The pROBLEM
You're an expert at what you do.
Marketing and AI are a different story.
You know your marketing could be sharper but can't pinpoint why it isn't working
AI tools feel promising, but evaluating what's worth your time, budget, and team's attention feels overwhelming
You have a growth goal, but no clear, structured path from where you are to where you want to be
You've outgrown generic advice but aren't ready for a full-time hire
Execution keeps stalling because no one owns the strategy
Many small to mid-sized business owners are experts in their field — not in building structured marketing systems, evaluating AI tools, implementing automation, or translating growth goals into a plan that actually holds up under the pressure of real schedules.
The gap between knowing you need to do something and knowing exactly what to do first is where most momentum dies.
That's the gap McCarthy Group exists to close.
Charlie McCarthy
OWNER, MCCARTHY GROUP
Palo Alto Networks
Launched AI Security Nexus program
Protect AI
MLSecOps Community builder and leader
Cross-functional experience
Healthcare · Hospitality · Retail · Manufacturing · Technology · Cybersecurity
Specialties
AI Security and Adoption · Marketing and Content Strategy · Operations
THE MIND BEHIND MCCARTHY GROUP.
Most small and mid-sized businesses who are struggling to grow lack strategy and the structure to support it. They have a clarity problem — and no senior person to help them sort through it.
I founded McCarthy Group to close that gap. My background is cross-functional by design: I've spent my career working at the intersection of AI security, operations, and marketing inside organizations like Palo Alto Networks and Protect AI, where I built technical programs from the ground up and mapped complex marketing and business initiatives to strategies that teams could actually execute.
What I've observed is that the same problem shows up at every stage and in every industry: smart people with real momentum, no clear priorities, and no one in their corner who can see the whole picture. That's what I do. I examine your business and goals holistically, work with you to identify what matters most, and build an actionable growth roadmap tailored to where you are in your journey.
McCarthy Group works with solo entrepreneurs and practitioners who are ready to stop guessing their way to growth, and with mid-sized companies ready to scale with intention.
Two tiers. One clear path
from assessment to execution.
Every engagement starts with a free discovery call — no commitment, no pitch. Just a conversation to make sure it's the right fit for both of us.
Solo Entrepreneurs & Small Businesses
Including healthcare providers, attorneys, therapists, wellness professionals, independent service businesses, and small businesses with <50 employees.
01
Discovery Call
A 30-minute conversation to understand your situation and make sure we're a fit.
Free
02
Strategy Assessment
90-minute video intake session, a written 3-month strategy guide, and a 30-minute follow-up video call. The guide is a standalone deliverable you can execute entirely on your own without further engagement of our services.
$325 · one-time fee
03
3-Month Implementation Package (optional)
Monthly strategy call, mid-month check-in, one done-for-you content piece per week, and async support. Built to enlist our help with establishing your systems, then we hand them off to you to maintain. Details about the scope of this package can be provided in your 30-minute strategy assessment follow up upon request.
Pay as a flat project fee or monthly for three months — your choice.
Pricing based on project scope
SERVICES
Mid-Sized
Companies
Including manufacturing, healthcare, technology, professional services, hospitality, and startups with >50 employees.
Discovery Call
A 30-minute conversation — no pitch, no pressure — just enough context to know if it's worth going deeper.
Free
01
Strategy Assessment
2-hour intake session, a comprehensive written strategy guide including AI readiness assessment and organizational ownership mapping, and a 30-minute follow-up video call to review the strategy guide.
$3,300 · 50% deposit required upfront
02
3-Month Implementation Package (recommended)
Six bi-weekly working sessions, one primary deliverable per month, async support, and a full handoff plan. Details about the scope of this package can be provided in your 30-minute strategy assessment follow up upon request.
Flat project fee or monthly for three months — your choice.
Pricing based on project scope
03
Strategic Advisory Retainer (optional)
Bi-weekly strategy calls beyond 3rd month, async support, and monthly mini-assessments. Month-to-month. Goal: your team fully owns strategy and execution by the end of month six.
No monthly minimum. Contact for pricing.
04
how it works
From first call to full clarity
in four steps.
01
02
03
04
We Talk
A free discovery call where you share brief insights into what's working, what isn't, and your growth goals. We also review the scope of McCarthy Group services as they apply to your business. Not a sales pitch. A real, candid conversation to help you make an informed decision about further engagement.
We Dive Deep
A 90-120 minute intake session reviewing your business, your clients, your goals, and your constraints. Nothing generic — everything specific to you.
You Get the Plan
You receive a written strategy guide: a clear, prioritized action plan for growth, built around your actual capacity and tailored to your business. Yours to keep and execute.
An asset that turns your efforts into results aligned with your goals.
You Execute, With or Without Us
The plan stands on its own. If you need support activating it, ongoing implementation packages are available. If not, you have everything you need to jumpstart your business growth.
WHO WE WORK WITH
Industries where this work
moves the needle.
Healthcare Services & MedTech
Clinics, group practices, behavioral health orgs, home health companies, and MedTech startups where operational complexity is high, risk vs. reward for AI adoption is ambiguous, and clear marketing is rare.
Tech-Adjacent Professional Services
MSPs, cybersecurity firms, and IT consultancies with deep technical expertise but almost no marketing fluency. Your credentials are impressive. Your positioning probably isn't — yet.
Hospitality & Multi-Location Operators
Boutique hotel groups, restaurant groups, and multi-location service businesses navigating AI for operations, staffing, and guest experience but don't have a clear strategy for any of it.
Specialty Manufacturing & Industrial
Family-owned and founder-led businesses that have scaled on relationships and are now ready for new-age systems, enhanced digital presence, and smarter operations.
Private Practice
Startups | Early-Stage Companies
Funded or bootstrapped teams that need senior strategic thinking before they're ready (or able) to hire a full-time CMO or COO.
Why McCarthy Group
Three things you won't find anywhere else.
AI FLUENCY EARNED IN THE FIELD
McCarthy Group brings AI credibility built from real exposure. Charlie has spent years working inside the AI space at organizations like Palo Alto Networks and Protect AI, helping businesses understand secure adoption and think critically about what safe implementation actually requires. The result is an advisory practice that knows what the tools can do, where they fall short, and what questions to ask before you spend a dollar on any of them.
THE THINKING AI CAN'T REPLICATE
McCarthy Group keeps your full business context across the entire engagement. We connect dots across marketing, operations, and technology in ways that require judgment, not just inputs. No prompt engineering required on your end, and no sensitive business information fed into third-party AI systems that create real privacy and data risk when used without guardrails. It's the kind of strategic thinking that compounds over time, because the context carries forward.
PERSPECTIVES AND STRATEGIC RANGE YOU CAN'T FIND IN SINGLE-DISCIPLINE ADVISORY
Most businesses are getting advice from people who only see part of the picture; e.g. a marketing consultant who doesn't understand operations, a tech advisor who doesn't understand marketing, or an AI tool that doesn't understand context. McCarthy Group sits at the intersection of all three, bringing the kind of integrated, confident strategic thinking that's usually reserved for companies with a full executive team and rarely available to businesses at your stage.