Quiet Counsel Retainer
RISING INDEX · MM‑INDEX‑2025‑SIG‑008 Signal Admission · Season 01 (2025)
Quiet Counsel Retainer — PAID COUNSEL, CLEAR SCOPE
What we’re seeing
Women pay women monthly for counsel—career, parenting, health—with clear scope and real outcomes.
Why it matters
Advice stops being invisible labor. Your wisdom funds your life, not just your DMs; clients get steadier results and shorter decision cycles.
Lineage / Parallel
Salon economies and midwife retainers, modernized as professional advisory.
Lived markers
2 calls/month · inbox access with guardrails · shared notes doc · defined outcomes per cycle.
Start today (10-minute setup)
- Write a one-page scope (cadence, outcomes, boundaries, cancellation).
- Set the rate and invoice cadence.
- Create a shared notes doc (dates, owners, next steps).
- Offer a single-session consult for new clients.
Time & tools
90-minute kickoff • monthly 45-minute calls • invoice template.
Field tests
- Renewal: ≥70% at 6 months.
- Referrals: ≥60% of new clients from referrals.
- Outcomes: ≥2 logged outcomes per cycle.
Keep the standard
No open-ended access • No vague scope • No unpaid emotional labor
Accessibility / life layers
Offer recorded sessions, transcripts/bullets, and async updates for different processing styles.
Proof ideas
Retention rate (%) • referral rate (%) • outcomes/cycle (count) • client time-to-decision (days).
Common pushbacks & replies
- “Can I pick your brain?” → “Yes—here’s my scope and rate.”
- “I can’t budget monthly.” → “Let’s start with a single consult and a written plan.”
Adoption criteria (flip to Admitted)
6-month renewal ≥70% and outcomes logged every cycle for ≥2 cycles.
House note
Paying a friend’s brain is respect.
Related: House Ledger
Date: 2025-11-— · Observer/Editor: AB · Geography: [City] · Status: Observing · Next review: +6–8 weeks
