Do I need to do a Brand Build first?
No, but it helps. The retainer runs on top of an existing brand — yours, ours, or whatever's in place. If we hit a wall because the brand isn't there, we'll tell you (and recommend the Brand Build sprint).
What's the difference between Operating Retainer and Marketing Department?
Operating Retainer ($4,500/mo) replaces a contractor. Marketing Department ($11,000/mo) replaces a full marketing hire — strategy, execution, ad management, the full team. Marketing Department is for businesses pre-marketing-hire or post-burnout-with-an-internal-hire.
How does ad spend work?
Ad spend is separate from our fee — it goes directly to Meta/Google/TikTok. Operating Retainer manages up to $3K/mo in spend; Marketing Department manages up to $10K/mo. Above that, we add a 10% management fee on incremental spend.
Minimum commitment?
Operating: 6 months. Marketing Department: 12 months. Marketing compounds — anything shorter and we're both setting up systems we don't get to use.
What if I want to cancel early?
You can cancel month-to-month after the minimum. We charge for the remaining months at 50% if you exit during the minimum. We'd rather you stay because it's working — never because of contracts.
Can you replace our existing agency?
Yes. We've onboarded businesses mid-stream from other agencies. We do a 2-week handoff phase to inherit assets, accounts, and history before fully taking over.