Didion Milling — Year-in-Review & Recruitment Strategy (2025-12-08)

Overview

Discussed during the ^[1]. The Didion account is currently unprofitable due to a low retainer relative to the volume and complexity of work being performed. A Wednesday meeting with the client (Diana) is scheduled, with the goal of presenting a year-in-review and proposing a path toward a higher retainer arrangement.

Account Status

Profitability: Unprofitable. The current retainer does not justify the level of work being delivered.
Client Relationship: Diana has been demanding — including last-minute requests (e.g., a PayPal integration, a recruitment strategy) — and has shown some friction when deliverables aren't immediate. Melissa noted she is likely overworked.
Upcoming Meeting: Wednesday (week of 2025-12-08). Melissa is preparing a year-in-review and next-steps deck.

Key Decisions

Retainer Proposal: The strategy is to propose a higher retainer that would position Asymmetric as Didion's full-service marketing department. The pitch: at a higher retainer, the client gets priority responsiveness and broader scope; at the current rate, the team is already at capacity.
Scope Boundary: Out-of-scope requests (e.g., PayPal work) should be priced separately. Melissa has already begun enforcing this.

Recruitment Strategy Initiative

Diana requested a recruitment strategy approximately 1.5 weeks before this call, just before the holiday period.
Owner: Bouquet agreed to write the strategy, leveraging her LinkedIn knowledge.
Status as of 2025-12-08: In progress; delivery committed for early the following week.
Diana expressed mild frustration at the timeline, though Melissa held the boundary given the holiday timing.

Action Items

[ ] Prepare Didion year-in-review and next-steps deck for Wednesday meeting (@Melissa Cusumano)
[ ] Deliver recruitment strategy draft to Diana by early the following week (@Bouquet)
[ ] Present retainer increase proposal at or following the Wednesday meeting (@Melissa Cusumano)

^[2]
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