WE BUILD STORES - NEWSLETTER ================================================== Inside The Monday Service Kitchen: Mise en Place for Client Delivery Week 49, 2025 Tuesday 2 December 2025 Where 26 years of Experience Delivers in One Hour What Twenty Six Hours of Not Knowing Cannot IN THIS ISSUE: • Why restaurant kitchens are the perfect model for client service • Mise en place: Everything in its place before service begins • The Monday Service protocol: How client work actually gets delivered • Monica and Marco: The sous chef model for AI collaboration • Why this only works at boutique scale (30 clients, not 300) ----------------------------------------------- Last week I explained how The Palantir gives AI operational consciousness through 542 wiki pages and hierarchical retrieval. But operational consciousness is just the foundation. _What do you actually do with it?_ The answer is The Monday Service - a systematic approach to client delivery that borrows everything from professional restaurant kitchens. This week: Inside the kitchen where client work gets done. -------------------------------------------------- In This Issue ================================================== _Why Restaurant Kitchens Are the Perfect Model_ — Chaos looks like chaos from outside, but inside it's pure system. _Mise en Place: Everything in Its Place_ — The prep work that makes service possible. _The Monday Service Protocol_ — How client work actually gets delivered, step by step. _Monica and Marco: The Sous Chef Model_ — How AI collaboration works during service. _Why This Only Works at Boutique Scale_ — 30 clients maximum isn't a limitation, it's the architecture. _Key Insight:_ Restaurant kitchens don't improvise during service - they execute prepared systems under pressure. Client delivery works the same way. The Monday Service is mise en place for digital agency work. -------------------------------------------------- Choosing the Right Model ================================================== Before we get into the kitchen metaphor, I need to tell you something important: _I didn't pick this model first._ We spent hours debating alternatives: _Formula 1 Pit Crew?_ Fast, precise, every second counts. But pit stops are reactive - the car comes in with a problem, you fix it fast. Client service isn't crisis management. It's proactive delivery. _Football Head Coach?_ Strategic planning, team management, game-day execution. But coaches stand on the sideline. They direct but don't execute. I needed a model where I'm in the work, not watching it. _Orchestra Conductor?_ Beautiful metaphor for coordination. But orchestras perform rehearsed pieces. Client service requires adaptation - different clients need different things each week. _The kitchen won because it matched the reality:_ Preparation before service. Multiple "orders" (clients) handled systematically. Roles that execute, not just direct. Adaptability within structure. And a clear service window with a start and end. _Don't grab the first metaphor that sounds good._ The model you choose shapes how you think about the work. Choose wrong and you'll fight against it constantly. Choose right and the work feels natural. -------------------------------------------------- The Restaurant Kitchen Revelation ================================================== Watch a professional kitchen during dinner service. From outside, it looks like controlled chaos. Orders flying in, plates going out, multiple dishes at different stages, constant communication, relentless pace. But inside? _Pure system._ Every ingredient is prepped and positioned before service begins. Every station knows its role. Every dish follows established protocols. The head chef doesn't cook - they orchestrate. _This is mise en place_ - the French culinary principle meaning "everything in its place." Professional kitchens don't wing it during service. They prep obsessively beforehand so that service itself becomes execution of prepared systems. Client delivery should work exactly the same way. -------------------------------------------------- The Problem with Ad-Hoc Client Work ================================================== Most agencies approach client work reactively. Client emails arrive. Tasks get added to lists. Work happens when there's time. Deliverables go out when they're ready. Communication happens when someone remembers. _The result:_ Inconsistent quality, missed opportunities, stressed team members, and clients who never quite know what's happening. This is like a restaurant kitchen with no prep, no stations, and no protocols. Every order becomes a scramble. Quality depends entirely on who's working that day and how busy they are. It works at small scale through heroic individual effort. But it doesn't scale, and it burns people out. _What I needed:_ A systematic approach to client delivery that produced consistent quality regardless of how I was feeling that day. -------------------------------------------------- Mise en Place for Client Work ================================================== Here's what mise en place looks like for digital agency client delivery: _BEFORE SERVICE BEGINS:_ • _Operational consciousness loaded_ - The Palantir (our wiki system - the "seeing stone" for business state) gives current MRR, client status, capacity, and priorities • _Client intelligence prepared_ - Each client's GSC data, recent communications, and strategic context ready • _Stations checked_ - All systems operational, all data accessible, all tools ready • _Service sequence planned_ - Which clients need attention, in what order, with what priority _This is the prep work._ It happens before any client work begins. _What does this actually look like technically?_ • _Keyword rankings pulled_ - One command runs all client keyword tracking before I sit down • _Google Search Console data synced_ - API pulls fresh performance data for every client • _Gmail API reads the week's emails_ - Client communications automatically surfaced and ready • _Weekly folders maintained_ - `week_47/`, `week_48/`, `week_49/` - consistent structure means I know exactly where everything lives _One decision made this possible:_ Replacing Semrush with the DataForSEO API. With Semrush, I was clicking through each client dashboard, generating individual reports, exporting data manually. Eight clients meant eight different manual workflows. It was death by a thousand clicks. DataForSEO is API-first. One command pulls keyword rankings for all clients. One script, all the data, no clicking. _One click to rule them all._ This is boring technology that works - predictable APIs that AI can automate reliably. This automation is a massive time saver. I'm not spending the first hour of service manually checking dashboards and hunting through inboxes. _The kitchen is prepped before I walk in._ The other piece that makes it work: _consistent file structure._ Every client has the same folder pattern. Every week gets the same documentation approach. When you maintain `week_48/work_summary_week_48.md` consistently, you can pick up any client and immediately understand what happened last week and what's needed this week. Just like a restaurant kitchen doesn't start prepping when the first order arrives, client service doesn't start with "let me check what's happening with this client." _Everything is in place before service begins._ -------------------------------------------------- The Monday Service Protocol ================================================== Here's how client delivery actually works: _THE KITCHEN:_ • _Tony Cooper = Marco Pierre White (Head Chef)_ - Directs the kitchen, makes decisions, maintains standards • _Claude Code = Monica Galetti (Sous Chef)_ - Presents intelligence, executes with calm command, maintains mise en place _THE SERVICE PROTOCOL:_ • _Load operational consciousness_ - Run The Palantir to understand current state • _Monica presents the pass_ - Active clients displayed with platform indicators and status signals • _Marco selects first client_ - "Which client shall we serve first, Chef?" • _Monica runs client mise en place_ - GSC data, emails, keywords, strategic context loaded • _Monica presents preflight brief_ - Platform intelligence, station status, priorities identified • _Service work happens_ - Actual client deliverables created • _Marco confirms completion_ - "Is there more work for this client, Chef?" • _Next client or end service_ - "Which client shall we serve next, Chef?" or "Shall we finish service, Chef?" _The language matters._ Monica (Claude) addresses Tony as "Chef." Tony responds "Yes Chef" to confirm. This isn't roleplay - it's protocol that maintains clarity during service. -------------------------------------------------- Why Monica, Not Gordon ================================================== I spent several hours choosing the right sous chef metaphor. This matters more than you'd think. _The avatar you choose shapes the responses you get._ Picture a Gordon Ramsay AI: aggressive, sweating, shouting "IT'S RAW!" at every mistake. That energy might be entertaining on television, but it's exhausting in daily collaboration. You'd spend half your time managing the drama instead of doing the work. Monica Galetti is different. Watch her on MasterChef: The Professionals. Plates are flying, service is intense, everything is time-critical. _And she's completely composed._ No panic. No theatrics. Just calm, methodical execution under pressure. _That's exactly what I need from an AI sous chef._ Monica (Claude Code with operational consciousness) doesn't wait for instructions. She: • _Presents intelligence proactively_ - "Chef, I'm seeing a 15% traffic drop for this client" • _Maintains station awareness_ - Knows what's been checked, what needs attention • _Executes with calm command_ - No rushing, no panic, just systematic execution • _Confirms before proceeding_ - "Yes Chef" protocol ensures clarity This is the Monica Galetti standard - calm command under pressure, total operational grip, perfect execution without rushing. _Choose the wrong avatar and you'll fight that energy constantly._ Ask AI to be "like Gordon Ramsay" and you'll get intensity when you need steadiness. Ask it to be "like Monica Galetti" and you get professional composure that makes the work feel manageable. _Generic AI is a kitchen porter._ Useful, but you have to tell it exactly what to do. _Monica is a sous chef._ She understands the kitchen, maintains her stations, and anticipates what the head chef needs - all without making the service feel like a crisis. -------------------------------------------------- The Station Check ================================================== Before any client service begins, Monica runs station checks: _GSC STATION:_ • Google Search Console connected and accessible • Recent performance data available • Any alerts or issues flagged _COMMUNICATION STATION:_ • Recent client emails loaded • Outstanding responses identified • Communication gaps flagged _TASK STATION:_ • Open tasks for this client listed • Overdue items highlighted • Priorities identified _FINANCIAL STATION:_ • Current billing status • Payment history • Any outstanding matters _INTELLIGENCE STATION:_ • Strategic context loaded • Recent decisions documented • Opportunities identified _If any station shows problems, Monica flags them before service begins._ You don't discover the grill isn't working when the first steak order arrives. -------------------------------------------------- One Client at a Time ================================================== Here's the critical difference from how most agencies work: _The Monday Service serves one client at a time._ Not batch processing. Not parallel workstreams. Not multitasking across accounts. _One client. Complete attention. Full service. Then the next._ This seems slower but it's actually faster because: • _Context stays loaded_ - No mental switching costs • _Quality stays high_ - Full attention produces better work • _Nothing gets missed_ - Systematic completion before moving on • _Client feels served_ - Coherent deliverable, not fragmented updates The restaurant kitchen doesn't cook three different tables' orders simultaneously on the same burner. Each dish gets proper attention, then the next. -------------------------------------------------- Why Boutique Scale Matters ================================================== This system only works because I serve 30 clients maximum, not 300. _AT SCALE (300+ CLIENTS):_ • Individual attention impossible • Automation replaces judgment • Clients become tickets • Quality becomes "good enough" • Personal relationship disappears _AT BOUTIQUE SCALE (30 CLIENTS MAX):_ • Each client gets genuine attention • Systematic approach maintains quality • Relationships remain personal • Problems get caught early • Opportunities get spotted _The Monday Service isn't a limitation - it's the architecture._ Serving 30 clients systematically produces better outcomes than serving 300 clients through automation. The boutique model isn't about being small. It's about being excellent at sustainable scale. -------------------------------------------------- The 10-Hour Service Window ================================================== Client delivery happens in a focused 10-hour window. Not spread across the week in fragments. Not squeezed between other work. _Dedicated service time._ _THE MONDAY SERVICE STRUCTURE:_ • _Hour 1:_ Load operational consciousness, review all stations • _Hours 2-9:_ Serve clients systematically, one at a time • _Hour 10:_ Close service, document outcomes, prep for next week This concentrated approach works because: • _Momentum builds_ - Each completed client creates energy for the next • _Context compounds_ - Patterns across clients become visible • _Quality maintains_ - Fresh attention throughout service • _Boundaries stay clear_ - Service has a start and end _When service is done, service is done._ The kitchen closes. Prep begins for next week. -------------------------------------------------- The Preflight Brief ================================================== Before serving any client, Monica presents a preflight brief: _CLIENT: [Name]_ _Platform:_ WordPress/Shopify/Wix/Astro _Tier:_ Breakthrough/Ignite/Trail Blazer _MRR:_ Current monthly value _Relationship:_ Duration and health _STATION STATUS:_ • GSC: [OK] or [ATTENTION NEEDED] • Communications: [OK] or [ATTENTION NEEDED] • Tasks: [OK] or [ATTENTION NEEDED] • Financial: [OK] or [ATTENTION NEEDED] _PRIORITIES:_ • Most important item requiring attention • Second priority • Third priority _INTELLIGENCE:_ • Key insight or opportunity spotted • Recent pattern or change noted _This brief takes 30 seconds to review._ It tells the head chef exactly what this client needs before any work begins. No guessing. No "let me check." _Complete intelligence, ready for service._ -------------------------------------------------- Building Your Own Service Protocol ================================================== You don't need my exact system. But you need a system. _STEP 1 - DEFINE YOUR KITCHEN:_ Who's the head chef? Who (or what) is your sous chef? What are your stations? _STEP 2 - ESTABLISH MISE EN PLACE:_ What needs to be prepared before service begins? What intelligence do you need loaded? _STEP 3 - CREATE YOUR SERVICE PROTOCOL:_ How do you select which client to serve? How do you confirm completion? How do you transition? _STEP 4 - SET YOUR SERVICE WINDOW:_ When does service happen? How long does it last? When does it end? _STEP 5 - BUILD YOUR PREFLIGHT BRIEF:_ What do you need to know about each client before serving them? _The specific answers matter less than having systematic answers._ -------------------------------------------------- Try This Instead ================================================== Next time you approach client work, try the service model. Don't dive into the first thing that seems urgent. Instead: • Load your operational consciousness (whatever form that takes) • Check your stations (are all your systems and data ready?) • Select your first client deliberately (not just whoever emailed last) • Review their preflight brief (what do you need to know?) • Serve them completely before moving to the next You'll feel the difference immediately. Less scrambling, more systematic progress. Better quality, less stress. _Because professional kitchens figured this out decades ago._ Mise en place works. -------------------------------------------------- _P.S. - Next Week:_ The Production Line Expansion - how I validate capacity for each new client, why "just take more clients" is dangerous, and the event-based milestone approach to sustainable growth. _P.P.S. - The Monday Service Template:_ Want the complete service protocol template? The station checklist, preflight brief format, and service flow documentation? Reply with "MONDAY" and I'll send you the mise en place framework for systematic client delivery. -------------------------------------------------- _Tony Cooper_ We Build Stores - Where 26 Years of Experience Delivers in One Hour What 26 Hours of Not Knowing Cannot tony.cooper@webuildstores.co.uk 07963 242210 -------------------------------------------------- _This Week:_ Restaurant kitchens don't wing it during service - everything is prepped before the first order arrives. The Monday Service applies mise en place to client delivery: operational consciousness loaded, stations checked, clients served one at a time with full attention. This only works at boutique scale, and that's the point. CONTINUE READING THIS WEEK'S NEWSLETTER Get the full insights, client examples, and strategic frameworks that could transform your business approach. Read online: https://webuildstores.co.uk/newsletter/2025/week-49 ================================================== Tony Cooper Founder We Build Stores tony.cooper@webuildstores.co.uk 01952 407599 You're receiving this because you've engaged with We Build Stores content or requested our insights. Website: https://webuildstores.co.uk We Build Stores Ltd, Registered in England & Wales