You have someone to run it.
You need someone to lead it.
Fractional CMO and creative leadership for companies that are ready to scale — but not ready for a full-time executive hire.
Book a Free 30-Minute Diagnostic Call:
Trusted by leaders who value clarity.
FRACTIONAL LEADERSHIP
Marketing leadership is usually the last gap to get filled.
You've probably used fractional help somewhere in the business already. It's just what makes sense at certain stages.
Marketing leadership tends to be the one that gets skipped.
Most companies at your stage have someone to run it. What they don't have is someone to lead it — someone who knows the changing specifics of your business, knows the changing specifics of the marketing landscape, and owns the vision connecting the two.
The problem isn't your team.
It's that no one owns the strategic center.
Your team is capable. Your product works. But growth keeps surfacing the same problems:
Marketing feels scattered—campaigns launch, but there's no throughline
You're spending money, but you're not sure what's working
You’re inundated with ideas, but not priority
Creative work is inconsistent, and everyone has an opinion
The CEO is still the one having to making every call
FRACTIONAL LEADERSHIP
That’s What We Do
Fractional Leadership is ongoing, embedded marketing and creative direction—built around your business.
I don't parachute in with a slide deck and disappear. I become part of your rhythm: weekly syncs, strategic planning, team development, decision-making support, and accountability.
You get:
Strategic direction – Brand positioning, go-to-market strategy, campaign architecture
Systems and clarity – Messaging frameworks, creative processes, marketing ops
Team development – Leadership for internal teams or agency partners
Decision-making support – The "should we?" and "what's next?" questions answered consistently
Execution partnership – I'm in it with you, not above it
What makes this different from a contractor or consultant?
I'm not billing hours or optimizing for the next project. I'm investing in your business with access to tools, frameworks, and programs that small-to-midsize teams simply can't afford or access on their own.
Learn more about how this could work for your organization specifically:
Why hire a fractional CMO?
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A fractional CMO gives you senior marketing leadership without the salary, benefits, and long-term commitment that comes with a full-time executive. For growing companies that need strategic direction but can't justify a full-time hire, the fractional model delivers real expertise on a flexible basis—by project, by quarter, or ongoing. You get high-level thinking and hands-on leadership where it matters most, while keeping your cost structure where it needs to be.
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Great marketing isn't just about activity—it's about alignment. A fractional CMO connects your brand story, messaging, and channels to the actual goals driving your business. Whether you're launching something new, repositioning in the market, or trying to get sales and marketing speaking the same language, they bring a clear framework that ties it all together. Consistent, connected, and built to perform across every platform you're using.
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Not every company needs a full-time marketing executive—and not every stage of growth looks the same. A fractional CMO scales with your business, stepping in with senior-level focus when it matters most: a product launch, a funding round, a market pivot, or a growth sprint. You're not paying for a seat that sits idle. You're getting exactly the level of support your business actually needs, right when you need it.
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A fractional CMO typically works across multiple categories and company types—which means they bring pattern recognition, not just task execution. When you bring someone in who has seen what works and what doesn't across different markets, you get faster decisions, fewer dead ends, and a perspective your internal team can't always generate on its own. That outside vantage point often surfaces the opportunities hiding in plain sight.
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Strategy without execution is just a deck. A fractional CMO helps you build the underlying systems that keep your brand looking and feeling cohesive across every touchpoint—ads, decks, emails, social, and beyond. That means style guides, templates, and asset structures that make it easier for your team to produce on-brand work without starting from scratch every time. Visual consistency isn't just good design—it builds credibility, accelerates production, and makes your marketing spend go further.
What makes this different
An agency knows marketing but not your business. An internal person knows your business but not the marketing landscape. You don't get all three — execution, business knowledge, and strategic leadership — until you can justify a full-time CMO.
That's the gap. That's what I fill.
LEARN MORE ABOUT MIKE DAVIS →
Fractional CMO and brand strategist. 20+ years of creative and strategic leadership for B2B companies scaling past early traction.
Ready to Close Your Leadership Gap?
Start with a Free Diagnostic Call to see exactly what Fractional Leadership can do for you. No pressure, just clarity on what's next.
Trusted by leaders who value clarity.
Need someone to run it too?
Fractional leadership is about owning the strategy. But if you also need help executing it — campaigns, creative, content, web — ThreadMark can provide that as well. Either alongside this engagement or as a standalone.
More Details on Fractional Leadership
How an Engagement Typically Starts
Month 1: Onboarding & Strategic Foundation
Audit current brand and marketing operations
Establish strategic priorities and success metrics
Build 90-day roadmap
Set weekly rhythm and communication cadence
Month 2–3: Execution & Team Development
Lead marketing and creative initiatives
Provide decision-making support and team coaching
Refine messaging, campaigns, and brand systems
Monthly strategic reviews and adjustments
Ongoing: Embedded Partnership
Weekly or bi-weekly syncs (your choice)
Strategic planning and prioritization
Marketing and brand leadership
Accountability and course-correction
Investment
Starting at $4,500/month (3-month minimum commitment)
Pricing is customized based on:
Engagement model (Advisor, Embedded, or Hybrid)
Time commitment (hours per month)
Scope of leadership (marketing only, brand + marketing, or full creative + marketing)
Nonprofit and mission-driven organizations: ask about discounted rates.
Frequently Asked Questions
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It depends on your engagement model, but typically: strategic planning, decision-making support, marketing and brand oversight, team leadership, campaign guidance, and accountability check-ins. I'm not doing all the execution—I'm leading it.
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Consultants deliver a plan and leave. Fractional leaders stay, execute alongside you, and own outcomes. I'm embedded in your rhythm, not external to it.
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Agencies execute what you tell them to. Fractional leadership decides what to execute, why, and how—then leads your team or agency to do it. I'm the decision layer, not just another vendor.
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Not necessarily. I can lead an existing team, work directly with you, or help you build and manage agency or freelance partners.
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Typically, $1M–$20M in revenue, or early-stage companies with funding and a clear growth mandate. If you're too small for a full-time CMO but too serious for "figuring it out as you go," this is the fit.
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Yes. The Clarity Sprint ($3,500) is a great way to test the working relationship before committing to fractional leadership. The full $3,500 applies to your third month if you move forward within six months.
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Engagements are month-to-month after the initial 3-month commitment. If it's not the right fit, we part ways professionally.
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I work remotely by default, but I'm available for key in-person moments—kickoffs, strategic offsites, team workshops, or quarterly planning sessions (depending on location and scope).
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I've led marketing and brand work for nonprofits, creative startups, professional services, and mission-driven businesses. If clarity, storytelling, and strategic systems matter to your business, we'll likely be a fit.