Three ways to work together. One person throughout.
A scoped project, an ongoing retainer, or something in between. Whatever the shape, you get a senior operator who does the actual work, not a strategist who hands you a plan and leaves.
However we start, the work runs the same way.
The engagement model changes with your situation. The underlying method does not. Every piece of work moves through the same four steps, and the order is the point.
Diagnose
I learn how work actually moves through your business, not how the org chart says it does, and find what is really breaking and why. No assumptions, no generic audit.
Design
I design the fix and sequence it, so the highest-leverage changes come first. The order matters more than any single change.
Implement
I do the work, in the work, with your team. Not a report you are left to action yourself, and not a junior handoff.
Embed
I document it, hand each part to a clear owner, and set the operating rhythm so the fix holds and the business runs without depending on me.
Pick the shape that fits the problem.
Project-based
A specific, bounded problem fixed properly and handed back working. A broken process, a system to implement, a structure to define. Scoped tightly up front so you know exactly what you are getting and when.
- Best for
- A known problem with a clear edge, where you want a defined outcome and a firm end date rather than an open-ended relationship.
- You get
- The problem solved, in place, documented, and running without me.
- Typical shape
- Typically a few weeks to a couple of months.
Fix it, then stay
I solve the immediate problem the same way I would any project, then stay on lightly to make sure the fix holds and the team keeps running it. The staying part is deliberately small: close enough to catch drift, not so close that I become a permanent fixture.
- Best for
- Recurring problems you do not want to see come back, or a fix that needs a steady hand while new habits set in.
- You get
- The problem fixed, plus the confidence it will not quietly unravel the month after I leave.
- Typical shape
- A project, then a reduced-days check-in period, usually a month or two.
Fractional retainer
Ongoing senior operational leadership on a retainer. I hold the operating machine, process, structure, systems and execution, a few days a month, so you can get back to the business. The COO or PM you need, without the full-time cost.
- Best for
- Founders and directors who need a senior operator in the room continuously, not a one-off fix. Usually when operations is the constant drag on growth.
- You get
- Someone accountable for how the business runs, embedded and available, so it stops depending on you.
- Typical shape
- Monthly retainer, minimum around three months, days scaled to need.
Every model maps to the services I offer. When a fix needs a full team to build, it is delivered by a trusted delivery team I coordinate.
A quick way to tell.
Still not sure? Start with an Operations Audit. It is the low-risk front door, and it usually makes the right next step obvious.
The person who diagnoses the problem is the person who designs and implements the fix. No decks handed to a junior team. No slides on a shelf. Just a senior operator who stays until it works.
How working together actually works.
- How do we get started?
- Usually a short call, then a fixed-fee Operations Audit if the fit is right. That way you see the diagnosis and a prioritised plan before committing to anything ongoing.
- Do you do the work, or just advise?
- I do the work, hands-on. I am in the room doing the diagnosis, building the fix, and rolling it out with your team, rather than handing you a report to action yourself. No junior handoff.
- What if I am not sure which option I need?
- Start with an Operations Audit. It is low-risk and fixed-fee, and it usually makes the right engagement obvious once the real problem is on the table.
- How many days a month does a fractional retainer take?
- It depends on scope, but it is a few days a month, scaled to what the work needs. Enough to own the operating machine, not so much that it becomes a full-time cost.
- Do you work remotely?
- Yes. I work fractionally with founders and directors remotely, and have delivered for clients across the US, UK, South Africa, Singapore and India.
- What happens when a fix needs a whole team to build?
- I lead it, and the build is delivered by a trusted delivery team I coordinate. Same standards, more hands, under the same senior oversight.
Not sure which fits? Let's talk it through.
A 30-minute call, no pitch. Tell me what's breaking and I'll tell you straight whether I can help.