CMOs Without Borders

Joel Crampton
  • ٥٫٠ (١)
  • تسويق

Welcome to CMOs Without Borders — the podcast where two seasoned marketing leaders with decades of experience from opposite sides of the border cut through the noise and get real about what actually drives growth in financial services. Hosted by fractional CMOs Joel Crampton, founder of CMO/Alpha (U.S.), and Mandy MacPhee, founder of illumination (Canada), this show explores the strategic marketing moves that help RIAs, fintechs, credit unions, and financial brands thrive — regardless of size, structure, or postal code. We bring different lenses to the mic: U.S. vs. Canada, Fintech vs. Institutional, Independent firms vs. Enterprise marketing But we’re united by one mission: helping you build a smarter, more strategic marketing function that actually drives results — not just more activity. Each episode delivers candid conversations, real-world examples, and field-tested insights to help you: - Align your marketing with business goals - Outperform the competition without wasting time or budget - Gain the clarity and confidence to lead — or delegate — marketing that works If you’re a financial advisor, fintech founder, credit union exec, or marketing leader in the financial space, this is your “no-fluff, behind-the-scenes look” at what works — and what doesn’t.

  1. قبل ٢٣ ساعة

    Systemize Kindness: How Marc Shaffer Built a Firm on Consistency, Not Sales

    Trust happens because you show up the same way, meeting after meeting, until people just assume otherwise. In this episode, Joel Crampton and Mandy MacPhee sit down with Marc Shaffer, CFP and Principal at Searcy Financial Services and Allos Investment Advisors, to talk about what 20 years in the business has taught him about earning trust on purpose. Marc lays out a career built less on sales tactics and more on consistency, delegation, and showing people you actually listened, from why he wrote "One For All," to how compliance makes AI adoption slower in financial planning than other industries. Key Takeaways Trust is a system, not a personality trait. Marc has built his practice around consistency: following up, delivering small promises and keeping checks in place so nothing slips through the cracks. Trust comes from doing what you said you'd do, every time. A book is content you can mine for years. Writing One For All gave Marc a well of material he's still pulling from, one blog post a week, long after the manuscript was finished. He didn't enjoy writing it, but the ripple effect, the SEO, strangers reaching out, kept him going back for more. Podcasting builds familiarity before the first meeting. Marc's show started as an accountability project with a friend, nothing more. But people now show up to meetings already feeling like they know him, from listening on the drive over. AI is useful, but compliance keeps advisors cautious. Marc's firm is mid-transition from ChatGPT to Copilot, which syncs securely with email and calendar data. He's candid that compliance fears make advisors slower to adopt new tools. Delegation is what lets relationships scale. As his business grew, Marc leaned harder into relationship building and handed off technical planning to people better suited to it. Trust scales by the right people doing what they do best. Events don't need to be big to work. A pizza party, a lunch for 10, a client appreciation night, none of it is meant to generate business, but it does. Marc's take: don't wait for a 100-person event. Eight people still works. For Founders, RIAs, and Growth-Focused Firms Marc's story reminds us that visibility doesn't need a perfect strategy. A book, a podcast, a coffee meeting followed up on properly, they all feed each other, and none of it works without follow-through. Connect with Marc Shaffer Marc Shaffer, CFP®, AIF®, EA — Searcy Financial Services & Allos Investment Advisors https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcshaffer/ searcyfinancial.com https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FRNNW3Y8/ https://searcyfinancial.com/oneforall Connect with the Hosts Joel Crampton — Fractional CMO for RIAs and Wealth Managers https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelcrampton/ cmoalpha.com Mandy MacPhee — Fractional CMO for Founder-Led Companies https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandymacphee/ illuminationcmo.com

  2. ١٠ يوليو

    The Trust Equation: Building and Protecting Client Confidence in the Age of AI

    Trust isn't a feature or a differentiator; it's the actual product in financial services. It's built over years, and can collapse in a single moment. In this episode, Mandy MacPhee and Joel Crampton discuss candidly how to earn, protect, and rebuild trust in financial services, and how AI's rapid rise is making that task both easier and riskier at the same time. From social proof and testimonials to agentic AI, data breaches, and the need for a human in the loop, this is a conversation about the one currency every advisory firm, FinTech, and fractional CMO trades in daily. Their point: trust is fragile, built through consistent effort, and lost through a single misstep. Earn it consistently and clients become advocates. Break it and recovery takes years. Key Takeaways Trust is what you're selling, all the time. Financial firms aren't really selling products or advice, they're selling trust at every touchpoint. That reframe should shape every marketing decision. Social proof speeds up the trust timeline. Case studies, testimonials, reviews, and awards aren't vanity metrics; they're trust signals that build a prospect's confidence before the first conversation happens. Firms with strong social proof close faster and convert more reliably. Trust is built from consistency. Showing up, delivering on promises, and holding the same standard across every interaction is what makes trust durable. One inconsistency can undo months of relationship-building. AI adoption starts you at a trust deficit, so tread carefully. Few consumers currently trust AI, so leading with "we use AI" as a selling point actually starts the relationship in a hole. Being transparent about how and why AI is used, and giving clients real opt-in/opt-out control, is essential. The human in the loop isn't optional. AI tools are powerful but lack taste, discernment, and lived experience. The firms that win use AI to amplify human expertise, not replace it. Transparency is the fastest way back after a breach. When AI missteps or a data breach happens, firms that recover fastest are the ones who communicate openly. Hiding the problem makes it worse; owning it is the only real path forward. Awards build awareness, not conversion. Industry recognition helps at the awareness and consideration stages, but doesn't close deals alone. It needs to be part of a connected strategy that carries prospects through the full journey. For founders, RIAs, and growth-focused firms: Trust isn't built in a campaign, it's built in a thousand small moments: the email sent on time, the advisor who followed up, content that actually helped, a crisis handled honestly. Build trust deliberately. Protect it obsessively. And when AI enters the picture, keep a human close behind. In financial services, the firms that grow are the ones that are trusted, and the ones that are trusted are the ones who earned it, every single day. Connect with the Hosts Joel Crampton — Fractional CMO for RIAs and Wealth Managers https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelcrampton/ cmoalpha.com Mandy MacPhee — Fractional CMO for Founder-Led Companies https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandymacphee/ illuminationcmo.com

  3. ١٢ يونيو

    What Most Brands Get Wrong About Multicultural Marketing

    Marketing to diverse audiences doesn’t start with translation or last-minute campaigns. It starts with understanding how people think, what they value, and how they make decisions. Without that foundation, even strong campaigns fall flat. In this episode, Joel Crampton and Mandy MacPhee sit down with Nicholas Segura, founder of Segura Marketing, to unpack what multicultural marketing actually requires. From language nuance to cultural context, Nicholas explains why brands often miss the mark and what it takes to build real connection. The conversation also highlights the growing influence of Latino consumers and the opportunity they represent. The takeaway is simple. Multicultural marketing is not a checkbox, it’s a long-term growth strategy. Brands that invest in understanding their audience and building trust see stronger, more sustainable results. Multicultural marketing goes beyond translation Language carries nuance, tone, and context. Lose that, and you lose credibility. Assumptions create disconnect The best strategies start with listening, through research and real engagement. Not all audiences are the same The Hispanic market is not one group. Differences in region, language, and lifestyle matter. Representation needs to feel real Authenticity builds connection. Forced efforts break it. Diverse teams lead to better outcomes Different perspectives improve ideas and reduce blind spots. Trust looks different across cultures Relationships, family, and shared values often matter more than direct selling. Latino audiences are a major growth driver One of the fastest-growing economic groups in the U.S., with clear upside for brands that invest. AI supports but does not replace strategy Efficiency improves, but human insight still matters. Event-driven marketing requires intention Moments like the World Cup only work when brands show up authentically. For founders, RIAs, and growth-focused firms, relevance matters as much as reach. Understand your audience. Build connection. Earn trust. That’s what drives long-term growth. Connect with Nicholas Segura Segura Marketing https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholassegura/ https://segura.marketing/ Connect with the Hosts Joel Crampton — Fractional CMO for RIAs and Wealth Managers https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelcrampton/ cmoalpha.com Mandy MacPhee — Fractional CMO for Founder-Led Companies https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandymacphee/ illuminationcmo.com

  4. ٢٨ مايو

    From Pipeline to Revenue — The Marketing Systems Every Founder Needs

    Getting the lead is only the beginning. What comes next, the follow-up, the nurture, the conversion, the retention, is where most firms either win or quietly hemorrhage what they invested to get there. In this episode, Mandy MacPhee and Joel Crampton go deep on the full marketing funnel, from first lead to loyal, referring client. Building on their previous conversation with Client's Black Box, they break down what it takes to turn a pipeline into a predictable, scalable revenue engine. The through-line is consistent: lead generation without infrastructure is just spending money. The firms that grow sustainably build systems that capture, nurture, convert, and retain. A single-channel marketing program builds awareness in one place. A connected marketing system builds it everywhere, and the growth compounds. Key Takeaways One channel is never a strategy. Meta, LinkedIn, email, each plays a role, but no single channel builds lasting awareness. Meeting prospects across channels is the foundation of any real marketing strategy. Process before pipeline. The system for handling leads has to exist before the first one arrives. CRM setup, automation sequences, and follow-up cadences need to be built before the funnel turns on, not after. Map the journey, then close the gaps. Seeing the full client journey from first touch to closed deal reveals where prospects fall out. Closing those gaps, in communication, relationship, product, or platform, is what separates firms that convert from firms that leak. Revenue attribution is the marketer's responsibility. Impressions and click-through rates do not grow a business. Tying every activity back to closed revenue is what earns marketing its seat at the executive table. The marketing system never turns off. Marketing does not stop when a prospect becomes a client. Keeping clients loyal, engaged, and informed drives referrals, increases lifetime value, and compounds growth over time. Trust is fragile. Protect it at every stage. Trust built during the sales process can unravel fast without proactive communication and consistent messaging. Sales and marketing must speak the same language at every touchpoint. Founders are visionaries. Marketers are executors. Firm owners have no shortage of ideas. They need a marketing leader who can filter those ideas, build the right plan, and get it done. Fractional CMOs bridge the gap between vision and revenue. For Founders, RIAs, and Growth-Focused Firms Lead generation creates opportunity. Systems create conversion. Retention creates growth. The firms that scale have the clearest process, the tightest systems, and the most consistent communication, from first impression to lifelong client. Check out Joel's book Trailblazing Growth and Mandy's book The Work That Holds You, both available now. Connect with the Hosts Joel Crampton — Fractional CMO for RIAs and Wealth Managers https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelcrampton/ cmoalpha.com Mandy MacPhee — Fractional CMO for Founder-Led Companies https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandymacphee/ illuminationcmo.com

  5. ٧ مايو

    The Appointment Generation Engine — How RIAs Are Scaling with Facebook Advertising

    Most financial advisors know they need more clients. What they don't know is that the answer might already be in their prospects' Facebook feeds. In this episode, Mandy MacPhee and Joel Crampton sit down with Alex Khassa, founder of Clients Blackbox — a Meta advertising partner with $10M+ in ad spend and 30,000+ appointments booked for RIAs. Alex breaks down why education, not promotion, is the strategy that changes everything. 🔑 Key Takeaways Education beats promotion. Lead with content that solves a real problem — trust builds before skepticism sets in. 70% of Baby Boomers are on Facebook. No other platform matches it for reaching pre-retirees at scale. The sales cycle is 60–90 days. Nurture sequences convert leads into clients. Marketing brings the lead. Sales closes it. Conversion depends on the firm's internal follow-up systems. Niche down to scale up. Focus drives repeatable results. Content volume wins. Clients Blackbox runs up to 25 ad variations per client and scales what works. 💡 For Founders, RIAs, and Growth-Focused Firms Paid advertising without infrastructure is just spending money. With the right systems, it's a growth engine. Connect with Alex Khassa Clients Blackbox Inc.  /alexkhassa          clientsblackbox.com Connect with the Hosts Joel Crampton — Fractional CMO for RIAs and Wealth Managers    / joelcrampton   cmoalpha.com Mandy MacPhee — Fractional CMO for Founder-Led Companies    / mandymacphee   illuminationcmo.com

  6. ١٧ أبريل

    The Model Behind Modern Marketing Leadership — Lessons from the Fractional CMO Frontier

    The best marketing leaders aren't just strategists. They're operators, builders, and systems thinkers — and the fractional model is exactly where those skills come to life. In this episode, Mandy McPhee and Joel Crampton pull back the curtain on what it actually means to be a fractional CMO. No guests, no filters — just two practitioners sharing what a real week looks like: the clients, the chaos, the AI tools making it all possible, and the honest conversation about capacity, growth, and what it takes to scale without burning out. Their message is clear: the fractional model works because it was built for this moment. When founders need executive-level marketing leadership without the full-time overhead, the fractional path delivers on both sides. When marketing leadership is embedded, growth accelerates. When it's outsourced from the outside, strategy stays stuck. 🔑 Key TakeawaysFractional is not part-time — it's a different operating model  Fractional CMOs sit inside the executive team, own the KPIs, and are accountable for growth just like a full-time CMO — across multiple companies simultaneously. Success means growing your clients past needing you  The goal of every engagement is to drive enough growth that the company eventually needs a full-time marketing leader. That's not a loss — it's the measure of a job well done. Always work on the business, not just in it  Blocking time for your own business development isn't optional — it's survival. When a client moves on, the pipeline you neglected becomes the crisis you're scrambling to solve. AI is a service delivery multiplier  From automating invoice processing to training Claude on brand voice, to running full GA4 analysis in two days instead of four weeks — AI is changing what a fractional CMO can deliver. The leaders using it are doing more and going deeper than ever before. The job displacement conversation is no longer hypothetical  With 192 million jobs projected to be lost to AI by 2030, the message is simple: adapt now or get left behind. The efficiency gap between those using agentic AI and those avoiding it is widening fast. Pick a platform and get reps in  Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini — they're all improving constantly. Find the platform that fits your workflow, train it on your brand, and go deep. Don't chase the leapfrog. Strategy without execution is just a slide deck  The most effective fractional CMOs don't just hand off a plan — they get in the weeds and build momentum. AI has made that possible at scale without getting buried in the details. 💡 For Founders, CMOs, and Growth-Focused LeadersThe fractional model isn't a compromise. It's a strategic choice. Embedded leadership creates accountability. Accountability drives execution. Execution — backed by the right AI systems — creates compounding results. And the fractional CMOs building that way today aren't just keeping up. They're setting the pace. Connect with the Hosts Joel Crampton — Fractional CMO for RIAs and Wealth Managers https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelcrampton/ cmoalpha.com Mandy MacPhee — Fractional CMO for Founder-Led Companies https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandymacphee/ illuminationcmo.com

  7. ١١ مارس

    The Strategy Behind Safe and Scalable AI

    AI isn’t coming for your business — it’s already inside it. The real question isn’t whether to use it, but whether you’re using it strategically, safely, and in a way that actually drives results. In this episode, Mandy MacPhee and Joel Crampton sit down with JL Verboomen, analytics and AI strategist at Massive Insights. With 30+ years of experience in data and analytics, JL shares a practical perspective on one of the most important conversations founders and marketing leaders are having today. His message is clear: AI isn’t magic, and it isn’t a threat — it’s a tool. Like any tool, the results depend on the person using it, the guardrails in place, and the clarity of the problem being solved. When AI is rushed, it creates risk. When AI is strategic, it creates scale. 🔑 Key Takeaways AI isn’t new. From statistics to data science to generative AI, the fundamentals haven’t changed. What’s changed is access, speed, and the stakes. Start with a pain point. Successful AI implementations begin with a single friction point. Solve that first, prove the value, then scale. Agentic AI brings promise — and risks. Without guardrails, tools can expose APIs, run up costs, and create security issues. Context matters when prompting AI. The more context you provide about your audience, product, and goals, the stronger the output. Question the output. Hallucinations still happen. Ask for sources and challenge the response. Start with external research. Use AI for competitive insights, pricing research, and industry trends before sharing internal data. 💡 For Founders, CMOs, and Growth Leaders AI doesn’t replace judgment — it accelerates execution. The leaders who win pair the right tools with the right strategy, guardrails, and problems to solve. Efficiency creates capacity. Capacity creates focus. Focus creates growth. Connect with JL Verboomen Massive Insights https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlverboomen/ Connect with the Hosts Joel Crampton — Fractional CMO for RIAs and Wealth Managers https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelcrampton/ cmoalpha.com Mandy MacPhee — Fractional CMO for Founder-Led Companies  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandymacphee/ illuminationcmo.com

  8. ٢٤ فبراير

    The Leadership Patterns Behind Scalable Companies — Lessons from "The Work That Holds You"

    Growth doesn’t begin with tactics, campaigns, or activity. It begins with self-awareness — understanding the patterns shaping your leadership, the foundations supporting your business, and the systems required to turn effort into sustainable growth. In this episode, Mandy MacPhee, fractional CMO and co-host of CMOs Without Borders, shares the thinking behind her new book The Work That Holds You. She explores how leadership patterns, marketing foundations, and intentional systems shape a company’s ability to grow and scale. Her message is simple: growth requires inner work and structural work. When leaders recognize the patterns holding them back and build strong marketing foundations, companies gain clarity, consistency, and the ability to scale without chaos. When execution comes before understanding, growth stalls. When systems support the work, growth compounds. 🔑 Key Takeaways Leadership patterns shape business outcomes Founders often carry instinctual patterns formed through past experiences. These patterns influence decisions, communication, and leadership style. Growth begins when leaders recognize these patterns and intentionally evolve. Many companies are built around the founder instead of the customer Early success often comes from founder-driven vision and personality. Sustainable growth requires shifting focus outward — building the business around the needs of the ideal customer, not the founder’s identity. Founders frequently become the bottleneck to growth As companies grow, founders must release control and trust systems and teams. Holding onto every decision slows progress, reduces accountability, and limits scalability. Execution without systems creates motion but not progress Many companies jump into tactics too quickly — running campaigns, ads, and initiatives without a unified strategy. Sustainable growth requires strong foundations, a clear direction, and coordinated execution. A healthy marketing system creates relief, alignment, and consistency When systems are in place, founders feel less overwhelmed, teams gain autonomy, and messaging becomes consistent across the organization. Growth becomes measurable and repeatable. Pattern recognition is the first step toward meaningful change Leaders must distinguish between personal preference and customer relevance. Asking “Does this serve the customer?” instead of “Do I like it?” leads to better decisions and stronger outcomes. Strong marketing foundations drive sustainable growth Understanding your market, ideal customer, and positioning is the most common gap leaders face. Clarity at this level creates direction, confidence, and momentum. 💡 For Founders, Leaders, and Growth-Focused Companies Growth is not driven by execution alone. It is driven by awareness, alignment, and systems that support both leadership and marketing. Connect with the Hosts Joel Crampton — Fractional CMO for RIAs and Wealth Managers https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelcrampton/ cmoalpha.com Mandy MacPhee — Fractional CMO for Founder-Led Companies https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandymacphee/ illuminationcmo.com Get her book: The Work That Holds You

مشاهدة الكل (٢٢)

حول

Welcome to CMOs Without Borders — the podcast where two seasoned marketing leaders with decades of experience from opposite sides of the border cut through the noise and get real about what actually drives growth in financial services. Hosted by fractional CMOs Joel Crampton, founder of CMO/Alpha (U.S.), and Mandy MacPhee, founder of illumination (Canada), this show explores the strategic marketing moves that help RIAs, fintechs, credit unions, and financial brands thrive — regardless of size, structure, or postal code. We bring different lenses to the mic: U.S. vs. Canada, Fintech vs. Institutional, Independent firms vs. Enterprise marketing But we’re united by one mission: helping you build a smarter, more strategic marketing function that actually drives results — not just more activity. Each episode delivers candid conversations, real-world examples, and field-tested insights to help you: - Align your marketing with business goals - Outperform the competition without wasting time or budget - Gain the clarity and confidence to lead — or delegate — marketing that works If you’re a financial advisor, fintech founder, credit union exec, or marketing leader in the financial space, this is your “no-fluff, behind-the-scenes look” at what works — and what doesn’t.

المعلومات

  • صناع العمل
    Joel Crampton
  • سنوات النشاط
    ٢٠٢٥ - ٢٠٢٦
  • الحلقات
    ٢٢
  • التقييم
    ملائم
  • حقوق النشر
    © 2025 Joel Crampton
  • موقع البرنامج على الويب
    CMOs Without Borders