Trendline: Scale & Expand

Two different situations. One method, applied at the depth you actually need.

Scale: you have PMF, real clients, one channel doing all the work Expand: you've already scaled, and the catalog is uneven

Scale is for founders who've already found product-market fit and landed real clients, but don't know what channel to open next or how to prove marketing is actually generating revenue. Expand is for founders who've already scaled, with a fuller product catalog, and need to get more out of what they have before chasing new markets. Both install one North Star metric — LTV, CAC, LTV:CAC, revenue by channel, cohort growth, whichever number actually proves marketing's paying off — checked weekly, directed monthly, rebuilt quarterly, and both are run personally, by one operator.

4.7 average rating · 120+ clients scaled · $1.3M avg revenue generated per client

Free, honest read first. On the call, I'll tell you which tier fits, including if neither does.

3 seatsScale is capped at 3 clients, publicly, at all times
1 seatExpand is capped at a single client, at any time
30 daysto find the gap, or the month is free

Where you are right now

Two different problems. Pick the one that's actually yours.

Scale: you found product-market fit

"We found product-market fit, we've got real clients, but our whole business rides on one acquisition channel, and it's stopped being enough."
"I know lifecycle, partnerships, and affiliate exist. I just don't know how to point any of it, and I've never really looked past what already works."
"No one on the team fully trusts the numbers we're looking at. Everyone's eyeballing something slightly different."

Expand: you've already scaled

"We've scaled, we've got a full product catalog, but we're bad at getting more out of the customers we already have, and half the catalog barely moves the needle."
"Our LTV:CAC ratio is off, everyone's got a theory why, and nobody's actually fixed it."
"We keep talking about a new market, but nobody's checked whether we've actually maxed out this one first."

The transformation

Where you are vs. where we'll take you.

Where you are

  • One channel carrying the whole business, or a catalog full of products nobody's activating right
  • No North Star metric: everyone eyeballing different numbers, no one fully trusts the read
  • No cohort segmentation, so upsell and cross-sell are guesswork
  • Reacting quarter to quarter, with no real operational plan for what's next

Where we'll take you

  • A second channel live, lifecycle, partnership, affiliate (Scale), or a cleaned-up catalog putting ad spend behind what actually earns it (Expand)
  • One North Star metric, checked weekly, that you and your team build decisions around
  • Segmented cohorts with a real upsell and cross-sell system behind them
  • A quarterly Rebuild plan that keeps the roadmap current instead of reactive

Why it works

Three reasons this isn't another agency retainer.

01

One operator, not a rotating team

The person who runs your weekly alignment is the same person who ran your assessment and will run your quarterly Rebuild. No account manager, no junior handoff.

02

Every tactic tested before it reaches you

What lands in your Direction brief has already been run, on my own portfolio of online businesses or inside a past client engagement. You're not the test case.

03

Risk stays on my side first

If we don't surface a real, specific gap (a missing North Star on Scale, or a real activation opportunity on Expand) within the first 30 days, that month is free.

The program, in detail

The Trendline Method, run weekly on your numbers

01

Define

Name your North Star metric, the one number that proves whether marketing is actually generating revenue, in writing, before the weekly cadence starts.

02

Align Weekly

Check performance against that North Star, including channel and partner attribution. Assign the fix to whoever owns the underlying system. Confirm it landed the following week.

03

Direct Monthly

A written brief for your team on what to build, cut, scale, or replace next, sharpened by AI-assisted analysis on our side. Your team executes; the brief tells them precisely what to run.

04

Rebuild Quarterly

On Scale, this is where the next channel gets scoped (lifecycle, partnership, affiliate) and where cohorts get segmented so upsell and cross-sell have a system behind them. On Expand, this is where the product catalog gets cleaned up and the LTV:CAC number gets rebuilt. Ends in a written action plan for next quarter.

05

Enable Expand only

The AI-assisted workflows your team needs, built live on your real campaigns: hands-on training where a team exists, or oversight of a vetted execution bench where it doesn't. Optional add-on on Scale, included on Expand.

What we'll do

The first quarter, mapped out.

Week 1

Discovery call. Your North Star metric is named and agreed in writing before anything else starts.

Weeks 2–4

First weekly alignment cycles. Real mismatches surfaced, assigned to an owner, and confirmed fixed.

Month 1

First Direction brief lands. On Scale, the channel and segmentation plan gets scoped. On Expand, the lifecycle activation pass begins.

Quarter 1

First Rebuild. On Scale, the next channel goes live. On Expand, the catalog is cleaned up and an LTV:CAC baseline is set.

Ongoing

The weekly / monthly / quarterly cadence repeats, with Enable folded in wherever execution capability is the actual gap.

What's included

Same method, different depth.

Everything itemized here. Pricing is confirmed on the call, scoped to your situation.

Scale includes

  • Your full assessment, delivered in month one
  • A written North Star metric definition, agreed before the cadence begins
  • Weekly Slack alignment: up to 30 min/wk synchronous, 30 min/wk async, 24-hour reply standard
  • A monthly Direction brief, AI-sharpened, specific and executable
  • A quarterly Rebuild report with a written action plan
  • A channel diversification plan (lifecycle, partnership, affiliate) scoped against your current dependence on one acquisition channel
  • Customer segmentation into cohorts, so upsell and cross-sell finally have a system behind them instead of guesswork
  • Ready-to-use templates: alignment tracker, mismatch log, Direction brief format
  • Optional Enable add-on, capped at 1 of 3 Scale seats, when alignment work surfaces a real execution gap worth fixing now

Expand includes

  • Everything in Scale, at a deeper cadence
  • Weekly alignment: up to 60 min/wk synchronous, 60 min/wk async, 24-hour reply standard
  • A lifecycle activation pass on your existing customer cohorts, usually the fastest lever an already-scaled catalog business leaves on the table
  • A product-catalog clean-up pass, flagging what to cut, fix, or double down on
  • LTV:CAC review, with new-market or geographic expansion scoped in once the core engine is healthy, typically past $25–30M in revenue
  • Enable, included: an AI-assisted stack built for your workflows, plus hands-on training on live campaigns, or a written execution-bench review, depending on which applies to you
  • Up to 2 hours/month on-demand advisory for strategic decisions outside the regular cadence
  • The same ready-to-use templates, applied at full-team scale

For whom

Which one is you?

Not sure? Book the call. I'll tell you honestly, including if it's neither.

Scale fits if

  • You've found product-market fit and have real clients, doing $5M+ in annual revenue
  • Execution already exists, in-house or contracted
  • Growth still depends on the one channel that got you here, and it's stopped being enough
  • You want a North Star metric and the next channel, not just more spend on what's already maxed out

Expand fits if

  • You've already scaled, with a broader product catalog that performs unevenly
  • You have existing customer cohorts that aren't being activated or upsold well
  • You want the catalog cleaned up and LTV:CAC fixed before chasing new markets
  • You're approaching or past $25–30M in revenue, with new-market expansion on the table

Who's running this

A quick word on me.

Alex, Growth Consultant and founder of Growth Wizards

I've spent 15+ years building and marketing online businesses, from a music blog and self-taught media buying, to co-founding a music-industry agency, to raising $3M for a festival-travel startup. I founded Growth Wizards in 2020, and today I split my time between running Trendline for clients and operating my own portfolio of online businesses valued at $15M (3x annual profit) and AI-driven digital products.

Read the full story →

Portfolio

Every tactic in a Direction brief has already been run somewhere else first.

I don't experiment on your budget. What shows up in Scale and Expand's monthly briefs has already been tested, on my own portfolio of online businesses valued at $15M (3x annual profit) or inside a past client engagement, before it ever reaches you.

Vesper logo
Vesper Management & revenue system for car washes
TruePath logo
TruePath Contact-level attribution for B2B solopreneurs: full-funnel, no vanity metrics, tied to revenue
Ads Lab logo
Ads Lab All-in-one advertising & spy analytics tool
TrueStack logo
TrueStack Online marketplace for solopreneurs' digital & AI products
Bolt Racing logo
Bolt Racing Racing team & brand

Companies I've worked with

Universal Music Warner Music Roamler N26 Alfa-Bank Slikhaar Shop Octane11 Hyperfreelance Max Piccinini Heatspring Ultra Records Astralwerks Spinnin' Records Turn 10 Studios Growth Minded Solidcore Territory Foods Groopit Fairs TaskMagic O'Tacos Laundry Industry Joocyee TrueStack
See real case studies

Before you book

What people ask before choosing a tier

What's the "North Star metric," exactly?+
It's the one number, specific to your business, that proves whether marketing is actually generating revenue, not a vanity metric or a channel-level KPI. We find it together in the first weeks, and every weekly check and monthly Direction brief after that is built to move it.
How much does Scale or Expand actually cost?+
Both are priced after the discovery call, scoped to your situation and which tier fits. Book a call and I'll walk you through the number directly, including telling you honestly if neither tier is the right move yet.
Why not just hire a fractional CMO for less?+
A fractional CMO carries a broad, diffuse mandate billed by the hour. Both tiers are narrower on purpose: one metric, aligned weekly, one written brief monthly, run by the same person from week one to the end of the engagement.
Does either tier replace my agency or in-house team?+
No. Scale explicitly doesn't touch execution. Your team keeps running campaigns, and the Direction brief tells them precisely what to build, cut, or test next. Expand adds Enable on top, which builds capability with your team rather than replacing it.
What if the seat I want is already taken?+
Capacity is capped publicly (3 seats on Scale, 1 on Expand) for the same reason: one operator's attention is the actual product. Book the discovery call and I'll tell you honestly where things stand, including whether the other tier is a better near-term fit.

Ready when you are

In one quarter, you'll either be defending the same unclear number, or running the meeting from one everyone already trusts.

Free, honest answer, even if it's "not a fit."

Scale and Expand clients

Clients, in their own words.

Real results from clients on the Scale and Expand programs. Cards tagged JetGrowth come from my former program for earlier-stage founders. Trendline itself starts at $5M+ in annual revenue.

+$230K ARR, 12 ROAS

Jenna H.

Verified client

Cosmetic store owner

New York

1 yearScale

We had such issues converting people from cold advertising.

We launched a series of AI CRO optimizations plus impactful post acquisition sequences.

We added an extra $230K ARR, and went above 12 ROAS.

I also want to add that that we added 12 points of gross margin and our ratio CAC / LTV went above 15.

$235K → $1.8M ARR

Jordan L.

Verified client

Fitness mentor & entrepreneur

Miami

1 yearScaleJetGrowth

I had a very messy funnel, and I was counting on my organic audience to convert more and more...

Alex taught me that it was the worst strategy ever.

We set up a VSL funnel together, plus a medium-term reactivation series.

From $235K to $1.8M ARR. Phenomenal. This kid is a master!

$0 → $740K ARR

Derek J.

Verified client

Home material delivery service

St Louis

1 yearScaleJetGrowth

With the Scale program and 1:1 support from Alex, I able to build a delivery service business from 0 to $740K ARR. Highly recommend.

CAC / LTV at 6:1

Michelle P.

Verified client

CMO - Fitness brand

Arlington

18 monthsScale

So we were bleeding money initially. The brand was dead.

We had nearly a million contacts unexploited. Data didn’t exist.

Once Alex created cohorts of customers based on LTV, everything changed.

We shifted our strategy and re-built it from scratch. Stop advertising, and finally focused on the value we had, our internal list.

Slowly, during the first 6 month revenue got back, as well as profitability.

After a year and half, our ratio CAC / LTV was 6:1, and we’re currently investing in marketing again we have clarity.

Great job Alex!

ROAS 1.8x → 4.2x

Sayyid C.

Verified client

AI driven accounting tool

Dubai

90 daysScale

We were spending money on ads with almost no idea what was actually working.

Alex audited everything, killed the waste, and rebuilt our funnel.

Within 90 days our ROAS went from 1.8x to 4.2x and revenue from paid channels is up 63%.

ROAS 3.1x → 5.2x

Rob Z.

Verified client

B2C live selling marketplace

Los Angeles

90 daysScale

Before we found Alex, we were pouring money into ads every month with almost no clarity on what was actually working. Our ROAS sat around 3.1x and we couldn’t tell which campaigns were driving real sales versus just vanity metrics. Alex came in, audited the entire account, cut what didn’t work, built a data dashboard, and restructured the whole funnel around revenue instead of just clicks etc... Within 90 days our ROAS climbed to 5.2x and revenue from paid channels increased by 91%. For the first time we feel like our ad spend is an investment instead of a cost.

Ready to take the Expand program!

MRR up 52%

Aaron K.

Verified client

Fashion e-commerce

Dallas

45 daysScale

Our marketing team was constantly busy - content, campaigns, social posts, emails - but the revenue numbers barely moved.

It felt like we were running on a treadmill. Alex stepped in and connected every single marketing activity to pipeline and closed revenue.

Then, we built simple dashboards so we could finally see what was making money and what was just noise. Since we started working together, our monthly recurring revenue is up 52%, and the team is focused on the activities that actually move the needle instead of just staying busy.

I’ll join the Expand program next month...

Conversion 1.1% → 3.8%

Andrew Y.

Verified client

Digital products marketplace

St John, CA

9 monthsScale

We were getting decent traffic to the website, but almost no one was converting. Our landing pages looked fine on the surface, yet the numbers told a different story. Alex rebuilt the offer, rewrote the pages, and created email sequences that actually guided people toward a purchase. Conversion rate went from a painful 1.1% to 3.8%, and that translated into an extra $22k in monthly revenue. The difference wasn’t just better design, it was a clear focus on turning visitors into paying customers.

+$87K new revenue

Craig D.

Verified client

Private credit firm

Miami

First quarterScale

We had a serious lead quality problem. We were generating volume, but most of the leads were tire-kickers who never converted. Sales was frustrated and marketing couldn’t explain why. Alex diagnosed the issues in our messaging and targeting, tightened everything up, and put proper tracking in place so we could measure quality, not just quantity. Qualified leads doubled, our close rate improved noticeably, and we added $87k in new revenue in the first quarter alone. It completely changed how we think about lead generation.

Revenue up 76%

Austin F.

Verified client

Online training platform

Gold Coast, Australia

5 monthsScale

We had been stuck at the same revenue plateau for over a year despite trying new campaigns, new platforms, and new agencies. Nothing seemed to break us out of it. Alex came in, diagnosed the leaks in our marketing system, fixed the positioning, and installed a simple but effective tracking dashboard. The clarity alone was worth it, but the results were even better:

- revenue grew 76% over the next 5 months..

- it finally felt like we had a system instead of just hoping something would work.

On track for best revenue year

Becky S.

Verified client

Perfume brand

Minneapolis

1 yearScale

We operate on a highly competitive market where independent brands can barely survive 2 years.

But working with Alex finally gave us marketing we can actually trust. Every recommendation comes with a clear revenue goal attached, and the results have followed.

We’re on track to hit our highest revenue year ever, and marketing is one of the biggest reasons why. What used to feel like a cost center now feels like a predictable growth engine. The clarity, the systems, and the focus on real business outcomes have made a measurable difference to the bottom line.

At a personal level, I might consider his Mastermind.

MRR up 129%, LTV x4

Clyde B.

Verified client

Cleaning franchise owner

Austin

1.5 yearsExpand

We have a very unattractive business, and basically we didn’t exist online.

From word to mouth to a fully automated and predictable acquisition engine. Our business grew by 129% MRR and LTV grew X4.

$77K → $104K per month

Vanessa G.

Verified client

Marketing agency

Boston

6 monthsExpandJetGrowth

Our previous agency was excellent at brand awareness and creative work, but they could never show us a clear path to ROI. We kept hearing about impressions and engagement while the revenue numbers stayed flat. Alex flipped the entire approach. Everything is now measured against revenue impact, not vanity metrics. In six months we grew from $77k to $104k in average monthly revenue. For the first time we feel like marketing is directly responsible for growth instead of just ‘building the brand.

Revenue up 29% YoY

Katy D.

Verified client

Laundromat stores owner

San Diego

1 yearExpand

Overall revenue is up 29% year-over-year, and both channels are now reliable contributors instead of ongoing experiments.