moving from visioning to ideation

The Critical Step Most Visionaries Skip (Or Stay Stuck In)

The gap between your vision and making it a reality isn't filled by execution alone - it's the ideation, or idea development, phase that takes your big vision and breaks it down into strategic, executable steps.

People like you that have a great idea you're interested in pursuing typically end up in one of these three scenarios:

Scenario 1: You let imposter syndrome and fear get the best of you, and end up never taking the time to fully build out the idea and craft the plan to execute it - now that idea that can fundamentally change our world sits and waits for you to make a move
Scenario 2: They actually take the time, too much time, to fully develop their idea - now their friends and family are tired from years of hearing about this idea they've done zero with -meanwhile, someone else has and is about to hit the launch on it
Scenario 3: They get overwhelmingly excited and rush to execution to get it out into the world - completely skipping the idea development phase which adds depth, assesses risk, and maximizes impact potential

Too little planning leads to chaos. Too much planning leads to paralysis. No planning leads to impact unrealized.

Let's look deeper into each idea development scenario.

select an option:

Common reasons people never start developing their ideas:

Mindset Barriers

Not thinking the idea is strong enough, overwhelm from the amount of planning that would be needed, and anxiety about feedback

Resource Challenges

Not having a structured way to build out their idea, not sure where to start, and limited financial resources or time constraints

Lack of Support

No support system, no accountability, no access to constructive feedback

Spending too much time in idea development can lead to:

Analysis Paralysis

Hard to make decisions from having too many options, and the fear of making the wrong choice eventually becomes greater than having the courage to move forward and execute

Diminishing Returns

Spending hours fixing little things that people would hardly notice, meanwhile you could've been working on things that would actually make a big difference

Missed Opportunities

While you're in your endless cycle of researching and editing, someone else has launched something similar, or the need your idea was going to solve has changed

Mental Burnout

The weight of your unexecuted idea becomes heavier and heavier and your "never good enough" idea wears you down

Skipping idea development can lead to:

Financial Hits

Higher costs from lack of planning, lost opportunities or revenue because the timing isn't right, and unexpected expenses and budget overruns

Time Wasted

Constant backtracking to fix foundational issues, longer timeline because you're flying by the seat of your pants with every move, time lost from exploring the wrong things

Impact Compromise

Missing important elements that would increase depth and impact, bad market fit, and inconsistent impact delivery

Emotional Toll

High stress levels and frustration, burnout from constantly troubleshooting, and potentially damaged relationships

Whether you're hesitant to build out your idea, rushing to launch without a roadmap, or overthinking into oblivion – all of these scenarios lead to impact lost.

Concept Catalyst gives you the structure to develop your idea with purpose, the flexibility to maintain momentum, the 1:1 support to move with confidence, and 90 days to find that sweet spot between thoughtful and done.

your idea needs development

The Real Reason Your Ideas Stay Stuck

Here's what everyone gets wrong about bringing big ideas to life:

They think execution is everything. "Just start!" "Done is better than perfect."

It all sounds great, but the reality is that jumping straight from idea to execution, and skipping idea development, is like building a house with no blueprint.

Sure, you will end up with...something. But -
Is it what you actually wanted?
Will it stand the test of time?
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Or will you spend the next year fixing structural problems that could have been avoided with proper planning?

And will you also spend the next year constantly adding new elements to your renovation to do list because you didn't take the time to fully think through the design before you started building?

A 90-Day, 1:1 Partnership to Develop, Plan, and Start Building Your Idea

Develop Your Idea Inside Concept Catalyst

Concept Catalyst is not a course. It's not a group program. It's not a coaching container where you show up to calls and take notes.
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It's a working partnership - 90 days, fully personalized, built around your specific idea. You bring the vision. I bring the process, the frameworks, the hard questions, and the accountability to see it through.
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By the end of 90 days you won't just have a plan sitting in a folder. You'll have already started building.

start your idea partnership

The structure:

I open a limited number of new partnerships each month - intentionally small
Primarily asynchronous through our private idea space
Two live calls at the most important milestones
A time-restricted container for just enough urgency
Plus: if I see partners needing something - a coworking session, a group workshop, an extra resource - I build it. The structure is the floor, not the ceiling

Think of the partnership as part creativity lab, part strategy bootcamp, and part permission slip to finally take your ideas seriously.

stop keeping your ideas in your head and put them down on paper

meet your idea partner, deanna

You are the ultimate expert on your vision. My role - and the role of the Concept Catalyst partnership - is to help you make it tangible.

The reason I do this work started at a funeral.

I was walking through the graveyard and a thought hit me that I couldn't shake: How many ideas are buried here? How many people left this world with something still inside them? A business they kept putting off. A movement they almost started. An idea that could have changed something - for them, for their family, for someone they never even met.

That thought never left me. And it became the reason I refuse to let people stay stuck in the gap between having an idea and actually doing something with it.

But I don't just study this work. I've spent my entire career living it - across boardrooms, startups, nonprofits, and everything in between. The through line has always been the same: take the idea that doesn't exist yet and make it real.

In college at FIT, I walked through the fashion district in New York, fell in love with the jewelry I saw, and started a direct sales line - riding the bus home to Virginia on weekends to sell inside boutiques and in people's living rooms. I was nineteen.

As a buyer at Chico's managing a $117M department, I was challenged to revive the white no-iron dress shirt. We tried patterns, prints, trim details - nothing landed. So I stopped trying to revive what existed and asked a different question: what if we applied the no-iron treatment to a completely different fabric? The most wrinkled fabric I could think of: linen. No Iron Linen launched as a million-dollar test. First to market. Fourteen years later it's still generating revenue.

Over a decade ago I walked into a massive convention center bridal show and watched everyone, brides and vendors alike, look completely bored. So I started asking what if. What if we used a smaller, more beautiful venue? What if we capped the vendors per category? I asked those questions out loud and people leaned in. A year later I launched a curated bridal and event show in Miami - 25 vendors, 5 sponsors, 250+ attendees, hundreds of thousands of media impressions. Then expanded to Jacksonville and Dallas the next year.

That same year I led Operation Ignite at Office Depot - bringing local Austin, Texas vendors into their stores for the first time in company history.

During the pandemic, after the murder of George Floyd and the flood of retailer stocking requests aimed at Black-owned brands, I launched Diversify Retail - a nonprofit to help those brands navigate wholesale partnerships successfully and hold retailers accountable for actual change, versus performative announcements.

A few years ago I designed, sourced, and merchandised the retail store concept for a truck and travel stop - and a year after launch the whole venture was acquired by Dolly Parton and is now expanding across the country.

And a woman who has spent her life teaching and advocating for children to read at an advanced level (myself included) - turned 83 last year and was still on her crusade, still showing up, still doing the work. I built her a website and sales funnel so her mission could keep going and finally reach the people who needed it most (and so she could rest a bit good gracious).

These are just a few examples.

I've managed billions of dollars in revenue at Fortune-ranking companies. And I've helped bootstrapped startups find their footing from scratch. I hold a graduate certificate in creativity and innovation and am currently pursuing a master's in corporate innovation and entrepreneurship. I draw from 100+ creativity and brainstorming frameworks - and more importantly, from 20+ years of actually executing ideas across every industry, budget, and context you can imagine.

The through line across all of it has been the same: the ideas that feel impossible are usually just waiting for the right questions, the right pressure, and someone willing to sit in the mess with you until it becomes something real.

That's what I'm here for.

Let's Build Out Your Idea Together

‍P.S. Remember: The cost of not developing your vision properly isn't just financial – it's the impact never realized, the lives never changed, the transformation that never had the chance to take place.

DeAnna McIntosh - Intrapreneurship, Creativity, Innovation Expert

DeAnna McIntosh, Idea-to-Execution Strategist

Let's Walk Through Your 90 Days Inside Concept Catalyst

One thing to be clear about upfront: this is a 1:1 partnership, not a "curriculum". The three phases below describe the arc of the work, but how long you spend in each one is dictated by your idea and where you are, not a calendar. Some people move through concept development in three weeks. Others need six. We move at the pace your idea actually requires.
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I start new partnerships at the top of each month - but that's for operational simplicity on my end, not because there's a timed program everyone runs through together. This is not group coaching. Your 90 days are yours. The only time you'd ever be in the same space as another partner is if I add something optional - a coworking session, a hot seat, an open discussion - and even then, attendance is never required.

Phase 1 - Develop The Idea

You come in with an idea or high-level concept already in hand (and if not, start here with Flawless Clarity®). This phase is about building it out - fully. We go deep on what it actually is, what it could be, what makes it distinct, and where it has the most potential. I ask the questions that push your thinking further than you'd go alone, and together we shape it into something fully formed and worth building a plan around.
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The goal: make sure you're not building your idea on a weak or incomplete foundation before we go any further.

Phase 2 - Build the Concept

Now we make it real. Who is this for? What problem does it solve? What makes it distinct? What does it actually look like in the world?
We pressure test it, expand it, and tighten it until it's something you'd confidently put in front of anyone. You build your execution plan - phased, resourced, and ready - with my frameworks and guidance steering the process.
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The goal: leave this phase with a clear, structured, execution-ready concept and plan that's yours - built by you, not handed to you.

Phase 3 - Start Building

The plan is complete. Now you execute it - and I stay in your corner as you do.
This phase is about you making real moves on your idea. The work is on you. What I bring, is a thinking partner who's available to brainstorm through the hard parts, troubleshoot what isn't working, and help you think through decisions as they come up. When reality sets in and the plan needs adjusting, we adjust it together.
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The goal: you move from planning into execution - with ongoing support, strategy, and course correction so momentum doesn't die the moment things get hard.
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By the end of 90 days you won't just have a plan. You'll have already started building.

The Two Live Calls

Everything else in our 90 days happens asynchronously - so our work together fits your life, not the other way around. But there are two moments where we show up live:
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01 The Kickoff Call
Before we dive in, we align. We talk through your concept, how we'll work together, and what the next 90 days need to look like for your specific idea.
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02 The Launch Call
You've developed the concept. You've built the execution plan. Now we pressure test it together and you leave this call ready to build.

from idea to built in 90 days

Inside The Partnership

Our partnership lives inside a private async idea space - yours for the full 90 days. This is where all the thinking, building, and decision-making happens. Everything is documented, accessible, and in one place.
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For the entire 90 days you have direct access to me. Not a check-in call once a month - a real working relationship that moves at the pace your idea requires. I respond within 48 hours. You reach me via text, voice, or video - whatever works in the moment.

Here's how I show up for you:

1:1 asynchronous support - I respond to all of your messages within 48 hours
Strategy - thinking through the big picture and the sequencing of how to get there
Reviews and feedback via video, audio or text - on your concept, your plan, your work-in-progress as you build
Building out project plans, trackers, and execution systems - so you have the infrastructure to actually execute, not just a document that sits there
Whiteboarding and brainstorming - working through what's stuck, pulling from 100+ creativity and brainstorming techniques to push your thinking further than you'd go alone
Plus two live calls at milestone moments - a kickoff call to align before we dive in, and a launch call before you start building

start your idea partnership

Go From Idea To Built In 90 days
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$6,000

*Payment plans available upon request

When the 90 days close, here's what's in your hands:

One cohesive, high-impact direction - no more scattered thoughts or half-formed concepts

A fully structured, tangible version of your idea

A clear, step-by-step execution plan you can actually follow

Project plans, trackers, and systems designed around how you execute

Actual momentum, because you've already started executing

You don't finish this partnership with a folder full of ideas. You finish it with a built foundation and a real start.
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And when the 90 days close, you have options: continue independently, keep the 1:1 async support going inside a monthly container, or competely hand off execution to DeAnna and her team. Whatever makes the most sense for where you are next.

Here's How We Get Started:

Before we officially kick things off, I want you to get a real feel for how we would work together, give you a sneak peek inside our idea space, and make sure I'm the right fit to support you.

Here's how it works:

Click the button to access our private idea space.
Inside, you'll either record a short video, or send a voice memo, introducing yourself and your idea - what it is, why it matters to you, and what you're hoping to build. No script, no pressure.
I'll respond back via video so you can see how I think, how I engage with your idea, and what it actually feels like to have me in your corner.

From there, if it's a fit, I'll drop the payment link right in that same space and we're off. If the timing isn't right for us to work together, I'll let you know and give you some next steps to keep your idea moving.

Access Our Private Idea Space To Get Started

An Important Note About This Partnership:

The Concept Catalyst Idea Partnership is a carefully designed container that provides the structure, support, and frameworks for you to develop your unique idea. Here's what that means:

This Is:

A fully personalized 1:1 partnership built around your specific idea
A thinking partner who pushes your concept further than you'd get alone
A structured process for developing, planning, and executing your idea
Async-first so it fits your life, not the other way around
A real working relationship - not a program you complete in isolation
Honest feedback, hard questions, and support that stays with you through the execution

Build Your Concept

Start Your Idea Partnership

This Isn't:

A course or a curriculum with modules to check off
Group coaching where you share attention with a room full of people
Someone telling you what your idea should be or become
A done-for-you service - the work is yours to do, I'm here to guide and support it
Industry-specific consulting - you're the expert in your field. I'm the expert on this process

you are right where you need to be

Concept Catalyst is your 90-day bridge from "What if" to "What's next."

If you're feeling overwhelmed after reading all of this, take a deep breath. It's actually a sign that this is the perfect time to execute your idea.

If you're thinking "This sounds amazing BUT..." – you're exactly where you need to be.
The truth is that you don't need to have it all figured out. You just need to be ready for clarity.

Every great innovation, every life-changing project, every powerful transformation started exactly where you are right now. The difference between dreaming and doing isn't having all the answers – it's having the right process and the right support.

Start Your Idea Partnership

FAQ

Here are some common questions you might have.

Is this only for certain industries?

No and here's why: you're the expert on your industry. I'm not trying to be. What I bring is expertise in developing an idea into something tangible and executing it - the brainstorming, the frameworks, the techniques to deepen and stress-test your concept, and the guidance on how to bring it to life. That works regardless of what you're building or what field you're in. You know your space. I know this process.

Do I need to have my idea fully figured out before I begin?

No - but you need to have an idea. The intake asks you to answer six defining questions about your concept. If you can speak to those, you're ready. If you're still figuring out which idea to pursue or haven't developed one clearly yet, Flawless Clarity is the right starting point. It's designed to get you to exactly this place. Start there first →

What does "asynchronous" mean?

Everything lives in our private idea space. You share updates, questions, and work-in-progress via video, audio, or text - whatever works best for you in the moment. I respond within 48 hours with feedback, frameworks, and next steps. No scheduling required for day-to-day work. You move when you can, and I meet you there.

How much time will this take each week?

Plan for 5-7 hours per week of focused work. The more you put in, the more developed your concept and plan will be at the end. The async format means those hours are yours to allocate. They don't need to be consecutive or scheduled.

Why do you only work with a limited number of partners at a time?

Because this is a real partnership, not a program. Limited number of partners means you get genuine attention, not a slot in a queue. I can push your thinking, notice patterns, and build something for the group when I see a need. That's only possible at a small partner size.

Will I interact with other partners you're working with?

Your 90 days are 1:1 and entirely individualized. This is not a group program. The only time you'd be in the same space as another partner is if I add something optional, like a coworking session or open discussion. Those are additions, never the foundation, always optional.

What happens after the 90 days?

You'll have a fully developed concept, a complete execution plan, and real building already underway. From there you have options: continue independently, continue the 1:1 async support inside a monthly container, or have DeAnna and her team help execute for you.

Is this refundable?

Due to the nature of this 1:1, exclusive partnership, Concept Catalyst is non-refundable. If something isn't working, email support@thevisionry.com and we'll work it out.

How do I get started?

Click Start Your Idea Partnership. You'll answer six questions about your concept and record a short video in our private idea space. I review both, and if it's a fit I'll send the payment link directly in that same space. Everything happens in one place.

Your Idea Has a Home Now.

You're sitting on something that could be bigger than anything you've done before.

The challenge isn't that you lack vision.The challenge is in finding someone who can help you take those half-formed ideas in your head, and provide the structure and support to turn them into something real.