Strategic Advisory & Consulting
Your most important
business problems.
Let’s work through them.
I work alongside CEOs and founders to diagnose what’s happening, challenge assumptions and help solve the problems that matter most to the business.
Talk through your business challengeA brief inquiry. A personal reply from Chris.
You know something needs to change
Let’s get to
what’s really going on.
Growth has slowed. Your positioning isn’t landing. Your team is pulling in different directions. Or a major opportunity is on the table and you need to get the decision right.
My focus is where business strategy meets the customer: growth, commercialization, positioning, marketing and the team alignment needed to move the work forward.
- 01
“We’re doing more, but it isn’t moving the business.”
Examine where effort and investment are going, what customers are responding to and what needs to change.
- 02
“We have a strong offer. Why aren’t people buying?”
Look at the audience, the offer, the message and the path to purchase before deciding where the problem sits.
- 03
“We need to make a big move, and I want another perspective.”
Work through the opportunity, the risks and what it would take to commit your people and capital.
Get past the symptom
Before we prescribe
more activity,
find the problem.
“We need more leads.”
That may be true. But if the right prospects are already coming in and few are buying, more leads may leave the underlying problem untouched.
I’d want to understand who is showing interest, where they drop away, what they say and whether the offer meets the need. Then we can decide whether to change the audience, positioning, offer or buying experience.
Illustrative situation, not a client case study. The diagnosis depends on the evidence.
The person you’ll work with
Brand experience.
Business judgment.
I’ve operated inside businesses, served as CMO for startups and built Changent. I understand that a recommendation has to work with the people, capital and realities of the business.
At Nike, I led the famed EKIN program, worked in integrated sports-performance marketing and contributed to Nike Run Club’s launch. I bring that experience to helping CEOs and founders connect business priorities with what customers need.
I’ll ask questions, challenge the assumptions and work through the problem with you. My job is to help you understand what needs to change and turn that understanding into action.
A partner in the work
Find the problem.
Make the call.
Move it forward.
You bring the context and the stakes. I bring an outside perspective, operating experience and a willingness to ask the difficult questions.
- 01
Diagnose what’s happening
Listen to you and the people closest to the work. Examine customer feedback, performance and the assumptions behind the current approach. Identify what we know and what we still need to learn.
- 02
Work out what to do
I help develop and challenge the options, recommend a direction and work through the tradeoffs with you. That includes what to stop, where to focus and what the business can support.
- 03
Help put the solution to work
Turn the recommendation into priorities, decisions and responsibilities your team can act on. We agree on where I stay involved, who owns delivery and how we will review progress.
Built around the problem
The engagement may call for customer and market analysis, sharper positioning, a go-to-market plan or working sessions to get the team moving in the same direction. We choose the work and outputs that will help address the problem.
Before starting, we agree on scope, access, timing, fees and my role in follow-through. Ongoing ownership of your marketing function is a separate fractional CMO engagement; specialist production is included only when agreed.
Before we talk
You don’t need
the answer yet.
Start with what is happening and why it matters. We can work out whether I’m the right person to help.
Talk through your business challengeWhat kinds of problems can you help with?
My focus is growth, commercialization, positioning, marketing and aligning the team around those priorities. We start by discussing your situation and whether my experience fits the problem.
What if I don’t know what the real problem is?
Start with the symptoms: what is happening, what you expected and what you have already tried. Understanding the problem is part of the work. You do not need to arrive with a diagnosis or a complete brief.
Will you work directly with me and my team?
Yes. I work directly with you and involve the people whose knowledge and responsibilities matter to the problem. We establish who needs to contribute and who makes the decisions.
Will you help us implement the solution?
We agree on my role in follow-through before starting. That may include working sessions, helping the team translate recommendations into action and reviewing progress. Day-to-day execution and ongoing functional leadership need their own explicit scope.
What will we need to share?
Useful inputs may include business priorities, customer feedback, performance information and conversations with the team. We agree on access and confidentiality before sharing sensitive material. Keep your initial inquiry high-level.
How do timing and fees work?
The scope depends on the problem, the work required and how closely I will be involved. We agree on timing and fees before you decide whether to begin.
Your next move
What’s the problem
you need to solve?
Tell me what is happening, what is at stake and where you need help. I’ll reply personally.