CMO School

You can be a Fractional CMO without ever having held the CMO title before. If you've been counting yourself out of Fractional CMO work because you’re not sure you’re experienced enough, this episode is for you.

I’m breaking down:

• Why your past job title is not as important as you think it is
• The three things you need to be a CMO
• What to do when you’re not *quite* qualified for a role
• And the shift you need to make if you want to step into Fractional CMO work

If you've been counting yourself out of Fractional CMO work because of what's on your resume — you're going to love this episode.

Ready to take the next step?

If you’re ready to step into the Fractional CMO role but want support as you do it, Fractional CMO School is a 6-month coaching program + community to help you confidently land high-ticket clients and build a 6-figure (and beyond) business as a Fractional CMO.

🎓 Learn More → http://www.fractional-cmo-school.com/

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Can You Be a Fractional CMO Without the Title?

01:00 What the CMO Role Actually Is

02:00 The First Sign You're Already Thinking Like a CMO

03:15 Why Business Thinking Matters More Than Marketing Skills

04:45 Stop Acting Like an Executor

06:00 Nobody Is Going to Tell You You're Ready

04:50 The Bare Minimum You Need Online

05:40 How to Build Credibility Fast

06:10 Why I’d Focus on LinkedIn

06:45 Instagram Clients Are Different

Posting on social media is one of the least effective easy to get clients as a Fractional CMO.

I'm a huge believer in being visible online — but social media for lead generation is the SLOWEST and most exhausting route to landing high-ticket Fractional CMO clients.

In this episode, I break down:

• 3 reasons social media isn't landing you high-ticket Fractional CMO clients
• Where high-ticket clients DO come from — and why most Fractionals are looking in the wrong place
• The reframe I give my students that ends the content hamster wheel for good
• How to make your channels work for you WITHOUT posting every day (you'll get hours back)

If you've been grinding to create social media content on the daily, and not seeing the return on your time, you’ll love this video.

Ready to take the next step?

If you’re ready to step into the Fractional CMO role but want support as you do it, Fractional CMO School is a 6-month coaching program + community to help you confidently land high-ticket clients and build a 6-figure (and beyond) business as a Fractional CMO.

🎓 Learn More → http://www.fractional-cmo-school.com/

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Social Media Didn't Build My Business

00:40 Why Most Social Media Leads Are Bad Fits

01:40 The Content Creation Hamster Wheel

02:50 How High-Ticket Clients Actually Buy

04:10 The Real Purpose of Social Media

05:20 How to Look Credible Without Posting Every Day

06:45 Why LinkedIn Beats Every Other Platform

07:30 Stop Chasing Content

Imposter syndrome is why most Fractional CMOs undercharge, second-guess their strategy, and shrink in client meetings.

And the advice everyone gives you to "work on your mindset” is great, and I'm a huge believer in it — but that takes TIME. And if you've got clients you're leading right now, you need something that works IMMEDIATELY.

In this episode, we break down:

• 5 tips to help you get past imposter syndrome fast
• How to build trust with clients (even when you don't have all the answers)
• Why you don't need to be the expert in everything as a CMO
• The ONE thing that dissolves imposter syndrome faster than anything else
• The question I ask myself when I get stuck in my head with a client (steal it!)

If you're working as a Fractional CMO and imposter syndrome is keeping you from showing up like the leader your clients hired you to be you’ll love this episode.

Ready to take the next step?

If you’re ready to step into the Fractional CMO role but want support as you do it, Fractional CMO School is a 6-month coaching program + community to help you confidently land high-ticket clients and build a 6-figure (and beyond) business as a Fractional CMO.

🎓 Learn More → http://www.fractional-cmo-school.com/

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Most Imposter Syndrome Advice Is Useless

01:00 You Don't Need to Know Everything

02:15 Build a Team That Fills Your Gaps

03:45 Get Behind the Curtain

05:20 Focus on Results, Not Expertise

06:50 Remember Who You're There For

08:15 The Real Way to Beat Imposter Syndrome

So many people start Fractional work then find themselves burnt out, and questioning if this model is even a fit for them.

I sat down with one of my Fractional CMO School students, for a live coaching call. Lisa came to me feeling disillusioned with the fractional model after a few client experiences, and wondering what to do next.

I helped her see that didn't hate the model, she just wasn’t operating inside the right structure.

She had been making the same mistakes I see others make all the time, so I asked her to come on the podcast because I KNEW her experience would be so helpful for many others.

In this episode, we break down:

• The biggest mistake I see CMO’s make when building out strategies (that actually overwhelms your clients too)
• The most common places where Fractionals end up overdelivering in their role
• A simple filter you can use to make sure you stay in your lane and only do CMO-level work
• The driving analogy that helped me step into leadership and totally changed how my clients saw me (you can steal it!)

If you're working as a Fractional but you’re buried in your client's Slack, your days are FULL of meetings, and you’re being pulled in a million directions, this episode is for you.

Ready to take the next step?

If you’re ready to step into the Fractional CMO role but want support as you do it, Fractional CMO School is a 6-month coaching program + community to help you confidently land high-ticket clients and build a 6-figure (and beyond) business as a Fractional CMO.

🎓 Learn More → http://www.fractional-cmo-school.com/

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Why Fractional CMO Work Wasn't Working

03:25 Lisa's Background and Why She Made the Shift

08:00 The Strategy Scope Mistake Most Marketers Make

14:00 Why Overdelivering Creates Bigger Problems

22:15 When Fractional CMOs Become Operators

26:00 The Difference Between a CMO and a Marketing Manager

35:20 The Leadership Shift That Changes Everything

40:00 What It Really Means to Own the Marketing Function

45:15 How to Identify the Right Fractional CMO Clients

50:45 Why Every Growth-Stage Company Needs a Marketing Manager

56:00 Where AI Fits Into the Fractional CMO Role

01:04:00 Final Lessons on Scope, Boundaries and Client Fit

Sales is the one skill nobody teaches you as a fractional CMO — and it's the one that determines whether your business actually grows. Most of us got into this because we're good at marketing. Not because we love selling. For a long time, I hated it. I wasn't comfortable doing it, I didn't feel like I was good at it, and the idea of getting on a call where someone might say no felt awful. Four years and millions in client revenue later — sales is one of my strongest skills.

In this episode, I'm breaking down every lesson that got me there:

• The mindset shift that made selling stop feeling gross
• The one thing you can do to make people feel understood before you've pitched anything,
• Why I turn people away — and how it's built my business
• How to lead a sales call so you're never getting interviewed
• How to say your high-ticket prices without flinching.
• And what you can do to get better at sales.

If sales still feels uncomfortable, or it’s something you want to get better at, this episode is for you.

Ready to take the next step?

If you’re ready to step into the Fractional CMO role but want support as you do it, Fractional CMO School is a 6-month coaching program + community to help you confidently land high-ticket clients and build a 6-figure (and beyond) business as a Fractional CMO.

🎓 Learn More → http://www.fractional-cmo-school.com/

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 I Used to Hate Sales

01:00 The 3 Shifts That Changed Everything

01:30 Why Sales Is Really Service

02:45 Empathy Is Your Competitive Advantage

04:00 The Power of Selling With Integrity

05:15 How to Lead a Sales Call

07:45 The Secret to Saying Your Price Confidently

10:00 The Only Way to Get Better at Sales

11:10 Why Confidence Comes From Reps

What you spend your time on determines everything — how visible you are to your client, how much authority you actually have, how much they'll pay you, and whether you burn out. If you've ever felt like you're executing all the marketing while your client sees you as someone who takes direction instead of sets it, this episode will help you understand why.

In this episode, I break down:

• The four things a CMO actually owns (and where execution lives)
• The daily filter you use to know if you're staying in the right scope
• Why staying in execution keeps you invisible — and what that costs you
• What happens when you start setting these boundaries

This shift isn't about confidence or willpower. It's about clarity on your role. And once you have that, everything changes — how your client sees you, what you charge, how much control you have over your time. Because stepping into the CMO role isn't about doing more. It's about operating at a different level.

Ready to take the next step?

If you’re ready to step into the Fractional CMO role but want support as you do it, Fractional CMO School is a 6-month coaching program + community to help you confidently land high-ticket clients and build a 6-figure (and beyond) business as a Fractional CMO.

🎓 Learn More → http://www.fractional-cmo-school.com/

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Why Most Marketers Struggle to Lead

01:00 What a CMO Actually Does

02:00 Strategy: The CMO's First Responsibility

04:00 Resource Allocation and Team Decisions

06:00 Accountability Without Doing the Work

08:00 The 30,000-Foot View of Marketing

09:15 What CMOs Should Never Do

10:45 The Filter I Use Every Day

12:15 How to Stop Being the Doer

14:00 The 3-Step Shift Into Leadership

What you call yourself matters less than what you actually do. And when you code-switch with the same client — saying CMO, operating as contractor — you're losing authority and pricing power.

If you've ever found yourself executing work for a client while also calling yourself their Fractional CMO, this episode will help you understand why.

In this episode, I'm breaking down:

• Exactly what to do in your first 90 days as a fractional CMO
• What you should do (and not do) in months one, two, and three
• How to integrate with the team and establish your rhythm as the leader
• Why this progression determines whether you operate like a CMO or a contractor

This isn't about being rigid or distant. It's about clarity and boundaries. Because being a Fractional CMO isn't just about strategy — it's about the seat you're actually in.

Ready to take the next step?

If you’re ready to step into the Fractional CMO role but want support as you do it, Fractional CMO School is a 6-month coaching program + community to help you confidently land high-ticket clients and build a 6-figure (and beyond) business as a Fractional CMO.

🎓 Learn More → http://www.fractional-cmo-school.com/

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Why Clients Don't See You as a Leader

00:45 Agency, Contractor, or Fractional CMO?

02:00 The Problem With Code Switching

03:15 Why Execution Shrinks Your Authority

04:30 The Scope Creep Trap

05:30 What Changes When You Stay in the CMO Seat

06:30 Why Your Pricing Starts to Make Sense

07:15 Pick a Lane and Stay There

How you structure your first 90 days changes everything about your business. When you step into a new client engagement, the order of what you focus on determines whether you're seen as a strategic leader or just another executor.

In this episode, I break down:

• The exact order of what to focus on first
• How to integrate with the team and establish your rhythm
• When and how to prove the strategy works
• Why foundation building matters more than you think
• And how month three positions you as the strategic owner, not just the executor

This isn't about moving fast. It's about moving in the right order. When you follow this progression, you're not operating like a contractor. You're operating like a CMO — thinking, leading, and making decisions.

Ready to take the next step?

If you’re ready to step into the Fractional CMO role but want support as you do it, Fractional CMO School is a 6-month coaching program + community to help you confidently land high-ticket clients and build a 6-figure (and beyond) business as a Fractional CMO.

🎓 Learn More → http://www.fractional-cmo-school.com/

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 What Your First 90 Days Should Look Like

01:00 Month One: Slow Down Before You Speed Up

03:00 Month Two: Build Relationships First

04:30 Quick Wins vs Long-Term Projects

06:00 Month Three: Start Thinking Like a Leader

07:15 The Skill That Separates Great CMOs

08:15 How to Build Trust With Clients

09:15 Why the First 90 Days Matter So Much

10:00 The Fractional CMO Roadmap

I charge up to $20,000 for a marketing strategy — and in this episode I’m pulling back the curtain on exactly how I build it.

Most fractional CMOs are winging their strategy process and massively undercharging because of it. So I’m walking you through my exact four-phase process — Discovery, Strategy Development, Delivery, and Alignment & Next Steps — and the mistakes I see people make at every stage.

Ready to take the next step?

If you’re ready to step into the Fractional CMO role but want support as you do it, Fractional CMO School is a 6-month coaching program + community to help you confidently land high-ticket clients and build a 6-figure (and beyond) business as a Fractional CMO.

🎓 Learn More → http://www.fractional-cmo-school.com/

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Why Most CMOs Undercharge for Strategy

01:00 Phase 1: Discovery Changes Everything

02:15 Stop Taking the Client's Word for It

03:45 The Goal-Setting Mistake That Ruins Strategies

05:15 Phase 2: Building the Right Strategy

06:45 Why Bigger Isn't Better

08:15 Phase 3: How to Deliver a Strategy

09:45 Phase 4: Turning Strategy Into a Retainer

11:00 How to Charge $20K for Strategy

I see this all the time — founders frustrated with their hires, marketers frustrated with their clients, and everyone pointing the finger at the other person. But most of the time, it’s actually no one’s fault.

In today’s episode, I’m breaking down:

• The biggest misunderstanding around hiring marketing support
• Why you’re not getting better results
• The unrealistic expectations placed on one “unicorn” hire
• And the industry dynamic that keeps founders investing in tactics instead of building strategy

If you’ve ever hired “marketing help” and still ended up feeling overwhelmed, unsupported, or unsure what’s actually working, this episode is for you.

And if you’re a marketer, this will help you see where unclear roles and structural gaps are setting you up for failure — even when you’re doing the best you can.

Ready to take the next step?

If you’re ready to step into the Fractional CMO role but want support as you do it, Fractional CMO School is a 6-month coaching program + community to help you confidently land high-ticket clients and build a 6-figure (and beyond) business as a Fractional CMO.

🎓 Learn More → http://www.fractional-cmo-school.com/

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Why Marketing Hires Keep Failing

01:00 The Biggest Hiring Mistake Founders Make

02:30 More Marketing Doesn't Mean Better Results

04:15 Why Strategy and Execution Are Different Jobs

05:45 The Unicorn Myth That's Burning Everyone Out

07:45 Why Great Marketers Still Struggle

08:45 The Fractional CMO Advantage

10:00 The Industry Problem Nobody Talks About

11:00 Leadership vs Execution: The Real Question