# How I Show Up > Not every project needs the same kind of partner. This is how I think about the roles I play and the way I engage. When people ask what I do, I sometimes joke that I’m a growth strategist with a systems mindset and a marketing problem. But the truth is: how I show up depends on what the business needs. And because most early and growth-stage companies are navigating unclear terrain, how we work together can (and often should) evolve as we go. This model owes a small debt to Behzod Sirjani, [[Me-as-a-Service - Clips|whose thinking]] helped crystallize how to describe different modes of engagement as lenses on working relationships. What follows is my riff on that idea, shaped by the patterns I see in GTM work. Below is a working model of the different ways I engage, each with different levels of involvement, ownership, and rhythm. Treating these as archetypes or "ways of showing up" instead of rigid packages is a more honest way to bring structure to a fluid engagement space. It gives us a way to align on expectations, pricing, and how decisions get made. It also allows me to insert some meaningful leverage into a [[On Pricing|pricing model]] that can flex and scale more reliably to the needs of my partners. ## Advising **Role:** Strategic sounding board **How it works:** Async-first, periodic check-ins, pattern recognition support, executive coaching **Good fit when:** You have a team in motion but want an outside eye to pressure-test, validate, or provoke. **Investment level:** Lowest **Pricing Modifier:** 0.75x ## Contracting **Role:** Scoped contributor **How it works:** We define a project and outcomes, and I execute against them. This is task- or artifact-oriented work. **Good fit when:** You have a clear need (e.g., a launch plan, a messaging framework) and want a fast, clean deliverable. **Investment level:** Base **Pricing Modifier:** 0.9x ## Consulting **Role:** Strategic collaborator **How it works:** I help frame problems, define direction, and work alongside your team to build and test solutions. Often includes facilitation, documentation, and shared frameworks. **Good fit when:** You want a partner who can help define the problem and build the system. Someone in the room, not just on the receipt. **Investment level:** Mid **Pricing Modifier:** 1x ## Embedded Leadership **Role:** Fractional GTM owner **How it works:** I step into a fractional leadership seat—usually VP or Head of Growth/Marketing—and own the GTM system as a whole. We align on goals, define metrics, and I act with autonomy within those bounds. **Good fit when:** You don’t yet have a full-time GTM leader or are going through a transition and need senior leadership at the table. **Investment level:** High **Modifier:** 1.3x --- Each of these modes is viable on its own, and in many cases, engagements evolve from one to another as trust builds and the needs of the business change. This structure gives us a shared vocabulary for how we work together—and lets us calibrate scope and pricing in a way that reflects reality, not just aspiration.