Embracing the Chaos

After years running an agency, you know the mechanics cold. But starting fresh as a fractional CMO means accepting controlled chaos while you figure out what actually works for your new clients and context.

Building the fundamentals is crucial when transitioning from corporate to fractional or agency work. You need processes in place to catch opportunities when they arise, just like marketing teams need infrastructure to capitalize on lightning in a bottle moments. After years running an agency, you know the discovery process, project workflows, postmortems, and retainer structures.

But what worked for your previous company won’t perfectly translate to your new reality. Your customers are different, the work has shifted, and the nuances require adaptation. The key is embracing controlled chaos rather than overplanning. You could spend months creating perfect processes before landing your first client, but they’ll be wrong. Instead, start working with clients and build structure around what actually happens. One useful exercise is distilling decades of experience onto a single page, creating a checklist of what matters when evaluating companies. This clarity helps you quickly identify gaps and opportunities instead of fumbling toward insights. But even this framework needs constant adjustment as you learn what your specific clients actually need.

Starting into fractional work means changing packages, pricing, and workflows eight times already. That’s not failure, it’s market research happening in real time. Each iteration teaches you what resonates with clients and what creates friction. The balanced approach combines upfront planning with intentional flexibility.

Figure out what you can beforehand, then let controlled chaos reveal what your market actually needs. This rapid iteration beats sitting in isolation trying to masterplan a business that doesn’t match reality. Start doing the work, then build the right structure around what emerges.

I'm James Archer. This is Why Firms Hire Me.

3 Decades in Marketing 20+ Years in the C-Suite Hundreds of Firms Advised

For nearly three decades, I’ve focused on marketing strategy and business growth. My journey was forged in the real world:

  • I’ve held C-level positions for 20+ years, so I understand the pressures you’re facing.
  • I ran a successful marketing agency for 12 years, so I know the service business grind intimately.
  • I’ve helped hundreds of businesses achieve strategic clarity, from startups to Fortune 500s, so I have deep experience doing exactly this work.
  • My work has been featured in major media outlets, including NPR, The New York Times, Inc. Magazine, Fast Company, and Entrepreneur.
  • I’ve delivered over 100 speaking engagements and written countless articles on what actually drives business success.