What does a sustainable performance coach do?

A sustainable performance coach helps high-achieving founders and students build systems and strategies for long-term performance without burnout. Ellyn Schinke diagnoses what's actually blocking performance before building anything — because motivation isn't the problem, design is.

What is the Heroics Economy?

The Heroics Economy is when a business only moves when the founder is in crisis mode — running on adrenaline instead of systems. It's a design problem, not a discipline problem. When heroics become the operating strategy, burnout is inevitable.

What is dependence by design in coaching?

Dependence by design is a coaching model built to keep clients paying rather than make them capable. Most coaching containers produce attachment instead of autonomy — the client feels supported inside the container but falls apart the moment they're on their own. Real coaching should make itself less necessary over time, not more.

What is the diagnostic-first methodology?

The diagnostic-first methodology means identifying what's actually blocking performance before building any solution. Most coaches sell generic frameworks to clients they've never assessed. Ellyn Schinke diagnoses the specific constraint first — whether that's a founder's business systems or a student's executive function — and builds the playbook around that.

What is Notion and why does it matter for founders?

Notion is an all-in-one productivity and automation app that can replace multiple disconnected tools in a founder's business. As a Notion Ambassador, Ellyn Schinke builds custom Notion systems for founders who need to get everything out of their head and into a structure that runs without them.

Does Coach Ellyn work with students as well as founders?

Yes. Ellyn Schinke works with both high-achieving founders and high-achieving students. The methodology is the same: diagnose what's blocking performance, build systems that fit how the person actually works, and create a sustainable path to long-term results. For students, this means academic tutoring, SAT and ACT prep, and executive function support.

What is work-life balance and why doesn't it work?

Work-life balance is a cultural frame that treats a structural load problem as a personal character flaw. It fails because it's vague by design — a standard you can never hit. The real model is load vs. resources: when your load exceeds your resources, the answer isn't better habits. It's reduce the load, increase the support, or redesign the system.

COUGSFIRST REFERRALS

Go Cougs! You’re in the Right Place!

Because only one university could get me to break my branding. 😉

Business Systems + Ops
  
Sustainable Performance Coaching
  
Tutoring + Test Prep

book an intro call

Prefer email? Reach out »

CougsFirst

🏈

If you Stay Ready, You Don't Have to Get Ready

🐾

Leave it All on the Field

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Game on

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CougsFirst 🏈 If you Stay Ready, You Don't Have to Get Ready 🐾 Leave it All on the Field ⚽ Game on 🐾

What I Do

Three lanes. One Philosophy.

Whether you're a Coug business owner drowning in operational chaos, a founder running on fumes, or a Coug parent whose student needs a real plan — I build the system that actually holds. Book a quick call and tell me what you're trying to fix.

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Business Systems + Ops
For Coug business owners & leaders
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Clean operating system — Notion workspaces, dashboards, project and task flows built around how you actually think
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Streamlined client delivery — intake, onboarding, follow-ups, and SOPs that run without you being the bottleneck
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Automations that eliminate busywork — forms → CRM → tasks → emails, running in the background
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AI that fits your workflow — tools that actually help, nothing trendy for its own sake
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Tutoring + Test Prep
For Coug parents & students (5th grade → college)
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Math — Pre-Algebra through AP Calculus AB
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Science — Biology (incl. AP), Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Science (incl. AP), college biomedical research support
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Writing & English — MS/HS English, AP Lit/Lang, reading comprehension, college-level writing
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Test prep — Digital SAT, ACT, PSAT/NMSQT + college essay + application strategy
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Executive functioning — time management, planning, organization, study habits, perfectionism + pressure
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Learning differences — experience with ADHD, anxiety, autism spectrum, dysgraphia, dyslexia, dyscalculia
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Sustainable Performance Coaching
For Coug founders & leaders running on fumes
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Systems School  — self-paced coaching to learn how to build and run your own sustainable operating system
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Burnout-Proof Business —  Rebuild how your business runs, not just what tools it uses
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Systems Sprint — 6-week foundation sprint of Done With You Systems support
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WorkWell HQ — burnout-prevention support for your whole team, an EAP alternative
The vibe in one line
"Calm systems and clear coaching for fast brains."

Woman with long dark hair, wearing a green cap, black and white tracksuit, holding a laptop, smiling, standing indoors against a plain white wall.

Your Coach

Why Ellyn for this?

Ellyn isn't a productivity coach. She's a systems strategist, Notion architect, and former research scientist who spent years in education — where diagnosing the actual problem before prescribing the solution was non-negotiable.

She brings that same diagnostic precision to your business and to her students. No guesswork. No templates slapped onto your situation. Every engagement starts with reading your game film — your real bottlenecks, your specific brain — and building from there.

  🔬 Research Scientist background
  ⚙️ 50+ custom Notion builds
  📍 Tacoma, WA (virtual or in-person)
  🎓 Math through AP Calculus
  📋 6-Pillar Systems Framework
4K+
Community Members
50+
Custom Builds
NYT
Fast Co · Reader's Digest

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Prefer email? Reach out »

Woman sitting on floor surrounded by various baseball caps, holding a beige hat with a blue label, wearing a white cap and green blazer, smiling.

A woman wearing a green athletic tracksuit and white cap sitting on a wooden chair, tossing a soccer ball in the air. She has a basketball under her foot, and an American football and a basketball are on the floor beside her against a black backgroun

Woman sitting on the floor near a window, smiling, with a laptop and a green baseball cap.

Is This a Fit?

Know before you Book.

No wasted calls. A quick read to make sure we're a match before you spend a minute on it.

This is a fit if…

✅ You're running a business (or supporting a student) and want a clear plan and real structure

✅ You want support that actually holds — without adding more complexity

✅ You've tried productivity hacks or basic tutoring and they don't stick

✅ You're ready to actually change how you operate, not just get inspired

✅ You're a Coug (or Coug-adjacent — we don't discriminate)

Probably not a fit if…

❌ You want a giant complicated system you'll never actually maintain

❌ You're looking for a one-size-fits-all template with zero customization

❌ You need tutoring that's only "homework help" with no real strategy behind it

Ways to Work Together

Choose your Starting Line.

Three paths in. All start with a real conversation about what you actually need — no pitch deck, no pressure.

Business

01

Notion Templates

Buy it, install it, use it today

Pre-built Notion systems you can implement immediately — no call required. The fastest way to get a working backend in place.

Shop Templates →

Business

02

The Notion Power Hour

One focused session, one thing fixed

A single paid working session to solve a specific bottleneck fast — no lengthy audit first, just get it fixed.

Book a Power Hour →

Business

03

VIP Day / Done-With-You Build

Notion + automation + AI

We build your workspace and workflows together so you understand it, use it, and keep it clean. No black-box handoff.

Structured 1:1 sessions, real skill-building, and a plan designed to improve outcomes and reduce stress — not just get through tonight's homework.

Learn More →

What Clients Are Saying

The systems speak For Themselves.

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I've been banging my head against the wall — I feel like I'm drowning. I knew Notion could do what I needed, I just didn't know how.

KK

Kelsey Knutson

Executive Director, CougsFirst! & Business Coach

Enterprise Build

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I can't say enough about this. This is the first time I feel like I have a sustainable system and plan. I'm so freaking grateful.

MG

Maleah Gordon

A.New Foot Zone Academy

Systems Audit

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I have a client portal with everything I wanted and all I have to do is implement it. You need her if you use Notion and want much more than simple templates or done yourself.

DR

Dan Rondeau

Graphic Designer, DJR Designs

Systems Audit

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You've saved my business! I signed up for some SEO schooling and I'm getting SO MUCH MORE than that… you may just save my business! No joke!

MD

Megan Devito

Life & Anxiety Coach

Systems School

Quick FAQs

Remove the Friction.

HELL no— but I love a Coug referral and I'll treat you like family. CougsFirst just means you come with a built-in level of trust, which makes the work better for everyone.
Systems work builds the thing — your Notion workspace, your automations, your ops. Coaching (Systems School, BPB, Season Pass) is about the deeper pattern: how you're operating, why it's burning you out, and what needs to change so the system actually holds. Most people start with one and end up needing the other.
Approximately 5th grade through college level — including Digital SAT, ACT, PSAT, AP courses, and college essay + application strategy. I also support executive functioning and learning differences across those ages.
Yes — I’m exclusive to Notion because I truly believe it’s the best app and it feels like it’s a disservice to build elsewhere. Besides, do you want a “spaghetti-at-the-wall” system strategist who will build wherever their client asks? Or do you want someone you truly specializes in and has intimate knowledge of a tool?
It's a real conversation — not a sales pitch. You tell me what you're dealing with, I ask some diagnostic questions, and we figure out what the cleanest next move is. No pressure, no pitch deck.