Atelier Nine FourStrategy & Operations

Services

Fixed scope. Clear deliverables. No open-ended retainers on day one.

Every engagement starts small and earns the next step. You always know what's included, what isn't, and what it costs before any work begins.

Start here · Free

Fit call

30 minutesVideo call

A short conversation about what's not working and whether I'm the right person to help. You'll leave with a clearer read on where to start, whether or not we work together.

The fit call is a conversation, not a free audit. Research and deliverables begin once a scope is signed.

Lead offer

Operational Clarity Diagnostic

2 weeksFixed fee

For teams that know something is off but can't name exactly what. I map how decisions, meetings and reporting really work today and tell you plainly what to fix first.

Included

  • Intake questionnaire
  • Two stakeholder interviews
  • One end-to-end process map
  • Findings memo with your top five fixes
  • 45-minute readout with your leadership

Not included

  • Implementing the fixes (that's the Build)
  • Access to confidential client or employee data
  • Additional interviews beyond scope, unless added by change order

How it runs

  • The two weeks start once the scope is signed, the deposit is paid and your intake is back.
  • You choose the one process to map at kickoff, and we agree how success will be judged.
  • Your team's time: about an hour for intake, two 60-minute interviews with people you choose, and the 45-minute readout.

Investment

  • A fixed fee set by team size and the number of stakeholders involved.
  • Quoted in writing within two business days of the fit call.
  • The full Diagnostic fee is credited toward an Operating System Build when the Build scope is signed within 30 days of the findings readout.
Preview a sample diagnosticDiscuss the Diagnostic
Project

Operating System Build

4 to 8 weeksScoped after the Diagnostic

Turn the diagnosis into a working system your team runs on, sized for how you actually operate.

Typically includes

  • Weekly and monthly operating cadence
  • Decision rights and a decision log
  • A short KPI set with definitions people trust
  • Dashboard or scorecard design
  • Core SOPs for recurring work

You get

  • Templates your team owns and can edit
  • A handoff session so it runs without me
  • A 30-day check-in after launch
Project

AI Adoption Sprint

3 to 4 weeksFixed scope

AI rollouts stall on adoption, not technology. This sprint treats a new tool as a change effort, with people, process and measures built in.

Typically includes

  • Readiness check across teams and workflows
  • Tool selection criteria and use cases worth piloting
  • Rollout plan and practical training
  • Adoption measures and a 30-day review

Guardrails

  • No sensitive data in unapproved tools
  • Clear human review on anything customer-facing
  • Honest calls on what not to automate
Ongoing

Fractional operations partner

MonthlyAfter a completed project

A set number of hours each month to keep the operating rhythm running: preparing leadership meetings, maintaining the scorecard, tracking decisions and catching what's slipping. Offered once we've worked together on a scoped project, so both sides know the fit is right.

Workshops

Hands-on sessions where the group leaves with the work done.

Facilitated live, in person or by video. Every workshop ends with a finished document the team wrote, not a slide deck to file away.

Half day · 6 to 16 people

AI Marketing Policy Workshop

For marketing and communications teams already using AI tools with no written rules. In four hours the team drafts its own one-page AI use policy: what's allowed, what needs review, what's off limits, and who decides.

3 hours · 8 to 20 people

AI Marketing in a Morning

For local business owners and their staff, often hosted by a chamber, association or library. Participants leave with marketing they can post that week and a simple routine for checking AI drafts before they go out.

Ask about a team workshop

How engagements work

Clear terms protect your budget and my time.

Written scope

Every engagement has a one-page scope: what's in, what's out, the number of sessions and rounds of revision, and the fee.

Change orders, not scope creep

Good ideas come up mid-project. They get a short add-on scope with its own price and timeline, and you decide.

Simple payment terms

A deposit to start, the balance on delivery. Final deliverables are released once the invoice is paid.

Questions

Before you reach out

What size teams do you work with?

Mostly 10 to 100 people: professional services firms, nonprofits, and creative or marketing agencies where the founder or COO is still holding too much of the operation in their head.

How is pricing set?

Each engagement is a fixed fee, quoted in writing after the fit call once the scope is clear. You won't be billed by the hour or surprised by an invoice.

Do you guarantee results?

No one honestly can. What I commit to is a clear scope, the deliverables in it, and measures we agree on up front so you can judge whether the work is paying off.

Do you need access to confidential information?

Rarely, and never through email or a web form. If a project needs sensitive data, we agree on how it's shared and handled before any work starts.

Do you work remotely?

Yes. Sessions run by video call, and deliverables are shared in tools your team already uses.

Start with a conversation

Thirty minutes to find out whether the problem is the plan or the system.

A free fit call. No prep needed, no pitch deck. If it isn't a fit, you'll leave with a clearer read on what to fix first.

Request a fit call