How the brand sounds. Four voice attributes, do/don't pairs, and three full rewrites of the current homepage copy as worked examples. If you are writing copy for THG and unsure whether a line sounds right, the rewrite drills at the end are the reference.
The single rule above the rules: a former C-suite operator wrote this — not a marketer pretending to be one. Operators say what happened, what it cost, and what it returned. They do not say "unleash."
Banned words and self-applied nouns
Two lists. The first is the standing buzzword ban. The second — new in v1.2, per founder direction citing Greg Head — is the list of words that are fine in general English but banned when we apply them to ourselves as a category or service noun.
Standing banned (buzzword tier — never use, in any context): unleash, supercharge, synergy, future-proof, disrupt, reimagine, leverage (as verb), transform (without an object), best-in-class, world-class, trusted partner, holistic, robust, seamless, "in today's fast-paced world."
Banned as self-applied category/service nouns (v1.2):
- "advisor" — when used as our category, as in "THG advisors," "our advisors," "a team of advisors." In a PE conversation, this reads as not an operator. Use "former CxOs," "senior operators," "former senior executives," or "the principal." The brand name THG Advisors itself is fine — it is the wordmark, not a category description.
- "advisory firm" — when used to describe what we are. Use "the firm," "the operator-led firm," "the operator-led, AI-native firm," or no category noun at all. Most copy reads better without one.
- "fractional" — when used as our service-line label. In PE, "fractional" reads as retired exec looking for a payday. Service line #6 is "Interim Executive Placement" (brand-strategist setting the final name in parallel). Use interim, in the seat, named former CxO, or function-specific phrasing.
Used descriptively, these words are still fine: "advising the board," "a former advisor to the CIO," "the fractional CIO market is crowded." The ban is on the noun we apply to ourselves.
Other v1.1 holdovers still banned: "held the seat" (founder cut — use "actually run the function" or "former CxO"); "veteran" used to mean military (we use veteran in the senior-experience sense only, and only sparingly).
The four voice attributes
1. Operator-direct
We talk the way a peer would talk to another peer in a boardroom. Short sentences. Real verbs. The subject of the sentence is usually a person doing a thing, not a concept doing nothing.
Why it matters: the buyer is a mid-market CEO, CIO, CFO, CMO, CHRO, or COO who reads 40 pitch decks a year. The voice that stands out is the one that sounds like a colleague, not a brochure.
Do:
- "Walt led three digital transformations in financial services."
- "The engagement ships in weeks."
- "If we can't prove it, we don't claim it."
- "Experience matched by AI. The operator decides what ships."
Don't:
- "Our seasoned team of advisors leverages deep expertise to drive transformative outcomes."
- "We empower organizations to navigate complexity."
- "Solutions to transform your business."
2. Earned, not asserted
Every claim points to a receipt. If we want to say something, we name the operator, the methodology, the council, the number, or the industry. Adjectives without receipts read as marketing.
Why it matters: the audience is professionally skeptical. They have hired consultants before. They notice the difference between "award-winning expertise" (says nothing) and "led 20+ enterprise-wide software programs" (says something).
Do:
- "13+ decades of senior-executive experience on the bench."
- "Six councils — including AI Operations and AI Deep Dive — feed every engagement."
- "Service line #6 places former CIOs, CMOs, CFOs, CHROs, and COOs into the seat as a product."
Don't:
- "Deep industry expertise."
- "Award-winning advisors."
- "Best-in-class capabilities."
- "Trusted partner to leading organizations."
Note on named receipts. The named bench operators we can publicly cite today are Walt Carter (President — digital transformations in financial services), Humberto Castillo (CEO), Marty Smith (CGO — go-to-market and growth, CMO-adjacent), and Bill Price (CBDO). Where copy in this guide uses a function-specific named receipt for CMO, CHRO, CFO, or COO work, the named example is a template — the engagement team swaps in the real named operator from the broader bench (50+ executive consultants) at scoping. Do not invent a "former CMO" or "former CHRO" by name. Use the template ("A former CHRO from the bench will run the engagement; we name the operator at scoping") until the engagement principal is identified.
3. Plain English, no buzzword soup
Veteran operators use the smallest correct word. "Use" beats "leverage." "Speed" beats "velocity." "Ship" beats "operationalize." If a sentence would fail the read-it-aloud-to-the-CEO test, rewrite it.
Why it matters: buzzwords are a tell. They signal that the writer doesn't know the actual answer and is hoping the word will carry it.
See the Banned words section above for the full list. The two lists you re-read before shipping: the standing buzzword ban, and the v1.2 self-applied category ban (advisor, advisory firm, fractional).
Do:
- "We use AI to compress the analysis cycle."
- "AI does the labor. The operator does the judgment."
- "She ran the function for six years; she runs your engagement."
Don't:
- "We leverage AI to supercharge insights."
- "Our advisors deploy fractional executives to drive transformation."
- "We unleash the power of your data."
4. Confident without being theatrical
We do not need exclamation points, hype words, or rhetorical questions. The work is good and the bench is real. The writing should be the temperature of a senior partner in a boardroom — calm, specific, and slightly impatient with anything that isn't.
Why it matters: mid-market CEOs are looking for adult conversation. The firm that brings the loudest voice loses. The firm that brings the most certainty without performance wins.
Do:
- "Senior operators. AI-speed execution. One firm."
- "The change actually gets made — not just recommended."
- "Experience matched by technology. The most human firm in the age of AI."
Don't:
- "Ready to revolutionize your business?"
- "Discover the THG difference!"
- "Unlock new possibilities."
Worked examples — do/don't pairs across the buyer surface
The previous version of this guide leaned heavily on CIO examples. The buyer set is broader than that. Use the receipts we can name; template the rest. Note where the self-applied category nouns have been stripped.
CIO surface
- Do: "Walt Carter, our President, led three digital transformations in financial services and implemented 20+ enterprise software programs. He's not learning from your CIO. He was your CIO."
- Don't: "Our deep technology expertise enables digital transformation across the enterprise."
CMO surface
- Do: "Marty Smith, our CGO, has run operator-grade go-to-market and growth leadership across multiple categories — the named principal for engagements that touch brand, demand, and commercial transformation." (Template line where Marty isn't the staffed principal:) "A former CMO from the bench will lead the brand and demand work — we name the operator at scoping."
- Don't: "We help brands unleash growth through innovative, customer-centric marketing transformation."
CHRO surface
- Do: "A former CHRO from the bench will run the culture reset and the workforce plan — named at scoping, accountable through Day 100. AI compresses the workforce-planning model; the former CHRO decides what the model is allowed to recommend."
- Don't: "We empower people-first organizations to build cultures of high performance."
CFO surface
- Do: "A former CFO from the bench will own the close, the FP&A rebuild, and the diligence read-through — named at scoping, accountable through Day 100."
- Don't: "Our finance-transformation practice partners with CFOs to drive value."
COO surface
- Do: "A former COO from the bench will run the operating-model redesign and the capacity plan — same accountability, same model as the CIO engagement next door."
- Don't: "We help COOs reimagine the operating model for the next phase of growth."
Synthesis surface (human × AI frame) — new in v1.2
- Do: "Experience matched by technology. The former CxO decides what ships; AI does the labor underneath. The most human firm in the age of AI is the one where the human is a peer who has already run the function."
- Don't: "We are an AI-powered advisory firm leveraging fractional executives to drive holistic transformation." (Three banned constructions in one sentence — the v1.2 self-applied category ban hits "advisory firm" and "fractional"; "leveraging," "holistic," and "drive transformation" hit the standing buzzword ban.)
Rewrite drills — three sections from the current homepage
The current site is at /Users/tomellis/Code/THG/web/website-old/index.html. Below are three sections rewritten in the new voice. These are the worked examples copywriters reference when they're stuck. All three are updated for v1.2: no self-applied "advisor"/"advisory firm"/"fractional," no upper-mid-market framing, the human × AI synthesis present in at least one.
Drill 1 — The hero
Current copy:
Experience. The Difference. Customized solutions to help businesses navigate through complex challenges and reach their full potential. [CTA] Connect With An Expert
Diagnosis: "Experience. The Difference." is a tagline shaped like a pun, not a positioning. "Customized solutions to help businesses navigate" describes generic consulting — it could be written by any firm in the world. "Connect with an expert" is generic and unowned.
Rewritten in the new voice (v1.2):
Senior operators. AI-speed execution. One firm. Every engagement at THG is run by a former CxO who has actually run the function — a former CIO leading your CIO engagement, a former CMO leading the brand reposition, a former CFO running the close. Experience matched by technology: the operator makes the judgment call, AI does the labor underneath, and the change ships in weeks, not quarters. [CTA] Talk to a former operator
Why this works:
- The headline is the founder-approved seven-word positioning line. Three claims — seniority, speed, one firm — in one breath.
- The subhead now carries the human × AI synthesis frame explicitly: "Experience matched by technology. The operator makes the judgment call, AI does the labor underneath." This is the line that defends against both adjacent threats — the AI-only build shop (no operator judgment) and the big firm (the wrong human, a junior).
- The CTA is specific. "Talk to a former operator" is a thing nobody else can credibly offer, so we own it.
- No "advisor," "advisory firm," "fractional" — and the buyer-scale framing is mid-market only.
Drill 2 — The "Why THG" features block
Current copy:
Built for the work, not the deck.
Innovative Solutions We stay ahead of the curve, leveraging cutting-edge technologies and strategies to keep our clients in front of the market they serve.
Award-Winning Expertise Recognized by industry leaders, our award-winning team has a proven record of delivering measurable, executive-grade outcomes.
Dedicated Support Our team is always available to address your concerns, providing quick and effective answers when you need them.
Diagnosis: The headline ("Built for the work, not the deck") is actually quite good — keep it. The three feature cards underneath collapse into mush. "Leveraging cutting-edge technologies" is a banned construction. "Award-winning" without naming the award is asserted, not earned. "Dedicated support" describes a help desk, not a peer-operator firm. The three pillars from the messaging house are the right structure — use them.
Rewritten in the new voice (v1.2):
Built for the work, not the deck.
Former CxOs run every engagement. The principal on your engagement is a former operator who has actually run the function. Walt Carter, our President, led three digital transformations in financial services and implemented 20+ enterprise software programs before joining the firm. Marty Smith, our CGO, runs the brand, demand, and commercial-transformation work. For CFO, CHRO, and COO engagements, we name the former operator from the broader bench at scoping. 13+ decades of senior-executive experience across the firm.
Experience matched by technology. AI and modern automation are how we work. The senior operator makes the judgment call; the tooling does the labor underneath. Discovery, analysis, code, segmentation, close mechanics — compressed by tooling so the operator's judgment is what the engagement costs you, not the labor under them. Our AI Operations Council and AI Deep Dive Council give the firm a continuous read on what is actually working in production at peer organizations.
One firm, the full operator surface. Seven coordinated service lines — strategy, transformation, technology and AI, leadership and culture, transactions, interim executive placement, cyber and risk. Six peer councils. One principal, one bench, one bill. No re-onboarding a new vendor every time the engagement turns a corner.
Why this works:
- The three cards map exactly to the three pillars from the messaging house.
- Card #2 is renamed from "Shipping at AI speed" to "Experience matched by technology" — the synthesis frame is now the structural beam, not a side claim. The body lands AI as labor, operator as judgment.
- Service line #6 reads as "interim executive placement," not "fractional executives."
- Every card carries at least one named receipt.
- No "advisor," "advisory firm," "fractional," or "award-winning."
Drill 3 — The services intro
Current copy:
Solutions to Transform Your Business. Seven service lines, all led by former operators with the credentials to do the work — not just describe it.
Diagnosis: The subhead is actually already in voice — keep the core almost verbatim. The headline is the problem: "Solutions to Transform Your Business" is brochure copy. "Transform" without an object is banned.
Rewritten in the new voice (v1.2):
Seven service lines. Each one led by a former operator who has run it. Strategy, transformation, technology and AI, leadership and culture, transactions, interim executive placement, cyber and risk — the full surface of a CEO's, CIO's, CFO's, CMO's, CHRO's, or COO's job. The principal on your engagement is a peer who has actually run the function under similar pressure, with AI and automation as the execution layer so the change ships in weeks instead of quarters.
Why this works:
- The headline names the structure (seven lines) and the differentiator (each led by a former operator who has run it) in twelve words. No "transform" abuse.
- Service line #6 is "interim executive placement," not "fractional executives."
- The subhead spreads across six functional buyers, not just CIO.
- "The principal on your engagement" is operator-grade — the same person who scopes the deal is the one running the work.
- The mechanism (AI and automation as the execution layer) and the speed claim (weeks instead of quarters) both survive.
Quick reference — voice check for any new draft
Before any new copy ships, run it through this six-question check:
- Is the subject of every sentence a person or a thing doing a specific verb? If most sentences start with "Our team is committed to…" or "We empower…" — rewrite.
- Does every adjective have a receipt within two sentences? If we say "experienced," we name the operator. If we say "decades," we name the number. If we say "AI-native," we name the council or the service line. Adjectives without receipts get cut.
- Are there any standing banned words? unleash, supercharge, synergy, future-proof, disrupt, reimagine, leverage (verb), transform (no object), best-in-class, world-class, trusted partner, holistic, robust, seamless, "in today's fast-paced world," "held the seat."
- Are there any v1.2 self-applied category nouns? "advisor" (as our category), "advisory firm" (as our category), "fractional" (as our service-line label). If yes, rewrite with former CxOs / senior operators / the firm / interim executive placement.
- Would a CEO say this on a sales call? Read the copy out loud. If you would be embarrassed to say it in front of a peer, it is wrong.
- Did we pick a fight? Somewhere in the draft, we should be implicitly or explicitly contrasted against the old model — slide-deck consulting, junior-leveraged delivery, AI without judgment. If the draft could have been written by any of our competitors, the contrast is missing.
If the draft passes all six, ship it. If not, rewrite.
A final note on tone for the founder's own voice (Humberto, Walt, Marty, Bill)
When ghostwriting LinkedIn essays or keynote material in a named leader's voice, lean harder into operator-direct. Use the first-person singular. Reference one specific moment from the operator's actual career — a decision, a deal, a board conversation — and let the lesson come out of the moment, not out of a framework. The voice of a former CIO writing about transformation should sound like a former CIO who ran one, not like a thought leader who reads about them.
The single best leading sentence pattern for a leader's first-person essay:
"The first time I ran [function] through [moment], I learned [thing]. Here's why I think most mid-market CEOs still get it wrong."
That sentence does three jobs in twenty-five words: it earns the voice, picks the fight, and sets up the argument. Use it.