The Fractional CMO Retainer. One senior leader who owns your marketing results, with a team behind him.
Your agency runs the ads. Your sales team works the leads. Nobody owns the number in between. When you hire a fractional CMO on this retainer, Zachary Ellison leads your marketing and makes the big calls, with more than $500M in marketing spend managed behind them. The team runs the day-to-day work with your people.
Where you are 90 days in.
Marketing has an owner. The weekly meeting opens on a scorecard instead of stories. Every channel, vendor and person knows the number they answer for. Budget moves come with a reason attached. The Roadmap's first fixes are live and measured, and the second round is underway. You're no longer refereeing between the agency, the sales team and the web developer.
What the retainer covers.
- 01Weekly leadership
Zachary and the team work your marketing with you, the way people on your team would. A consultant hands you a deck and leaves. We read the scorecard, decide the next moves and assign them before the meeting ends.
- 02Built on your Roadmap
The retainer runs from your finished Roadmap, or from the OS we installed in Roadmap + Installation. Day one starts on evidence, not opinions.
- 03Team and vendor direction
We brief and manage your staff, agencies and freelancers, each against a scorecard. If a vendor isn't earning its fee, you hear it from us first.
- 04Budget allocation
We move spend between channels on cost per lead, cost per sale and return. You hear the reasoning before any money moves.
- 05Executive reporting
A short report for you and your leadership team: what happened, why, and what changes next week.
- 06Marketing Impact Academy access
Your people get every OS template, the monthly webinar and answers within 48 hours, so the ones doing the work learn the system as they go.
How the retainer runs.
- 01
Step 01
Start with the Roadmap
We inspect all seven dimensions, rank the fixes by value and agree the first moves with you. With Roadmap + Installation, the OS goes in before weekly leadership starts.
- 02
Step 02
Set the scorecard
We pick the handful of numbers your marketing gets judged on, fix the tracking behind them and set a baseline everyone can see.
- 03
Step 03
Lead the work
Each week we read results, make the calls and assign the work across your team, your vendors and the AI tools inside the OS.
Step 04
Scale up or down
As results come in, we add a Marketing Manager or a full team. Or we step back to advisory once your people can run it.
Best for
- Owners whose marketing has grown past what the agency can handle, who need someone senior accountable for the result.
- Companies spending real money on marketing with no one answerable for what it returns.
- Teams of capable doers who need priorities, direction and someone willing to say no.
Not the right fit if
- Businesses with nobody on staff or contract to do the work. The Fractional Marketing Team fits that better.
- Owners who want a sounding board a few times a month, not a leader. That's what Advisory is for.
Starts with one of these
Includes
Frequently asked questions.
What does it cost to hire a fractional CMO?
It depends on scope: how many channels, locations and people we lead, and how much of the week the work takes. We don't publish prices. You get a quote after the free assessment call. The retainer is month to month with no setup fees, and it costs a fraction of a full-time executive's total pay.
How much time does a fractional CMO spend on my business?
Enough to lead, not just advise. You get a standing weekly session, direct access between meetings and active management of your team and vendors. The exact hours depend on how many channels and people are involved. We set them together once the Roadmap shows how much needs fixing.
Will you replace my agency?
Not by default. First we measure what each agency and freelancer delivers against what you pay them. Good vendors usually get better with a clear brief and a number to hit. When one can't hit it, we tell you plainly and help you replace them without stalling the plan.
What is included in the Fractional CMO Retainer?
Leadership from Zachary and the team, team and vendor management, budget allocation, executive reporting, Fractional CMO Advisory and the Marketing Impact Academy. It starts from your Marketing Impact Roadmap, alone or as Roadmap + Installation. There's no long contract. We work like an owner with money in your business: if it grows, you keep us. If it doesn't, you shouldn't have to.
Our marketing is already set up. Can you just lead it?
Yes, after the Roadmap. We won't be accountable for results on a setup we haven't looked inside. The Roadmap checks your tracking, funnel, team and tools in about four weeks. A sound setup just means a shorter fix list. If you only want senior advice, Advisory can start from your own plan.
How fast will I see results from a fractional CMO?
Clarity comes first: a scorecard, a ranked plan and an owner on every move within the first few weeks. Measurable gains depend on your sales cycle and which fixes rank highest. Tracking and conversion repairs usually pay back sooner than new demand channels, which take longer to build.
Where to next.
Start with your free Marketing Impact score.
It takes a few minutes. You get a score from 1 to 5 on each of the seven dimensions of your marketing and see where to start. If you’d rather talk first, book a 15-minute call.