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Strategic Consulting & Planning

Get leaders aligned, priorities sorted, and digital work moving in the same direction.

Let's Talk Strategy

Let's Talk Strategy

Let's Talk Strategy

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Strategic consulting for Lean, Digital First Teams

Strategy should not feel like a day with a substitute teacher where everyone guesses the assignment.

Hickory Grove steps in with fractional CMO-level leadership and an operations mindset to help you name the real goal, pick the right bets, and stop funding the “maybe someday” pile. The result is a plan your team can actually follow, and a scoreboard your leadership can actually read.

In plain terms, you get: clearer decisions, fewer competing priorities, and work that shows up in results.

When strategic planning saves you time

You invested in web, content, and campaigns, but results are flat or hard to explain to leadership in two slides.

You invested in web, content, and campaigns, but results are flat or hard to explain to leadership in two slides.

You invested in web, content, and campaigns, but results are flat or hard to explain to leadership in two slides.

Your initiative list is long, and your roadmap is mostly vibes.

Your initiative list is long, and your roadmap is mostly vibes.

Your initiative list is long, and your roadmap is mostly vibes.

Clear objectives aren't set, the team is not aligned and the organization is stuck.

Clear objectives aren't set, the team is not aligned and the organization is stuck.

Clear objectives aren't set, the team is not aligned and the organization is stuck.

You need senior marketing leadership, but a full-time CMO hire is not in the budget.

You need senior marketing leadership, but a full-time CMO hire is not in the budget.

You need senior marketing leadership, but a full-time CMO hire is not in the budget.

Strategy keeps dying in the hallway between marketing, product, web, operations, and revenue goals.

Strategy keeps dying in the hallway between marketing, product, web, operations, and revenue goals.

Strategy keeps dying in the hallway between marketing, product, web, operations, and revenue goals.

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What we do in Practice

Clarify goals and define what “success” means in plain language

Set a small KPI set that leadership will actually use

Rank your backlog into stop, start, and double down categories

Build a living roadmap with sequencing, owners, and capacity in mind

Fractional CMO leadership

We step in as your part-time marketing and growth leader. That can include guiding budgets, coaching the team, pressure-testing plans, and representing marketing at the leadership table. You get executive-level decision making without the full-time headcount or the long hiring cycle.

Fractional CMO leadership

We step in as your part-time marketing and growth leader. That can include guiding budgets, coaching the team, pressure-testing plans, and representing marketing at the leadership table. You get executive-level decision making without the full-time headcount or the long hiring cycle.

Fractional CMO leadership

We step in as your part-time marketing and growth leader. That can include guiding budgets, coaching the team, pressure-testing plans, and representing marketing at the leadership table. You get executive-level decision making without the full-time headcount or the long hiring cycle.

Strategic facilitation

Most teams do not need more ideas. They need fewer, better decisions. We run structured working sessions that surface tradeoffs, settle priorities, and turn cross-functional opinions into a shared plan. No side conversations required.

Strategic facilitation

Most teams do not need more ideas. They need fewer, better decisions. We run structured working sessions that surface tradeoffs, settle priorities, and turn cross-functional opinions into a shared plan. No side conversations required.

Strategic facilitation

Most teams do not need more ideas. They need fewer, better decisions. We run structured working sessions that surface tradeoffs, settle priorities, and turn cross-functional opinions into a shared plan. No side conversations required.

Roadmapping & governance

We define who owns what, how decisions get made, and how often the plan gets reviewed. Think of it as a syllabus and grading rubric for your strategy, so it still makes sense after new tools, staff changes, or leadership shifts.

Roadmapping & governance

We define who owns what, how decisions get made, and how often the plan gets reviewed. Think of it as a syllabus and grading rubric for your strategy, so it still makes sense after new tools, staff changes, or leadership shifts.

Roadmapping & governance

We define who owns what, how decisions get made, and how often the plan gets reviewed. Think of it as a syllabus and grading rubric for your strategy, so it still makes sense after new tools, staff changes, or leadership shifts.

How Strategic consulting Engagements Work

Every engagement follows a simple arc. No trust falls, no vague off-site decks, just structured working time that moves decisions forward.

01

Discover

We review existing plans, dashboards, and tools, then run short interviews with key stakeholders. The goal is to understand where you are today, what goals are already on the chalkboard, and which are still hiding in notebook margins.

01

Discover

We review existing plans, dashboards, and tools, then run short interviews with key stakeholders. The goal is to understand where you are today, what goals are already on the chalkboard, and which are still hiding in notebook margins.

01

Discover

We review existing plans, dashboards, and tools, then run short interviews with key stakeholders. The goal is to understand where you are today, what goals are already on the chalkboard, and which are still hiding in notebook margins.

02

Align

We facilitate working sessions with leaders across marketing, product, operations, and finance. Together we clarify goals, choose the big bets, and make trade offs in the room so decisions do not get unmade in side conversations.

02

Align

We facilitate working sessions with leaders across marketing, product, operations, and finance. Together we clarify goals, choose the big bets, and make trade offs in the room so decisions do not get unmade in side conversations.

02

Align

We facilitate working sessions with leaders across marketing, product, operations, and finance. Together we clarify goals, choose the big bets, and make trade offs in the room so decisions do not get unmade in side conversations.

03

Design

We translate decisions into a prioritized roadmap, KPI scorecard, and decision frameworks your team can use. We also set a lightweight operating rhythm, like planning cadences and simple “report card” reviews that leadership can scan and trust.

03

Design

We translate decisions into a prioritized roadmap, KPI scorecard, and decision frameworks your team can use. We also set a lightweight operating rhythm, like planning cadences and simple “report card” reviews that leadership can scan and trust.

03

Design

We translate decisions into a prioritized roadmap, KPI scorecard, and decision frameworks your team can use. We also set a lightweight operating rhythm, like planning cadences and simple “report card” reviews that leadership can scan and trust.

04

Support

If helpful, we stay on in a fractional leadership role to keep execution aligned. That can include KPI reviews, roadmap refreshes, leadership support, and team coaching. If you decide to hire full-time later, we help define the role and hand off cleanly.

04

Support

If helpful, we stay on in a fractional leadership role to keep execution aligned. That can include KPI reviews, roadmap refreshes, leadership support, and team coaching. If you decide to hire full-time later, we help define the role and hand off cleanly.

04

Support

If helpful, we stay on in a fractional leadership role to keep execution aligned. That can include KPI reviews, roadmap refreshes, leadership support, and team coaching. If you decide to hire full-time later, we help define the role and hand off cleanly.

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Strategic consulting Outcomes You Can Expect

Results vary, but strategic consulting and planning typically leads to:

  • A shared strategy leaders, staff, and board members can repeat without notes

  • A prioritized roadmap that fits real capacity, plus a protected “not now” list

  • Clear KPIs and reporting that answer leadership questions without ten dashboards

  • Fewer circular update meetings and more confident execution

  • Faster launches because decisions happen earlier and rework drops

  • A structure that survives tool changes and org changes, because ownership and rules are written down

In short, your strategy stops living inside three slide decks and starts showing up in everyday decisions, budgets, and calendars.

Ready to align goals and growth

Send a message, ask your hardest question, and leave with one practical next step.

Send us a Message!

Send us a Message!

Send us a Message!

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About

Contact

Hickory Grove Consulting on LinkedIn

Strategic Consulting

Digital Growth Strategy

Web & Digital Operations

Case Studies

Insights

© 2026 Hickory Grove Consulting. Built on 1917 roots.
LOGO

About

Contact

Hickory Grove Consulting on LinkedIn

Strategic Consulting

Digital Growth Strategy

Web & Digital Operations

Case Studies

Insights

© 2026 Hickory Grove Consulting. Built on 1917 roots.
LOGO

About

Contact

Hickory Grove Consulting on LinkedIn

Strategic Consulting

Digital Growth Strategy

Web & Digital Operations

Case Studies

Insights

© 2026 Hickory Grove Consulting. Built on 1917 roots.