day I spent 4 hours on the material and churned out my very FIRST business plan that is now usable in guiding my decision making and all parts of business. As far as I am concerned there is no other way to do a business plan.    
 
I am so excited about this process I am looking forward to the next class so I can send my staff.
 
We as a team will be able to implement “The One Page Business Plan” into every department in our small business.
 
Thank you, Joy for two of the most valuable hours I have spent in a workshop helping me to prepare my business plan to success!"
 
Bret Glas, D.C., Glas Chiropractic
www.glaschiropractic.com


 
 
"We really appreciated your presentation. It was exactly what I was looking for....and better."

John Dean, Executive Director, TRADE Industries

"Great job!  You have put together a dynamic seminar that I'll tell other business owenrs about!"

Bev Riggins, Owner, Midwest Concierge Services

"Exciting, motivational and concise!  Action-oriented material!"

Donna Jeanne Rodine, Owner, Rodine the Printer

"Everything was exceptional.  Loved it!"

Ginny Molleck, Owner, Limelight Communications




"The handouts - powerpoint and charts - are fabulous!  The information was so needed for any business!"