Your email program is healthy. Let's keep it that way.
Authentication requirements shift. Provider filtering changes. Sending patterns drift in ways that don’t surface until delivery rates start moving. A program that’s in good shape today needs consistent attention to stay there, and most organizations don’t have a dedicated specialist to provide it.
That’s what this retainer is for.
This is the right engagement if your program is running well and you want to keep it that way
This is for organizations with functioning, permission-based email programs that are not currently in crisis. Delivery is solid. Authentication is configured correctly. You’re not looking for someone to fix a problem. You’re looking for someone who knows your program and can tell you when something is about to become one. Most retainer clients have come through a prior project engagement that established the baseline. A few arrive with programs already in good shape and want to keep them there.
A monthly fixed-fee advisory engagement, scoped to your program's complexity
Each month, a set number of hours is available for questions, change reviews, provider feedback interpretation, regulatory updates, or escalation support if something unexpected develops. The scope and fee are fixed before the engagement starts. Hours do not roll over.
The Standard tier at four hours per month suits stable programs with predictable sending patterns — primarily reactive, covering questions, change reviews, and occasional check-ins. The Extended tier at seven hours per month fits more active programs or more complex environments and includes a scheduled monthly review call. The Embedded tier at ten hours per month is for high-volume or multi-sender environments, or organizations that want a fractional technical advisory presence: someone who knows the program and is available to engage when it matters.
What retainer hours cover
Retainer hours are available for questions about authentication configuration, provider requirements, and sending practices. I review proposed infrastructure or program changes before you implement them. I interpret delivery data, provider feedback, and postmaster communications. I discuss regulatory developments and industry changes that affect your program as they arise. I review new sending streams, ESP migrations, or list management changes on a technical basis. If a delivery problem develops mid-month, retainer hours cover escalation support to work through it.
Scope and boundaries
This is a technical advisory engagement. Implementing configuration changes is your team’s responsibility. I don’t take direct access to sending systems. Legal questions and compliance opinions are outside the scope of this engagement. Finally, hours don’t roll over from one month to the next.
What you need to bring
Retainer clients need to come in with an established program baseline. That typically means prior completion of a Diagnostic Assessment, Technical Program Audit, or Delivery Recovery Program through Whizardries, or an equivalent engagement elsewhere that produced clear documentation of current configuration and practices. The initial term is three months minimum.
If you’re not certain whether a retainer is the right fit for your situation, a free 30-minute assessment call is the right place to find out.