What does a growth marketing consultant do?
A growth marketing consultant finds the few moves that will grow revenue fastest at your stage, then turns them into a plan with budgets, owners and targets. Ralph starts with diagnosis: your revenue model, margins, current channels and team. You leave with a clear plan and the right people lined up to run it.
Signs you need a growth strategy, not more tactics
- Revenue has flattened and nobody can say why.
- You're running five channels and can't tell which ones pay.
- Every agency you talk to recommends the thing it sells.
- You hired before you had a plan, and paid for it.
- Your board, investors or co-founder want a marketing plan you can defend.
How Ralph builds your growth plan
- Diagnose. Revenue model, margins, customer economics, channels, spend, team and partners. What's working, what's leaking and what's missing.
- Prioritize. The two or three moves that will matter most in the next 90 days, plus what to stop doing.
- Plan. Budget by channel, an owner for every move, and targets for 3, 6 and 12 months tied to revenue and margin, not vanity metrics.
- Staff it. Where you need outside help, Ralph places the right agency or freelancer and agrees scope and price on your side.
- Review. Ralph checks progress against the plan and changes course when the numbers say so.
Fractional CMO, agency strategist or growth advisor?
Founders usually compare three ways to get senior marketing thinking. Here's how they differ.
| Fractional CMO | Agency strategist | Connectwright growth advisor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Works for | You, part time | The agency | You |
| Does the work? | Often manages your team | The agency's team does it | No. Places the right partner for each job |
| Best for | Companies ready for a part-time marketing executive | Brands already committed to that agency | Founders who need a plan and the right people to run it |
If you need someone inside the business running a marketing team every week, a fractional CMO may be the right hire, and Ralph will tell you so.
Questions to ask any growth consultant before you hire one
- What will you need from us in the first two weeks, and what will we have at the end of them?
- Which of our current channels would you cut, and why?
- How will we measure progress at 3, 6 and 12 months?
- Do you earn anything from the partners you recommend? (Connectwright does, and says so up front.)
- Who will actually do the work you recommend?
What you get
- A one-page diagnosis of where growth is coming from and where money is leaking
- A 90-day plan with budget by channel and an owner for every move
- Targets for 3, 6 and 12 months tied to revenue and margin
- Introductions to the partners who should run each piece, with scope and price agreed
- Regular reviews, so the plan changes when the numbers do
Proof
Rockstar Original. From Ralph's agency years: the brand's TikTok affiliate program was aimed at the wrong buyer and spread across too many products. Refocusing on the audience actually on the platform, and on two hero products, lifted monthly revenue 50%. Read the story
Questions about growth consulting
What's the difference between a growth consultant and a marketing agency?
An agency sells and delivers its own services. A growth consultant decides what should be done and by whom. Ralph doesn't run your ads or write your emails; he makes sure the people who do are the right ones, working on the right things.
Do I need a fractional CMO or a growth consultant?
If you need someone managing a marketing team every week, a fractional CMO can make sense. If you need a clear plan, the right partners and someone senior keeping them honest, a growth advisor usually costs far less and gets you moving faster.
What do you need from me to get started?
Revenue and margin by channel if you have them, current marketing spend, the partners and tools you use, and your goals. Rough numbers are fine to start.
Do you work with B2B companies or only ecommerce?
Both. Ralph works with D2C and ecommerce brands, B2B companies and founders preparing to launch.
Related services: Agency and freelancer selection · Paid and performance marketing · Tracking, profitability and tech stack