Fractional Chief Growth Officer (CGO) for digital agency leaders in Quebec and Canada. I've founded, sold and operated agencies since 2002. I know exactly where they cap — and how to unblock them. Maximum two active mandates at a time.
The big mandates — you're the one closing them. Your team delivers, but nobody else knows how to position, defend a price, or turn a lukewarm opportunity into a signature. The result: your pipeline is 80% predictable — as long as you are there. The moment you're pulled elsewhere, it slows down.
On paper, projects are profitable. In reality, rushes, AR (accounts receivable), scope creeps and seniors doing junior work are eating your profit. You feel the agency makes less at 15 people than it used to at 8 — but nobody is looking at those numbers the right way.
When you compete against a specialized agency (a boutique SEO, a Shopify shop, a Meta Ads pure-play), you lose the best mandates — despite often broader expertise. Specializing feels risky: you might lose 40% of your current revenue. But staying the course means accepting the ceiling.
| Classic consultant | Fractional CGO | |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement | One-shot mandate, deliverable, then exit. | Present over time, embedded in your decisions. |
| Posture | Recommends. You execute. | Decides with you. Sometimes executes themselves. |
| Portfolio | 10 to 20 clients in parallel. | Two active mandates, maximum. |
| Accountability | Bills the time spent. | Aligned on your growth objectives. |
| Context | Has read about agencies, sometimes advised a few. | Has founded, run and operated agencies. Knows margins, AR and rushes from the inside. |
Every mandate starts with a discovery call — no pitch. Then we choose the format that matches your stage and what's blocking.
For the agency leader who wants a thinking partner every week — without an execution commitment.
On engagement. Rate discussed on the call.
Learn more — book the callFor the leader who wants strategy and tangible monthly movement — on the initiatives that actually unblock growth.
On engagement. Rate discussed on the call.
Learn more — book the call
3-month engagement, opt-out clause at day 30.
If at the end of the first month the format doesn't meet your expectations, you can end the engagement. Only the first month is owed.
"François Painchaud is a strong marketing strategist with an excellent understanding of growth levers. He combines a clear strategic vision with a human approach, which makes his recommendations both relevant and actionable. A real asset to any team."
Jean-Gabriel Carle
President & General Manager — RDPQ
Web and marketing projects delivered since 2002 — first as founder, then as partner.
François is a key partner for any agency aiming for growth. The quality of his services, his availability and his professionalism are remarkable. A guaranteed investment.Hugo Mailloux UGO B2B
Canadian agencies supported in white-label between 2014 and 2018.
In our line of work, finding the right partner is rare. François is that rarity: impeccable ethics, creative, delivers what he promises. A partner you'll want to keep, not another vendor. Stop looking.Françis St-Pierre VUSAC
Founder, COO, operator — I've sat in all three seats.
It's a real pleasure to work with François. Very available and collaborative, he never hesitates to propose ideas even beyond the mandate. We've experienced remarkable growth and I'm thrilled to have chosen him.Sally Prosser WHC
You lead a digital agency of 5 to 30 people in Quebec or Canada — web, digital marketing, PPC, SEO, full-service or dev.
Your agency runs, your teams are full, but you feel you're capping — with no clear plan to reach the next stage.
You're ready to open the numbers, margins, AR and blind spots to someone external who has already operated in your world.
You want a partner who decides with you on priorities — not a consultant producing a pitch deck.
You're looking for a task executor — ads, SEO, dev — without touching strategy and leadership decisions.
You're starting out: under $500K in revenue, no validated model, you need a full-time operator rather than a fractional partner.
You want a 30-day solution, no commitment over time.
You prefer deciding alone, without a sparring partner, without opening the numbers and strategy to a third party.
7 questions to diagnose what's really capping your agency — founder dependency, margins, pricing, positioning, retention. 5 minutes. Personalized result. Zero pitch.
I've been building on the web since 2002. I sold my first digital agency in 2007. Then I was COO of another. Between 2014 and 2018, I supported about fifty Canadian agencies in white-label — I saw their numbers, their deals, their rushes, their margins breaking down. Their founders burning out.
I've watched brilliant agencies cap at $1.5M. Others get acquired for next to nothing. Others collapse because the founder could no longer carry the pipeline alone.
Today I co-run Kasvu — a digital agency I know from the inside, every day — and I take two personal Chief Growth Officer mandates at a time. Because agency growth gets decided in the trenches, not in a PowerPoint.
Read the detailed comparison: Fractional CGO vs CMO vs consultant →
We look at where you stand, what's blocking, and whether working together makes sense. If not, you'll walk away with a clear angle on your next decision.
Book my strategy call