Fractional CMO
I embed inside your business as your marketing leader and consultant to own the strategy, manage the team, and guide the execution.
Most companies between $1M and $50M need a clear plan, not just another title. I sit inside your business as a senior marketing leader and consultant. I set the strategy, lead your in-house marketers and partners, and run a consistent test-and-improve loop. I focus on the few priorities that matter and cut the rest. This engagement covers everything short of deeper-level execution. I direct and review the hands-on work rather than building it myself. When you want me building and shipping directly, that is the AI Growth Operator engagement.
Trusted by teams at
What you get
Brand & Demand Strategy
I define your positioning, narrative, ideal customer profile, and demand plan, then direct your team and partners as they put it into market.
Marketing Leadership
I lead your in-house team and external partners. I set priorities, coach, review performance, and keep the day-to-day work aligned to the plan.
Full-Funnel Accountability
I hold the plan accountable across awareness, acquisition, conversion, and expansion. I identify gaps and direct the right people to fix them.
Growth Testing
I establish a weekly testing cadence, review results with the team, and adjust the plan. We keep what works and cut what does not.
What I own.
The strategy
I choose the channels, messaging, and budgets.
The team
I manage your marketers, agencies, and hiring.
The metrics
I measure the pipeline, cost, and growth.
The first 30 days.
Audit and plan
I map your current marketing, identify the leaks, and write a 90-day plan.
Quick fixes
I identify wasted ad spend and broken conversion steps, then direct the responsible team or partners to correct them.
Team alignment
I start the weekly operating cadence with your team.
Team compatibility.
Time commitment
I dedicate 10–20 hours per week to your business.
Existing tools
I use your current tools. I only change systems if they are completely broken.
Existing team
I work with your current marketers and partners. I am a leader for them, not a replacement.
What clients say
Sean quickly analyzed our site, market, and competition, then came back with a great list of ways to significantly increase our traffic. He's easily one of the fastest and smartest marketers I've worked with.
Ruben Gamez
Founder @ Bidsketch & Signwell
We are so happy to be working with Sean. It's not just the great work he does but also how he works. His combination of knowledge, responsiveness, and ability to exceed expectations is rare. I'd hire Sean again in a heartbeat.
Mikael Cho
Co-founder & CEO @ Unsplash
Sean is a stellar marketer. He is a fixture in content, SEO, and inbound marketing circles for his leadership and quality of work. Several times I've been asked for marketing consulting recommendations, and Sean is always first to mind and first on my list. I have a ton of confidence in his work and professionalism, and I recommend him and his team very highly.
Andrew Dumont
Founder & CEO at Curious
I had the pleasure of partnering with Sean Smith to build Gelato's SEO engine from virtually zero impact to our #1 acquisition channel. Sean's mastery of SEO strategy, truly top 1% worldwide, combined with his thoughtful, ambitious approach, made all the difference in scaling our organic footprint globally. Beyond his technical brilliance, Sean is a trusted collaborator whose integrity and vision will elevate any team's digital presence. I wholeheartedly recommend him to any organization looking to dominate search.
David Sierra Gonzalez
Growth at Gelato, Ex-Uber & Adidas
What we put in place together
- Weekly leadership sessions with founders and the exec team
- Brand and messaging documentation
- Quarterly demand-gen plan with channel mix
- Marketing team hiring, coaching, and operating plans
- Live growth test backlog with weekly reviews
A clear marketing strategy run by a focused team, without the cost of a full-time executive.
Book a Discovery CallWhere Fractional CMO shows up in your business
The four use cases this service most often plugs into, each with its own playbook, deliverables, and outcome.
Who I run Fractional CMO for
The industries I know best, each with a different buyer, sales process, and AI opportunity.
Questions buyers ask about Fractional CMO
The objections I hear most often before a discovery call, answered up front.
You get senior leadership at a fraction of the cost. I work inside your team for 10–20 hours per week. When you are ready, I help you hire and train a full-time replacement.
I lead whatever team you have, a single marketer, an in-house group, or external agencies. I set the direction and bring in specialists if you have a gap.
Yes. I augment the team and tools you already have. I prefer to fix what you use rather than rebuild from scratch.
Bring your growth challenge. I'll bring the plan.
30 minutes to walk through your brand and demand programs, review how your team tests and improves, and map a Fractional CMO engagement that fits the way your team works.