What is TalentSum?

TalentSum delivers peer-backed decision intelligence for owner-led, mid-market CEOs. At our core is CEO Signal™: a short survey and one focused conversation that culminates in a two-page decision brief within 48 hours, grounded in anonymized peer patterns. When more is needed, we run lightweight diagnostics and fixed-fee labs to stand up the smallest effective change. Founded in 2017, we operate between big consulting and passive thought leadership with a focus on speed, clarity, and confidentiality. We do not park teams, and work beyond the brief moves forward only on a mutual “hell yes.”

Who leads TalentSum and why a light, research-led model?

TalentSum is led by Christopher Mengel. He has founded and run multiple startups, served in corporate and interim roles as Head of Marketing and Head of Talent, led hundreds of consulting projects, and selectively invests in other businesses. The lesson from it all: research and plan, lead with strategy, keep it simple, and choose the right move over the big, complex one.

The model stays light by design. We start with data, one focused conversation, and a tight brief; when it truly warrants more, we’ll run a short Diagnostic or, in rare cases, a Lab/Sprint/Retainer—but only if it makes sense. If the need is larger, longer, or demands a team, we refer out to trusted partners, no finder’s fees, fully agnostic. Any “scale” comes from a growing, anonymized peer library that makes guidance sharper without adding layers or cost.

How is this different from big consulting, peer groups, or thought leadership?

Unlike big consulting, we don’t park teams or run long projects. We equip your in-house team with fast, plain-English guidance grounded in an anonymized peer library. Unlike peer groups, there’s no membership or meetings; you get private, situation-specific advice. And unlike “thought leadership,” this isn’t content theater. Recommendations are right-sized to 30/60/90-day rhythms and tied to what comparable leaders actually tried. We’re virtual, fixed-fee, and often free up front—no billable-hour incentives, no scope inflation, no pressure. We don’t monetize complexity; if heavier lift is truly needed, we move only on mutual agreement or refer you to the right partner. Each CEO Signal session strengthens the anonymized peer library, so guidance gets better every time.

Who this is for, and what problems we help solve

This is for owner-led, mid-market companies with a hands-on CEO who wants fast, private, peer-backed clarity their in-house team can use. Common triggers include culture–brand drift, attraction or retention stalling, Marketing and Talent out of sync, too much landing back on the CEO’s desk, stalled AI pilots, or a messy weekly rhythm.

People come to us when the same patterns keep tripping them: ownership and decision rights aren’t clear and too much flows back to the CEO; a lot starts but not much finishes; the inside promise to employees doesn’t match the story to customers; strategy and priorities aren’t leading the week and the culture is undefined; attraction has slowed and early churn is up with Marketing and Talent out of sync; hiring is slow or inconsistent and recruiters and hiring managers aren’t aligned (often with a desire to bring recruiting in-house); the website isn’t doing its job and conversion is thin; AI pilots and content efforts exist but haven’t changed the work; trust is frayed and leaders get tagged as micromanaging; programs stall, messaging is misaligned inside and out, and the business model itself feels in question.

It’s not a fit if you want a staffed project team, a long transformation, an RFP-driven vendor, heavy tech builds, outsourced recruiting, or big content or program rollouts. We don’t sell scope; we right-size guidance and, when the need is larger or off-lane, we refer to trusted partners with no finder’s fees.

How CEO Signal works (and what you get in 48 hours)

CEO Signal starts with a brief survey and one focused conversation to pinpoint what’s stuck. We compare your situation to an anonymized peer library and return a two-page “decision brief” within 48 hours.

The brief is built to be used, not admired. Page one names the real constraint in plain English and why it matters now. Page two shows what comparable leaders actually tried and offers a few right-sized moves for a 30/60/90-day rhythm, often with one step you can take this week. Most CEOs share it with one or two team leaders to align quickly without a project.

Getting started and first value: You can begin by completing the survey and then booking the conversation. First value typically shows up in the conversation; the full brief lands within 48 hours.

Costs, privacy, and the peer library

CEO Signal is often free up front: a brief survey, one focused conversation, and a two-page brief in 48 hours. If you want help beyond the brief, we use fixed fees only—no hourly billing and no scope creep.

We only record with your consent to create the brief. “Off the record” is available anytime. Before any analysis, we anonymize: names and identifiers are removed or replaced with general descriptors (for example, “CEO at a mid-market HVAC firm”).

Your brief is yours. Only you and the people you share it with can see it. We don’t publish it, quote it, or circulate it without permission.

From each CEO Signal session, we add scrubbed patterns—not names—to our anonymized peer library. It captures context, core issue, small moves tried, and outcomes. That compounding signal lets us compare quickly and tailor guidance more precisely while protecting confidentiality. See our privacy notice.

After the brief, what are my options?

There’s no automatic upsell. If the brief is enough, we stop. If more help would truly move the needle, we begin with a 30-minute Clarity Call to confirm scope and prevent creep.

Options are fixed-fee and light: a Diagnostic (4–6 hours) to surface bottlenecks and a top-three action list; a Strategy/Solve Lab (1–2 days) to align owners and simple metrics; or a narrow Sprint (1–2 weeks) or a rare monthly Retainer. Sprints and any retainer happen only on mutual agreement.

If the need is larger or off-lane, we’ll help you identify the right vendor or partner, make the warm intro, and step out. No finder’s fees, fully agnostic. We can stay copied for continuity if you’d like.

Do you publish insights, is there a newsletter, and do you package training for teams?

We keep publishing light and useful. No drip campaigns, no content firehose. You’ll hear from us only when we have something worth your time, and it will be short, specific, and actionable.

Our “CEO Field Notes” are the public side of the work. They distill anonymized patterns from CEO Signal sessions and related research into brief, plain-English write-ups you can use. Data is collected with consent, scrubbed of identifiers, and grouped by context and outcome before it’s shared. Field Notes are shared occasionally and sent via a low-noise, opt-in newsletter.

At some point, we might decide to package insights into lightweight briefings, one-page playbooks, or short working sessions sized to a 30/60/90-day rhythm. One step at a time.