case study of
Toby Hansen
Executive & Military Leadership
Background
Toby Hansen is a 20-year U.S. Army Military Police veteran, former jumpmaster, and corporate leader whose purpose is to equip the next generation of leaders. Faith-driven and integrity-focused, Toby views business as both service and stewardship, giving back while building freedom for his family. At engagement start, he was in the early launch phase: clear passion, strong experience, but needed his ideas packaged into a concise, credible brand that attracts corporate clients for leadership development.
Toby operates as Founder of Forge Leadership Institute, delivering coaching, consulting, workshops, and speaking rooted in trust, resilience, and values.
Objectives & Goals
Upon joining the 120-Day Brand Launch, Toby aimed to:
- Package a clear leadership brand that decision-makers immediately understand and trust.
- Structure marketable services for Executive Coaching and Team Development that are easy to buy.
- Stand up an HR-focused conversion funnel to land corporate clients.
- Build a professional online presence with consistent voice, visuals, and proof.
- Codify his method into a simple framework leaders can adopt and scale.
STEPS TAKEN
The program aligned brand, messaging, offers, and
web around Toby’s mission and HR buyers.
STEP 1
Define Audience & Positioning
- Identified two core segments: Corporate Executives & HR Managers (primary) and Entrepreneurs & Business Owners (secondary).
- Mapped pains/roadblocks: turnover, weak middle management, low cohesion, short-term training that doesn’t stick, no pipeline strategy.
- Positioning promise: people-first leadership that lifts engagement, cohesion, and productivity.
STEP 2
Establish Brand Voice & Foundation
- Locked in voice: Direct, Mentor, Faith-informed (no fluff, practical, ethical).
- Integrated the Forge concept with subtle medieval cues (sword/armor/mohawk) to signal strength + stewardship.
- Clarified narrative: military discipline + corporate practicality → everyday leadership wins.
STEP 3
Codify the Method
- Built Toby’s L.E.A.D.E.R.S. Framework (Learn, Engage, Ask, Develop, Encourage, Reinforce, Step Back) as the operating system for coaching, consulting, and workshops.
- Created concise, executive-friendly summaries and visuals for web and decks.
STEP 4
Architect Offers
& HR Funnel- Productized services for HR buyers:
- Executive Coaching (incl. Predictive Index options) for key managers.
- Team Development: private workshops, team coaching, consulting cohorts.
- Speaking: trust, endurance, decision-making, values-led leadership.
- Built a single-entry HR Director funnel: Discovery Call → Pilot (Coaching Starter / Team Pilot) → Expansion (multi-team training, cohorts, speaking).
STEP 5
Website & Content System
- Delivered a conversion-minded site: Home, About (with L.E.A.D.E.R.S.), Coaching, Consulting, Speaking, Trainings & Workshops
- Added sample workshop agenda download, newsletter capture, clear CTAs, and HR-aligned FAQs.
STEP 6
Media & Collateral
- Speaker Kit, Bio, MC Introduction for event planners.
- Social media optimization + brand banner copy.
- Business cards in approved palette.
- Photography & videography for the website and social promos.
STEP 7
Sales Enablement
- Discovery call structure, pilot packaging, and objection-handling aligned to HR priorities (engagement, cohesion, productivity, retention).
- Messaging tools that translate “people over tasks” into bottom-line outcomes.
Key Results
Clearer positioning that HR immediately understands.- Easier sales conversations with obvious pilot entry points.
- Increased founder confidence presenting a unified story and offer ladder.
- Positive HR feedback on clarity, practicality, and values alignment.
- Cohesive brand ecosystem (web + kit + media) ready to fuel outreach and events.
Before & After Comparison
Before
Purpose and experience in place, but offers unstructured, ICP broad, and limited sales assets, hard for HR to see the path to value.
after
A cohesive, HR-ready brand with a clear method (L.E.A.D.E.R.S.), productized services, pilot-led funnel, conversion-focused website, and professional collateral that convert interest into engagements.
impact on Toby’s Business
The 120-Day Brand Launch positioned Forge Leadership Institute as a credible partner for HR-led leadership development. By aligning audience, messaging, offers, funnel, media, and web, Toby now communicates trust, resilience, and measurable team outcomes, supporting stronger authority with HR directors, a cleaner pipeline, and confident growth.
Proven Results,
Extraordinary Brands
Disclaimer: Results vary based on individual effort, market conditions, and sales execution. The 120-Day Brand Launch provides branding and strategic support; business growth depends on implementation and demand.
