How I work
Filling in a form for a consultant can feel like agreeing to a sales process. Here's the whole sequence, including the part where you leave, so you know what you're agreeing to.
The discovery call
It's free, 30 minutes, by video. You describe what's going on, and I ask questions about the numbers, the team, what's been tried and what it cost. There's no pitch and no slides. If I'm not the right person for it, I'll say so on the call.
I reply to your request within 2 business days to set a time.
A written proposal
Within 3 business days of the call, you get a proposal by email. It sets out the tier or sprint, the hours, what gets delivered and when, the price, the term and a start date, and it becomes the statement of work once you accept. Take your time with it. It stays open.
Month one: diagnose first
The first month is for reading, not changing. I go through the accounts, the numbers, the website and whatever plans exist, and I talk to the people involved. By the end of it, you have the month-one deliverable for your tier in writing.
- Sounding Board: a 2–3 page situation read and the top five priorities.
- Working Partner: a diagnostic and a 90-day growth plan.
- Fractional CMO: a full marketing audit, plus a 12-month plan and budget allocation.
The monthly rhythm
Calls happen on a fixed schedule. Every month there's a one-page priorities note and the work itself, followed by a written report with the hours log attached. Each recommendation names an owner and a date. If hours are running under or over, I send a note mid-month.
The way out
After any initial term, you give 30 days' written notice by email. There's no exit fee and no handover hostage. Your accounts were in your name from day one, and the documents are yours once they're paid for.
How quickly I reply
I work Monday to Friday, Eastern Time. Reply times depend on the tier, and they're part of what you're paying for.
| Tier | Reply time | Hours a month |
|---|---|---|
| Sounding Board | Within 2 business days | Up to 8 hours a month |
| Working Partner | Within 1 business day | Up to 18 hours a month |
| Fractional CMO | Same business day for messages received by 1 pm ET | Up to 32 hours a month, about a day a week |
Anyone who isn't a client yet: within 2 business days.
Yours from day one
Ad accounts, analytics, the CRM, domains and software are all set up in your name and paid for by you. I work in them with access you grant and can take back. The documents I write, including plans, audits, playbooks and briefs, are yours once the invoice for them is paid.
Who this isn't for
It saves us both a call if this list describes you.
- You want someone to run your social accounts or ad campaigns day to day. That's an agency's or a freelancer's job. I'll brief them and check their work, but I won't do it for them.
- You need tax, legal or accounting advice. I'm not qualified for any of those. I'll point you back to your accountant or lawyer when a question crosses that line.
- You want results guaranteed in writing. I don't guarantee outcomes. What I can promise is the work, the hours and the reporting.
- You need a full team this month. One consultant capped at 32 hours a month can't take the place of a department.
- You want the plan and don't want to be involved. Every tier needs you, or someone senior, to make the decisions the plan asks for.
That's the whole process.
The first step costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Book a free discovery call