Your bite-sized system for a smoother build: Trail Mix
Planning your website? Pack your snacks first.
Website prep doesn’t have to feel like a 10-mile hike.
Trail Mix: Your Site Prep Kit breaks down everything you actually need before you build — It’s the essential pre-build prep system. Bite-sized, self-paced, and totally chaos-free.
It’s not the “fun” part of building your site.
But it is the part that makes the rest a walk in the park.
Trail Mix turns overwhelm into order — so you can move from planning to building without stalling out, whether you hire or DIY.
Grab your snacks
Your Site prep shouldn’t look like a raccoon raided your campsite.
When you built your first website, you didn't know you needed keyword research in order to write your copy.
Or that you needed to prep your photographer before your brand photo shoot. Or dammit - where are all of your testimonials 😭
And now you need to rebuild entirely because your services page is a patchwork. And it's obv that your site isn't talking to the right people. Crap.
This isn't about building a website. It's about getting your gear in order before the adventure begins.
Like any good journey, you need a trail map, solid boots, and a well-packed snack kit before setting off. Trail Mix makes the chaotic feel clear – and that's where the power is.
You don't need more inspiration. You need a framework. You need your ideas out of your head and into a system.
The real cost of skipping prep in planning a website
Most people think planning a website means "pick a template and start filling it in."
Then reality hits:
You're hunting through 47 emails trying to find that ONE testimonial
Your photographer sends back images that don't match your brand vibe at all
You’re racking Google Drive for copy that isn’t for your services from 3 years ago
You realize halfway through that you have zero keywords mapped out (and now your structure's all wrong)
You rebuild the whole thing next year because the first version was built on vibes, not strategy
Or worse - you hire someone, pay them thousands, then sit there scrambling for content while your launch date gets pushed back. Again.
The steps in planning a website aren't glamorous. But skipping them? That's what costs you time, money, and a whole lot of frustration.
What planning a website actually looks like
Trail Mix: Your Site Prep Kit is a $44 guided Notion system you complete in 6 weeks - designed to help you gather, refine, and organize everything your next website needs before you ever touch a template or onboard a designer.
No more lost files.
No more last-minute copy panic.
No more "wait, where did I save that?"
This is bite-sized snack prep that saves you time & Money:
Brand Photos
A handoff guide for your photographer with shot lists, brand notes, and inspiration — so you capture what your site really needs.
Keyword Research
A keyword research guide for your site, without overwhelm — enough to guide page structure and copy direction.
Ideal Client
A clear Client Snapshot you'll use to guide messaging, copy, and design decisions.
Testimonials
My proven testimonials script plus a filterable testimonials database where you can tag by project type, highlighted strengths, or keywords — ready to drop into your site.
Voice of Client
Pre-validation + market research interview questionnaires, plus a filterable message bank to store and sort voice-of-customer insights.
Offer Refinement
A filterable offers database showing all your services in one place — who it's for, buyer's journey stage, price range, and positioning notes.
Plus bonuses:
Domain Decision Maker
A quick guide to choosing & securing your domain (even if your 1st pick is taken).
Planning Calendar
To keep you moving along and track your progress
This is for you if…
You're DIYing – and only want to do it once (not again next year)
You're hiring a designer – and don't want to delay your launch because you showed up unprepared
You've been avoiding your website – because planning a website redesign feels like too much
Your content is everywhere – emails, voice notes, random Google docs - and hunting for it stresses you out
You want to a step-by-step walkthrough of exactly what's needed, so you're not guessing or backtracking later
What You'll Actually Have When You're Done
✓ One organized hub with all your content, design inspo, and strategic decisions – ready for DIY or handoff
✓ Brand photos that match the site you're building NOW — not the one you had 3 years ago (with a photographer brief that gets you exactly what you need)
✓ Copy that writes itself – because you'll have your ideal clients' actual words stored and sortable (need a testimonial about results? Done. About how easy you are to work with? Right there.)
✓ A site that showcases the absolute best of what you have – not just what was easiest to find at the time
✓ Designer onboarding that doesn't eat your nights – because you're handing off organized assets and clear direction, not scrambling through old emails at 11pm
✓ The confidence that your site will actually represent you – the real you, not the "good enough for now" version
Here's the truth:
Trail Mix doesn't make building a site easy.
But it makes it strategic. And when you're strategic, you're not:
Rebuilding in 12 months because you were winging it
Stalling mid-build because you don't have what you need
Launching something you're already embarrassed by
You're building once. Building smart. And moving the hell on.
What the people are saying
“Carolyn made the process so easy and seamless because of how thorough she is. I always knew where we were on our journey and what was expected of me to keep on track. Each step in her process was clearly explained.”
- Bunmi Adeeko Collins / StickyNote Creative
“Overall the process was so streamlined and clear, while offering flexibility when absolutely necessary. I knew exactly what to do at what time, and what to expect along the way. Carolyn's instructions and guidelines were always helpful.”
- Allyn Miller / Child Connection
“Carolyn's system just works.”
- Dr. Jessica Ahoubim / Pure Health IM
I built this so you don't have to hike uphill both ways.
Your next website needs more than another rushed, patchwork job.
This is your chance to gather what matters, skip what doesn't, and launch your site the right way – in one shot.