FAQs

How is CMO Growth Guide different from a marketing agency?

Agencies are built to execute. They'll run your ads, manage your social, and bill you every month whether it's working or not. CMO Growth Guide is built to think with you. You get senior-level marketing strategy (25+ years, Fortune 500, agency side, startup world) without the retainer bloat or the account manager who started last Tuesday. I work with coaches, consultants, and service professionals who need a real marketing brain in their corner, not a team cranking out content they don't understand.

Why work with Andrea Palten specifically?

Because I've actually done the thing. I'm not a marketing coach who read a lot of books and decided to teach. I've led marketing at global organizations, worked at Ogilvy, built campaigns for Fortune 500 brands, and I'm currently VP of Marketing at Techstars, one of the most recognized startup accelerators in the world. I've also taught marketing at General Assembly and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, so I know how to make strategy make sense, not just sound impressive.

CMO Growth Guide exists because I kept watching smart coaches and consultants spin out on marketing that wasn't built for them. Bro marketing tactics, vanity metrics, strategies designed for companies with actual marketing departments. That's not you, and honestly, it was never me either.

You get someone who's been in the boardroom and the scrappy side hustle, who can think at the strategic level and still help you write the email. Marketing that works, built for where you actually are.

What results can I expect from marketing consulting?

Honestly? It depends on where you're starting from, and I'll always tell you that upfront. What most clients experience is clarity first, then momentum. You stop spinning on "what should I post" and start building systems that actually bring clients in. Over time, that looks like a cleaner funnel, a more consistent pipeline, and marketing that doesn't feel like a second full-time job. I'm not going to promise you a six-figure launch by Friday (cringe city), but I will help you build something that compounds.

How much does a fractional CMO consultant cost?

Less than a full-time CMO, more than a random course you'll never finish. Fractional CMO engagements typically run anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars a month depending on scope, hours, and what you actually need. At CMO Growth Guide, the goal is to match the work to your stage of business, so you're not paying for strategy you can't execute yet. Reach out and we'll figure out what makes sense.

And Impact group consulting and coaching is even cheaper!

Is marketing consulting right for solopreneurs?

Ya, totally, but with one caveat. If you're brand new and still figuring out what you sell and who you sell it to, we'd start there first. But if you have an offer that works, clients who are happy, and you're just stuck on how to get more of them consistently? That's exactly the situation I love. You don't need a big team or a big budget to build a real marketing system. You just need one that's built for how you actually operate.

How long before I see results?

The honest answer is: some things shift fast, others take time. Messaging clarity? You can feel that in a week. A full funnel that's generating leads on autopilot? Give it 90 days of consistent action. Most clients notice a real shift in confidence and direction within the first month, because they finally have a plan that makes sense for their business, not a copy-paste strategy from someone selling to a totally different audience. We set realistic timelines together so you always know what to expect and why.