I really had no idea that on April 2nd, 2009… something pretty big was happening.
It was the kickoff call for my very first Certified OBM® training program.
We had 21 people in that first cohort (I just found the original roster of folks who were a part of that very first group)… and I remember being NERVOUS as can be.
Little did I know what Certified OBM was about to become. That it would not only set the standard for the Online Business Manager profession (and become the template for countless similar trainings that have come along since), but it would also become a model for the power of creating a certification program.
In the 17 years since then, over a thousand OBMs have been certified. They in turn have served tens of thousands of business owners. Certified OBMs have become “the magic” operational foundation for countless businesses.
Which brings me to today.
I’m overjoyed to announce that leadership of the International Association of Online Business Managers and Certified OBM has now been handed over – to Amanda Hyde-Pierce — and I couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead.
Since 2020, Amanda has been part of the community as a Certified OBM, a licensed trainer, and every possible capacity: student, solo OBM, agency owner, behind-the-scenes collaborator.
She knows the OBM world from the inside out and I could not have asked for a better person to pass the torch to.
What makes this moment feel especially right is the timing. In the new AI era, where everything is changing – tools, the way we work, the way businesses are run, and what leadership actually looks like, the need for strategic, human-led operations has never been greater. Amanda understands this and has a clear vision for the incredible opportunity it represents for Certified OBMs and their clients.
With that, I wanted to share the big news. After 17 years, I am stepping out of leadership and thrilled to leave Certified OBM in Amanda’s more than capable hands.
As for me?
Certified OBM has been my greatest teacher… through the highs and the lows. It challenged me. Because of it, I learned to step into my leadership – to own my strengths and face my growth edge. I can’t wait to support more leaders on this journey.
Of course, in 17 years, I worked with some of the most dedicated and smart people in the industry. People who have cared about the Certified OBM community as much as I have. A special shout out to Tiffany Johnson who helped me build the foundation from day one, to Dori Tattrie for her unwavering support of the community and to Jen Caswell and Jen Hazlett for being the ‘magic behind the scenes’ today. I’m also grateful to our Certified OBM Trainer Keldie Jamieson who – alongside Amanda – has been such a caring and committed leader for our students. I’m excited to see the next adventures they will create.
And of course, thanks to my business bestie Andrea J Lee – who was there with me on that very first call back in 2009 and who was the little voice in my ear telling me I could do this and it would be amazing.
Seeing a business through from idea to exit is a unique and empowering experience. It was unexpectedly challenging at times and I’m quite proud of where we’ve ended up.
Now I will have more time to do my favorite thing: help leaders turn their IP into certification/licensing programs that scale… into industry-changing movements and build true wealth. Now that I’ve done exactly that, I’m even more fired up to light the way for others.
I am also leaving myself open to possibilities – giving myself the space and time to exhale and just be – without immediate plans or expectations. I’ll continue to spend my days walking my pups and doing my puzzles, with a bit of golf now that spring has sprung here in Alberta.
Please join me in celebrating the news – a 17 year legacy and vision has come to a close, with incredible things ahead. Stay tuned for more writing about leadership, scaling and becoming who we are meant to be – perhaps even more transparent now that I have space to process things more deeply myself.
Thank you for sharing the journey in big ways and small.
There is an eeek factor that comes into play when launching a certification out into the world.
An identity crisis of sorts.
Because you are shifting from being the delivery mechanism of your IP, to being the steward of your IP.
You are putting yourself out there as a leader. You are saying to the world “this works & the world needs more of it” and inviting folks to be a part of it.
This is a scary step! It brings up all kinds of fear.
“What if folks don’t want it”
“What if I do a poor job of delivering the certification”
“What if the people I certify do a poor job”
And the doozy imo:
“What will people think of me”
If you are anything like me you are a people pleaser at heart. And the worst thing in the world for a people pleaser is to feel like we let someone down.
When I launched the Certified OBM program back in 2009 my biggest fear by far was what would people think of me.
“Who does Tina think she is? Come on now… this is ridiculous. No one wants this. She’s just made up a role that doesn’t even exist.” Etc etc
This was the part that held me back from creating my certification initially. Even after I had the strategy and structure all laid out. Even after I had the plan and people around me who wanted it.
Thankfully I had my biz bestie Andrea J. Lee in my corner to help me work through all of that and to give me a loving kick in the butt.
Stepping into your next level of leadership is one of the hardest parts of creating a certification.
It’s not the planning. It’s not the strategy or the curriculum. Or all the backend things it takes to make an amazing certification.
That’s the easy part – I can lay that all out for you in a day.
It’s taking that deep breath. Stepping out and saying “here it is world”. It’s the easiest part and the hardest part all at the same time.
If you’ve been sitting on a certification for a while here’s how I like to look at it.
This isn’t about you.
It’s about what you’ve created.
The IP that you KNOW works and that is begging to be out in the world in bigger ways.
It’s really not about us at all. We are the stewards of this work and if certification truly is part of our path, then letting fear stop us isn’t only hurting us… it’s hurting all the people around us that can be helped. The folks who get certified and the people they get to help in turn.
What is your IP asking to be in the world? <— that’s what really matters.
Yes, I’m all about certifications. I believe it’s the best business model for established experts who have a big vision for their body of work in the world.
But even deeper than I take a stand on letting your IP do the work it was created to do.
The online / expert / coaching space is an interesting duck in that it’s all about personal branding. We are our businesses. Our faces and names are on everything that we offer. Folks hire US.
Even when we have leveraged or group programs – they are often still based on US showing up in some way. Especially around the marketing (I know many a highly successful coach / expert who knows for a fact that if they aren’t the face of their marketing they don’t get the same results)
There are two problems with this:
You are trapped in your own success. You may have amazing clients and great income – and if you step away your business will shrink. If people are still buying you it’s pretty hard to step out of that in most leveraged models.
You are stifling the impact of your IP. I’m a strong believer that when we have created something that works – something that you have proven creates results – then it should be out in the world in as big a way as possible.
This is why certification matters. Why it’s the best model for those who have created amazing IP and have a big vision for it.
It’s the best way to get “you” out of the equation – so that you are no longer trapped in your own success – while amplifying the expansion of your IP in the world through other people.
Yes, I’m biased about it because I’ve lived it. I’ve seen firsthand how proven IP and a big vision can change the world for multitudes of people through my Certified OBM program.
Would the OBM world be what it is today if I hadn’t launched that program in 2009? Chances are it wouldn’t.
If you’ve done the hard work of creating your IP and proving its success – what is the next step for you?
And if you haven’t considered certification yet perhaps now is the time to do so… consider this a loving tap on the shoulder.
I was saying to someone just the other day that there is something different in the air already this year. For me it feels very similar to previous years that were full of uncertainty and yet ripe with possibility.
It’s reminding me of 2009. That was the year I launched the Certified OBM program.
We were fresh off the financial crisis of 2008 and in the middle of a recession. Logic would say, it was NOT a good time to launch something new.
And yet I did. I had 20 people go through the certification that first year and it was the start of what became a movement. Of changing the way folks worked with and supported online businesses. Of business owners finding the folks they needed to run a business with them and not just work “for” them.
What if I had listened to all the nay sayers out there at the time. All the folks who were extra cautious and in “wait and see” mode?
Chances are that the OBM world may not be what it is today. And I don’t say that lightly.
Do I have any proof that this is what 2026 is all about? Nope.
But I do have that *feeling* again… it’s in the air right now. I’m seeing other folks talk about it too.
If you have something you’ve been sitting on. Waiting for the ‘right time’ to bring it out… perhaps now is that time.
If something is calling your name and it just won’t leave you be… perhaps now is the time.
If you have a big vision that you want to see come to life, there is fertile ground all around us right now waiting to be planted.
2025 was a ‘wait and see’ year. We all felt it.
2026 is a ‘make it happen’ year. <– that’s the choice
Because let’s be real. The world isn’t going to settle down anytime soon. So if we continue to wait and see… well, we may be waiting a long time.
