Straight answers.

Every engagement is scoped and quoted based on your specific situation. After our first conversation, you get a clear written proposal: scope, deliverables, timeline, and total cost. No hourly meter running while we figure things out, and no surprises at the end. If the scope changes, we talk about it before any additional work happens.

A focused single-workstream project, like a software evaluation, a website build, or a financial analysis, typically runs $500 to $2,000. Broader multi-workstream engagements scale up from there depending on scope and time involved. Hourly consulting starts at $50/hr. You'll have a specific number in writing before anything begins.

No. Most of my work is project-based with a defined scope and a clear endpoint. Some clients choose to continue with ongoing advisory or follow-on projects, but there's no retainer required and no pressure to extend. When the work is done, you own everything and can run it yourself.

With a real conversation. You tell me what's going on in the business, and I ask questions until I understand the situation well enough to say something useful. From there, I put together a written proposal with a specific scope, timeline, and cost. No forms, no intake surveys.

Depends on scope. A focused single-workstream project can wrap in a few weeks. A full operational engagement covering multiple areas, like my work with Cline's Nursery, runs two to three months. You'll know the timeline before we start, not partway through.

I keep it as light as possible on your end. Most of the research and build work happens without needing you in the room. I'll check in regularly and need your input on decisions, but you don't need to project-manage this. That's the work I'm doing.

Something tangible. A working system, a financial dashboard, a rebuilt website, a written strategy, a restructured org chart. Every engagement closes with deliverables you can use the day after we're done. If it can't be used, it doesn't count as done.

Mostly businesses in the 5 to 50 employee range that have outgrown their original systems but haven't had the time or right person to fix them. Family-owned businesses, independent operators, and businesses mid-transition do well with this kind of engagement. If you have a real problem and want it actually fixed, it's probably a good fit.

Most of my current work is with businesses in North Carolina, but remote engagements work well for projects that don't need consistent on-site presence. If you're outside NC and the scope makes sense remotely, reach out and we'll figure out if it works.

That's fine. Most people who reach out have a general sense that something isn't working but haven't scoped it into a specific project. That's exactly what the first conversation is for. You describe what's going on, I ask questions, and by the end we both know what it would take to fix it.

I keep active engagements limited so I can actually focus on each one. As of summer 2026, I'm taking on new projects. Reach out and I'll give you an honest answer on timing.

Firms bill for overhead. When you hire a firm, a portion of what you're paying goes to account managers, coordinators, and internal infrastructure that has nothing to do with your project. With me, what you pay goes toward the actual work. You also get direct communication, faster turnaround, and someone who's genuinely invested in your outcome rather than billing hours toward a quota.

A freelancer executes what you specify. A consultant figures out what needs to be done and then does it. I come in without a fixed task list, diagnose the actual situation, scope the right work, and build the solution. You don't need to know exactly what you need before we start.