In this episode of The Fractional CMO Show, Casey Stanton gets deeply personal—sharing how his father’s passing revealed the true freedom that comes with fractional leadership. He unpacks why building teams around trust, grace, and outcomes—not hours logged—creates a business that keeps moving even when life interrupts. Casey also walks through a counterintuitive client story: why niching down matters for outreach, but why you should never turn away an opportunity when it lands in your lap. And he makes the case for charging based on risk—not just revenue—so you stop underselling your expertise and start playing at the level your clients actually need.

You’ll hear why the best fractional CMOs aren’t micromanagers but vision-setters, why specificity beats generalism when you’re building authority, and why premium pricing is the only way to align yourself with businesses that take growth seriously.

Key Topics Covered:

-The freedom fractional work provides during life’s hardest seasons

-How absence can force teams to innovate and self-direct

-Why outcome-based leadership beats hours-based management

-The hidden downside of being a generalist CMO

-Why you should niche for outreach but say yes to unexpected opportunities

-Pricing based on risk vs. seed funding or revenue numbers

-How premium positioning attracts clients who want to win big

-The mindset shift that separates high-value CMOs from those stuck playing small

🌟 Take the First Step Toward Growth with CMOx 🌟

Booking a call with our team is super easy, stress-free, and all about YOU. Whether you're exploring options or ready to scale, this no-pressure consultation is designed to understand your needs and guide you in the right direction.

📅 Schedule your call today:

👉 CMOx.com/call

We’ll make sure this is the most productive (and effortless) decision you’ve made for your business. Let's talk about strategy and success!

🤝 Join the Fractional CMO Community 🤝

Want to continue the conversation and get access to exclusive resources? Join our free Facebook group for fractional CMOs and marketing leaders! Inside, you'll find discussions, insights, and tools to help you grow your business and maximize your impact.

👉 CMOx.com/community

Looking forward to seeing you inside! 🚀

🎙️ Stay Ahead with the Fractional CMO Show 🎙️

Want to unlock the secrets of marketing success? Subscribe to the podcast and gain exclusive insights from industry leaders and experts!

👉 CMOx.com/podcast

Got questions? We’d love to hear them! Submit your questions for a chance to be featured on an upcoming episode:

👉 FractionalCMOShow.com

Subscribe today and start leveling up your marketing game!

📚 Master the Game with These Must-Read Books 📚

Want to go deeper and build a high-impact marketing career on your terms? These two books from Casey Stanton are your blueprint.

The Fractional CMO Method

Wall Street Journal #1 bestseller. Learn how to attract, convert, and serve high-paying clients while staying focused on strategy and leadership.

👉 CMOx.com/book

Find Your CMO

Hiring a CMO? This guide helps CEOs and founders understand what great marketing leadership looks like—and how to find the right fit.

👉 CMOx.com/find-your-cmo

Start reading and take control of your marketing future.

Connect with Casey Stanton:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseystanton/

Website: https://caseystanton.com/

In this episode of The Fractional CMO Show, Casey Stanton lays down a wake-up call for marketers entering 2026. He explores the biggest trends reshaping the industry—from the over-adoption of AI and reliance on “black box” tools, to the fast-fashion era of SaaS and the rise of fractional leadership. Casey warns against outsourcing your thinking to AI, chasing shortcuts, or splitting your focus between a job hunt and fractional work. Instead, he challenges you to commit, pick a niche, and start talking to strangers—because the money you want is in their pockets.

You’ll hear why Q4 is the most important time to build momentum, how to avoid undervaluing your expertise, and why the best fractional CMOs stop chasing “one trick” solutions and instead build real businesses through grit, clarity, and conviction.

Key Topics Covered:

- The hidden dangers of over-adopting AI in marketing and strategy

- Why “black box” tools can erode your fundamentals

- The fast-fashion SaaS trend—and why most of it is “beautiful garbage”

- The rise of fractional roles across the C-suite

- Why consultants fade but fractional CMOs stick

- What you must ignore in 2026: seasonality, job reports, and reputation-killing AI shortcuts

-The power of niches and why they make you unforgettable

- Why all the money you want is in strangers’ pockets—and how to go get it

🌟 Take the First Step Toward Growth with CMOx 🌟

Booking a call with our team is super easy, stress-free, and all about YOU. Whether you're exploring options or ready to scale, this no-pressure consultation is designed to understand your needs and guide you in the right direction.

📅 Schedule your call today:

👉 CMOx.com/call

We’ll make sure this is the most productive (and effortless) decision you’ve made for your business. Let's talk about strategy and success!

🤝 Join the Fractional CMO Community 🤝

Want to continue the conversation and get access to exclusive resources? Join our free Facebook group for fractional CMOs and marketing leaders! Inside, you'll find discussions, insights, and tools to help you grow your business and maximize your impact.

👉 CMOx.com/community

Looking forward to seeing you inside! 🚀

🎙️ Stay Ahead with the Fractional CMO Show 🎙️

Want to unlock the secrets of marketing success? Subscribe to the podcast and gain exclusive insights from industry leaders and experts!

👉 CMOx.com/podcast

Got questions? We’d love to hear them! Submit your questions for a chance to be featured on an upcoming episode:

👉 FractionalCMOShow.com

Subscribe today and start leveling up your marketing game!

📚 Master the Game with These Must-Read Books 📚

Want to go deeper and build a high-impact marketing career on your terms? These two books from Casey Stanton are your blueprint.

The Fractional CMO Method

Wall Street Journal #1 bestseller. Learn how to attract, convert, and serve high-paying clients while staying focused on strategy and leadership.

👉 CMOx.com/book

Find Your CMO

Hiring a CMO? This guide helps CEOs and founders understand what great marketing leadership looks like—and how to find the right fit.

👉 CMOx.com/find-your-cmo

Start reading and take control of your marketing future.

Connect with Casey Stanton:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseystanton/

Website: https://caseystanton.com/

In this episode of The Fractional CMO Show, Casey Stanton delivers a rallying cry for marketers who feel themselves slipping into “good enough” mode. He challenges leaders to stop coasting, stop accepting mediocrity, and start fighting—for their clients, their results, and their own success. Casey shares why conviction and commitment are the real differentiators in marketing leadership, and why the willingness to “stand down if told, but never go down without a fight” can transform your career. You’ll hear real stories of pushing for the right outcomes—even when it’s uncomfortable—and why the best CMOs act like bodyguards for their clients’ goals.

Key Topics Covered:

-Why conviction beats “good enough” every time

-The mindset shift from passive vendor to active defender

-How fighting for the right outcomes builds trust and results

-The danger of waiting for business to “just get easier”

-Stories of fighting for clients, teams, and the right thing

-Why grit, not gimmicks, changes your trajectory

-The challenge to claim your identity as a fighter

🌟 Take the First Step Toward Growth with CMOx 🌟

Booking a call with our team is super easy, stress-free, and all about YOU. Whether you're exploring options or ready to scale, this no-pressure consultation is designed to understand your needs and guide you in the right direction.

📅 Schedule your call today:

👉 CMOx.com/call

We’ll make sure this is the most productive (and effortless) decision you’ve made for your business. Let's talk about strategy and success!

🤝 Join the Fractional CMO Community 🤝

Want to continue the conversation and get access to exclusive resources? Join our free Facebook group for fractional CMOs and marketing leaders! Inside, you'll find discussions, insights, and tools to help you grow your business and maximize your impact.

👉 CMOx.com/community

Looking forward to seeing you inside! 🚀

🎙️ Stay Ahead with the Fractional CMO Show 🎙️

Want to unlock the secrets of marketing success? Subscribe to the podcast and gain exclusive insights from industry leaders and experts!

👉 CMOx.com/podcast

Got questions? We’d love to hear them! Submit your questions for a chance to be featured on an upcoming episode:

👉 FractionalCMOShow.com

Subscribe today and start leveling up your marketing game!

📚 Master the Game with These Must-Read Books 📚

Want to go deeper and build a high-impact marketing career on your terms? These two books from Casey Stanton are your blueprint.

The Fractional CMO Method

Wall Street Journal #1 bestseller. Learn how to attract, convert, and serve high-paying clients while staying focused on strategy and leadership.

👉 CMOx.com/book

Find Your CMO

Hiring a CMO? This guide helps CEOs and founders understand what great marketing leadership looks like—and how to find the right fit.

👉 CMOx.com/find-your-cmo

Start reading and take control of your marketing future.

Connect with Casey Stanton:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseystanton/

Website: https://caseystanton.com/

In this episode of The Fractional CMO Show, Casey Stanton challenges the hype around “consulting for equity” and delivers a sharper, more lucrative path: earning upside as a fractional CMO—without getting tangled in risky cap tables.

Casey breaks down why equity is often a mirage and why true leverage lies in performance-based revenue sharing. He shares the unique power fractional CMOs have to elicit real change inside organizations—unlike consultants or advisors—and how this access gives them an unmatched opportunity to capture upside. You’ll learn how to structure smarter deals, set non-negotiable cash rates, and build a portfolio of short- and long-term payoffs across multiple clients.

Packed with mindset shifts and tactical advice, this episode is your blueprint to work with hungry, fast-moving entrepreneurs, avoid dead-end retainers, and create life-changing income as a fractional CMO who solves for speed, not cost.

Key Topics Covered:

-Why equity isn’t the ideal vehicle for upside

-How fractional CMOs uniquely earn performance-based upside

-Importance of charging full cash rate before negotiating upside

-Structuring a portfolio of clients with varied risk and reward

-When to approach clients: M&A, funding rounds, or founder readiness

-What to look for in high-potential, fast-moving entrepreneurs

-The power of positioning yourself as the best

-Why being a true leader inside the company drives better outcomes

🌟 Take the First Step Toward Growth with CMOx 🌟

Booking a call with our team is super easy, stress-free, and all about YOU. Whether you're exploring options or ready to scale, this no-pressure consultation is designed to understand your needs and guide you in the right direction.

📅 Schedule your call today:

👉 CMOx.com/call

We’ll make sure this is the most productive (and effortless) decision you’ve made for your business. Let's talk about strategy and success!

🤝 Join the Fractional CMO Community 🤝

Want to continue the conversation and get access to exclusive resources? Join our free Facebook group for fractional CMOs and marketing leaders! Inside, you'll find discussions, insights, and tools to help you grow your business and maximize your impact.

👉 CMOx.com/community

Looking forward to seeing you inside! 🚀

🎙️ Stay Ahead with the Fractional CMO Show 🎙️

Want to unlock the secrets of marketing success? Subscribe to the podcast and gain exclusive insights from industry leaders and experts!

👉 CMOx.com/podcast

Got questions? We’d love to hear them! Submit your questions for a chance to be featured on an upcoming episode:

👉 FractionalCMOShow.com

Subscribe today and start leveling up your marketing game!

📚 Master the Game with These Must-Read Books 📚

Want to go deeper and build a high-impact marketing career on your terms? These two books from Casey Stanton are your blueprint.

The Fractional CMO Method

Wall Street Journal #1 bestseller. Learn how to attract, convert, and serve high-paying clients while staying focused on strategy and leadership.

👉 CMOx.com/book

Find Your CMO

Hiring a CMO? This guide helps CEOs and founders understand what great marketing leadership looks like—and how to find the right fit.

👉 CMOx.com/find-your-cmo

Start reading and take control of your marketing future.

Connect with Casey Stanton:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseystanton/

Website: https://caseystanton.com/

In this solo episode of The Fractional CMO Show, Casey Stanton confronts a harsh truth: being a great marketer isn’t enough.

If you’re wondering why you’re not getting clients as a fractional CMO—even though you’re highly skilled—this episode is the wake-up call you need. Casey unpacks why talent doesn’t always translate to traction, how giving away strategy is costing you money, and why volume, niche depth, and positioning are everything.

He also lays out how to shed desperation, own your value, and charge premium rates that reflect the problems you solve—not just the tasks you complete. This episode is your tactical reset if you’re ready to be seen as a true marketing leader (not just another hired hand).

Key Topics Covered:

-Why great marketers still struggle to get clients (and what to do instead)
-The #1 reason you're not winning fractional CMO deals: low volume
-How to talk to strangers and turn outreach into opportunity
-The danger of giving away too much strategy during sales calls
-Why desperation energy is sabotaging your close rate
-How to charge based on the value of the problem you solve
-The importance of becoming “the best” in your niche
-How AI and cheap labor are reshaping what clients value
-What it really means to be a leader clients want to follow
-How to stop chasing scraps and start dominating your category

🌟 Take the First Step Toward Growth with CMOx 🌟
Booking a call with our team is super easy, stress-free, and all about YOU. Whether you're exploring options or ready to scale, this no-pressure consultation is designed to understand your needs and guide you in the right direction.

📅 Schedule your call today:
👉 CMOx.com/call

We’ll make sure this is the most productive (and effortless) decision you’ve made for your business. Let's talk about strategy and success!

🤝 Join the Fractional CMO Community 🤝

Want to continue the conversation and get access to exclusive resources? Join our free Facebook group for fractional CMOs and marketing leaders! Inside, you'll find discussions, insights, and tools to help you grow your business and maximize your impact.

👉 CMOx.com/community

Looking forward to seeing you inside! 🚀

🎙️ Stay Ahead with the Fractional CMO Show 🎙️

Want to unlock the secrets of marketing success? Subscribe to the podcast and gain exclusive insights from industry leaders and experts!

👉 CMOx.com/podcast

Got questions? We’d love to hear them! Submit your questions for a chance to be featured on an upcoming episode:

👉 FractionalCMOShow.com

Subscribe today and start leveling up your marketing game!

📚 Master the Game with These Must-Read Books 📚
Want to go deeper and build a high-impact marketing career on your terms? These two books from Casey Stanton are your blueprint.

The Fractional CMO Method
Wall Street Journal #1 bestseller. Learn how to attract, convert, and serve high-paying clients while staying focused on strategy and leadership.

👉 CMOx.com/book

Find Your CMO
Hiring a CMO? This guide helps CEOs and founders understand what great marketing leadership looks like—and how to find the right fit.

👉 CMOx.com/find-your-cmo
Start reading and take control of your marketing future.

Connect with Casey Stanton:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseystanton/
Website: https://caseystanton.com/