Remember the classic board game “Guess Who?” The one with different faces behind card tiles, and you have to figure out which person it is? Kieran James was basically playing the easiest “Guess Who?” game ever.
And he was tired of it.
You could flip almost any tile. Visionary seat? That’s Kieran. Sales seat? Kieran. Marketing seat? Also Kieran.
Kieran runs Stryde, a UK-based fractional CFO firm. He also runs the UK EOS community. And until recently, he was running his own company’s marketing too, with almost no time for any of it. What he needed, and eventually found, was a fractional CMO for EOS companies who already spoke his language.
“It’s hard when you’re trying to balance many hats,” he told us. “Marketing, although we were doing it, wasn’t quite where we needed it to be.”
He tried buying leads. The quality wasn’t there. He tried an in-house hire. Couldn’t measure the ROI. Either way, the Marketing seat kept landing back with him.
Don’t have time to read this post? Watch the video here!
If you’re a Visionary (or an Integrator covering for one) you likely know (and are tired of) having your face on multiple cards, too.
Here’s how Kieran’s story can help you solve the “too many hats” problem.
1. The First Fix Is the Accountability Chart, Not the Marketing Plan
The Marketing seat isn’t “empty” in most companies we work with. It has someone’s name in it. It just has the wrong name.
GWC applies to marketing leadership the same way it does to every other seat on your Accountability Chart. Does the person filling the Marketing seat Get it, Want it, and have the Capacity to do it? If the answer is “sort of, when I have time,” the seat isn’t filled. It’s borrowed.
Kieran didn’t need to do more marketing. He needed the right person to sit in the seat.
2. The Difference Between a Vendor and a Partner Is What Happens After the L10
Kieran had worked with other marketing help before. What surprised him about the 8 SIGNAL engagement wasn’t the strategy. It was the follow-through.
“You always made time, not just for the Level 10s, but also the actions on the back of it and hitting the deadlines and the to-dos,” he told us. “It genuinely felt like 8 SIGNAL was part of our team.”
A vendor shows up for the meeting and hands you a report. A Marketing Integrator shows up for the L10 AND closes every action item before the next one. In the EOS world, those are very different things. One gives you information. The other moves your Rocks.
3. One Question Cuts Through the Noise Every Week
One of the things Kieran valued most wasn’t a deliverable. It was a filter.
“What is the one thing that if we did that this week, it would move the needle?” — Kieran James, CEO, Stryde
For a Visionary with a full brain and an already-overextended calendar, that question is everything. It’s the difference between a marketing week that felt busy and one that actually moved something. A strong Fractional CMO brings this discipline to every L10. Not “here are 14 things we could do.” One thing, (the RIGHT thing) this week.
4. The Real Cost of Waiting on the Marketing Seat
Kieran’s before-and-after is straightforward: two LinkedIn leads in a full year before. Eight in thirty days after.
But the number that made the decision for him wasn’t the return. It was the cost of waiting.
“The opportunity cost without it, you can already clearly see just after doing a trial, it’s going to cost us a lot more not to use them.” — Kieran James, CEO, Stryde
If you’re sitting in your own Marketing seat, you’re not just paying with money. You’re paying with focus: Visionary time that should be going somewhere else. That’s worth calculating into the equation.
The Bottom Line
Kieran’s advice: be honest about the timeline, and be honest about what it costs not to act. Build the foundation. Test the strategy. Evolve over time.
At Stryde, the needle is moving faster than it would have on its own. And Kieran’s name is finally off the Marketing card.
If you’re a Visionary or Integrator sitting in your own Marketing seat, let’s talk about how to get the right person to fill it. Book a 30-minute call.
FAQs
Q: What does a fractional CMO do for an EOS company?
A fractional CMO fills the Marketing seat on your Accountability Chart at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire. For EOS companies specifically, they integrate directly into your L10 meetings, own the Marketing Rocks, and run the Marketing Scorecard. The difference from a vendor or agency is ownership: they’re accountable to your V/TO, not just their deliverables.
Q: How do you know when it’s time to hire a fractional CMO?
The clearest sign is when your name is in the Marketing seat but you’re already stretched in the Visionary or Integrator seat. Other signals: your marketing is “ad hoc,” you can’t tell what a lead costs, and your marketing meetings feel like brainstorming sessions instead of IDS. If any of these sound familiar, the seat isn’t filled. It’s borrowed.
Q: How is a fractional CMO different from a marketing agency?
An agency delivers services. A fractional CMO owns the seat. An agency hands you a report; a fractional CMO runs your L10, owns the Rocks, and closes every action item before the next meeting. If your current marketing partner shows up, delivers, and leaves, you have a vendor. A fractional CMO is embedded in your leadership team.
Q: What results can an EOS company expect from a fractional CMO?
EOS companies working with a fractional CMO typically see their first measurable results within 30 days: a defined ICP, a Marketing Blueprint tied to their V/TO, and a Scorecard tracking what’s moving the needle. From there, momentum compounds. Stryde went from 2 LinkedIn leads in a full year to 8 in 30 days. How fast you get there depends on the foundation. And that’s exactly why building it first matters.
Q: Is a fractional CMO worth it for a growing EOS company?
Yes, a fractional CMO gives a growing EOS company executive-level marketing leadership without the full-time overhead, integrated directly into your L10 rhythm and Accountability Chart. Kieran said it well: “The opportunity cost without it, you can already clearly see just after doing a trial, it’s going to cost us a lot more not to use them.” For a Visionary carrying the Marketing seat on top of everything else, the cost isn’t just dollars. It’s focus and time that should be going to your zone of genius.
