I work with founders and leadership teams who need senior marketing guidance, not just more marketing.
Growing businesses reach a point where marketing needs a leader: someone who can bring the focus and direction your ambitions need. But a full-time CMO is a serious commitment that comes with a senior salary, long hiring process, and a big risk that you might not get the right person.
That's where I come in, working with you and your team part-time as your senior marketing lead. You get my experience and judgement, without the risk.
I've spent 15 years agency-side and in-house, helping agencies and B2B businesses find and focus on what works.
My approach is rooted in discovery and absolute quality. I combine senior strategic thinking with the practical ability to deliver. I understand how agencies operate. And I'll always tell you what I think, including what you should stop doing.
"Nick has been an incredible Fractional CMO for our agency over the past year. Nick combines strategic thinking with hands-on execution, and he's clearly invested in the growth of the people and teams he works with."
Veranika Zasimovich
SUSO Digital
Senior Marketing Leadership
What is a Fractional CMO?
A fractional CMO is an experienced marketing leader who works with your business part-time - often on a retained basis - rather than as a full-time employee.
They take on the responsibilities of a Chief Marketing Officer, setting your marketing strategy and priorities, leading and mentoring your marketing team, and being accountable for the marketing budget and the results it delivers.
You might also hear a fractional CMO referred to as a fractional marketing director, a fractional head of marketing, or a part-time marketing director.
What sets a fractional CMO apart is seniority. A fractional CMO might roll their sleeves up, but they always set the direction and own the outcomes. Working with a fractional CMO is more than hiring a freelancer or agency to work through a list of tasks on your behalf.
Who I Help
Who is a Fractional CMO For?
In my experience, fractional CMO support works best for three kinds of business.
Agencies
You do a great job of marketing your clients, but don't have the time to do the same for yourselves. I've spent years agency-side, so I understand the realities of agency growth and competing with billable work.
Founder-Led B2B
Businesses where the founder is still the head of marketing, and marketing is the thing that keeps slipping further and further down the list.
Team But No Leader
You have a marketing team full of capable people doing good work, but they don't have the senior support to help them grow or set the right direction.
Client Feedback
What My Clients Say
Highly Strategic
"We've worked with Nick as both a client and now supporting us with our B2B marketing activities, and I can't recommend him enough. He's highly strategic, incredibly hard-working and extremely effective. What's his best quality? I'd say it's his ability to assess and understand the available opportunities, but then put a laser focus on the best ones to pursue."
Matt Powell
Founder, MUD
Better Decisions
"Working with Nick has given us a huge amount of clarity. He understands how agencies operate - especially the realities of growth - and brings calm, considered guidance at exactly the right moments. His support has helped us make better decisions, prioritise confidently, and approach our marketing with far greater assurance."
Harriet Barter
Co-Founder, Floresco Media
Challenges Thinking
"We've really enjoyed working with Nick. He's great to work with and brings a really useful outside perspective — asking the right questions, challenging our thinking when needed and helping turn ideas into something much more focused and actionable."
Will Lawrence
Founder, Yellow Peach
Attention to Detail
"Nick has been fantastic to work with. His experience in B2B marketing shines through with every conversation we have about SUSO's strategy. His attention to detail is spot on, and he has that rare combination of having both technical marketing chops and design awareness."
Will Bagnall
CEO, SUSO Digital
Strategic Focus
"In today's business environment, you need someone who can adapt quickly while maintaining strategic focus. Nick delivered on both fronts consistently, turning complex marketing initiatives into streamlined operations that directly supported our business goals. I'd work with Nick again in a heartbeat..."
Rachel Pena
Director of Marketing, Welo Data
Bigger Picture
"In every context, Nick brings the same thoughtful, strategic approach to digital and content marketing, events and more. He doesn’t just focus on tactics, Nick sees the bigger picture and ensures every initiative contributes to wider business goals."
Donna Moore
SVP Marketing, Big Language Solutions
Under the Skin
"Nick is a breath of fresh air. If you're a brand or agency that needs support to structure a website, including content strategy, getting under the skin of who you really are, realising a vision, and promoting the brand, and to get it to market quickly, he's your man."
Ben Bush
Co-Owner, Fhoke
Senior Marketing Leadership
What I Do as Your Fractional CMO
Marketing Strategy
I build a plan that connects your marketing to what the business is trying to achieve. Most businesses don't have a shortage of ideas. They have a shortage of focus.
Team Mentorship
I give your team direction and support. The aim is to build capability that stays with you after I've gone, not to create a dependency.
Brand Repositioning
Sometimes the way you describe yourself no longer matches what you do. I'll help you update your proposition and how you bring your business to market in a clear and differentiated way.
Growth Leadership
I'm accountable for the numbers. Together, we set realistic KPIs that mean something to your business, establish a reporting structure, and make sure that marketing and sales are heading in the same direction.
Working With Me
How It Works
My work with a new client almost always starts with discovery. I don't mean learning about your business alongside everything else. I mean a defined period set aside for discovery and nothing else.
Fractional CMO Process
1. Discovery & Audit
This usually involves 30–50 discovery questions, access to your martech stack, and access to your internal and external documentation. I digest all of it, ask a few more questions, and get my head into how your business works.
2. Strategic Recommendations
I take everything I've learned, put it alongside what you're currently doing, and compare it with where you want to be. The result is a written report full of strategic recommendations I take you through in person.
3. Ongoing Leadership & Refine
From there, I work with you on an agreed number of days each month. I lead the strategy, guide the team, and keep everyone focused on what matters. We review progress regularly and adjust as the business changes.
FAQs
Got questions?
How much does a fractional CMO cost?
It mostly depends on how much time you need. Fractional CMO support is usually priced as a monthly retainer based on an agreed number of days. You pay for a fraction of a senior salary, with no recruitment fees, benefits or notice periods.
My day rate is £500, and retainers typically start from £2k per month. Discovery work is scoped and priced separately, so you know exactly what you're committing to before any longer engagement.
How many days a month does a fractional CMO work?
It varies with your needs and ambitions, but most of my fractional CMO engagements run at between 1-3 days a week. Usually, there's a period of more intense work at the start of an engagement so I can have an impact quickly. After that, the amount of work can flex up for launches and busy periods, and back down once things are running smoothly.
What's the difference between a fractional CMO and a marketing consultant?
A consultant advises. A fractional CMO leads and is accountable for delivery. I offer both. Consultancy is right when you need perspective on what's next. Fractional CMO support is right when you need someone to own the plan and see it through.
How long does a fractional CMO engagement last?
Some businesses keep fractional support long-term. Others use it to build the strategy and the team, then hand over to a permanent hire. Typically, 3-6 months is an absolute minimum for retained work, but it really depends on you and your specific circumstances and needs.
Is a fractional CMO right for a startup?
Often, yes, particularly for B2B startups that need a strategy before they need a team. Senior input early on stops you spending your first marketing budget on the wrong things.
Do you do the work, or just the strategy?
Both. Strategy is the priority, but I'm hands-on where it adds value, whether that's copywriting, content, SEO or events.
Do you only work with businesses in Bristol?
No. I'm based in the South West and work with businesses in Bristol, Bath and across the UK. Most of the work happens remotely, with in-person sessions where they add value, such as discovery walkthroughs and strategy days.
