Are You Stuck in the Day-to-Day Grind?
You started your business to gain freedom—over your time, your decisions, and your life. But now you’re stuck in the grind: juggling cash flow, managing employees, and making endless operational decisions.
There is a Better Way...
There is a way to break free. With the right framework, you can take control of your time by confidently making decisions that free you up from operations. Independence by Design™ is a framework that helps you align your decisions with your time, cash flow, and equity goals.
Are You Wearing Too Many Hats?
There are countless operating systems to help us "work in" the business, what was missing was an ownership frameworks that show us how to "work on" the business. On one hand, you’re the Operator, focused on the daily grind—managing operations, people, sales, and trading time for money (salary). What about the other hat you wear? The Owner. The one who is responsible juggling cash flow, building equity, and reinvesting for growth?
Operator
- Time for Money (Salary)
- Operational Execution
- Daily challenges: Managing team dynamics, handling immediate problems, and making decisions on the fly.
Owner
- Reinvesting vs. Distributions
- Equity (Valuation) Growth
- Big picture focus: Building wealth, achieving financial freedom, and creating a business that aligns with your personal goals.
Unlock the Power of Being a Business Owner
Most systems focus on optimizing operations for Operators. What’s been missing is an Ownership Framework that helps you align your operations with your perseonal time, cash flow, and long–term equity growth goals. That’s why I created Independence by Design™—a framework that helps you connect both roles and confidently design a business that works for you. One that gives you independence.
The Business Owner's Framework for Getting Unstuck
At the heart of Independence by Design™ is the Ownership Flywheel™—a simple, powerful framework that connects every decision you make as a business owner. It’s built around three essential elements: Time, Cash Flow, and Wealth.
Here’s how it works:
- Time: Your most valuable resource. How you spend your time determines your ability to step out of operations and focus on what matters most.
- Cash Flow: The lifeblood of your business. Predictable cash flow gives you the freedom to reinvest, take distributions, and fund your goals.
- Wealth: The long-term value of your business. By growing your equity and aligning your business with your personal goals, you can secure financial independence.
Every decision you make as a business owner should strengthen this flywheel. By aligning your decision-making and operations with your personal goals for time, cash flow, and equity, you can step out of the grind and into the true ownership role.
Instead of being consumed by daily operations, you can become a capital allocator—focusing on doing more of what you love.
iBD Ownership Flywheel™
At the heart of Independence by Design™ is the Ownership Flywheel™—a simple, powerful framework that connects every decision you make as a business owner. It’s built around three essential elements: Time, Cash Flow, and Wealth.
iBD Ownership Flywheel™
Here’s how it works:
- Time: Your most valuable resource. How you spend your time determines your ability to step out of operations and focus on what matters most.
- Cash Flow: The lifeblood of your business. Predictable cash flow gives you the freedom to reinvest, take distributions, and fund your goals.
- Wealth: The long-term value of your business. By growing your equity and aligning your business with your personal goals, you can secure financial independence.
Every decision you make as a business owner should strengthen this flywheel. By aligning your decision-making and operations with your personal goals for time, cash flow, and equity, you can step out of the grind and into the true ownership role.
Instead of being consumed by daily operations, you can become a capital allocator—focusing on doing more of what you love.
Working with Ryan has been revolutionary. I have more clarity and less anxiety regarding the financial health of my business. I’m so grateful that I can now use my new mindset, tools and knowledge to grow my company’s equity value.
Steve Schaffer
Owner, Schaffer Manufacturing
The most concrete business practice I learned and adopted in Ryan's workshop was starting to think about our company as a financial asset and realizing we can forecast the business’s value into the future. We now understand that the future cash flow and equity value are the real metrics behind the health of the company.
Anne Dougherty
Owner, ILLUME Advising
As a business owner, I sometimes get into a rhythm or maybe a rut and do things in a certain way, almost methodically. Ryan's workshop allowed me to intentionally disrupt the rhythm and look at things through a different lens.”
Jamie Gmach
Owner, Evolving Solutions
An incredible resource for M&A pros
Ryan's podcast is a weekly ritual for my team. The insights and conversation topics. Ryan and his guests touch on issues that are highly relevant and actionable. We even find ourselves simply forwarding episodes to our clients to help them navigate the exit process. Thanks for the thought leadership!
Steve Gerten
Partner & Advisor, Paradise Capital LLC
Purposeful and Authentic
Ryan never fails to deliver excellent content that is useful and helpful. He asks questions that draw the best out of his guests. Ryan is motivated to help people achieve their purpose and his enthusiasm is tangible. He brings experience and authenticity to every episode.
Jenna Fromm
CEO, Palmer Bus Service
“Ryan Tansom walks the talk. He is incredibly dedicated to helping business owners and leaders ‘grow the value of their business with an end in mind’. My Vistage Members, EOS Clients and Coaching Clients leverage Ryan’s tools, education, workshops, and podcasts. My only regret about Ryan, is that I did not meet him earlier in my professional career.”
Katina Koller
Vistage Chair and EOS© Implementor
Working with Ryan has been revolutionary. I have more clarity and less anxiety regarding the financial health of my business. I’m so grateful that I can now use my new mindset, tools and knowledge to grow my company’s equity value.
Steve Schaffer
Owner, Schaffer Manufacturing
The most concrete business practice I learned and adopted in Ryan's workshop was starting to think about our company as a financial asset and realizing we can forecast the business’s value into the future. We now understand that the future cash flow and equity value are the real metrics behind the health of the company.
Anne Dougherty
Owner, ILLUME Advising
As a business owner, I sometimes get into a rhythm or maybe a rut and do things in a certain way, almost methodically. Ryan's workshop allowed me to intentionally disrupt the rhythm and look at things through a different lens.”
Jamie Gmach
Owner, Evolving Solutions
An incredible resource for M&A pros
Ryan's podcast is a weekly ritual for my team. The insights and conversation topics. Ryan and his guests touch on issues that are highly relevant and actionable. We even find ourselves simply forwarding episodes to our clients to help them navigate the exit process. Thanks for the thought leadership!
Steve Gerten
Partner & Advisor, Paradise Capital LLC
Purposeful and Authentic
Ryan never fails to deliver excellent content that is useful and helpful. He asks questions that draw the best out of his guests. Ryan is motivated to help people achieve their purpose and his enthusiasm is tangible. He brings experience and authenticity to every episode.
Jenna Fromm
CEO, Palmer Bus Service
“Ryan Tansom walks the talk. He is incredibly dedicated to helping business owners and leaders ‘grow the value of their business with an end in mind’. My Vistage Members, EOS Clients and Coaching Clients leverage Ryan’s tools, education, workshops, and podcasts. My only regret about Ryan, is that I did not meet him earlier in my professional career.”
Katina Koller
Vistage Chair and EOS© Implementor
Three Steps to Unlock Your Independence
The Independence by Design™ Framework is built on three steps to align your business operations with your personal goals for time, cash flow, and wealth: Understand the Game, Choose the Game, and Play the Game. Each step guides you to make informed decisions, reduce stress, and design a business that works for you—not the other way around.
1
1. Understand the Game: Shift Your Mindset from Operator to Owner
Stuck in the grind, unsure where to start? It’s exhausting. That’s why everything starts here—with free resources, tools, and insights to help you get clarity. Understanding the game of business ownership is about seeing how your decisions shape your time, cash flow, and wealth.
For over a decade, I’ve refined the five critical areas—what I call the 5 Pillars of Ownership—that every business owner must master. These pillars give you a clear roadmap for stepping out of the day–to–day chaos and making calculated decisions that align with your personal and business goals.
Outcome: By the end of Step 1, you’ll see “the matrix” of business ownership and you’ll clearly identify gaps in your ownership goals and know where to start improving
5 Pillars of Ownership
- Ownership Mindset
- Mastering Business Valuations
- Financial Roadmap
- Ownership Structures & Exit Options
- Advisory Team
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2. Choose the Game: Align the Business with Your Goals
Once you understand the game, it’s time to make it your own. This step focuses on connecting your business operations with your ownership goals in the right order, ensuring that every decision aligns with your long–term vision for time, cash flow, and equity. It’s not about working harder—it’s about working smarter, following a roadmap that moves you closer to your ideal outcome.
Through the iBD Ownership Roadmap™, you’ll integrate the right steps and resources into your business, including financial clarity, succession planning, value growth, and operational alignment. This isn’t just about building a financial roadmap (like a three–statement forecast)—it’s about creating a comprehensive plan that connects the dots between where you are today and your ultimate ownership goals, helping you transition from reactive firefighting to intentional execution.
Outcome: By the end of Step 2, you’ll have a roadmap that aligns your daily decisions with your long–term vision for time, cash flow, and wealth.
Getting into the Ownership Game
- Clarify Your Ownership Goals
- Build a Financial Roadmap (three-statement forecast)
- Identify Value Growth Strategies
- Create an Executive Succession & Compensation Plan
- Execute with a Business Operating System (e.g., EOS©) & Ownership Framework (e.g., iBD™)
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3. Play the Game: Master the Game of Business Ownership
Now that you’ve clarified your goals and built your roadmap, it’s time to execute with confidence. Step 3 is all about creating a system to keep you focused, accountable, and consistent. Even the best strategies can get lost in the chaos of day–to–day operations, but with the right cadence in place, you’ll stay on track.
Through the iBD Ownership Game Plan™, you’ll structure your monthly, quarterly, and annual ownership rhythms. These meetings will help you assess progress, adjust strategies, and ensure your decisions align with your vision.
Outcome: By the end of Step 3, you’ll have a sustainable ownership cadence that keeps you focused on growing equity value, freeing up time, and achieving financial independence.
Playing the Game of Ownership
- Monthly Ownership Check-Ins: Stay aligned with your goals and address challenges.
- Quarterly Ownership Breaks: Evaluate financial performance and progress on initiatives.
- Annual Owner’s Reset: Revisit long-term goals and refine your roadmap.
“What Makes Independence by Design™ Unique?”
I’m not here to sell you services—I’m here to empower you with education, tools, and a proven framework to align your decisions with your personal goals for time, cash flow, and wealth. By learning and applying the Independence by Design™ framework, you can work with your existing service providers and hire the right people at the right time to achieve your goals faster. Think of me as your ownership coach, helping you navigate the game of business ownership.
Ryan Tansom
Founder of Independence by Design™
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Independence by Design™?
Independence by Design™ is an ownership decision-making framework that helps business owners align their operations with their personal goals for time, cash flow, and wealth. It’s designed to guide you through a three-step process to shift your mindset, create a roadmap, and build rhythms that let you confidently own your business without being trapped in daily operations.
2. Are you a consultant or service provider?
No. I don’t sell professoinal services or act as a consultant. Independence by Design™ is an education-based framework designed to empower you with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to make decisions as a business owner. My goal is to help you see the game of ownership clearly so you can work with the right advisors and service providers to achieve your goals.
I do have a 1-on1 and group coaching program (currently limited to 20 clients) where I act as their ownership coach where I help clients get where they want to go faster by connecting dots, resources, education and accountatiblity. My main mission is to grow the content and framework.
3. How does the iBD framework help me grow my business?
The iBD framework doesn’t just help you grow your business—it helps you align your decisions with your long-term goals for time, cash flow, and equity. By focusing on ownership fundamentals like understanding your valuation, building a financial roadmap, and creating predictable cash flow, the framework gives you clarity and confidence to make decisions that strengthen your business over the long term.
4. Who is Independence by Design™ for?
Independence by Design™ is for owner-operators who are:
- Stuck in the day-to-day grind of running their business.
- Juggling cash flow, team management, and endless decisions.
- Looking to step back from operations and focus on creating equity value and financial freedom.
- Ready to align their business with their personal goals instead of operating on autopilot.
5. How does this compare to systems like EOS®, Scaling Up, or The Great Game of Business™?
These systems are great for running the operations of a business, but they don’t focus on ownership decisions. Independence by Design™ complements these systems by focusing on the owner’s role—helping you understand how to align operational systems with your goals for time, cash flow, and equity.
6. Will I get one-on-one coaching or services?
While I do offer one-on-one coaching for 20 clients, my plan to grow Independence by Design™ is through education, resources, and tools that guide you through the process of aligning your business operations with your personal goals.
7. What are the results I can expect from using the iBD framework?
By applying the Independence by Design™ framework, you can:
- Clarify your personal and business goals.
- Make confident, data-driven decisions aligned with your goals.
- Build sustainable cash flow and grow equity value.
- Step back from daily operations and focus on being a true owner.
8. What if I don’t have a team in place to implement the framework?
That’s okay! The framework is designed to meet you where you are. Whether you’re just starting to build your team or already have systems like EOS® in place, the iBD framework helps you focus on the decisions that will move you forward. You can also share these tools with your team or advisors to ensure alignment.
9. Can I share the tools and playbook with my team or advisors?
Absolutely. The playbook and tools are designed to help you create alignment across your team and advisors. By sharing your goals and roadmap, you can ensure everyone is working toward the same vision for your business.
10. How can I get started?
You can book an Ownership Strategy call with me https://bit.ly/iBDplaybook, start listening to the podcast, or attend a workshop.
The best way to start is with Step 1: Understand the Game. Download the iBD Ownership Scorecard™ to evaluate where you are and what you need to focus on next. From there, you can explore Step 2 and Step 3 to align your business and build a sustainable ownership system.