A CMO for hire - sometimes called a fractional CMO or on-demand CMO - is a senior marketing executive who joins your leadership team on a part-time, embedded basis. They own the marketing function the same way a full-time CMO would: attending leadership meetings, managing your team, setting strategy, owning the budget, and reporting to the board. The only difference is the time commitment and cost structure.
Mark operates as a true embedded CMO - not a consultant who shows up with slide decks. He's in your Slack, on your weekly leadership call, running your quarterly planning, and accountable for the same outcomes a full-time CMO would be.
Own the annual marketing plan, set strategy across channels, prioritize the roadmap, and make the resource allocation decisions that determine which bets the company makes on growth. Bring a point of view your board will trust.
Manage your existing marketing team or contractors. Make hiring decisions. Provide mentorship and direction. Build the organizational structure you need for your next stage of growth - and help hire the permanent CMO when the time is right.
Prepare and present marketing metrics in board meetings. Translate marketing activity into revenue impact. Answer investor questions with confidence. Mark has presented to boards and investors and knows what they actually care about.
Own the marketing budget end-to-end. Make allocation decisions across channels, agencies, tools, and headcount. Report on ROI. Optimize spend based on performance. No more budget decisions made without a senior marketing leader in the room.
Manage existing agency relationships or identify better partners. Evaluate vendor proposals. Hold agencies accountable to results. Stop overpaying for underperforming services because nobody on the leadership team knows how to evaluate marketing agencies.
Lead product launches, market expansions, and new channel buildouts. Bring a tested GTM playbook that compresses the learning curve. Execute with urgency while building systems that outlast the engagement.
Understanding which model is right for your stage is the most important hiring decision you'll make.
Cost: $4K-$12K/month
Commitment: 6-12 month engagement
Best for: Companies at $1M-$15M revenue that need real leadership but aren't ready for a full-time executive
Outcome: Working marketing infrastructure + team development + option to hire full-time
Cost: $200K-$350K+ all-in
Commitment: Multi-year
Best for: Companies at $15M+ revenue with stable team, proven channels, and 12+ months of operating runway
Risk: 6-month ramp time, culture risk, equity dilution, high cost of bad hire
Cost: $5K-$25K/month
Commitment: Monthly
Best for: Tactical execution (ads, SEO, content) when strategy already exists
Gap: No strategic leadership, no team integration, no accountability to revenue, no board presence
30-minute call to assess fit, understand your current marketing situation, and determine whether a CMO for hire engagement is the right solution. No commitment required. Honest assessment of whether Mark is the right person for what you need.
Deep dive into your current marketing performance: channels, team, stack, metrics, and competitive position. Deliverable: 90-day roadmap with prioritized actions and expected outcomes.
Weekly leadership team participation, marketing team management, strategy execution, and regular reporting. Mark operates as your CMO - accessible, accountable, and results-driven.
At the 6-month mark, evaluate options: extend the engagement, hire a full-time CMO (Mark will help recruit), or conclude if internal capability has been built. The goal is always to make Mark unnecessary.
The core service - strategic marketing leadership embedded into your company on a part-time basis.
Similar to CMO for hire but structured around defined hours per week - ideal for early-stage companies.
Bridge leadership when your CMO departs and you need coverage during the search for a replacement.