The 90-Day Revolution: How Quarterly Planning Transformed My Advocacy Practice
Nicole Broadhurst BCPA
![Nicole Broadhurst BCPA]()
Nicole Broadhurst BCPA
Patient Advocate | Medical Bill Master | Helping Committed Professionals Take Control of Medical Bills Without the frustrations of Medical Billing Departments
For over 30 years, I've relied on a powerful business strategy that has consistently delivered results—the 90-day strategic planning process. This approach served me well throughout my corporate healthcare career, and it was one of the first systems I implemented when I founded my advocacy practice in 2019. Today, I work efficiently, serve clients effectively, and maintain a thriving business. The secret? Embracing the power of 90-day strategic cycles. This isn't just a time management technique—it's a revolutionary approach to advocacy as a business.
The Annual Planning Problem
Traditional business planning fails advocates for three key reasons:
First, annual goals are too distant to maintain motivation. When you set goals 12 months out, they lack urgency. The brain struggles to connect today's actions with rewards that seem so far away. This is especially true in advocacy, where daily client needs constantly compete with long-term business objectives.
Second, healthcare is changing too rapidly for static annual plans. Insurance policies shift quarterly. Hospital billing practices evolve monthly. New treatment options emerge weekly. The advocate who planned their entire year in January finds their strategy obsolete by March.
Third, the perfectionism trap is real. Annual plans tend to be comprehensive documents that try to address everything at once. This creates overwhelm and, ironically, inaction. Many advocates I've worked with had beautiful annual business plans sitting untouched in their desk drawers.
The psychology behind 90-day cycles aligns perfectly with how our brains actually work. Research shows that motivation peaks when goals are challenging yet achievable within a visible timeframe. Ninety days is long enough to accomplish meaningful change but short enough to maintain focus and urgency.
The 4-Phase Strategic Framework
After decades of refining this approach—first in corporate healthcare and now in my advocacy practice—I've developed a 4-phase framework that consistently produces results:
Phase 1: Assess & Align
This crucial first step involves honestly evaluating where your business stands today and ensuring your activities align with your core values. Many advocates discover they're spending 80% of their time on activities that don't serve their purpose or profitability.
Key questions in this phase:
Phase 2: Identify Obstacles
This is where most planning systems fail—they jump straight to goal-setting without addressing what's really holding you back. In this phase, we identify both external barriers (market conditions, competition) and internal barriers (time management, confidence issues, knowledge gaps).
Common obstacles for advocates:
Phase 3: Design Systems
Systems are the bridge between intentions and results. In this phase, we create sustainable solutions for recurring challenges. Remember: a system is simply a decision made once that serves you repeatedly.
Essential systems for advocates:
Phase 4: Create Action Plans
The final phase breaks down quarterly goals into weekly tasks in your CEO Calendar. This isn't just another to-do list—it's a strategic allocation of your most valuable resource: time.
The CEO Calendar includes:
Implementation Success Stories
Ria's Revenue Transformation
"This was the best investment I've made. When I started with the group, my private pay profit was $500 and last month, it hit $7,000. I've met my goals on time, and what's made the biggest difference is the camaraderie and knowing I'm not alone in the struggles. There's also real accountability in the group. I've had topics addressed that I didn't even realize I needed like CEO calendar time blocking. The results aren't just from strategy planning alone, but it's had a major impact especially learning to plan ahead and put things on paper."
Sara's Clarity and Achievement
"Today I reflected on what we did yesterday, clarified my goals for this quarter, and set myself up to work on them as planned. It does bring achievability closer in sight. I love being a part of this group!"
Tammy's Ongoing Commitment
"This has been so helpful - I'm already thinking about buying the next workshop!"
The common thread in these success stories isn't extraordinary talent or resources—it's the power of strategic 90-day planning, consistent implementation, and the support of a community that understands the unique challenges of healthcare advocacy.
Conclusion:
Strategic planning isn't about complicated business models or fancy terminology. It's about creating clarity, focus, and accountability in 90-day sprints that build momentum.
As I often tell the advocates I work with: "You don't need permission—you need a plan."
If you're ready to transform your advocacy practice from overwhelming to organized, join us on June 20th at 1 PM EST for our Strategic Planning Workshop. In this 4-hour live session, you'll:
Remember: Burnout is not a badge of honor. The system won't save us—we have to save each other. And that starts with advocates who have the clarity, focus, and systems to make a sustainable difference.
#HealthcareAdvocacy #StrategicPlanning #PatientAdvocate #WorkLifeBalance