Hey everyone — longtime reader & podcast interview listener of MJ.
I’m at a bit of an inflection point and would really value feedback from people who’ve scaled service businesses into new markets.
Background:
What’s happening now:
What I’m debating:
Do I double down on the same playbook in NC — specifically:
Lunch & learns with real estate offices
COI (centers of influence) relationships
Boots-on-the-ground networking
OR… should I be thinking differently entering a new market?
Constraints / preferences:
Questions for the group:
Appreciate any feedback — especially from people who’ve made a geographic expansion like this.
Thanks in advance.
I’m at a bit of an inflection point and would really value feedback from people who’ve scaled service businesses into new markets.
Background:
- I run a divorce mediation business (Adriatic Mediation) based in NJ
- We’re just starting to gain traction and become profitable
- Strong niche around divorce + real estate (we often get involved when couples need to sell the home)
- Most of our business has come from relationships and referrals — not paid ads
What’s happening now:
- I’m relocating to North Carolina (Research Triangle area) in July
- Plan is to keep NJ running while opening/building NC
- All services can be done virtually, but I believe local presence still matters for trust + referrals
- Lunch & learns with real estate offices
- Building relationships with agents, attorneys, financial advisors
- Positioning as a “neutral third party” (think referee in a tennis match)
- Leaning into a niche instead of being a generalist
What I’m debating:
Do I double down on the same playbook in NC — specifically:
Lunch & learns with real estate offices
COI (centers of influence) relationships
Boots-on-the-ground networking
OR… should I be thinking differently entering a new market?
Constraints / preferences:
- I don’t want to rely on Google Ads (burned some money already with little ROI)
- Prefer relationship-driven growth vs. paid traffic
- Open to scalable strategies — but not sure what actually works in a trust-based service like mediation
Questions for the group:
- If you were entering a brand new city with a service business, what would you do first?
- Are lunch & learns still a high-ROI strategy in 2026 — or outdated?
- Any creative, low-cost ways to build authority quickly in a new market?
- Would you niche down even further (e.g., “real estate divorce specialist”) vs. broader mediation? (Value Skew)
- How would you split focus between NJ (existing traction) and NC (new opportunity)?
Appreciate any feedback — especially from people who’ve made a geographic expansion like this.
Thanks in advance.
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