Two hours on your floor. One honest read.
The lowest-friction way to work with us. A two-hour on-site walk-through with Sarah, followed by a written recap of the biggest opportunities she'd tackle first. $500. If you convert to a full engagement, the fee rolls in.
THE SIDEWALK ASSESSMENT
WHY “THE SIDEWALK”
Because sometimes you don’t need a full engagement. You just need a real read.
Most consultants charge for a discovery call, then charge again for a proposal, then charge again for the actual work. We think that's backwards. The most valuable thing we can give you at the start isn't a scoped proposal — it's an honest opinion about what you'd actually gain from working with us.
The Sidewalk is a two-hour walk. Sarah shows up on-site, walks your operation with your leadership team, asks questions, & sends you a real read afterward. Sometimes that read becomes the start of a bigger project. Sometimes it becomes homework you run yourself. Either way, you leave knowing more than you did.
WHAT HAPPENS
Two hours. Three steps.
Most Lean programs die because the culture underneath them can't hold the change. New tools land on top of old habits, & the old habits win. We work the other direction. Before we teach a single tool, we build the conditions where those tools have a chance to survive contact with real life:
The Walk (60-90 min)
Sarah walks your operation with your leadership team. She asks a lot of questions. She points out what she sees. She listens more than she talks.
The Debrief (30 min)
Back at a table, Sarah gives you the initial read — what she noticed, what surprised her, what she'd want to look at deeper.
The Write-up (within 5 business days)
A short written recap emailed to you: top 3 opportunities she'd tackle first, why, & what a full engagement could look like if you want one.
$500. That’s it.
INVESTMENT
No upsell during the walk. No pressure to convert. If you decide the Sidewalk write-up is enough & you want to run the improvements internally — that's a win. If you convert to a full Productivity Assessment, the $500 rolls into the engagement price.
"We'd rather have you tell your peers we gave you real value than talk you into a project you didn't need."
— Sarah Tilkens, Founder
The Sidewalk write-up
WHAT YOU WALK AWAY WITH
Here's what lands in your inbox 5 business days after the walk:
Top 3 opportunities
The three highest-leverage improvements Sarah would prioritize based on what she saw, with a short rationale for each.
What we'd need to dig deeper
If any of the three needs data, time studies, or a real engagement to unlock — what that would look like.
Optional next-step scope
What a full Productivity Assessment or targeted Kaizen would look like if you decide you want to move forward.
Is a Sidewalk right for you?
IDEAL FIT
You're curious about what an outside pair of eyes would notice but not ready to commit to a full engagement.
You have a hunch about where things are stuck but want a data-informed opinion before making a bigger decision.
Your team keeps proposing solutions but the same problems keep recurring. Sometimes a fresh perspective from outside the building is what you need.
You want to see how we work before making a bigger commitment. The Sidewalk is a real, small taste.
Two hours. One honest read. $500
Book a Sidewalk — the lowest-risk way to work with us.
COMMON QUESTIONS
FAQ
Is this a sales pitch in disguise?
No. Sarah's writing you an honest recap, not a proposal in Trojan-horse clothing. If the honest answer is "you don't need us right now," she'll say that.
What if it turns into a bigger project?
The $500 rolls into the engagement fee. So the Sidewalk is effectively free if you decide to move forward — you just paid a small upfront to get the honest read.
What if we're not in Wisconsin?
We travel. The $500 covers Sarah's time; travel is billed at cost for non-WI sites. Reach out & we'll figure out logistics.
How is this different from a discovery call?
A discovery call is 30 minutes on Zoom. The Sidewalk is 2 hours on your floor with real eyes on the real work. Very different level of insight.
Do I need to prepare anything?
Nope. Just make sure the right leaders can walk with Sarah, & clear about 2.5 hours (walk + debrief). She'll drive the rest.