The hardest part of being a fractional CMO isn't creating the strategy or even the tactical execution. It's building trust with clients who resist change, forget the ‘why’, and make you feel like you're constantly running defense.

Wendy Wilburn knows that dynamic well, but more importantly, she knows how to break the cycle. She's the founder of Wendistry, her fractional practice, and a Certified StoryBrand Guide. In this episode, Wendy joins Randi Beth, Monica, and Branden to talk shop about how to create a sustainable (and enjoyable!) career as a fractional CMO.

Together, they explore how to work alongside a client while maintaining the strategic “outsider” perspective that fractionals are hired for. Wendy shares tangible tips for how to drive results through education and storytelling. She also outlines exactly how she uses the StoryBrand framework to create ‘aha moments’. Plus, Wendy closes with direct advice to fractionals: trust your experience and stay radically consistent in your message and presence.

Episode Outline

(01:49) Wendy’s early entrepreneurialism and unconventional path to fractional marketing

(09:45) A simple way to stay grounded and reconnect with your North Star

(14:34) Communicating the value of the varied experiences you bring to the table

(20:54) How to work WITH resistance instead of AGAINST it

(25:21) Why business owners see marketing as a necessary evil — and what to do about it

(32:07) Challenging the the narrative that the CMO position is the least respected one in the C-suite

(35:18) The teaching side of the fractional role nobody talks about

(41:52) What we can learn from Lululemon about target customers and product iteration

Additional Resources

Cassandra Speaks: When Women Are the Storytellers, the Human Story Changes Hardcover by Elizabeth Lesser

StoryBrand

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