A fixed retainer engagement, with a minimum initial term of six months. This guarantees you unlimited senior-level access within agreed-upon boundaries—no surprise invoices and no clock watching. We focus on solving problems, not tallying hours.
A confidential boardroom advisory partnership that keeps complexity out and momentum in.
Why It Exists:
Even world-class executives
hit moments when the noise surrounding them grows louder than the signal. In these situations, having an independent expert on call can be the difference between a clean, confident decision and a prolonged ordeal. An Executive Retainer gives you unlimited, on-demand access to a Strategic Subtraction partner; your next big move is clearer, faster, and visibly smarter.
What We Work On:
As your retained strategic advisor, I help you tackle the highest-stakes leadership challenges, for example:
Untangling critical decisions
Before they stall or become over-complicated.
Killing pet projects or initiatives
That quietly drain capital, talent, and reputational credit.
Aligning senior players
Around one clear, measurable win (instead of spreading thin across conflicting priorities).
Crafting clean strategic narratives
That your board and stakeholders can back—without triggering a “slide deck arms race.”
Typical Touch-Points
The retainer is flexible and tailored to your needs. Common engagement modes include:
Private 1-on-1 calls
Rapid clarity on emerging issues or tough calls you’re grappling with.
Focused team sessions
Facilitated discussions to convert internal debate into aligned, decisive action.
Shadow advisory
Real-time, behind-the-scenes feedback during pivotal meetings or presentations.
Asynchronous communication
Quick guidance via mail when time zones, travel, or urgency make live calls impractical.
The exact cadence of our interactions is set to your schedule, not mine. There are no “meters running” and no wasted meetings.
Outcomes You Can Expect
You will systematically create breathing room and clarity at the top:
- Big decisions made in days, not dragged out for months.
- At least 30% less initiative “noise” cluttering your strategic agenda.
- A senior leadership team that behaves and executes as one unified unit under pressure.
- An internal capability built within your team to continue applying Strategic Subtraction long after our engagement, preventing relapse into complexity
Who Engages:
This level of partnership isn’t for everyone. It’s best suited for:
- C-suite leaders under board or market scrutiny who must deliver clean results without excuses.
- Executives drowning in “critical” initiatives and starving for bandwidth to think and prioritize.
- High performers who want a discreet, incisive thinking partner outside the chain of command, someone who will tell them what others won’t.
Commitment:
Eligibility:
Retainer clients are accepted by invitation only. Typically, this means graduates of a Strategic Subtraction Sprint or leaders with a strong board referral. To ensure quality, I cap active retainer partnerships at five clients at any given time.
Ready to eliminate complexity and accelerate performance?
Let’s explore if Strategic Subtraction is the right fit for your leadership challenge.