Services The Method About Blog Book a Call
Gabby James — Fractional CMO, CLEAR CMO
Fractional CMO · Founder-Led Companies
CLEAR CMO by Gabby James

Your marketing deserves a seat
at the table. Not another item
on your to-do list.

Executive marketing strategy for founders scaling from $500k to $5M — without the full-time hire.

Sound familiar?

Your marketing is busy. But is it working?

Most founders at $500k–$5M aren't bad at marketing. They've just been executing without a strategic layer connecting everything.

01

You're the de facto CMO — by default, not by design. Every marketing decision lands on your desk.

02

You have agencies or freelancers doing things, but no one owns the strategy that directs them.

03

You're spending on marketing but can't articulate what's actually driving your revenue.

04

You know something's broken — you just don't know where to start fixing it.

"If you're still leading all of your marketing, you're the bottleneck."

— Gabby James, CLEAR CMO
What makes this different

The CLEAR
Method™

A proprietary five-stage framework that gives your marketing a structure, a strategy, and something to measure. Every engagement runs through it.

C
C
Clarity

Define who you are, who you serve, and why you're the only logical choice. Without this, everything else is noise.

L
L
Landscape

Audit your competitive position, spend, and what's actually driving growth — vs. what you think is.

E
E
Engine

Build the 2–3 channels that will actually drive growth. Stop spreading zero strategy across six channels.

A
A
Alignment

Align your team, vendors, and budget around the engine. Strategy without alignment is just a doc no one reads.

R
R
Results

Track, measure, and iterate. Make marketing accountable to business outcomes — not vanity metrics.

How we work together

The right engagement
for where you are now.

Three ways to work together — each built around where you are right now.

Tier 1 · Entry Point · All Clients Begin Here

CLEAR Method™ Audit

A precise diagnostic across your channels, messaging, spend, and team — delivered as a branded executive report with a prioritised action plan.

  • Founder intake call (60–90 min) + full asset review
  • Scored CLEAR Method™ diagnostic across all 5 stages
  • Written audit report — branded, executive-ready
  • Prioritised recommendation roadmap
  • Competitive landscape summary
  • 30–60 min debrief call · Delivered within 5 business days
Book a call →
Most Popular
Tier 2 · Ongoing · 3-Month Minimum

Fractional CMO Retainer

I function as your CMO — setting strategy, directing your team, and keeping marketing connected to your revenue goals. You stay in control without being the bottleneck.

  • 2 × monthly strategy sessions (60 min each)
  • Monthly marketing performance report
  • Monthly KPI dashboard review & update
  • Channel & campaign review with recommendations
  • CLEAR Method™ health check
  • Async support during business hours (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm PT)
Book a call →
Tier 3 · Premium Intensive · Max 2 Clients Per Quarter

90-Day Marketing Transformation

Full-immersion. 90 days. Your entire marketing function — strategy, team, and execution — rebuilt and aligned. Capped at 2 clients per quarter.

  • Month 1 — Diagnose & Define: brand positioning, ICP, messaging hierarchy, team alignment
  • Month 2 — Build & Activate: channel strategy, content engine, campaign framework, lead nurture
  • Month 3 — Optimise & Hand Off: KPI dashboard, performance review, 90-day roadmap, full strategy documentation
  • Custom KPI dashboard built and handed over
Book a call →
Gabby James — Fractional CMO, CLEAR CMO
About CLEAR CMO

The marketing executive
your business actually needs.

I'm Gabby James — the Fractional CMO behind CLEAR CMO. After 10+ years of executive marketing across Canada, I built the CLEAR Method™ for one reason: founders shouldn't be carrying marketing decisions they never should have owned. You go back to being a founder. I own the marketing.

10+
Years of executive marketing experience across founder-led businesses in Canada
$0
Cost for your first 30-minute clarity call — no pitch, no pressure, just honesty
5
Stages in the CLEAR Method™ — built for founders who need strategy, not more tactics
Free Resource

Not sure where
to start? Start here.

25 questions every founder should be able to answer about their marketing — and most can't. Find out where yours is breaking down.

25
Diagnostic questions across all 5 CLEAR stages
5
Stages mapped directly to your marketing gaps
0
Cost — completely free, no strings attached
Insights & Strategy

Marketing clarity,
in writing.

Practical strategy for founders who are done guessing. New posts on marketing, positioning, and growth — written from the CMO seat.

Marketing Strategy

Why Your Marketing Feels Busy But Produces Nothing

Most founders aren't bad at marketing. They're executing without a strategic layer connecting everything. Here's what that pattern looks like — and exactly how to break it.

March 2026 · 7 min read Read
Fractional CMO

Fractional CMO vs. Marketing Agency: Which Does Your Business Actually Need?

Most growing companies hire an agency when what they actually need is a fractional CMO. Here's how to tell the difference — and make the right call for your stage.

February 2026 · 8 min read Read
Leadership

The CEO's Guide to Letting Go of Marketing (Without Losing Control)

Most CEOs hold onto marketing decisions far longer than they should. Here's a practical framework for delegating marketing leadership — and what to put in place before you do.

January 2026 · 9 min read Read
Ready to get clarity?

Stop making marketing
decisions alone.

30 minutes. We look at your marketing, find the gaps, and map a path forward. No pitch. No pressure.

Free · No commitment · 30 minutes · Calendly