Part-Time CMO

Part-time and fractional are often used interchangeably and in practice they describe the same engagement model: a senior CMO working at reduced bandwidth, typically 1-2 days per week. When I use fractional I mean the same thing. The distinction that matters is not the label but the scope: what the CMO owns, how many hours per month, and what the success criteria are.

In a typical two-day-per-week engagement: one day covers strategy and decisions (channel review, attribution analysis, campaign direction, team weekly). One day covers output (creative brief writing or review, reporting, board update preparation, agency management). The split adjusts based on where the growth function is in its cycle.

Duration and review points depend on the work, continuity needs, observation window and contract. We define what ongoing ownership or a handoff requires and reassess capacity as the business changes. A fixed six- to eighteen-month term is not a condition of useful work.

Yes, when team leadership and personal delivery fit the agreed schedule. Review the actual decisions, one-to-ones, feedback, approvals, geography and backup coverage rather than use a universal team-size threshold. We name responsibilities and any additional management capacity needed.

There is no universal ARR floor. A focused investigation, launch, campaign, system build or leadership mandate can be scoped at different stages. We assess the decision, resources, authorized access and implementation needed before agreeing the engagement.

It can start with a diagnostic. This is a full funnel audit before committing to ongoing work: what is broken, what is fixable, and what the part-time model can realistically own given your execution capacity. It has a fixed scope and fixed output, and you keep the plan. It is one-time, with an agreed delivery schedule.

A limited part-time schedule cannot cover unlimited daily production. I personally execute agreed priorities, and we define any additional capacity before starting. If growth is stalling because the product is not retaining users, strategy alone is not enough; the product and retention work must be included in the plan.

Advisory is a weekly senior review of your growth decisions, with async access between sessions. It is diagnosis, decisions and guidance only. A part-time CMO scope can include strategy, attribution, creative direction, channel ownership, team direction and board reporting. Advisory is right for companies with a VP of Marketing but no CMO-level strategic owner.

I agree the scope, time commitment and availability for each client or project before work starts. Availability changes over time, so a free slot is not something I can promise in advance. If you want to check where I stand, send me a message and I reply within 1 business day.

The call is 15 minutes to know if part-time is the right model. You tell me your ARR, your team size, and what the growth motion looks like now. I tell you whether two days a week covers what you need, or whether a different model is the better fit. It is an honest scope assessment, with no pitch.

Contract terms, including duration and notice period, are agreed per engagement. Ending a fractional engagement, which is the same model as part-time, involves no severance. We agree the scope, review points and contract terms before work starts.