RETENTION TRANSFORMATION FOR ECOMMERCE & OMNICHANNEL BRANDS

Idle Hands Workshop is the strategic consulting practice of Mike Swanson. I partner with leadership teams to translate Brand Integrity and GTM strategy into high-performance Retention Engines.

By streamlining team tactics, tech, and data flows with intentional customer experiences, I HELP transform siloed CRM and CX FUNCTIONS into unified, profitable digital ecosystems that drive sustainable, long-term growth.

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THE RETENTION LEVER: RETAINING 5% MORE CUSTOMERS CAN INCREASE PROFITS BY UP TO 95%

(SOURCE: BAIN & COMPANY)

In an era of skyrocketing acquisition costs, profit isn't ALWAYS made on the first conversion, it’s built in the months AND YEARS that follow. For ecommerce and omnichannel brands, retention is the difference between paying for customers and customers paying for your growth.

Survival is a matter of brand, product, and system integrity ALL WORKING TOGETHER. When your CUSTOMER PROFILES are unified and YOUR STRATEGY IS intentional, you decrease your reliance on costly acquisition and "batch and blast" campaigns. By ARCHITECTING high-integrity customer journeys, you maximize the value of every customer you’ve already won.

In 2026, retention resilience is YOUR MAIN competitive advantage. You cannot afford to wait.

PROJECTS AND EXPERIENCE

Architected the omnichannel retention ecosystem for this outdoor industry icon while building one of the industry's most powerful SMS programs. By spearheading ecommerce and retail store data integrations into Klaviyo, I helped lay the foundation for years of sustainable retention growth.
Helped strengthen the modern guest retention program for one of the world's premier mountain destinations. By aligning guest research with advanced CRM campaigns and automation, I optimized conversion and guest satisfaction across ticketing, retail, ski school, and lodging.
Current partner with this Vermont heritage icon translating nearly two centuries of wool craftsmanship and renewed brand-building efforts into a modern digital ecosystem. Leading the foundational retention strategy by aligning strategic partners and system structure to ensure Johnson is equipped for its next era of online and in-store growth.
Led lifecycle strategy through a phase of major startup growth averaging 60% channel growth. I developed the technical framework and market research engine required to align GTM strategy with customer-led insights, transforming fragmented data into a unified retention foundation.
Gave it my all as retention lead starting with a critical transition from Mailchimp to Klaviyo. By refining their data structure and building a strong engine of automated flows and SMS, I helped drive a 160% YoY increase in owned marketing revenue and a 114X ROI on their SMS program.
Clipped in and sent it with this authentic rider-owned ski brand to build a high performance acquisition and retention engine. By re-architecting their ski finder and broader automation strategy, while launching a high growth SMS program, I helped drive a 300% YoY increase in flow revenue and 57x SMS program ROI.

HOW I WORK

FRACTIONAL RETENTION LEADERSHIP

Full-team immersion for total system transformation. This Head of Retention engagement IS designed for brands ready to move past REACTIVE marketing TO BUILD A STRONGER FOUNDATION FOR PROFITABILITY. I integrate deeply with your leadership, product, and CROSS-FUNCTIONAL teams to build a custom ROADMAP & FULL Retention Playbook. We focus on signal-led orchestration and operational velocity, ensuring your tech stack and internal workflows are actually capable of supporting your long-term GROWTH goals.

TEAM & TECH Roadmap Workshops

THE GAME PLAN TO LEVEL UP YOUR RETENTION PROGRAM. A high-impact, ASSESSMENT-based engagement where I interview CROSS-FUNCTIONAL TEAM stakeholders and dive into your data architecture to identify VALUE AND EXPERIENCE leaks. The outcome is a comprehensive Retention Roadmap — a prioritized list of STRATEGIC AND TECHNICAL ENHANCEMENTS that your internal team or agency partners can execute with total clarity.

Strategic Workshop Sessions

High-impact advisory for strategic alignment and DATA integrity. Direct access to senior retention expertise for pressure-testing GTM strategies, auditing team or agency performance, OR solving complex data-flow puzzles. This is the steering COMMITTEE layer for brands who need high-level guidance to avoid technical debt and strategic drift.

MINIMUM COMMITMENT: 4-week engagement (1 hour / week)

about MIKE SWANSON

A Craftsman’s Approach to Growth

I’ve spent more than 15 years at the intersection of CRM, brand, and market research, helping iconic brands FORM THE STRONG FOUNDATIONS NECESSARY FOR GROWTH. My philosophy is simple: lasting retention is built through STRATEGIC quality and STRUCTURAL SYSTEM integrity, not SIMPLY quick-hit tactics.

After 12 years working AND PLAYING in the Grand Tetons in Wyoming, I now live in the Green Mountains of Vermont with my family. My work is inspired by the wild places I love. places that demand durabilitY, INTENTION, AND CARE. I bring that same mindset to every project I touch, ensuring your brand’s retention engine is built to last.

THE RETENTION ENGINE

Klaviyo is the best-in-class engine for unified commerce AND CUSTOMER RETENTION. As a KLAVIYO COMMUNITY Champion, PARTNER, AND POWER USER, I HELP YOU leverage its advanced capabilities to centralize your omnichannel data into a single source of truth THAT POWERS EVERY STRATEGY THAT FOLLOWS.

While Klaviyo provides the HIGH-PERFORMANCE hardware, Idle Hands Workshop provides the strategic logic and holistic architecture required to make it your brand's most profitable asset.