Blog
Notes on marketing leadership.
Field notes from inside fractional CMO engagements: what holds up under pressure, and what doesn’t.
Simplifying for scale in a services business
A Seattle realtor’s business ran on referrals and social media. Before it could scale, the systems underneath had to be simple enough to see. Read
When a CRO’s scope outgrows the job
A CRO is hired for focus, and the role tends to gather fundraising, board reporting and cross-functional work until that focus is gone. Founders often see the cost only after… Read
Preparing for a recession that never came
Around 2019 my team at Funnelback prepared for a recession that didn’t arrive on schedule. When 2020 hit higher education, the unglamorous efficiency work was what held. Read
Tariffs, turbulence, and the cost of chaos
In mid-2025, policy turmoil, tariffs and currency swings were disrupting startups and small teams. What I was seeing then, and what leaders could still control. Read
Stability at scale in wholesale SaaS
A wholesale ordering SaaS company needed stability after an acquisition. How clarity and credibility work produced zero churn and steady new prospect conversations. Read
What local soccer gets right on brand
Seattle’s local soccer clubs treat merch and sponsorship as part of a shared identity. What that says about brand for B2B companies. Read
Marketing KPIs in emerging industries
Emerging industries rarely have benchmarks to lean on, so the marketing indicators worth tracking are the ones that support decisions. Five I’d watch, and why. Read
Common B2B marketing challenges, and why most fixes don’t hold
B2B marketing problems tend to arrive in clusters, and fixing them one at a time rarely holds. Why the underlying issue is usually drift in the system. Read
The trouble with cost-effective marketing for startups
Most “cost-effective marketing” advice for startups focuses on tactics. In practice, the real challenge is focus, positioning, and sequencing work that actually compounds into growth. Read
