Hire the Best Fractional CGOs

Expert-Vetted Top 1% Upwork consultant | Nearly $3M billed since 2021 | 100% Job Success I find the revenue already sitting inside your store. I spent 25+ years founding, scaling, and exiting my own ecommerce companies across supplements, subscription, manufacturing, nutraceuticals, and consumer products. I have lived the operator side of growth: cash flow, CAC pressure, conversion problems, failed launches, retention leaks, agency confusion, inventory risk, and the constant question every founder eventually has to answer: Where is the money leaking? That is the problem I help solve. Since my last exit, I’ve spent the last two years building RavenOS, my private AI-assisted growth analysis system. It helps me review Shopify, Klaviyo, GA4, Meta, and customer data faster and more thoroughly than a normal audit process. It looks for the things most teams miss: failed payments, weak lifecycle flows, cohort decay, discount stacking, checkout friction, poor offer sequencing, low repeat purchase, and revenue hiding inside the existing customer base. Outside of client work, I also build my own software systems. One current example is NRGX Labs, my invite-only institutional options research platform. I designed and built it around 18 quant engines, roughly 190 API routes, 160K+ lines of Python/JS, 1,200+ tests, and a layered OpenAI system that turns deterministic market structure into clear research, explanations, and structured trade-readiness outputs. So when I talk about AI-assisted growth systems, data-backed ecommerce analysis, or product experience, I’m not speaking theoretically. I’ve built real systems where the AI layer has to be grounded, constrained, useful, and commercially practical. RavenOS is the tool I wish I had when I was running my own brands. Back then, I found leaks the hard way: by losing the money first. That is where 25 years of founder/operator pattern recognition comes in. I am not handing you generic AI output or a 40-page deck of best practices. I am looking at your business like someone who has sat in the founder seat with his own money on the line. What you get is a clear read on where revenue is being lost, what it is likely costing you, and what I would fix first. 🤓 A few background highlights: • Founded and scaled 6 companies across ecommerce, manufacturing, nutraceuticals, subscription, and consumer products • $587M+ in gross retail sales across founder-led DTC brands • Built subscribe-and-save programs with 250k+ monthly members, plus a 4,000-member monthly box • Exits include MySupplementStore, GeekBox, and KEEG Ocean Plastics, which was acquired by University of California, Irvine • Shopify Plus brands with sustained 4-6% conversion rates • Inc. 5000, #40 fastest-growing retail company in the U.S. • Inc. Magazine “30 Top CEOs Under 30” • Expert-Vetted Top 1% on Upwork • Nearly $3M billed since 2021 • 100% Job Success I find that most engagements fall into one of three categories: 👉 GROWTH BLUEPRINT My flagship engagement. I review your current growth stack with the help of RavenOS, then deliver a complete operator-level blueprint: performance snapshot, ranked revenue-leak map, acquisition and lifecycle fixes, retention/subscription opportunities, CRO priorities, and a practical 90-day execution plan. This is best for brands that know there is more revenue in the business but need a sharper read on where it is sitting and what to fix first. 👉 CONVERSION & RETENTION SPRINT A focused engagement around one constraint: funnel efficiency, lifecycle revenue, repeat purchase, email/SMS performance, offer clarity, checkout friction, or revenue per visitor. This is best when the problem is already visible and you want a senior operator to help diagnose and prioritize the fix. 👉 FOUNDER GROWTH ADVISORY + MONITORING Ongoing advisory for founders who want a senior growth operator watching the business week over week. RavenOS surfaces anomalies, leaks, and opportunities. I review the findings and help turn them into practical decisions before they cost you a quarter. Most businesses do not need more complexity or another dashboard. They need an accurate read on where revenue is being lost, a short list of what to fix first, and someone who has actually done it before. That is where I come in.

Customer lifetime value (CLV/LTV) modeling is my specialty. Using probability models (BG/NBD, Pareto/NBD, Gamma-Gamma), retention curves, and RFM segmentation, I tell you who your most valuable customers are, what they are worth, and how to acquire more of them. Around that core I bring the full marketing-analytics toolkit - marketing mix modeling (MMM), multi-touch attribution, pricing, and forecasting - in Python and R, for CPG, DTC, media, fintech, and B2B clients. Over 30 years I have directed more than $70M in combined consumer-insights and analytics spend - $20M+ client-side (Bacardi Global Brands) and $50M+ agency-side (GfK, Millward Brown/Kantar) - so I read these models the way a CMO does, not just a data scientist. I translate model output into the decision, the deck, and the board-ready story. What I deliver: - Customer lifetime value (CLV/LTV): BG/NBD and Pareto/NBD + Gamma-Gamma probability models, retention curves, cohort and RFM segmentation; forecast customer value and surface your most valuable acquisition cohorts for DTC and subscription brands. - Marketing mix modeling & media ROI: ARIMAX, Bayesian/hierarchical, and regression models with adstock and saturation; in a recent engagement I identified a channel-reallocation opportunity worth roughly a 185% gain in marketing efficiency. Build from scratch, or finalize, validate, deploy, and maintain existing models (Python or R). - Attribution & measurement: reconciling Meta / Google / GA4 platform reporting against actual business outcomes; blended CAC and single-source-of-truth frameworks. - Pricing & forecasting: conjoint / willingness-to-pay studies and supervised-ML pricing models (random forest, gradient boosting) deployed as interactive calculators. - Data engineering & viz: BigQuery warehousing, dashboards (Power BI, Tableau, Looker Studio), and clear recommendations leadership can act on. Credentials: Wharton MBA (Marketing), Brown B.A. in Applied Mathematics. Top Rated on Upwork with 100% Job Success across 8 engagements. Stack: Python, R, SQL, SAS, Azure, AWS, GCP/BigQuery, Power BI, Tableau, GA4, Looker Studio. Fluent in Spanish, working Portuguese - comfortable on global, multi-market engagements. I keep scope tight, communicate in business terms, and hit deadlines.

Your company is growing, but your leadership bandwidth is pushed to the limit. You have the team and the revenue ($10M–$150M+), but instead of focusing on long term strategy, market expansion, or exit positioning, you are stuck refereeing internal friction and managing daily ad hoc bottlenecks. I architect the operational systems, automated workflows, and team structures that allow companies to scale predictably or prepare for a highly profitable sale. As a Fractional/Interim COO and Operations Architect, I step into high growth SaaS, Finance, and complex tech ecosystems to solve structural chaos using three core levers: 1. Connecting fractured technical systems and automating workflows so your data and tools talk to each other without human friction. 2. Restructuring compensation models, optimizing hiring frameworks, and leading people to high performance without reactive management styles. 3. Seeing the hidden leaks in your current operations, finding the missing synergies, and closing the structural deals required to capture that money. --- Past clients snippets • Scaled a high growth company from $400K to $1.6M in revenue in under 12 months by completely restructuring team operations, optimizing the hiring pipeline, and redesigning the incentive/payment architecture. • Handled complex, high-stakes operational transitions for founders looking to step back from daily operations or maximize valuation for an acquisition. --- HOW WE WORK TOGETHER Because I operate at a high strategic level, my onboarding is rapid and designed to protect your time: • Week 1: Deep Dive Diagnostic & Audit (Systems, Team, & Bottlenecks) • Week 2: The Operational Blueprint (Identifying revenue leaks & synergy opportunities) • Week 3 & Beyond: Active Leadership & Execution (Running alignment meetings, deploying automations, restructuring team metrics) If you are a founder ready to hand over the operational reins to a fast, strategic leader who can scale your vision beyond recognition let’s talk. (Please note: I do not take on marketing focused operational roles. My expertise lies strictly in Finance, SaaS, and highly complex technical infrastructure.)

I work with SaaS and B2B Tech companies that need senior-level marketing strategy and execution across the full funnel. I help software companies with growth strategy, demand generation, paid acquisition, organic growth, content, conversion, lifecycle marketing, analytics, and AI-era search visibility. This includes SEO, AI Visibility, GEO, AEO, content strategy, paid ads, LinkedIn marketing, email marketing, landing pages, reporting, and go-to-market support. I work best with SaaS founders, B2B tech teams, software startups, AI products, fintech, healthtech, IT services, and growth-stage companies that want one consultant who can see the full picture and help move the work forward. What I Help With - Go-To-Market Strategy - Positioning and Messaging - SEO / AI Visibility / GEO / AEO - Content Strategy & Development - Thought Leadership Content Marketing - Social & Paid Ads ( Google, Meta, LinkedIn ) - Demand / Inbound Lead Generation - Email Marketing - Marketing Analytics & Reporting - Conversion Rate Optimization - Growth Advisory Some Results - ZarMoney: 200x growth in organic traffic and conversions in under 12 months - Vocus: 255% traffic growth and 33% increase in lead conversions in 6 months - Sprintful: 1000x growth in website traffic within a year - OrderCircle: 55% growth in conversions in 1 month - ShareArchiver: 60% increase in organic leads in 3 months - HyperOffice: 270% traffic growth and 320% growth in conversions - Week Plan: 100%+ growth in traffic and conversions I bring a strong mix of strategy, channel knowledge, copy, and performance thinking, making me a strong fit for SaaS and B2B tech companies seeking serious marketing support without building a large in-house team.

🚀 Most AI consultants focus on technology. I focus on business outcomes. I combine 15+ years of business development with hands-on AI implementation to help established businesses increase revenue, reduce operational costs, and build AI systems their teams will actually use. I've helped businesses raise capital, launch AI products, automate operations, and unlock new revenue without increasing headcount. 📈 Proven Results 💰 Generated an additional $673,000 in just 10 days using the same leads through an AI-driven investor engagement strategy. 📈 Generated $55,025 in 90 days using an AI-powered customer acquisition system while creating recurring monthly revenue. 🚀 Designed and implemented AI systems that increase conversions, automate operations, reduce manual work, and create scalable growth. 🧠 What I Do as Your Fractional AI CTO As your Fractional AI CTO, I don't just recommend AI tools. I identify your highest ROI opportunities, create the implementation roadmap, lead development, work alongside your existing team (or build what's needed), and ensure every technology decision supports measurable business outcomes. Whether you're launching an AI-powered SaaS platform, modernizing internal operations, replacing manual processes, or integrating AI into an existing business, I provide both the strategic leadership and technical execution needed to make it happen. 🛠 Services & Expertise 🤖 AI Strategy & Implementation ✅ Fractional AI CTO ✅ AI Strategy & Roadmaps ✅ AI Consulting ✅ AI Implementation ✅ AI Transformation ✅ AI Product Development ✅ AI Agents ✅ AI Chatbots ✅ RAG Systems ✅ MCP Workflows ✅ Claude, OpenAI & Gemini ✅ AI Automation 💻 Software Development ✅ Next.js ✅ React ✅ Node.js ✅ PostgreSQL ✅ SQL ✅ API Development ✅ API Integrations ✅ SaaS Platforms ✅ Custom Web Applications ✅ Internal Business Systems ⚙️ CRM, Automation & Operations ✅ GoHighLevel ✅ CRM Architecture ✅ CRM Migrations ✅ Sales Pipelines ✅ Workflow Automation ✅ n8n ✅ Make ✅ Zapier ✅ Twilio SMS Automation ✅ Email Automation ✅ Funnels ✅ Landing Pages ✅ Membership Sites ✅ Shopify ✅ Payment Gateways ✅ KPI Dashboards ✅ Reporting & Analytics 📈 Growth & Marketing ✅ SEO ✅ AI Search Optimization ✅ Technical SEO ✅ Sales Automation ✅ Marketing Automation ✅ Lead Generation ✅ Customer Journey Automation ✅ Business Process Automation 🎯 Who I Work With I partner with established businesses, funded startups, SaaS companies, agencies, private equity firms, and executive teams that want to use AI to increase revenue, reduce costs, and scale faster. Typical engagements include: • Fractional AI CTO Leadership • AI Strategy & Roadmaps • AI Product Development • AI Implementation • Technical Leadership • Digital Transformation • Long-Term AI Growth Partnerships 💡 Why Clients Hire Me Most AI consultants start with technology. I start with your business. Before recommending AI, I map how your business makes money, identify bottlenecks, uncover hidden revenue opportunities, and prioritize initiatives based on ROI. I don't believe in over-engineering. I believe in building practical AI systems your team will actually use while creating a scalable foundation that grows with your business. Whether I'm leading your existing development team or building the solution myself, every recommendation is tied directly to measurable business outcomes. 🏆 Selected Results ✔ Generated an additional $673,000 in just 10 days without increasing advertising spend or generating new leads. ✔ Built an AI-powered acquisition system that generated $55,025 in 90 days while creating recurring monthly revenue. ✔ Designed AI agents, SaaS platforms, CRM systems, automation workflows, and internal business tools that improve efficiency while reducing operational costs. ✔ Advise founders and executive teams on AI strategy, software architecture, automation, and business growth. 🤝 Let's Talk If you're looking for someone to simply write code, I'm probably not the right fit. If you're looking for a strategic AI partner who can identify opportunities, create the roadmap, lead implementation, and help your business grow through AI, I'd love to learn more about what you're building. Send me a message with your business, your goals, and where you believe AI could create the biggest impact.

Not only am I a fractional CMO, I am your strategic bridge between human intent and AI execution 🤝 I’m certified with Google AI and I’m an expert at Claude Cowork and Claude Code If your business is doing $1M+, but your growth has hit a ceiling, you don’t have a talent problem. You have a "Human Glue" problem, the manual, repetitive, and fragile processes that require your best people to act like data-entry clerks just to keep the lights on. I am Mike Volkin. I am a Business Modernizer. I help CEOs and Founders replace operational chaos with autonomous AI pipelines. With a track record of building, scaling, and exiting six companies, I don't just "implement AI tools", I engineer enterprise value. 🏢Why Mid-Market CEOs hire me: Margin Protection: I identify the "invisible leaks" where manual labor is eating your profits. We replace $150k/year administrative overhead with $50/month automation loops. The Founder’s Exit: Most companies aren't sellable because the "system" is in the founder's head. I document and automate your tribal knowledge, turning your business into a turnkey asset. Operational Speed: I build "Centralized AI Knowledge Bases" where your team can find any answer in 5 seconds, not 5 hours. Battle-Tested Leadership: As an Army veteran, I bring military-grade precision to your tech stack. We modernize without breaking what’s already working. 🥇My "Modernization" Framework: The AI Readiness Audit: A deep dive into your current marketing and operations tech stack to find your biggest automation opportunities. The Automation Roadmap: A strategic blueprint for replacing "Human Glue" with autonomous AI agents. Deployment & Governance: Building and overseeing the implementation of custom AI workflows that run 24/7 with 0% error rates. 🚫What I am NOT: I am not a generalist developer or a "prompt engineer." I am a fractional AI and automation strategist for CEOs who realize that "doing things the way we've always done them" is the fastest way to become a dinosaur. Skills: -AI Strategy & Consulting -Business Process Automation -Fractional Chief AI Officer (CAIO) -Business Process Mapping -Operations Management -Generative AI Implementation -Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) -Workflow Optimization -Exit Strategy & Sellability -No-Code Automation (Make, Zapier) 🦸Strategic Fractional CMO: Bridging Marketing & Modern Operations Most companies don't have a marketing problem—they have a "Leaky Bucket" problem. They spend thousands on traffic only for those leads to die in a manual, fragmented sales process. As a Fractional CMO with six successful exits, I don't just focus on top-of-funnel vanity metrics. I focus on Revenue Operations (RevOps). I modernize your entire marketing department by integrating AI and automation into your sales funnels, ensuring that every dollar spent on growth is captured by a high-efficiency machine. When I step in as your Fractional CMO, I take full ownership of your growth strategy and the systems that power it. From architecting AI-driven lead nurturing sequences to optimizing your CAC/LTV ratios, I ensure your marketing isn't just a "cost center," but a predictable, scalable asset. I provide the high-level leadership of a full-time executive at a fraction of the cost, allowing your company to modernize its growth engine while you stay focused on the big picture.