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Not only am I a fractional CMO, I am your strategic bridge between human intent and AI execution 🤝 I’m certified with Google AI and I’m an expert at Claude Cowork and Claude Code If your business is doing $1M+, but your growth has hit a ceiling, you don’t have a talent problem. You have a "Human Glue" problem, the manual, repetitive, and fragile processes that require your best people to act like data-entry clerks just to keep the lights on. I am Mike Volkin. I am a Business Modernizer. I help CEOs and Founders replace operational chaos with autonomous AI pipelines. With a track record of building, scaling, and exiting six companies, I don't just "implement AI tools", I engineer enterprise value. 🏢Why Mid-Market CEOs hire me: Margin Protection: I identify the "invisible leaks" where manual labor is eating your profits. We replace $150k/year administrative overhead with $50/month automation loops. The Founder’s Exit: Most companies aren't sellable because the "system" is in the founder's head. I document and automate your tribal knowledge, turning your business into a turnkey asset. Operational Speed: I build "Centralized AI Knowledge Bases" where your team can find any answer in 5 seconds, not 5 hours. Battle-Tested Leadership: As an Army veteran, I bring military-grade precision to your tech stack. We modernize without breaking what’s already working. 🥇My "Modernization" Framework: The AI Readiness Audit: A deep dive into your current marketing and operations tech stack to find your biggest automation opportunities. The Automation Roadmap: A strategic blueprint for replacing "Human Glue" with autonomous AI agents. Deployment & Governance: Building and overseeing the implementation of custom AI workflows that run 24/7 with 0% error rates. 🚫What I am NOT: I am not a generalist developer or a "prompt engineer." I am a fractional AI and automation strategist for CEOs who realize that "doing things the way we've always done them" is the fastest way to become a dinosaur. Skills: -AI Strategy & Consulting -Business Process Automation -Fractional Chief AI Officer (CAIO) -Business Process Mapping -Operations Management -Generative AI Implementation -Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) -Workflow Optimization -Exit Strategy & Sellability -No-Code Automation (Make, Zapier) 🦸Strategic Fractional CMO: Bridging Marketing & Modern Operations Most companies don't have a marketing problem—they have a "Leaky Bucket" problem. They spend thousands on traffic only for those leads to die in a manual, fragmented sales process. As a Fractional CMO with six successful exits, I don't just focus on top-of-funnel vanity metrics. I focus on Revenue Operations (RevOps). I modernize your entire marketing department by integrating AI and automation into your sales funnels, ensuring that every dollar spent on growth is captured by a high-efficiency machine. When I step in as your Fractional CMO, I take full ownership of your growth strategy and the systems that power it. From architecting AI-driven lead nurturing sequences to optimizing your CAC/LTV ratios, I ensure your marketing isn't just a "cost center," but a predictable, scalable asset. I provide the high-level leadership of a full-time executive at a fraction of the cost, allowing your company to modernize its growth engine while you stay focused on the big picture.

I have a history of high success in both the corporate and startup worlds: - Founded Hiperwall, grew it into a global multi-million-dollar business without investors - Managed Zetera global sales, marketing and manufacturing, helped raise over $20M - Part of the 4 person team that launched the Westinghouse line of LCD televisions - Oversaw a corporate turn-around at Premier mounts, restoring profitability and growth - Grew Canon computer sales by over 20% while increasing gross margin by 13% - Increased Compaq notebook sales by 50% to $500M annually in less than 1 year - Received a Silver Anvil from the Public Relations Society of America, their highest award I began my career as a software engineer, working for large enterprises like McDonnell Douglass and Xerox, as well as startup Dayflo, named software company of the year by PC Magazine. Over time, I transitioned to a technical marketing role, then through product management, brand management, strategic planning and eventually into general management. In 2000 I shifted my focus to the world of hi-tech startups. Since that time, I have worked exclusively for emerging companies as a consultant, employee, advisor, board member or founder. I am an adjunct college professor, teaching start-up skills to would-be entrepreneurs. I hold multiple granted patents, with additional patents pending, and am a published author whose work has appeared in preeminent publications such as PC Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, PC Computing and Digital Signage Magazine.

🎖️ Top 1% on Upwork | Former SBA Underwriter & Loan Broker | 10+ Years | 150+ Projects on Upwork only 🚀 I build lender-ready business plans and financial models that actually get deals approved, from SBA and USDA loans to investor funding and immigration visas. As a former SBA underwriter and active loan broker, I know exactly what lenders look for and I design every plan and model to meet real underwriting standards. What I do 📌 SBA-compliant business plans (7(a), 504, microloans), investor-ready plans, franchise, landlord, export, strategic, continuity, and immigration plans (E-2, L-1A, EB2-NIW, EB-5, H-1B, O-1) 📊 Full 5-year financial projections, 3-statement models, investor-ready financial models with cap tables, and SBA acquisition models for business purchases 🧮 Feasibility studies and business plans for SBA and USDA Business & Industry loans, including financial projections, market analysis, and economic impact assessments 💼 Buyer-side financial analysis, business valuations, Quality of Earnings reports and reviews, seller add-back and earnings review, cash flow and DSCR/debt service analysis, and post-close forecasting 📣 Pitch decks, executive summaries, CIM/OMs, investor teasers, and consulting for SBA loan readiness and funding strategy My work is designed to be clear, defensible, and easy for lenders, investors, and management teams to follow, with rush delivery (including 72-hour options) available when timelines are tight. Why clients work with me Most business plan writers and modelers guess what lenders and investors want; I work with them daily and build your package around real SBA, USDA, and private lending standards. I focus on decision-grade analysis, realistic and defensible assumptions, and clean Excel models that support acquisition planning, financing strategy, and ongoing management. Funding and approval outcomes My work has supported SBA 7(a) loans from 350K to 5M+, USDA Business & Industry loan approvals, investor raises including a recent 5MM SaaS deal, and multiple immigration visa approvals. Examples include a 600K SBA 7(a) loan for a deli, a 1MM+ SBA loan for a pickleball franchise, and a 4MM USDA-backed storage facility loan, along with numerous lender-ready and investor-ready packages from day one. If you need a business plan, financial model, feasibility study, or acquisition analysis that can stand up to lender and investor scrutiny and move your deal toward approval, message me and let’s discuss your project.

🏦 35 Years CFO & JP Morgan Investment Banking Experience 🙌🏽 850+ Clients Helped - Startups to Established Businesses 💰 $150M+ in Funding Raised 🏆 3x Entrepreneur with a Successful Exit "𝙃𝙚𝙮 𝙈𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖, 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙥 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨! 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪!!" - Jay Lax, CEO of Avalon ABA 📞 Invite me to your job, and I'm happy to share thoughts on your business. I've done this hundreds of times - you'll walk away with something useful regardless of whether you choose to work together. ☺️ 📞 Here’s how I help: ✅ Financial Clarity for Established Businesses: If you're running a business with real revenues but no CFO, I'll help you understand your numbers, find what's quietly eating your margins, and make better decisions - without the cost of a full-time hire. I work with businesses doing $1M–$10M in revenue who need CFO-level judgment without the CFO price tag. ✅ Getting You Investor-Ready: If you're raising a round, I'll build the Financial Model, Pitch Deck, and Business Plan you need to tell a compelling story and get funded. ✅ Models That Work Twice: The financial model I build will serve two needs at once - giving investors a thoughtful, comprehensive set of projections, and giving you a living document you can use to run your business more effectively. ✅ Ongoing Fractional CFO Support: If you want to keep working together beyond the initial engagement, I'll act as your Fractional CFO - helping you navigate financial decisions, build forecasts you can actually run the business from, and stay on top of cash before it becomes a problem. 📈 Fund & Investment Vehicles: LP/GP waterfall models, SPV structures, and feeder fund financial frameworks for private equity and family office clients. Why I’m worth talking to: ✅ I've done this hundreds of times before. 🔎 I'll understand your business model right away - you won't have to spend half the engagement explaining how it works. 🕵️‍♀️ I'll ask questions you probably haven't thought about. You may end up understanding your own business better just from our first conversation. 🚶🏽‍♀️ I've walked in your shoes as an entrepreneur multiple times. I know what it feels like to be running a business without a clear financial picture, and I know how to fix it. 📊 I work across the full spectrum of business - from pre-revenue startups raising their first round to established businesses doing $1M–$10M who need real CFO judgment without the full-time hire. Invite me to your job and let's talk through what you need!🙏 Monica Chitnis ────────────────────────────────────────────────────── More Client Feedback: "𝙈𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖'𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙞𝙫𝙤𝙩𝙖𝙡. 𝙃𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧, 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝘾𝘼𝙋 𝙏𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙪𝙙𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚. 𝙃𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙩." -Jaser Aqeedi, CEO of iDoc-Health "𝘼 𝙜𝙚𝙢. 𝙈𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙨, 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙩. 𝙈𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙨𝙤 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙖𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮, 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙢. 𝙃𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣." - Michael Hoagland, CEO of Shopvana "𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙖 𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙙, 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨, 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙣𝙤 𝙛𝙪𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝙈𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖'𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡. 𝙀𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮." - Shareefah Hamilton Davis, CEO of Irie Psychiatry "𝙈𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙢𝙤𝙙𝙚𝙡. 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙭 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙇𝙤𝙤𝙢 𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙤𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙞𝙩. 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙄 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨." -Gretchen TeBockhorst, CEO of FrameFlow

𝟓 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝐬 · 𝟖 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭-𝐕𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐝 (𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝟏% 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐩𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤) · 𝟏𝟎𝟎% 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ I help founders and leadership teams fix the problem underneath the marketing problem: unclear positioning, messaging that sounds like the category, launches with activity but no governing logic, channels that don't fit the business. Trusted by Microsoft, Intel, Dell, ExxonMobil, Johnson Controls, Marqeta, SproutSocial, OpenSea, Almond Fintech, and PayiQ, plus hundreds of founder-led companies across SaaS, fintech, CPG, DTC, and professional services. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤: brand positioning and messaging architecture, go-to-market and launch strategy, offer and category design, product marketing, creative strategy for paid social, competitive intelligence, and the conversion copy that carries the strategy onto the page. Engagements may run as fixed-scope strategy sprints or as a fractional CMO leading the thinking your team executes against. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬: acquisitions, multi-million fundraising rounds, 7x Y-o-Y growth, 2xing revenue within 6 months, multiple seven-figure launches, 200K+ signups from a single campaign system, 5-8x ROAS on performance creative, 30%+ email-revenue lifts, executive content in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc, and Fast Company. Selected case studies below.

👋 As a 6-time tech founder who advised 65+ high-growth startups in the last 12 months, I've learned a thing or two about building great companies. So here on Upwork, I share my knowledge with startup founders who want to launch, market & grow their new businesses in the most explosive ways possible. 🏆 Awards & Recognition - Featured on NBC News for leading the world’s first zero-waste health company. - Led OneTrue to a team of 30+ and $1.2 million valuation in 18 months. - Provided guidance & direction to 100+ founders and their teams. - Advised Untapped Strategies from $0 to $8.5k in monthly recurring revenue in 80 days. - Advised 62 companies in 2024, including 34 AI software startups. 🎓 Educational Background - Masters in Finance from the University of London (U.K.) [Summa Cum Laude] - Bachelor’s in Economics from the Ohio State University (U.S.) [Honors] 🔥 Areas of Expertise - Launch Strategy: How I launch my startups to maximize the chance of success - Growth Strategy: How I market my businesses, get customers, and raise capital. - Scaling Strategy: How I standardize, automate, and implement AI into my companies. 👨‍💼 Consulting Style I’m straight to the point, don’t use fancy words, and won’t be wearing a suit. My goal is to give you the most value I can in the shortest amount of time, and I’d rather teach you to fish than keep you hooked. If we were outside of this work setting, I’d hope to be a cool friend to you. 🤝 Get Your FREE Growth Strategy Message me before Friday, Sept. 7th, and I'll create a brand-new, custom 10X Growth Strategy for your startup. I build each one from the ground up, telling you exactly what I'd do if I were in your shoes to launch and scale your startup in the most explosive way I know. To secure yours, message me the word '100USERS' now!