An Hour with Michael
One conversation. No program attached.
Sometimes you don't need six months of coaching. You need one hour with someone who has built things, broken things, and figured out how to keep going.
You've got a decision in front of you, or a thing you can't see clearly, or a plan you want someone honest to poke holes in. You don't want to enroll in anything. You want to talk it through once and get back to work.
That's this.
$250. Or $150 if you're a Boardroom member.
What the hour actually looks like
When you book, I'll ask you three questions - what you're working on, what your role is, and anything else I should know. A few sentences each is plenty.
I read those before we talk, so we don't spend the first fifteen minutes on background.
Then we just talk. No deck, no worksheet, no framework I'm walking you through. Sometimes we go deep on one thing for the whole hour. Sometimes we cover five things fast. Whatever the hour needs.
Afterward I send you a short note with what stood out to me - not a report, just the two or three things worth remembering.
Sixty minutes, and I'll respect the clock. If we're mid-thought at fifty-five I'll say so and we'll close cleanly.
What people bring
- A decision about leaving a job, or not leaving it yet
- A venture that's working but not the way it was supposed to
- The question of whether to build the Catholic version of something, or just build the thing
- Pricing, positioning, or a product that isn't landing
- The gap between the work and the vocation, and whether it's supposed to close
- Something you can't say out loud at your own company
What I'm not the right person for
- Counseling or therapy. I'm not licensed and won't pretend otherwise.
- Financial or investment advice. Same.
- Spiritual direction. I'm a deacon, but that's a different relationship with different formation behind it. Ad Alta is the professional lens.
- A pitch meeting. If you want me to promote or invest in something, that's a different conversation and this isn't it.
If you're unsure whether it fits, email me at michael@adaltaleadership.com and describe what you're working on. I'll tell you honestly, and if it's not a fit I might know where to send you.
Book your hour
$250 for the hour, collected at booking. Cancel more than 48 hours out for a full refund. Inside 48 hours I can't refund, but I'll reschedule you once.
Boardroom members book at $150 - your link is in the monthly issue.
About Deacon Michael
Michael Halbrook is the founder of Domus Formation and Ad Alta Leadership, and a permanent deacon of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.
Before this, he spent thirty years in media, marketing, technology, and consulting - most recently as Director of Adobe on Adobe Consulting, leading a global team of more than a hundred people. He left in May 2026 to build what he's writing about here.
His work has been featured in the Diocese of Springfield's Catholic Times and on The Catholic Man Show.
Consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Questions
Do I need to be Catholic?
No. Much of what I've built serves Catholic institutions, and that shapes how I think. But plenty of what we'd talk through has nothing to do with faith, and you're welcome either way.
What if I need more than one conversation?
Book another. There's no package and no commitment either direction.
If you find yourself wanting this regularly, The Ascent is six sessions over three months with a small group - the October cohort is enrolling now.
Is it recorded?
Not by default. I take notes and send you the highlights afterward. If you want a recording for your own reference, say so in your intake and we'll set it up.
How do I get the $150 rate?
Subscribe to The Boardroom - $150 a year for monthly notes and quarterly calls. Members get a private booking link. Two Hours in a year and the subscription has paid for itself.
Not ready for this? Ad Alta Weekly is free and publishes Tuesdays.