Fixed fee, agreed before work starts
Every phase carries a defined scope, a defined deliverable, and a defined fee. You approve the number before the phase begins, and the number does not move because the work took longer than expected.
Pricing
Fixed fees, scoped in writing, with nothing riding on your decision
Fees are quoted per engagement because the work is not interchangeable. What is consistent is the structure: a defined scope, a defined deliverable, and a number you approve before anything begins.
Principles
How compensation is structured, and why it matters
The way an advisor is paid determines the advice they can afford to give. These four rules exist so the recommendation can be inconvenient.
No asset-based fee, ever
Green Byrd is not compensated on your assets, your revenue, or your growth. Advice you pay for directly is advice that can tell you not to proceed.
No transaction or referral incentives
No compensation from custodians, platforms, aggregators, TAMPs, lenders, or recruiters. If a platform is recommended, it is because it fits the model, not because it pays.
Phase by phase, not all at once
Engagements are structured so you can stop after any phase with a finished deliverable in hand. The diagnostic phase is deliberately the smallest commitment.
Engagement structures
Three ways engagements are priced
Most relationships move through these in order, and each one can be the last.
Structure 01
Diagnostic phase
A scoped, fixed-fee assessment ending in a written recommendation: proceed, wait, or stay. Most relationships start here, and some correctly end here.
- Defined document and data request up front
- Working sessions with the principals, not a survey
- A written deliverable you keep regardless of what comes next
Structure 02
Project engagement
The design and sequencing work: model selection and transition planning, or growth architecture and operating model. Priced as a whole with milestone-based invoicing.
- Fee fixed against a written scope and schedule
- Milestones tied to deliverables, not to hours
- Change of scope is a conversation and an amendment, never a surprise invoice
Structure 03
Ongoing or interim mandate
Monthly retainer for execution support through a transition, or an interim Chief Growth Officer mandate with a fixed cadence and a defined end date.
- Defined time commitment and reporting rhythm
- A stated exit: a hire, a handover, or a milestone
- Reviewed at each quarter rather than rolling indefinitely
What drives the number
Six variables, discussed openly in the first call
You will hear the fee range for your situation in the first conversation, and a written scope with a fixed number before you are asked to commit to anything.
- Scope — one decision, a full transition plan, or a firm-wide operating model
- Firm complexity — assets, advisor count, entities, custodians, and systems in play
- Data condition — whether the numbers exist or have to be reconstructed first
- Speed — a compressed timeline requires more concurrent effort
- Support depth — advisory only, or working alongside your team through execution
- Duration — a fixed-scope project, or an interim mandate held over quarters
Always included
- Principal-level work — Markell is in the room, not a junior team
- Written deliverables you own and can hand to counsel, a lender, or your board
- Working sessions on a defined cadence, with agendas and follow-ups
- Candid recommendations, including the recommendation not to proceed
Never included
- Legal, tax, accounting, or compliance opinions — engaged separately with your own counsel
- Investment advice, portfolio management, or securities recommendations of any kind
- Custodian, platform, or technology fees, which you contract directly
- Recruiting or placement services
Contact
Start with a candid conversation
Tell me what you are working on. I will come prepared with a point of view, and I will say so if this is not a fit.
- Response Time
- One business day, principal to principal.
- Discretion
- All inquiries handled in confidence. NDAs executed on request.