You need a tiny website tweak. But you're waiting on your retainer-based agency, losing momentum, watching opportunities slip by. I used to be on the other side of that equation — and I know there's a better way.

When I ran my own agency years ago, retainers and maintenance plans were a core part of the business. Monthly fees, ongoing support, always available. It made sense at the time — predictable income, long-term relationships, clients who didn't have to think about their website because I was handling it. But over time, I started to see the downsides, and now I work differently.

What I noticed:
The retainer model often created dependency rather than capability. Clients would call me for things they could have done themselves with a bit of guidance. They'd wait on my availability instead of moving forward. Small decisions became bottlenecks. And when they eventually wanted to leave or change direction, they realised they didn't fully understand their own systems. I'd become a crutch — and that limited their growth more than it helped.

The shift:
I also realised that ongoing maintenance work wasn't the work I found most meaningful. The interesting part was always the beginning — understanding the business, diagnosing problems, mapping out a strategy, helping people see clearly. Not the endless small updates and "can you just change this?" requests. I burned out on that kind of work, and I don't want to go back to it.

What I do instead:
Now I focus on building your capability. Audits that give you clarity. Training that transfers knowledge. Documentation you can actually use. I use AI where it adds real value — automating repetitive tasks, generating optimised copy, surfacing data-driven insights — without the hype. You'll understand your options, make informed decisions, and be able to move forward without me.

You might come back for a follow-up session, a new project, or a workshop when something changes — but you won't need me just to keep things running day to day.

This approach isn't for everyone. But if you'd rather understand your digital direction and own it yourself — even if that takes a bit more effort upfront — that's where I can help.

Ready to own your digital direction?
Book a 45-minute strategy call and we'll map out the first steps together — whether that's a site audit, team training, or a focused content package.