Northland Air: Progress Checkpoint Agenda

• Date: Tuesday, 2026-05-26
• Attendees: Josh Kimmes (BND), Kristopher Higgins (Northland Air). Colleen looped in async.
• Type: Week-1 progress checkpoint / launch-readiness review
• Tier: Compass AI, $1,250/mo, m2m, billing date 19th (locked)
• Launch target: 2026-06-02 (7 days out)
• Staging URL: https://northlandair.mysites.io/ (Flywheel basic-auth gated. Pull up live on screen-share.)
• Prior agenda: /Users/joshuakimmes/Claude/_clients/northland-air/onboarding/2026-05-19-kickoff-agenda.md
• ClickUp folder: 90149521374

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Pre-call prep (Josh, before the call)

• Pull staging URL + creds. Confirm site loads end-to-end on mobile + desktop.
• Have the 5/19 kickoff agenda open in a tab to reference the open decisions list.
• Confirm Stripe billed on 5/19 successfully, and billing date set to the 19th in the customer portal.
• ClickUp folder 90149521374. Check Onboarding list for what’s done vs. open.
• Have BND MCC ID handy: 878-999-5423
• Pull Kris’s 5/17 questionnaire (Spark thread 477067) for any details we deferred.

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Section 1: Staging walkthrough (20 min)

Screen-share the staging site. Walk Kris through each page in order, ask “what do you want to change, what’s missing, what’s wrong?”

• Homepage: hero (“Protecting your comfort at home.” tagline), trust bar (veteran-owned, 5.0/50 reviews, licensed + insured, 1-yr labor warranty), services grid, Superior Fuel partnership block, service area, CTA blocks
• About / Veteran-Owned story: confirm Kris’s bio + photo, year founded, “we hold ourselves to a higher standard” anchor
• Contact: 218 number (Twilio), inquiry form (GHL-wired), service area map, hours, after-hours messaging
• Services hub
• Service pages (6): Furnace, AC, Boiler, Heat Pump (cold-weather flagship), Mini-Split, plus Services hub
• City pages (Tier 1, 5): Duluth (anchor), Hermantown, Superior WI, Two Harbors, Cloquet. Confirm Kris’s reviewer-geography input lines up.
• Superior Fuel partnership page: non-negotiable per Kris. Confirm Superior Fuel approved use of name/logo.
• Specialty pages (3, if built): Maritime HVAC, Cold-Weather Heat Pumps, Freeze Protection Monitoring
• Footer: NAP consistency, licenses, social, hours, secondary nav

Decisions to capture per page: copy edits, photo swaps, CTA wording, what’s missing entirely.

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Section 2: Open decisions from 5/19 (10 min)

Walk the list, force a yes/no on each. Anything still open by end of call gets a deadline.

• Tier 1 city list final: Duluth, Hermantown, Superior WI, Two Harbors, Cloquet still right? Any swaps based on his 50-review geography data?
• Specialty page count: Maritime HVAC dedicated page yes/no? Cold-Weather Heat Pumps + Freeze Protection Monitoring as separate pages or absorbed into Heat Pump service page?
• Second Twilio line for Northland Protection members: yes/no
• MailChimp migration: pull list into GHL now or run parallel through next cycle
• Truck photos: schedule a photographer this week, or ship with stand-in imagery and replace on first refresh
• Superior Fuel partnership page: written sign-off from Superior Fuel on brand + logo use received?
• Monthly review call: default-on for first 3 months, then optional. Kris ok with that?
• Ad budget: confirmed monthly tolerance ($1,500 / $2,500 / $3,500 across Search + LSA + Meta)
• After-hours promise: site says “30-minute response on emergency / 24-7.” Lead tech ALWAYS answers, or sometimes VM? Affects how strong we make the promise.
• Membership tiers (Northland Protection Premier vs. Standard): price + included services breakdown for the membership page

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Section 3: Access checklist (15 min, live on Kris’s laptop)

Knock these out in real time. Anything that can’t be collected on the spot gets a name and a deadline. Bold = launch blocker (we cannot go live 6/2 without it).

A. Domain + DNS + hosting

• GoDaddy account access (both northlandair.biz and northlandairco.com): invite help@bearnorthdigital.com as account manager (covers domain + legacy hosting)
• Cloudflare account for northlandairco.com (and .biz for redirects): BND will set up under bearnorthdigital@gmail.com as the canonical owner and add Kris as member, OR create under Kris’s email with BND invited as Super Admin. Decide which model on the call. This becomes the DNS authority for both domains. (See Section 6.)
• Current Duda admin (northlandair.biz): one-time login to pull blog posts, custom content, photos, customer testimonials, GBP-linked reviews before we retire the site
• Email provider for @northlandairco.com confirmed (Google Workspace / GoDaddy 365 / M365). Required to map MX records into Cloudflare cleanly.
• Legacy GoDaddy hosting confirm cancellation timing (after we’re stable on Flywheel, end of billing cycle)

B. Google ecosystem

• Google Business Profile claimed? If unclaimed, claim on the spot. Add Colleen (colleen@bearnorthdigital.com) + Josh as managers. Photos + service area + hours updated.
• Google Workspace / Gmail admin access for kris@northlandairco.com (needed for MX coordination + GA4 + GSC sign-in)
• Google Ads: new account created + linked to BND MCC 878-999-5423
• Google Analytics 4 property: create new (northlandairco.com) or migrate existing. Link to Google Ads + GSC.
• Google Search Console: add both northlandair.biz (for migration monitoring) and northlandairco.com properties. Domain-property verification via Cloudflare TXT (easy once Cloudflare is the DNS).
• Google Tag Manager container (optional but standard): create + install on new site

C. Meta / social

• Meta Business Manager: Bear North Digital added as agency partner (BMID to send Kris)
• Facebook Page admin role for Colleen + Josh
• Instagram account (if exists): linked to FB Business + admin access for BND
• Pixel access via Business Manager (BND installs on new site)

D. Field service + CRM + email

• Housecall Pro: admin user added for Colleen + API key issued (for GHL integration)
• MailChimp (or whatever is running existing email): admin access for list export + audience migration to GHL
• Existing customer database export from Housecall Pro (CSV) for GHL seeding + Meta custom audience

E. Other directories + listings

• Yelp business owner login (if claimed)
• BBB member portal (if member)
• Angi / HomeAdvisor (if claimed): admin access
• Nextdoor business profile (if claimed)
• Bing Places for Business + Bing Webmaster Tools (BND can set up fresh if neither exists)

F. Customer list + revenue asset

• Superior Fuel customer list: final path. Who’s pulling it (Kris directly or Superior Fuel ops person)? CSV format with email + phone + name minimum. Consent posture confirmed (existing customer relationship under CAN-SPAM / TCPA). Must be in BND hands by Wed 5/27 or it slips the lookalike build.

G. Brand + creative assets

• Logo file (vector .ai / .eps / .svg + PNG with transparency): AirDrop / email to Josh
• Brand colors + fonts confirmed (Black, Dark Blue, Dark Green, White from 5/19 + final font pick)
• Photo library: before/after install photos via Google Drive or Dropbox share link
• Truck photos: existing files, OR scheduled photo shoot date, OR approval for stand-in imagery until shoot happens
• Tech / team headshots (for trust signals on About page)
• Kris’s bio + headshot for About page

H. Compliance + LSA docs

• HVAC license (MN, and WI if serving Superior): scan emailed
• Insurance certificate (general liability + workers comp): COI emailed
• Veteran-owned certification (state vet-owned or SDVOSB): scan emailed
• Lead tech name + cell (for after-hours forwarding rule on Twilio 218)
• Tech roster (names for LSA background checks)
• W-9 (Northland Air’s W-9 for any vendor invoicing on BND’s end)
• EIN (for LSA + GBP verification edge cases)

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Section 4: GHL + Twilio + HCP integration status (10 min)

Walk Kris through where this stands, not in the abstract.

• GHL sub-account: provisioned under BND agency, branded for Northland Air
• Twilio 218 number: live? If not, when. Time-of-day forwarding rules confirmed (business hours to main, after hours to lead tech cell).
• HCP + GHL integration: wired, booked-jobs syncing, review automation firing on completed jobs
• Old 760 number: retirement plan (forward to new 218 for ~90 days, then deprecate)
• Second Twilio line for members: execute the decision from Section 2
• Test path: Kris dials the 218 number live during the call, confirms ring + routing

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Section 5: Ads launch sequencing (10 min)

Lock the day-1 (2026-06-02) ad posture.

Google Search. Day-1 live. - Service-level ad groups (heat pump, furnace/boiler, AC, mini-split, commercial) - Negative kw discipline locked (no “cheap” / “free estimate” / “affordable”) - City modifiers on high-intent searches

LSA. Application submitted? Status? - Verification typically 2-4 weeks, so realistic LSA live date is mid-to-late June - Confirm all docs in (license, insurance, background checks for techs)

Meta. Day-1 live. - Pixel installed on staging build, verified firing - Custom Audience from Superior Fuel list uploaded (needs the list) - Lookalike 1-3% built on top - Day-1 campaigns: Custom Audience (warm + $150 welcome offer), Lookalike (prospecting, 50-mi Duluth radius), site retargeting - Creative: logo + hero photos in hand. Truck photos use stand-ins until photo shoot.

Budget split: pending Section 2 budget confirmation, propose Search 50% / Meta 30% / LSA 20% once LSA is live.

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Section 6: Cloudflare + DNS cutover plan (10 min)

This is the highest-risk step of launch. Walk Kris through it slowly.

Why Cloudflare and not GoDaddy DNS: BND-standard stack. Free CDN + free SSL + APO for WordPress (page-cache + HTML edge caching, big TTFB win on Flywheel) + DNS speed + bot filtering (we use this on Caster Central to deflect scraper traffic). Also gives us clean domain-property verification for Search Console and easy 301 redirect rules at the edge.

Sequence

• Day -5 (today, 5/26 after the call): Create Cloudflare zone for northlandairco.com (and add northlandair.biz as a second zone for the redirect). Pull current MX + A + CNAME + TXT records from GoDaddy and mirror them into Cloudflare with proxy OFF on email-related records.
• Day -3 (Fri 5/29): Update nameservers at GoDaddy to point to Cloudflare’s assigned NS. Propagation 1-24h, but nothing changes for end users because records are mirrored.
• Day -2 (Sun 5/31): Lower TTL on the A/CNAME records that will swing to Flywheel (5 min TTL) so Day 0 cutover propagates fast.
• Day 0 (Tue 6/2 AM):
  1. Update A/CNAME for northlandairco.com to Flywheel’s published IP/host
  2. Turn proxy ON (orange cloud) for the apex + www records
  3. Enable Cloudflare APO for WordPress (one-click, requires Cloudflare WordPress plugin installed on the Flywheel site)
  4. Enable Always Use HTTPS + Auto Minify (HTML/CSS/JS) + Brotli
  5. Confirm SSL mode is Full (Strict) since Flywheel issues a cert
  6. Page Rule (or Bulk Redirect): northlandair.biz/* → 301 to northlandairco.com/* with path preserved
  7. Add bot fight mode (Free tier) for baseline scraper filtering
• Same day: Submit new sitemap to GSC for northlandairco.com (domain-property verification via Cloudflare TXT, no file upload needed). Use GSC change-of-address tool from .biz to .co.
• Email guardrail: MX + SPF + DKIM + DMARC records are mirrored from Day -5 and proxy stays OFF on those records. No nameserver swap until email path is confirmed (Section 3). Test email send/receive after nameserver flip before flipping web records.
• Old GoDaddy hosting: Confirm Kris is ok letting it lapse at end of current billing cycle once we’re stable on Flywheel + Cloudflare.

Cloudflare account ownership decision

Two options to pick on the call:

1. BND-owned, Kris invited: Cloudflare zone lives under bearnorthdigital@gmail.com. Kris added as Super Admin. Cleaner for ops (Colleen + Josh can manage without bothering Kris).
2. Kris-owned, BND invited: Zone lives under kris@northlandairco.com. BND added as Super Admin. Cleaner for asset ownership (per agreement Section 6, client owns the domain stack).

Recommendation: Option 2 (Kris-owned). Matches the agreement’s asset-ownership posture and matches what we do for other clients. BND can still do everything we need as Super Admin.

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Section 7: Launch checklist (this week) (5 min)

Read aloud, confirm owners + deadlines. Each item gets a name and a day.

• Tue 5/26 (post-call): Cloudflare zones created for both domains, records mirrored, ownership model decided (see Section 6)
• Wed 5/27: Site copy final review from Kris (any Section 1 edits)
• Wed 5/27: All Section 3 launch-blocker access items closed
• Wed 5/27: Superior Fuel customer list in BND hands, uploaded to Meta
• Thu 5/28: Photo decision executed (shoot booked or stand-ins approved)
• Thu 5/28: Schema markup + meta titles/descriptions QA’d across all pages
• Fri 5/29: Nameservers at GoDaddy flipped to Cloudflare. Email test send/receive verified post-flip.
• Fri 5/29: Ad campaigns built in drafts, awaiting cutover
• Fri 5/29: GBP optimization pass (categories, services, photos, hours, posts)
• Sat 5/30: Final site QA on mobile + desktop, lighthouse score check
• Sun 5/31: Lower DNS TTL on .biz + .co A/CNAME records (5 min)
• Mon 6/1: Last-call review with Kris, go/no-go decision
• Tue 6/2: Launch. Cloudflare A/CNAME swung to Flywheel, APO + Always HTTPS on, .biz 301 to .co live, ads on, GBP repointed, GSC sitemap submitted + change-of-address filed.

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Section 8: Reporting + cadence (3 min recap)

• Dashboard URL coming this week (Northland Air-specific)
• Monthly report from Colleen, first one mid-July
• Cadence: weekly auto, monthly + 30-min call (first 3 months), help@bearnorthdigital.com for everything else
• Seasonal pivots (“switch to heating, ramp spend”) = 48h turnaround across ads/GBP/site

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What Josh leaves the call with

• Kris’s approved sign-off on staging build (or a punchlist of edits with a Wed 5/27 deadline)
• Every Section 2 decision either closed or with a same-week deadline
• Every Section 3 access item collected on the spot or with a name + deadline
• Confirmed go/no-go posture for 6/2 launch
• Recap email out to Kris within 24h (Colleen copied) covering decisions, owners, deadlines

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Open questions to push on if they come up

• Service area: if Lutsen / Grand Marais / Tofte aren’t driving revenue, do we cut the North Shore corridor from Tier 3 entirely or keep it parked for SEO?
• Photo shoot ROI: is a half-day with a local photographer worth the spend now vs. waiting 30 days for real install/repair photos to accumulate?
• Membership program: do we launch the membership page at go-live or hold it for month 2 so we can build the pricing / inclusions page properly?