Retention is a capital decision, not a CS metric.
The data can show you where revenue is leaking. It cannot make the organization act. I find why the customer motion is breaking and rebuild the handoffs, ownership, and decision rhythm so retention and expansion hold. Fast, without disrupting what works.
Operator through two IPOs. Pattern recognition across hundreds of growth-stage B2B SaaS companies. The expensive moments need both, and most advisors have one.
The friction shows up before the retention number does.
GRR still looks healthy, but the CARR-ARR gap is widening and no one can name why.
Renewals are closing later each quarter.
Churn keeps surprising you at renewal, because you're tracking usage, not risk.
Any one of these is the early signal. Catch it now, or the number tells the board first.
"Ellie has become a sounding board I rely on. She brings an outside perspective that cuts through internal blind spots and helps us think clearly about what actually needs to change. We've continued working with her because I trust her judgment."
— Gene Farrell (President & CEO, Vanilla)
The path
I speak three languages most advisors don't speak together: customer, operations, and capital. The situations that get expensive need all three.
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By the time retention shows up in the numbers, the decision that caused it was made quarters ago. The bill arrives late. The Audit finds the friction beneath the metrics, quantifies it, and traces it back to where it started. You walk into the board with the number and the cause, a 90-day roadmap, and a read on what to fix first.
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The team runs it without you in every decision. I install what the diagnosis calls for: operating model, governance, decision rhythm, and the leadership handoffs, then advise at the executive level and hand off the playbook so it holds after I leave.
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Risk gets caught before it hits the P&L. Board-level partnership once the systems are in: operating cadence, board prep, and the early read on what's coming. The trusted seat at the table.
You'll leave the Fit Call knowing whether this is worth your time. Including if it's not me.
Outcomes
Accelerate time-to-value and revenue recognition in 3 to 6 months, not 12 to 18.
A growth-stage B2B SaaS company cut time-to-value from 30 days to 11.
Give boards and deal teams confidence that customer risk is understood, quantified, and managed.
Put scarce operating resources where they move retention, so experimentation never endangers the business.
From Our Clients
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"She was meticulous and decisive, giving me clear yes-or-no feedback with the reasoning behind it. Working with Ellie gave me full confidence that we made the right hire."
— Guru Hariharan, Founder and CEO, CommerceIQ
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"Ellie is transparent, direct, and genuinely cares about people. She thinks like an owner, bringing a systems mindset with proven frameworks that tie customer success to real business outcomes. By translating customer health into measurable results and credible signals for investors, she gives everyone clarity and conviction in their growth decisions."
— Cassie Young, General Partner, Primary Venture Partners
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"Ellie knows her stuff. She's great at helping you define the problem you really need to solve and brings a systematic approach to finding solutions. She's an immediate source of confidence because she pairs deep knowledge with clear, direct communication. What stood out most was her ability to understand the business decision while still showing real empathy for the people involved."
— Patrick Clibborn, CFO & CCO, LawVu
Frequently Asked Questions
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Every engagement starts with a Fit & Focus Call, usually within days. From there, timing depends on scope and current commitments. I work with a limited number of clients at a time because fit matters more than volume. If timing is urgent, say so in your first message.
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Start with a conversation. I'll tell you what you need, including if it's not me. You won't pick from a menu: the Fit Call scopes where to start and what comes next.
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Yes. Most of my work is in that growth stage, but I've worked with earlier-stage companies facing funding prep and larger organizations that scaled past $100M with unresolved customer reality issues. The common thread is stakes, not size.
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Operator depth with investor speed. I've been in the seat making these decisions, and I've been on the investor side seeing how hundreds of companies handle the same moments. I get from data to diagnosis fast, without slowing teams down or hiding behind analysis. And I'll tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.
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It depends on what you need, from a 90-minute session to ongoing strategic partnership. The rigor stays constant; the pace matches the timeline you're actually working against. I design the architecture and the decision scaffolding.
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Yes. I regularly participate in board prep, present findings to boards, and help translate customer reality into terms that resonate in those rooms. That's often where the highest-stakes moments happen.
How to Start
1. Reach out
Tell me what you're navigating and what's at stake. A few sentences is plenty.
I'll tell you whether I can help and what makes sense for your situation.
2. We talk
You get clarity on the right engagement, and we move.