Get Clarity Before You Invest More.

Start with a Capacity Diagnostic

Instead of jumping to new marketing tactics, tools, or hires, we step back and look at the full picture — your systems, messaging, decision-making, and alignment with your unique capacity for growth.

Every client starts here.

The Capacity Diagnostic ~ An Engagement

My Capacity Diagnostic is a stand-alone service. It's a structured marketing assessment designed to help you get a clear understanding of what your business can realistically support right now —and what it can’t.

This engagement is not a typical marketing audit. It's a holistic assessment of how your systems, messaging, and resources are impacting execution and long-term growth.

I get results for my clients because I focus on three key areas of your business that determine whether your marketing will not only stick, but strengthen your foundation and improve your ability to scale.

Testimonials

“Ellen was a fantastic addition to our team.

Her marketing diagnostic identified gaps in our communication channels, and once she helped us align and streamline our messaging, our ticketing strategy saw a 27% increase in sales.

Her objective perspective and clear guidance were exactly what we needed to move forward with confidence.”

Dale Gordon DeSena

Founder & CEO, Taste of Atlanta

What You Can Expect

A typical engagement is priced as a flat fee and lasts approximately 2 - 4 weeks, depending on the size of your marketing ecosystem.

Here's a quick overview of what you can expect during the engagement:

KICK-OFF CALL

60-Minute Working Session

We start with a focused working session to understand what’s driving growth pressure right now.

We clarify goals, constraints, and where things feel stuck, so the diagnostic is anchored in real priorities, not assumptions.

Outcome: Clear timeline, context and alignment before deeper analysis begins.

Deep Review of Systems, Messaging & Capacity

I take a close look at how your marketing actually functions today. This includes your systems, team dynamics, and decision flow. I identify what’s working, what’s draining resources, and what’s been overlooked.

Outcome: A clear picture of what’s supporting growth —and what’s quietly slowing it down.

THE DIAGNOSTIC

Clear Findings + Defined Next Steps

You receive a clear assessment of your Engine (systems), Clarity (messaging), and Capacity (execution), along with a sequenced path forward. We review what to continue, what to pause, and what to stop —all grounded in your real constraints.

Outcome: Confidence in what to focus on first. Clarity on whether further support makes sense.

YOUR RESULTS

TAKE A FREE MARKETING FOUNDATION CHECK

5 minutes now saves months of frustration later.

Consulting & Fractional Engagements

After the diagnostic, you'll know exactly what needs to happen next. Here are a few examples of how I help after the diagnostic.

Project-Based: We'll address a specific gap uncovered in the diagnostic —such as fixing a broken system, aligning messaging, or documenting processes so your team can execute more effectively. (set in specific timeframe, invoiced as a flat fee)
Strategic Advisor & Fractional Leadership: I step in as a strategic partner to guide decisions, planning, decisions, and execution oversight. (ongoing, monthly fee)
Vendor Management: I help you select, onboard, and manage the right marketing tech, vendors or agencies, ensuring work stays aligned with the strategy and doesn’t drift off course. Typically project-based with optional ongoing oversight.

Whether I'm the right person to help with that work depends on your situation and priorities. What matters is that you're empowered to make informed, confident decisions about your marketing.

Ready for Clarity? Let's start with a 15-Minute intro call.

FAQs

Q1: I've done marketing audits before. What makes this different?

A: Most audits look at channel health and their metrics (or KPIs) in isolation. I look at the metrics, the message, and the resources depleted as part of an integrated whole and whether it ladders up effectively to your business goals.

If your channels are not working together, you're bleeding time, money, and energy. That's what I find and help you fix.

Q2: How is this different from hiring a fractional CMO or consultant?

A: Those are services you hire after you know what you need. This is the before —the diagnosis informs next steps. Some clients never hire me after; they run with what they've learned. Others decide they need support. Either way, you'll know what's actually needed. <Learn more about Consulting & Advisory>

Q3: Can I do this if my business is small or just starting out?

A: The diagnostic works for established businesses with active marketing channels and clear revenue goals. If you're just starting out, you probably need a different kind of support. But if you're trying to scale smarter, let's talk.

Q4: I'm really busy. How much of my time does this actually take?

A: About 3-4 hours total over 2-3 weeks. Intake questionnaire, discovery & kick-off calls, some quick feedback, then I do the analysis. You're not sitting through unnecessary meetings —I'm doing the work and showing you what I found.

Q5: I'm worried this will be judgmental or disrupt team harmony.

A: I won't be judgmental, but I will be objective and direct. Real clarity sometimes requires hard conversations —that's where change actually happens. I've spent 25 years in business. I know what it's like to have limited resources and incredible teams doing their best.

Teams respect honest feedback way more than they fear it. The goal isn't to place blame. It's to show what's working, what's not, and what matters most. My clients and their teams typically express relief when they finally understand the real priorities.

Q6: What if the diagnostic shows something I can't afford to fix?

A: The diagnostic uncovers what's actually blocking your growth and the real impact on your business. You'll have clarity on priorities, timeline, and what's realistic. More importantly, you'll know exactly which marketing investments are worth making—and which ones to skip. That clarity alone saves you money.

Q7: What comes next after the diagnostic?

A: Implementing the changes revealed in the diagnostic is a next step—that's where the real work happens. But I've never seen someone truly understand their actual capacity, systems, and messaging—and not move forward differently. The clarity is the shift.

If you want support executing recommended changes, that's what comes next. We'll decide together whether that's a project, fractional advisory, or vendor management, etc. The diagnostic itself gives you a roadmap.