5 new retainers per month
for a family law practice, at fifty-one dollars per potential client.
Fractional CMO
Fractional CMO: marketing leadership without the executive salary.
A full-time CMO costs two hundred thousand dollars a year or more, before benefits and before the six months it takes them to ramp. Most growing firms don't need that. They need the judgment, the plan, and the accountability, at a fraction of the commitment. That's what a fractional CMO is, and after seventeen years building marketing systems, including in-house at law firms, it's what I do.
01The role
What a fractional CMO does. And doesn't.
A fractional CMO is a senior marketing leader who owns your marketing function part-time. Same seat, smaller slice of it.
Here's what that looks like in practice with me:
Strategy and prioritization. I set the marketing direction, decide what to do next, and just as importantly, what to ignore. Most firms don't fail from too little marketing. They fail from doing six things halfway.
Vendor and agency accountability. I sit on your side of the table. When your SEO vendor sends a traffic report, I tell you what it actually means and whether the work is worth what you're paying. I've run an agency for years; I know exactly what to look for and what excuses sound like.
Measurement that means something. We track signed clients and revenue by source, not impressions and rankings. If you can't connect a marketing dollar to a client, we fix that first.
Hiring and team building. When it's time for an internal marketing hire, I write the role, screen the candidates, and onboard them. Then I hand them the keys.
And what a fractional CMO doesn't do: execution. I don't write your blog posts, run your ad campaigns, or build your website. I direct the people who do, whether that's your team, your vendors, or an agency. Strategy and execution are different jobs, and paying CMO rates for execution is how marketing budgets disappear.
02Fit
Who this is for. And who it isn't.
A fractional CMO is right for you if:
You're a law firm or professional service business between one and ten million in revenue, and marketing decisions currently land on the owner's desk by default.
You're spending real money on marketing, vendors, ads, a website, and can't say with confidence what it's producing.
You've been burned by an agency or a vendor and want someone accountable on your side before you spend again.
You're growing fast enough that "we'll figure out marketing later" has become a risk.
It's not right for you if:
You want someone to execute campaigns hands-on. You need an agency or an in-house marketer, and I'll happily tell you which.
You're pre-revenue or your offer hasn't been validated yet. Leadership can't fix a product problem.
You want a silver bullet in thirty days. I build systems that compound, and compounding takes quarters, not weeks.
03The engagement
How the engagement works.
Every fractional CMO engagement runs on a simple operating rhythm:
A weekly strategy session. One hour, standing, with clear decisions and owners coming out of every call.
A monthly scorecard. Signed clients by source, cost per client, pipeline health, and the two or three numbers that actually predict your growth. Reviewed together, in plain English.
Quarterly planning. Every ninety days we step back, look at what the data says, and set the next quarter's priorities. What to double down on, what to cut, what to test.
Always-on access. A vendor proposal lands in your inbox and something smells off? Forward it to me. That's the job.
Engagements run month to month after an initial quarter. No long-term contracts, because the work should earn the renewal.
04Where to start
Most clients start with the Sprint.
The fractional CMO seat works best when there's a plan to run. That's why most engagements begin with the ninety-day Marketing Sprint: we build your complete marketing plan together, strategy, budget, vendor roadmap, and intake readiness, and you own it forever.
Then you choose. Run the plan yourself. Hand it to your team. Or keep me in the seat as your fractional CMO to drive it. No phase requires the next one.
05Proof
What marketing leadership actually produces.
91% more cases signed
for a personal injury firm, with average case value up one hundred sixty-two percent.
15 new retainers per month
for a criminal defense firm, plus an entirely new Spanish-speaking client base.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
- What does a fractional CMO cost?
- Far less than a full-time hire. A full-time CMO runs two hundred thousand dollars or more per year, plus benefits, equity, and ramp time. Fractional engagements are a fraction of that, scoped to what your firm actually needs. On a discovery call I'll give you a specific number for your situation, no games.
- What is a fractional CMO, exactly?
- A senior marketing executive who leads your marketing part-time. You get the strategy, prioritization, vendor accountability, and measurement of a CMO without the full-time salary. The "fractional" refers to the time commitment, not the seniority.
- How do I know if I should hire a fractional CMO or an agency?
- Different jobs. An agency executes: campaigns, content, SEO, ads. A fractional CMO decides what's worth executing and holds the executors accountable. If you already have vendors but no one steering them, you need the CMO. If you have a clear plan and just need hands, you need the agency. If you're not sure, that's exactly what a discovery call is for, and I'll tell you straight.
- Do you replace our existing agency or vendors?
- No. I evaluate them, direct them, and hold them accountable. Sometimes that means keeping them and getting more from the relationship. Sometimes it means a change. Either way, the recommendation comes with reasons and data, not politics.
- How long do engagements last?
- An initial quarter, then month to month. The average client keeps me until their internal marketing function can run without me. Working myself out of a job is the goal, not a risk.
- Do you only work with law firms?
- Law firms are my deepest specialty; I've been in-house at them and my case studies are built there. But the system works for any professional service or high-transaction business where a signed client is worth four figures or more.
Let's find out what marketing leadership would change for you.
One thirty-minute call. No pitch, no deck, no prep. Tell me where your business is and where you want it to go. I'll tell you honestly whether a fractional CMO is what you need, and if it isn't, I'll point you to what is.