The practice
About Cedar Collaborative.
A fractional marketing leadership practice based in Seattle, working globally. Engagements are led by Jesse Swingle, a fractional CMO with two decades of experience across sectors in the US, Australia, and beyond.
Why Cedar Collaborative exists
Cedar Collaborative exists for moments when marketing clarity matters most. I work with startups, mid-size companies, professional services firms, and nonprofits that need senior marketing leadership without adding a full-time executive role.
My role is to bring steadiness and direction, helping teams see and strengthen the systems already inside their business rather than adding more noise to it.
Founder & Fractional CMO
I founded this practice after two decades working inside and alongside growing organizations. Across sectors and markets, I kept seeing the same pattern: leadership and timing fell out of alignment, and marketing absorbed the cost.
As a fractional CMO, I partner directly with executive teams to diagnose gaps, set priorities, and design marketing systems that scale. My work spans strategy, positioning, revenue systems, and hands-on execution when the moment calls for it.
I hold an MBA from Seattle University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of British Columbia.
A clear point of view
Marketing works best as an integrated system aligned with how the organization actually runs, not as a loose collection of campaigns.
Clarity without execution is noise. Execution without clarity is churn. I operate at the intersection of both.
How engagements are structured
Every engagement is led by senior strategy and carried forward through focused execution. For most clients, that means me alone, doing the strategy and the execution. For others, I step into a team or set of contractors already in place and lead from inside it. Less often, a client asks me to bring in specialists of my own, who work under my direction rather than theirs. Whichever shape it takes, there is one point of leadership and clear accountability.
That leadership includes saying plainly what isn’t working, whether that’s a system or a person. Each engagement is shaped around the actual business challenge, not a preset package.
When I step in
I am typically brought in during periods of growth, transition, or recovery. Growth has outpaced structure. Retention is slipping. Go-to-market feels unclear. A leadership shift has changed priorities.
I work alongside executive teams to restore clarity, rebuild momentum, and create marketing systems that hold under pressure.
Who is a good fit?
I work best with organizations navigating meaningful change. Founders and CEOs who want marketing to operate with discipline. Leadership teams who value clarity over activity. Companies ready to align strategy and execution under one accountable leader.
I am not a fit for short-term tactical projects without leadership involvement.
If marketing clarity matters right now.
A short conversation is often enough to determine whether there is a strong fit.