Fractional CMO for Queensland Businesses That Have Outgrown "Figuring It Out"
Strategic marketing leadership for $2M-$20M businesses. I embed with your team to build and execute growth strategies that actually connect to revenue - without the $200K+ salary.
Currently serving as Fractional CMO for VE Group and growing Queensland businesses
You Don't Need Another Agency. You Need Marketing Leadership.
"We've Tried Multiple Agencies..."
You're tired of vendors who don't understand your business, can't tie marketing to revenue, and disappear when strategy questions come up. Every new agency restart costs you 6 months.
"Marketing Is Spread Across Too Many People"
Your GM is managing Meta ads. Your sales manager wrote the last email campaign. Your assistant is posting to LinkedIn. Nobody owns the strategy. Nothing connects.
"We're Spending, But Is It Working?"
$6K on Google Ads. $4K on an agency. $2K on automation tools. But you can't answer: "What's our customer acquisition cost?" or "Which channels actually drive revenue?"
If this sounds familiar, you don't need better execution. You need someone at the leadership table who owns marketing outcomes.
A Marketing Leader Embedded in Your Business
As your Fractional CMO, I don't write reports and leave. I'm not an external consultant. I'm part of your leadership team - at the table for strategic decisions, accountable for marketing outcomes, and working alongside your people to execute.
Strategic Planning
- • Quarterly marketing roadmaps aligned to business goals (revenue, pipeline, expansion)
- • Competitive positioning and go-to-market strategy
- • Budget allocation based on what actually drives results
Leadership & Oversight
- • I manage your existing marketing team and/or agencies - you get one point of accountability
- • Monthly leadership meetings to review performance and adjust strategy
- • On-call access for urgent marketing decisions
Execution Management
- • I don't run your ads day-to-day, but I ensure whoever does is hitting targets
- • Build or optimise your marketing tech stack (CRM, automation, attribution)
- • Hire, vet, and manage specialists when needed (designers, copywriters, developers)
Performance Tracking
- • Monthly reporting on what's working, what's not, and why
- • Real attribution: connect marketing spend to pipeline and revenue
- • Clear KPIs tied to business outcomes, not vanity metrics
On-Site + Remote
- • 3-4 days per month embedded with your team (mix of on-site and remote)
- • Present at Queensland locations or work remotely as needed
- • Flexible based on what your business requires
This Works Best For...
Qualified Prospects
- Revenue: $2M-$20M annually
- Growth Mode: You have product-market fit and need to scale
- Team in Place: Some sales/marketing capacity but lacking leadership
- Performance Focused: You care about pipeline and revenue, not impressions
- Queensland-Based: I work best when I can be in your office regularly
Not a Fit
- Startups still finding product-market fit
- Businesses under $2M revenue (you need execution, not strategy)
- Companies looking for someone to "just run the ads"
- Interstate businesses wanting fully remote arrangement
The Process
Discovery Call (30 Minutes)
No-pressure conversation to understand your business, current state, and whether fractional CMO is the right fit. Not everyone needs this model - I'll be honest if there's a better solution.
Business Audit (Week 1-2)
I dive into your current marketing, sales process, team capabilities, tech stack, and competitive landscape. This isn't surface-level - I'm reading your dashboards, talking to your team, understanding your numbers.
Strategy & 90-Day Roadmap (Week 3-4)
We build your marketing strategy and prioritized 90-day roadmap. Clear objectives, success metrics, resource requirements, and budget allocation. You know exactly what we're building and why.
Embedded Execution (Ongoing)
I work 3-4 days per month with your team to implement, manage, optimise, and lead. You get strategic oversight without paying for a full-time executive.
Minimum Engagement: 6 months (real marketing strategy takes time)
How This Works in Practice
VE Group Australia
Industry: Civil construction and heavy haulage
The Situation:
VE Group had reached a critical scaling point. They needed experienced marketing leadership to modernize their digital presence and support their growth trajectory, but didn't require a full-time, in-house C-suite executive. Their marketing was fragmented - lacking strategic coordination across channels and no one connecting marketing activities to business outcomes.
The Approach:
Rather than operate as an external vendor, I embedded directly within VE Group's office for real-time collaboration and decision-making. This integrated approach included:
- • Digital Overhaul: Implemented modern SEO and Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) strategies to ensure VE Group remains the authoritative source for industry queries in the age of AI search
- • Strategic Networking: Identified key Local Government Conferences and industry groups where VE Group needed presence, strengthening relationships with decision-makers through in-person connections
- • Omnichannel Social Strategy: Launched multi-platform presence across LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to build B2B trust while showcasing company culture for talent recruitment
- • Integrated Execution: Managed everything from videography and paid ads to WordPress management, ensuring all assets aligned with commercial goals
The Results:
VE Group now has a modern, future-proofed marketing ecosystem with strategic leadership embedded at the board level. They've established themselves as a visible industry authority both digitally and through strategic in-person networking. The company has peace of mind that all digital assets - from website to paid campaigns - are managed by a partner as invested in their success as they are.
"I work embedded within VE Group's office, not behind a ticket system. I have direct access to stakeholders for real-time decision-making. Authorized team members can reach out directly for everything from recruiting ads to event videography support. I'm not a vendor - I'm part of their leadership team, providing both executive strategy and hands-on execution oversight."
Pricing & Engagement
Transparent pricing. No hidden fees.
Fractional CMO Retainer
$8,500 - $12,000/month
What you get:
- • 3-4 days per month embedded with your team (mix on-site/remote)
- • Strategic planning and quarterly roadmaps
- • Leadership of your marketing team and/or agencies
- • Monthly performance reviews and board-level reporting
- • Access to my network of vetted specialists (ads, SEO, dev, design) when needed
- • On-call availability for urgent marketing decisions
Why This Investment Makes Sense:
A full-time CMO in Queensland costs:
- • $180K-$250K base salary
- • + $30K-$50K super + benefits
- • + Equity/bonuses
- = $210K-$300K+ total annual cost
You get senior marketing leadership at 60-75% lower cost, with flexibility to scale engagement up or down as your business needs change.
Minimum Commitment: 6-month initial engagement (real strategy takes time to implement and prove out)
Frequently Asked Questions
Why I Do This
I'm Ben Hayward, and I've spent 8 years in marketing, building In Cahoots Co, a digital marketing agency in Ipswich.
Here's what I learned: the best work doesn't happen when you're treated as a vendor. It happens when you're embedded as a team member, sitting at the leadership table, and accountable for outcomes.
After working with 50+ businesses, I saw a clear pattern: companies with solid products and capable teams were stuck because they lacked marketing leadership. They had marketers doing tasks, but nobody connecting those tasks to revenue. Nobody at the table asking "Is this actually working?"
So I shifted. Instead of running a traditional agency juggling 20 clients, I now work as a Fractional CMO for a small number of Queensland businesses. I embed with their teams, lead their marketing strategy, and own the outcomes.
I'm based in Ipswich and work throughout Brisbane and Southeast Queensland. I work best with businesses I can visit regularly and actually get to know - not faceless retainers managed over Zoom.
If you're a $2M-$20M business that's outgrown "figuring it out as we go," let's talk.
Ready to Get Strategic About Marketing?
Book a 30-minute discovery call. We'll discuss your business, current marketing state, and whether fractional CMO is the right model for you. No pitch, no pressure.
Not sure if you're ready? Take the Marketing Leadership Readiness Audit - it'll give you a clearer picture of where your marketing stands.