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How I Work

Most businesses promise you a date. I promise you the work.

Shawna Barnes speaking during an educational presentation.
Every project I take on runs on milestones, not calendar dates. We agree on what gets delivered and in what order. What we - you and I - don't do is pretend I can predict exactly which Tuesday it may land on.
Whether you're booking a keynote, a workshop, or a lunch and learn, every session is built around meeting your audience where they are.

Why I Work This Way

I am a disabled veteran. My working capacity varies week to week in ways I can plan around but not schedule around.
I could pad every estimate, quote you a comfortable date, and then apologize when the padding runs out. Most people and business owners do a version of that. It protects the appearance of reliability while quietly making the client absorb the risk.
I'd rather tell you the truth up front and build the project around it.
That's why any work we do together is milestone based and not timeline based. If you have a timeline and decide you want to work with me, I'll do best to make it happen with the understanding that it may not happen. This isn't an accomodation that I am asking you to make, but it is an acknowledgement that this is my operating model.
Shawna in a teal sleeveless top pointing to the side with a playful expression, wearing black-and-white cat-eye glasses in her home office.

What You Can Count On

► A defined scope with clear deliverables and a set sequence.
► Regular progress updates regardless of how much movement has been made.
► Advance notice when a milestone may shift for any reason.
► Work that's finished, not rushed or done half-assed to hit a date.
► An agreed outside range for the total project, flexibile never means indefinite.

What Flexes

► Calendar dates for individual milestones.
► Total duration, within an agreed range.
► Response times, measured in business days rather than hours.

When This Isn't the Right Fit

  • If you're working against a hard external deadline (a demand letter, funding cycle, fixed launch date, legal timeline), this model won't serve you well.
There are excellent accessibility practitioners who work on fixed schedules that I am happy to refer you to. We'll decide if I am a good fit for you or not before money is exchanged or time is wasted.

Courses, Books & Tools Work Differently

Everything is self-paced and available from the moment you buy it.

And it stays available.
With few exceptions, there are no hard start dates, enrollment windows or live sessions to miss because your body or life decided to throw a wrench in the plan.
Same principle I work on, from the other direction. Your timeline, not mine.
Browse self-paced courses on LWSBD
(LWSBD > Learn With S. Barnes Designs)
Shawna sitting in front of a cluttered and messy desk, looking at 3 computer monitors.
S. Barnes Designs, LLC is registered as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) through the Small Business Administration (SBA).
Contact Information
PO Box 430
Cable, WI 54821
Phone: 715-558-1861
info@sbarnesdesigns.com
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