6 months

Obtaining your SOM is about deeply understanding how to successfully lead projects in an entrepreneurial small business. 

If you are looking for a quick surface-level certification program, this is not it. 

SOM is an investment of time and focus exclusively for those interested in mastery and who are really serious about getting the best possible results for their clients as well as themselves.

You can achieve your SOM certification in as little as 6 months. 

4 months + 1 year as follows:

The ePM Certification is a 4-month program.

Upon achieving your certification, you gain a full year of access to the content, calls, and other bonuses exclusively for certified ePMs.

Annual renewal is required in order to maintain access and continue to license all of the frameworks, systems, templates, and tools.

See below for everything you get with your annual renewal.

Certification isn't just about knowledge, it's about real-world mastery so you can step into a business and get them results.

As a result, certification includes 3 components:

1. Consuming the content: this includes attending the 1-day intensives (or watching the replays) and watching the on-demand training modules; 80% or higher consumption rate is required to show you have learned each system

2. Passing of a knowledge exam: there is a knowledge exam including situational questions based on the content to show that you not only learned the frameworks but you understand when and how to apply them; 80% or higher score is required

3. Completion and submission of capstone project: we carefully designed the capstone project to allow you to put what you learn into action and generate real results for the businesses you support; what's unique about how we approach the capstone is that we help you build your client case studies as you go along so you can leverage them to sell your services and charge premium pricing

You have an entire year so you can try as many times as you need to.

You get an entire year of support so if you struggle with any aspect of the certification in a particular system, you can bring questions to the ongoing Q&A calls, leverage the community for support, retake the exam, and resubmit the capstone project.  

We provide you with all the resources you need to get certified, you simply need to take action and commit to learning and mastery.

Should you decide NOT to get your certification, you won't be able to license the Lean Strategic Planning framework for use with clients and won't be eligible for matching services, or being listed in the directory, but you will maintain access to the trainings, tools, and templates for the full year which you can leverage for personal use within your own business.

As with all things, you will get out of it what you put into it.  To achieve your certification within 4 months, we recommend 3 - 5 hours* per week as follows:

• 1 hour each week dedicated to the training and support call (or watching the replay)
• 1 - 2 hours each week consuming on-demand content and interacting in the community
• 1 - 2 hours each week IMPLEMENTING what you learn and working on your capstone project and case studies

In addition, you will need to make yourself available for the 1-day intensive.

*Since you will be learning by DOING, the majority of your implementation time is part of your existing working hours and not additional.

Our systems, templates, toolkits, and assessments have been carefully crafted from more than 30 years of experience leading and scaling businesses ranging from Fortune 500 giants to small online service-based businesses.

There is nothing cookie cutter about the content and it is all exclusive to Strategic Ops Institute and our sister company, Lean Out Method.

With your license, you're not just getting high-value templates and tools, you're getting fully vetted systems that have been used successfully with hundreds of small businesses like the ones you work with.

Upon certification, ePMs will receive a time-limited, non-exclusive license to access and utilize a suite of proprietary strategic planning and leadership templates, frameworks, systems, and tools.

This license is designed to empower certified individuals by providing them with high-quality resources to enhance their operational capabilities, while also protecting the intellectual property rights of the program creator.

Benefits and Usage Rights

• Access to Proprietary Materials: Licensees can access and use:
  • Strategic planning templates
  • AI prompts and best practices
  • Customizable tools for client engagement and management
• Application in Client Engagements: Licensees can directly apply these materials in their work with clients to improve client business operations.
• Professional Development: Materials can be used for the licensee’s own professional development and operational enhancement.
• Renewable License: The license is time-limited with an annual renewal cycle, encouraging ongoing engagement with the latest materials and practices.

Limitations and Restrictions

• Non-Exclusive Use: Other certified individuals or entities can also obtain licenses to use the same materials, maintaining a competitive environment.
• No Sub-licensing: Licensees cannot sub-license, sell, or otherwise distribute the materials to others.
• No Modifications for Resale: While modifications for personal use in client engagements are allowed, licensees cannot modify materials and then sell them as part of another product or service.
• No Claim of Ownership: Licensees must acknowledge that all intellectual property rights are retained by the original creator, and they have no ownership claims over the materials.

Additional Considerations

• Regular Updates: Licensees will receive updates to materials as they are developed, ensuring access to the most current and effective tools.
• Support and Training: Access to ongoing support and training sessions to ensure effective use of the materials in various operational contexts.

Yes.  There is an annual renewal fee to maintain your certification and continue to license the lean strategic planning system for use with your clients.

Your annual fee provides you with the following:

• Listing in our Certified Lean Strategic Planning Expert Directory
• Matching services (starting in 2025)
• Access to the Right-Hand Revolution Community
• Continued access to all trainings, toolkits, playbooks, and assessments, including access to any new content that gets introduced
• The ability to re-attend the 1-day live intensive for a refresher
• Access to monthly support calls exclusively for certified ePMs

Your first year's access is included in your ePM certification, so your annual renewal fee will not be due until 1 year following completion of the ePM Program.

The annual renewal fee is only $100 / month or $1000 per year.

The first step is to submit your application which we'll carefully review.

Expect an email within 2 business days (Monday - Friday) with next steps which will be one of the following 3 scenarios:

1. Application accepted: If you meet the necessary experience and fit criteria, you'll receive an acceptance letter and be invited to put down a deposit to secure your spot in our beta certification group. Only 15 people will be accepted into beta (which is $1000 off regular pricing) so we recommend securing your spot right away.

2. Interview needed: If we have questions or feel we need to dig a little deeper to confirm it's a great fit, you'll receive an email with an invite to schedule a call with Crista or Jess (Crista's right hand) so you can both talk through questions and come to an aligned decision.

3. Not a fit just yet: If we don't feel you're ready yet based on experience or fit, you'll receive an email outlining what we recommend you do to become ready. 

Becoming a certified SOM is the gold-standard for Founders looking for a strategic operational leader skilled at project and system management, so we are highly selective in who we invite into the certification to maintain that integrity and trust in the market. 

This is a one-of-a-kind experience for those who are truly ready, and we deeply invest in your success.

We also give you access to our time-tested and proven systems and frameworks including EVERYTHING we have learned and leveraged to successfully lead projects and scale businesses of all shapes and sizes for more than 3 decades.   

As a result, we only accept those we have high confidence will be successful in both the short-term and long-term and who align with our values in order to license our proprietary lean strategic planning system.  

A SOL is a Strategy and Operations Leader and it represents a type of leader as opposed to a specific role.

SOLs exist at different levels of the organization.  

A SOM is a specific role - a Scalable Operations Manager.  They are the bridge between strategy and execution and usually work closely with the team and both develop the detailed plans and systems and lead execution. 

Depending on the size and scope of the businesses they work with, they may also work closely with the founder on high-level strategic planning or they may work with a COO or CSOO.