Always build from the inside out.
Most beginners build from the outside in. They build the pages first, then realize they have no pipeline, then build the automation and realize the custom fields are missing, then go back and fix everything. That approach wastes hours.
Building from the inside out means you set up all the backend infrastructure first before touching a single page. By the time you build the pages everything they need to connect to already exists.
Before touching GHL open Notion or grab a piece of paper and map out the entire system.
Answer these five questions and write down the answers.
Question 1: What is the one goal of this funnel? For Lumière: Get a new patient to book a $49 intro treatment.
Question 2: What are all the ways a lead can enter the system? For Lumière: Through the booking calendar or through the contact form.
Question 3: What are all the things a lead can do or not do after entering? For Lumière: Book and show up, book and not show up, submit the form and book, submit the form and not book.
Question 4: What should happen automatically for each of those scenarios? For Lumière: Eight step booking sequence, six branch contact form sequence, no-show recovery, post-visit upsell.
Question 5: What data do I need to collect to make the automation personal? For Lumière: First name, treatment choice, appointment date, appointment time, assigned aesthetician name.
Once you can answer all five questions clearly you are ready to build. If you cannot answer any one of them go back and figure it out before opening GHL.
This is the foundation everything else sits on. If you skip this phase your automations will have blank fields and your pipeline will have no structure.