How a job goes, start to finish

The steps

Step 01

A 30-minute call

Free. You say what is stuck. I say whether I can help, about what it costs, and who to call if it is not me.

Step 02

The price in writing

What I will do, what you get, what it costs, and what is not included. Fixed price for projects, a monthly number for seats.

Step 03

Listen, then do

The first weeks are mostly listening and one early fix. Then the main work, with a short update in plain language as it goes.

Step 04

Hand it over

The files, the accounts, the code, and the passwords are in your name. Your team knows how to run what we built.

Why it matters who does the work

I do the work, so the plan stays doable.

A consultant who only advises can recommend anything, because somebody else pays for the doing. When the person writing the plan has to build it next month, the impossible parts come out on their own. If all a consultant can show you is a deck, you are buying a deck. More on that.

Running right now

Appraisal Dream: I built their appraisal software and the AI inside it, from nothing, as their fractional Chief AI Officer. Quartz Importers MN: a small sales team with 49 automated workflows I built finding and researching leads every day. U.S. Asset Appraisals: I run the marketing technology and AI rollout for a firm working in 35+ states.

Before that: I programmed the Phillips UV site at Olson (One Show Merit, 2002), grew Catalyst Studios from one person to 20+, renamed and rebuilt Thread, and ran service design and UX research for BMW, U.S. Bank, Medtronic, and Fairview Health Services.

Check me

Ask for artifacts, not adjectives.

The work. The portfolio goes back to 2000: agency sites, service design maps, and the AI running today. The case studies say what I did and what changed.
The record. Awards and talks on the about page link to the archives where they exist.
The people. Testimonials on the home page carry full names and titles you can look up.
The prices. Every one is on the services page, before you call.

Questions

Is the first call free?

Yes. Thirty minutes, no charge. If I am not the right person, I will say so and point you at someone who is.

What do I get in writing before we start?

The scope, the price, the payment terms, what is not included, and who owns the work. Short enough to read in five minutes.

How do payments work?

Workshops and projects are a fixed price. Seats are a monthly number. Anything over $3,000 can be paid by the month across the months it takes, no interest. What you pay for a small job comes off a bigger one within 90 days.

Who does the work after I sign?

I do. When a job needs more hands, like production or a specialist, I bring them in, tell you who they are, and check their work.

What if the engagement is not working?

You will hear it from me first. A fixed-price job ends when it is delivered. A seat has a three-month minimum and a two-year maximum. A payment plan can stop any month.

Do you work outside the Twin Cities?

Yes. I come to you anywhere in the Twin Cities, and remote works for everyone else. Travel outside the Twin Cities is billed at cost.

People ask before hiring

How do I check a consultant's experience before I hire them?Ask for artifacts, not adjectives. Look at work they made with their part named, something they built that is still running, references you can call yourself, and anything in the public record, like awards in an archive or talks on an event page. A real record is easy to show and easy to check.
What happens after I hire a consultant, step by step?A first call to see if there is a fit, a written scope with a price, a first few weeks of listening and quick fixes, the main work with regular check-ins, and a handoff where you own everything. You should know the price, the first step, and how to get out before you sign anything.
Why hire a consultant who does the work, not just advises?Because a consultant who has to carry out their own plan writes a plan that can be carried out. Advice-only consultants can recommend anything, since someone else pays for the doing. Ask any consultant to show you something they built that is still running. If all they can show you is a deck, you are buying a deck.

That is the whole process. What is stuck?

Book a time, or start with four questions on the intake form.

Book 30 min ↗ Start here, two minutes