Session Recap — Step 1: Client Email + Gmail Draft

Run this step FIRST. It produces the time-sensitive deliverable: the client-facing email.

Inputs:

• Transcript file (.vtt or .txt) from the client repo's sessions/ folder
• Reference data file from the client repo (canonical names)
• Prior session JSON (optional — for carry-forward tracking)
• Documents already sent to the client (optional)
• Send date if different from session date (optional)

Output:

• Gmail draft to advisor (HTML, ready to review and forward to client)

Full rules are in recap-instructions-v3.md. This step extracts only what's needed for Part 2.

PROCESS

1. Parse the transcript

Zoom .vtt:

1. Strip segment numbers and timestamps
2. Consolidate consecutive same-speaker lines
3. Map verbose Zoom names to short names
4. Apply reference data corrections

Otter/Relay .txt: Process as-is with reference data corrections.

2. Parse the date from the filename

• Otter: [M-DD-YYYY] in filename
• Zoom: GMT[YYYYMMDD] in filename
• If no date found, ask the user

3. Extract engagement work topics (in discussion order)

Scan the transcript for all topics discussed. For each topic, apply the Engagement Work Filter:

"Is this about the work we're doing together, or is this context about the client's world?"

• Work = deliverables, decisions, progress, builds, action items, tool/infrastructure decisions → include in email
• Context = venting, organizational politics, personnel conflicts, leadership transitions, side conversations → exclude from email (captured in Steps 2 and 3 instead)

Topic consolidation rules:

• If a progress check is immediately followed by co-working sprints on the same topic, roll the progress check INTO the sprints — don't list it as a separate topic.
• If a topic was only discussed as logistics with no decision made, it goes in the Proposed Agenda — not in "What We Covered." (Example: "we should figure out the Team plan seat" = agenda item. "We decided to add Kathryn to the Team plan" = What We Covered.)
• Target: 7 topics max in the email. Consolidate naturally where topics overlap. The internal recap (Step 2) can have more granularity.

4. Extract wins (behavior-led)

Lead with what the client accomplished and how — not raw metrics.

• Bad: "Uploaded ~45 documents"
• Good: "Systematically identified every missing item, worked through them in timed sprints, narrowed to one remaining gap, already followed up"

Keep wins tight — 3 max. Each win should be 1-2 sentences. If a win has a supporting metric, put it at the end, not the beginning.

5. Extract action items (open post-session only)

Completed-on-call filter: For each potential action, ask: "Was this done on the call?" If yes, it's a win or discussion point — NOT an action item.

Owner taxonomy:

• Client/Sponsor = paying client
• Coachee = client's employee being coached
• Advisor = Kathryn
• Team = client's team member not on call

Formatting rules:

• If ALL action items are due "by next session," do NOT add "Due: By next session" to each one — the section header "Before our next session:" already says that. Only add due dates when an item has a SPECIFIC date that differs (e.g., "Due: Monday 4/13").
• Carry-forward items from prior sessions: use natural inline language ("still on my list from last session") not parenthetical prefixes.

6. Extract carry-forward items

If prior session JSON provided, check which prior actions were addressed. Unaddressed items carry forward with "still on my list from last session" notation — written naturally, not as a parenthetical tag.

7. Build proposed agenda

Split into:

• Next Session — immediate follow-ups
• Future Sessions — explicitly deferred items

Logistics topics with no decision go here, not in "What We Covered."

8. Generate the email

Subject: [Session topic]: [M-DD-YYYY]

Hi [Name],

[One sentence — specific, practical, accurate, no cheerleading. Reference the main outcome of the session. Do NOT overstate how much of the session was spent on any one topic.]

Wins & Progress

• [Behavior-led wins only — 3 max]

What We Covered

1. [Engagement work topic — in order discussed] — [One line] (7 topics max — consolidate where natural)

[Client]'s Action Items Before our next session:

• [Open item only — due dates only when specific, not "by next session"]

[Advisor]'s Action Items

• [Open item only]
• [Carry-forward items noted naturally: "still on my list from last session"]

Proposed Agenda for Next Session

• [Item]

Proposed Agenda for Future Sessions

• [Item]

Talk soon, Kathryn

Rules:

• No cheesy, warm, or inspirational language
• Topics in discussion order with non-work topics removed
• Action items are open post-session items ONLY
• Wins lead with behavior/process, not counts — 3 max
• Co-working sprints are distinct blocks with individual outcomes
• Progress check + sprints on same topic = consolidate into the sprints
• Undecided logistics go in agenda, not "What We Covered"
• 7 topics max — consolidate naturally
• Due dates only when specific — don't repeat "by next session" on every item
• Carry-forward items use natural language, not parenthetical tags
• If documents already sent, reference them — don't re-explain
• If send date ≠ session date, adjust framing
• Opener must be factually accurate — do not overstate time spent on any topic

9. Create Gmail draft

• To: Advisor's email (kathryn@creatingyourplan.com)
• Subject: [Client Name] session recap — [date]
• Body: Email content as HTML
• Content-Type: text/html

Advisor reviews, edits, changes To to client, sends.

GOLDEN EXAMPLE

The following is a manually approved email from the April 10, 2026 session with Jenn Barr (TRG Consultants). Use this as the quality and tone reference for all client recap emails.

Subject: BD co-working + AFTD prep: 4-10-2026

Hi Jenn,

You got the recruitment golden examples across the finish line today — one item left, and you've already pinged Cory for Monday.

Wins & Progress

- Systematically worked through every missing golden example across three timed sprints — identified what was done, what was missing, closed every gap except one (Cory's final candidate report, already followed up). The recruitment kit is ready for me to build once I have the folder.
- AFTD survey deck done and presenting to the ET this afternoon. You flagged it as a reusable template — we'll scope that as a kit once recruitment is wrapped.
- Practice Brain services catalog complete — remaining sections should take about 30 minutes in one sitting.

What We Covered

1. AFTD Survey Deck — Done and presenting today. Identified as a future employee engagement survey kit.
2. Golden Examples Sprint 1 — First 10-minute block: worked through the bulk of missing items across recruitment categories.
3. Golden Examples Sprint 2 — Second block: tackled the harder-to-find items, narrowed remaining gaps to a handful.
4. Golden Examples Sprint 3 — Final block: closed everything except Cory's report. Burndown report showed up live via an incoming invoice — grabbed it on the spot.
5. Practice Brain — Through services catalog. ~30 minutes to finish the rest.
6. Claude Desktop Tokens — Hit the team plan limit on the survey work. Keeping your Max plan, evaluating the advanced token upgrade for your team seat.
7. Folder Sharing — OneDrive upload failed because the folder is on your desktop, not in Documents. Need to move it so it syncs and you can share with me.

Jenn's Action Items
Before our next session:
- Get Cory's final candidate report and add to golden examples
- Move golden examples folder from desktop to Documents, then share the OneDrive link with me
- Finish remaining Practice Brain sections

Kathryn's Action Items
- Build recruitment deployment kit once I have the golden examples folder
- Review case study page updates (still on my list from last session)
- Send profile pic options (still on my list from last session)

Proposed Agenda for Next Session
- Recruitment kit first pass review
- Practice Brain completion check
- AFTD presentation debrief — how did the template perform?
- Claude Team plan setup (adding me as a seat)

Proposed Agenda for Future Sessions
- Employee engagement survey kit scoping
- Case study page + profile pics

Talk soon,
Kathryn

What makes this example good:

• Opener references the main outcome accurately — doesn't overstate time spent
• 3 wins, behavior-led, tight
• 7 topics in "What We Covered" — no progress check as separate item, no undecided logistics
• Sprints are distinct blocks but each is one line
• No due dates repeated ("Before our next session" header covers it) — except where a specific date would apply
• Carry-forward items noted naturally ("still on my list from last session")
• Undecided logistics (Claude Team plan seat) is in agenda, not "What We Covered"
• No Susan/Mitch drama, no CEO search, no personal context — engagement work only
• "Talk soon, Kathryn" — no cheerleading