CMO School

Struggling to land your first clients as a Fractional CMO? You’re not alone -  and this episode will show you exactly how to fix it. I’m coaching listener Deanna Keffer live on the podcast. After 20 years in corporate marketing, she made the leap into the Fractional CMO world and immediately ran into the same roadblock so many new Fractionals face: how do I actually get clients? Inside this e...

Meet Andy Kriebel. He’s a Tableau Visionary (aka one of the world’s top data visualization experts), a global trainer, and the kind of teacher who’s helped thousands of people grow their careers. But when it came to marketing his own business? He was doing it all himself… and feeling stretched way too thin. That’s where my team and I came in. Andy joined our Fractional CMO program about six months...

Being a Fractional CMO isn’t just about building campaigns or hitting KPIs - it’s about leadership. And leadership means you own it all: the wins, the flops, and even the moments that technically weren’t your fault. In this episode we’re digging into: What radical responsibility actually looks like in a leadership role How to handle the pressure of total accountability (without burning out) Why it...

Many marketers are still sending traffic to landing pages and wondering why conversions are low - when tools like ManyChat are delivering opt-in rates as high as 90%. In this episode, I’m joined by Madi Beumee, a social media strategist and growth expert who helps online business owners grow with confidence using viral content, community engagement, and automation that actually converts. We’re bre...

This week’s episode is a behind-the-scenes case study with my client, Erin Stetzer — founder of Erin Stetzer Homes, a Houston-based luxury custom home building company. Erin has been in the industry for over 25 years and is known for her high-end builds, flawless client experience, and legacy projects. Over the past year, she’s expanded beyond building into homeowner representation, digital produc...

When Abby left her agency leadership role, she was excited but nervous about stepping into the Fractional CMO world. “I’d done all the things in marketing,” she says, “but I’d never combined them with going out and selling myself.” Fractional CMO School gave her the framework, tools, and confidence to launch fast, and within her first year, she was fully booked, landing every client through referr...

Email is still one of the most powerful revenue drivers in a smart marketing strategy - but most marketers aren’t using it to its full potential. In this episode, I’m joined by Emily Claire, founder of The 10K Email Club and copywriter behind top-performing email campaigns for brands like Clue. She’s on a mission to help business owners write emails that convert without sounding like a sales robot...

Struggling to generate consistent leads as a Fractional CMO? You’re not alone, and this episode is packed with practical strategies that actually work. Susie Crawford, former Google marketing exec and founder of a multi seven-figure paid ads agency, shares how she built a scalable lead gen system that brings in high-ticket clients without burning out. We cover: How to combine paid traffic and orga...

What does it actually look like to support a high-level founder as a Fractional CMO or strategic marketing partner? In this episode, I’m joined by my client Lori Harder, founder of Glōci, host of the podcast Earn Your Happy , and founder of multiple 7-figure brands - for a candid conversation about what high-growth founders need from their marketing leadership. We’re breaking down what made Lori d...

You don’t need to know everything to be ready for the Fractional CMO role, but you do need to shift how you see yourself and show up. In this episode, we’re unpacking the real reason so many experienced marketers hesitate to claim the title of Fractional CMO — and it’s not a lack of skills. It’s the belief that they have to be someone else first: more data-driven, more strategic, more “official.”...

If you’ve ever held yourself back from posting, pitching, or showing up because you were afraid of being judged, rejected, or just not “ready” - this episode is going to shift something for you. In this conversation, I’m joined by Maureen Evelyn - content strategist, personal brand coach, and the founder of Maureen’s Marketing. Maureen helps bold entrepreneurs turn their content into clients by bu...

Evergreen funnels sound like the dream - automated leads, passive income, a marketing system that runs in the background. But for most businesses, funnels don’t work the way they expect. So, what separates a funnel that actually converts from one that just burns time and money? In today’s episode, I sit down with Cheyenne Buttrey, founder of Copygirl.co , to break down what marketers need to know...

I got an email recently that really made me think. It was from someone who turned down an unpaid speaking opportunity within my program, firmly stating that they don’t work for free - and honestly? I respect that. I’ve always been a big advocate for charging what you’re worth. But here’s the thing…some of the biggest opportunities in my career started as unpaid. Speaking engagements, free power ho...

Paid ads can be a game-changer - but only if you know how to hire and manage the right team. As a Fractional CMO or marketing leader, your job isn’t to run ads—it’s to hire and manage an agency that can deliver results for your clients. In this episode, I sit down with Jennifer Spivak, CEO of The Ad Girls, to break down exactly how CMOs can make paid ads work as part of a larger marketing strategy...

Welcome to CMO School, the go-to podcast for marketers who are ready to level up. I’m Jess Shirra, a Fractional CMO, marketing strategist, and founder of Fractional CMO School. After 15+ years leading marketing for brands like Lululemon, Pottery Barn, Strava, Jenna Kutcher, and Lori Harder, I’m here to pull back the curtain on what it really takes to drive growth, lead strategy, and step into your...

The term Fractional CMO is everywhere right now, but let’s be real—most people have no idea what it actually means. If you’ve been wondering, Is this just a fancy name for a marketing consultant? Do they run my ads? Why would I hire one instead of a full-time CMO? —this episode is for you. I’m breaking down exactly what a Fractional CMO does, what they don’t do, and why so many businesses hire one...

What actually happens in the first 90 days when a Fractional CMO steps into a business? Where should the focus be? How do you know if it’s working? In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on my exact process—from the deep-dive audit that reveals hidden opportunities to the quick wins that drive immediate results, to building a marketing strategy that sets the foundation for long-term growth....

Ever had a moment as a marketer where you thought, I hate marketing? You’re not alone. I’ve been there - more than once. But every single time, it wasn’t marketing itself that I hated - it was the wrong job, wrong boss, or doing work that didn’t align with what I loved. In this episode, I’m joined by my longtime friend, Jessica Turner, who started her career in marketing with me but ultimately too...