The Content Operators Playbook · 5. How I work
Principle 1 of 27
Retainer kickoff
The night a client signs, a dated 90-day plan with one goal, baselines, named owners and the first two weeks.
Updated 2026-10-25
The day a client signs, I write the plan that night. One goal for 90 days, one job per platform, and every checkpoint on a Thursday so it lands in the midweek meeting. Then I ask for access to everything and I just get involved.
How do I use it?
- Write the 90-day goal in one sentence, with a table of how you will know on the last day.
- Give each platform one job, one KPI and one named owner.
- Log a baseline for every KPI from the month before the start, and leave targets blank until there is data.
- Date the 30, 60 and 90 checkpoints on the midweek meeting day, and pull the final review forward if day 90 lands in a holiday.
- Write the first two weeks as a table of when, what and who, ending with the first test live by the end of week two.
- Ask for access to everything on day one: the chat tool, Drive, Instagram Insights and YouTube Studio.
- Send the invoice on day one.
- Map the team by name, with your own role in it, and write “to hire” with a target date for every gap.
In his words
I just need to be involved, be chatting to people, be having the conversations, be present in the meetings, and like be chipping away at delivering on these.
Tom Sharman, 2026
Questions
What does "Retainer kickoff" mean?
A retainer starts with one goal for 90 days, a baseline for every number and a name against every step.
How do I put "Retainer kickoff" into practice?
Write the 90-day goal in one sentence, with a table of how you will know on the last day. Give each platform one job, one KPI and one named owner. Log a baseline for every KPI from the month before the start, and leave targets blank until there is data.
Why does "Retainer kickoff" matter?
The day a client signs, I write the plan that night. One goal for 90 days, one job per platform, and every checkpoint on a Thursday so it lands in the midweek meeting.
