Welcome to the practice.

Dear _________,

Thank you for entrusting me with this engagement. What follows is a short brief on how we will work together.

Over the first two weeks, I will conduct confidential stakeholder interviews and deliver a written landscape brief. From there, we hold a working session with you and your sponsor team to align on the framework, and then move to bi-weekly counsel through the balance of the engagement.

Your first working session is calendared for _________. Ahead of that, you will receive a short set of pre-read materials.

If there is anything I should understand before we begin, write directly.

Confirmed.

Dear _________,

This confirms our conversation on _________, 2026 at _____ Central. We will meet by _________.

Ahead of our time, one small ask: send me one paragraph on the outcome you own, in your own words, so I can arrive to the conversation prepared to be useful, not curious.

Looking forward.

A note following our meeting.

Dear _________,

Thank you for the conversation on _________. Three things I heard, one thing I recommend, one small ask.

Three things I heard. _______________________________________________. _______________________________________________. _______________________________________________.

One thing I recommend. _______________________________________________.

One small ask. _______________________________________________.

If any of this misses the room, tell me directly and I will recalibrate.

The proposal, attached.

Dear _________,

The advisory proposal we discussed is attached. A short summary sits below; the full document is enclosed for review with your sponsor team.

The situation. _______________________________________________.

The recommendation. A twelve-week advisory engagement structured around the four-pillar audit and closing with a written framework calibrated to your institution.

The investment. Fixed engagement fee of $ _____________, invoiced in three milestones.

The proposed start. _________, 2026.

I have held two dates on my calendar for a follow-up conversation, _________ or _________. If either works, let me know and I will send the calendar invitation.

Invoice enclosed.

Dear _________,

Attached is invoice INV-2026-XXX for advisory services rendered under our engagement of _________, 2026. A summary appears below; the formal invoice is enclosed for your records.

Payment terms. Net 15 · due _________, 2026. Wire and check details are on the enclosed invoice.

If anything on the invoice requires adjustment or clarification, reply directly and I will handle it same-day.

Program confirmed.

Dear _________,

The speaker agreement is executed. This note confirms the program details and the small handful of items your team needs from me, and I from you, ahead of _________, 2026.

Program: _______________________________________________

Date · Time: _________, 2026 · _____ CT

Venue: _______________________________________________

Format: _______________________________________________

Audience: _______________________________________________

Enclosed: my speaker biography, official introduction (please use verbatim), high-resolution photograph, and the AV requirements rider signed by your producer.

Ahead of the program, we will hold a 30-minute discovery call to align on the specific outcome your sponsor wants the room to leave with. I have proposed _________. Reply to confirm.

With appreciation for the invitation.

A short note about the book.

Dear _________,

This is a personal note to say thank you for the years of interest in the work, and to invite you into the next chapter of it.

Unconscious Bias: A Book About People is available for order, and I am offering it now with three ways to bring the book into your organization: bulk purchase for teams, a facilitated conversation over lunch or half-day, or a keynote paired with a book signing.

If any of the three modes feel useful for your team, reply directly and I will send a short menu.

September, MMXXVI.

Dear reader,

Nine months into 2026, three patterns are emerging across the advisory desk. Enterprise buyers are asking harder questions about supplier accountability. Municipal programs are being audited more publicly than in a decade. And boards are quietly separating the DE&I conversation from the operational discipline conversation, often to the benefit of both.

§ 01 · The New Buyer Question. The most useful question I have heard from an enterprise procurement leader this year sits at the intersection of curation and spend.

§ 02 · The Audit Season. Three major cities in the American South released procurement audits this quarter. The pattern is consistent: participation targets met, performance metrics unmeasured.

§ 03 · From the Book.

Reply directly to any of the above. Every note above is a starting point for a real conversation.

A quiet ask.

Dear _________,

Our engagement is closing well, and I want to say, before the last invoice and the last debrief, thank you for the trust and the discipline you brought to the work.

One quiet ask, if you feel it fits: is there one person in your network who should have a conversation like ours? A colleague, a peer at another organization, a board member of a firm you respect?

If yes, I would be grateful for a short introduction, double-opt-in preferred, in your own words. I will handle everything from there.

No pressure, no follow-up. If nothing comes to mind, the closing debrief remains the perfect close to our work together.

Thank you.

Dear _________,

For the time you gave to our conversation, for the trust you placed in the recommendation, and for the discipline you brought to the room, thank you.

The work we did together will outlast the engagement. That is the mark of a program well-designed and a sponsor well-committed.

The door remains open. Reach out any time.