Michael Todd Beauty: Hiring a retention specialist to fix and scale lifecycle marketing
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Finding a Retention Marketer Who Could Actually Write
Plenty of candidates had "retention marketing" on their resume. Michael Todd Beauty needed someone who could write direct-response copy that converts and also run Klaviyo and Postscript at a technical level.
The trial audit Ben later submitted found:
- No live post-purchase flow
- A 2.6% repeat purchase rate on the core device
- Subscription flows relying heavily on discounts
- Campaign revenue underperforming relative to automated flows
The team had run its own search for this profile for at least two months without finding the right person, and had run a separate CRM manager search before that.
The candidates who didn't work
Candidates from editorial or brand-voice email backgrounds kept missing the mark.
The client wanted mechanism-driven, pain-point copy with urgency and social proof. Polished brand storytelling doesn't convert for them.
Finding a Direct-Response Copywriter Who Could Own Retention
Constant Hire identified a senior direct-response copywriter who runs his own practice and has owned CRM and email in-house at DTC and coaching brands.
In prior roles, he grew email revenue by 250% or more across multiple portfolios. He also writes his own copy instead of briefing another writer, which the client had asked for specifically.
That distinction became especially important during the final evaluation.
Two candidates made it through to the live paid trial. The chosen candidate’s audit and sample emails hit the mechanism-led, testimonial-heavy, urgency-driven tone the client wanted. Other candidates' samples read as too soft and brand-led.
Our Approach
Testing the Work Before Making the Hire
Before submitting anyone, our recruiter ran screening calls that tested direct-response fluency and Klaviyo and Postscript depth.
Finalists then completed a paid trial on the client's own Klaviyo account, including:
- A full SWOT-style Klaviyo audit
- 30/60/90-day priorities
- Three finished sample emails
The client saw how each finalist would work the account before making an offer.
When samples missed the client's style, the recruiter passed the client's feedback to candidates, down to sending Milled examples of the exact tone it wanted. Candidates could recalibrate instead of getting rejected blind.
Our Role
Adapting the Search When the Hiring Model Changed
The search started as a full-time hire.
Partway through, the client moved to a fractional model. Its budget was $5–6K a month. The hired candidate asked for $8K a month for 20–25 hours a week. Constant Hire worked the gap until both sides agreed on terms.
Process
- 15 candidates interviewed
- 15 candidates submitted
- 2 client interview stages
- 2 client stakeholders
- ~75 days to hire decision
- 2 finalists
- 1 offer
The search ran from May 6 to July 21, 2026, and the candidate started July 27.
A Retention Operator Who Could Own the Work
Michael Todd Beauty hired Ben Carter as its fractional Retention Specialist.
He started July 27 with a clear mandate: build the missing post-purchase flow, move subscription flows off discount-led messaging, and lift campaign revenue relative to flows.
Positioning Highlight
This case study demonstrates Constant Hire's ability to:
- Screen out brand-voice CRM marketers and surface direct-response retention operators before the client sees a profile
- Turn client rejection notes into concrete tone references, so candidates improve their samples mid-search
- Move a full-time search to a fractional engagement mid-process and close the gap between budget and candidate ask
