I sit on the other side of the desk and think with the people doing what I used to do. Brainstorm, build the plan, and execute alongside you.
Pressure-test the messy decision.
Years of operator experience aimed at whatever you've been spinning on for three weeks. I poke holes, ask the question you haven't, and surface what's actually in the way.
Build a path forward you can run with.
Out of the conversation comes a written one-pager — the decision made, the next three moves, who does what by when. Specific. Actionable. Yours to own.
Roll up my sleeves. Make it happen alongside you.
For the longer engagements (Right-Hand monthly, Founder's Fix), I don't hand the plan over and walk. I sit beside you while it actually gets done — async between visits, in person when it matters.
Start with one hour. Step up to monthly when you want one on standby. Run a 90-day rebuild when you're stuck at the same size for too long. Most engagements start with the hour.
$180. One hour. One problem.
Bring whatever's been spinning in your head for three weeks — pricing, hiring, an ops bottleneck, a decision you can't make. Walk out with a decision made and a written one-pager in your inbox within 24 hours.
Work with a strategic operator monthly.
When you find yourself wanting another hour every fortnight, switch to this. A standing fortnightly half-day plus async text and voice support between visits. Closest thing to a co-founder without giving up equity.
90-day diagnostic and rebuild.
For owners stuck at the same size for too long. I diagnose what's actually holding the business back, fix the three things that matter, and hand you back a business that runs more without you in the seat for every decision.
No discovery decks. No 12-month commitments. The first conversation is free. The first paid hour is $180. That's the whole deal.
Email what you're stuck on. One sentence. No essay required.
A free 20-minute call to make sure I'm right for the problem. If I'm not, I'll point you at who is.
Pick a time within the next week or two. Pay $180. Meet by video — or in person if you're nearby.
If it was useful, book more or step up to monthly. If not, you owe nothing else. No follow-up sequence.
Two recent Strategic Hours, anonymised. Same pattern most weeks — the founder walks in with a decision they've been spinning on. I work through it with them. They walk out moving.
The founder spent the first ten minutes describing the pricing problem. By minute forty I'd worked with him to build a decision matrix on screen, pick an option, and write the announcement email to his existing customers. He left, opened his laptop, sent it.
She'd been thinking about hiring a 2IC for nine months. The hour started as a job-spec conversation and ended with me realising she didn't need to hire — she needed to drop one of three service lines first. She did that instead. Saved her around $80K.
Most founders don't need more advice.
They need someone who's actually been there.
I've sat in your seat. Decks aren't my love language.
No retainers before they're earned. Book the next hour only if you want to.
Senior thinking, applied to your problem — not generalised frameworks.
I get the scale, the relationships, and the realities of operating here.
Part-Time Exec exists for owner-operators running businesses where they are still every department. The bookkeeper, the marketer, the recruiter, the strategist, the closer. I've been there.
Operator experience spans ports and logistics, primary industry, tourism, hospitality, trade and export, property, and construction. Multiple businesses, multiple roles, multiple decades. That experience is what you're booking — not a framework, not a deck.
Remote-first. Available across New Zealand. Engaged within days, not weeks.
Do I have to commit to a retainer?
No. Most owners start with a single Strategic Hour. If it's useful you book more. If it's not, you owe nothing further — and I won't chase you with follow-up emails.
How big does my business need to be?
I work with anyone from solo operators to teams of around ten. The common thread isn't size — it's that you're doing too many jobs yourself and need someone to think with.
What kinds of problems do you help with?
Pricing decisions. When (and when not) to hire. Marketing direction. Ops bottlenecks. When to say no. Founder burnout. Anything strategic that's been spinning for three weeks.
Are you coaches or consultants?
Neither. I'm a senior operator who's made the kinds of calls you're now wrestling with. I think with you, not at you — and I leave you with a written summary, not homework.
How do sessions actually run?
Video call by default. In person if you're in NZ and prefer face-to-face. One hour, one problem, a written one-pager in your inbox within 24 hours.
How is this different from talking to my accountant?
Your accountant tells you what the numbers were. I help you decide what to do next. The two work well together — happy to coordinate if useful.
The to-do list keeping you up at night. Too many things to hold in your head. The feeling that nothing in the business runs unless you're in the middle of every decision. An hour on the bench together — let's build a strategic plan that gets things operating smoothly, without you personally running every part of it.