MMichael Z Consulting
about

I build the systems no one sees.

Independent consultant. Workflow automation for small businesses. The product is rarely a single script — it's usually a few chained scenarios with the right human approval gates in the right places.

/ what I build

Workflow systems that quietly run in the background of a business: hiring pipelines, scheduling engines, content fanout, direct mail at scale, property sync, conversational ops bots.

Stack changes per project — n8n, Make.com, Zapier, Python, the Claude API, Airtable, Notion, custom Next.js apps. I pick what actually fits, not what I default to. I'll tell you up-front when no-code is the wrong call.

See the cases for what this looks like in practice.

/ how I think about it

A few principles I keep coming back to:

  • Mechanism > restriction. When a workflow misbehaves, the durable fix is a structural guard — server-side validation, a tool schema, a confirmation gate — not a polite rule that hopes the AI or the user cooperates.
  • Human approval where it matters. The valuable judgment calls stay with the human. Everything upstream and downstream of those calls is automatic.
  • Idempotent by design. Workflows you can safely re-run mid-day are workflows you can actually debug. Everything else turns into folklore.
  • Honest about what NOT to automate. Some processes are doing real work in their slow, manual form. I'll tell you when that's the case instead of selling you a build that hurts.
/ how to work together
option 01 · hourly coaching
$100/hr

Screen-share work sessions. You're the builder; I unblock. 1-2 hr minimum, pre-paid. Best fit when you have time and curiosity to own the build.

option 02 · case build
$1.5K – $3K

I build the whole system, hand it over with source + docs. Fixed fee, 1-2 week delivery, 3-month bugfix window. Best fit when the workflow is load-bearing.

Not sure which fits? The free 5-minute diagnostic ends with that question per opportunity — DIY or hire — so you walk in with a clear answer.

/ get in touch

Easiest: run the diagnostic and I'll see your responses on the other side.

Or email me at hello@michaelzconsulting.com. I reply within 24 hours.

— Michael Z · workflow automation consultant