Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show! What are the biggest challenges of MarTech consulting, and how does working in-house compare when it comes to managing projects, stakeholders, and technology? In this episode of the Society of Marketing Technology Consulting Podcast, Courtney Makara and Grant Gregorian sit down with Kelly Jo Horton, Principal Engineer of Marketing Operations and Technology at ROOM, to discuss her extensive experience working as an independent consultant, with agencies, and in-house. The conversation also explores project-based pricing, discovery calls, agile sprint planning, and why the organizational structure of a Marketing Operations team can make a significant difference in how effectively technical work gets done. In this episode, we discuss: Kelly Jo's career across independent consulting, agency work, and in-house Marketing OperationsWhy she returned in-house to become part of a team and build technology systems over the long termThe frustrations of tracking billable hours when consulting work is spread across multiple clients and projectsWhy project-based pricing can help consultants focus on outcomes rather than individual hoursThe challenges of invoicing, collecting payments, and finding new consulting businessWhat scope creep looks like and why it can quickly turn a profitable project into an unprofitable oneHow to manage additional client requests without damaging relationshipsWhy clear statements of work (SOWs), project boundaries, and change requests are essentialThe importance of discovery calls before agreeing to a consulting engagementOne of the central themes of the conversation is the importance of managing scope and expectations. Kelly Jo explains how easy it can be for consultants to take on additional work simply because they want to help their clients. Without clear boundaries, discovery processes, and adjustments to the original SOW, those seemingly small requests can accumulate into significant unpaid work. For MarTech consultants, Marketing Operations professionals, and RevOps leaders navigating project scoping, consulting engagements, team structures, or career decisions, this episode offers practical insights into delivering better work while managing the realities of both consulting and in-house roles. If you enjoyed the episode, subscribe and rate the SMTC Podcast, and join the Society of Marketing Technology Consulting community through MarketingOps.com. Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations Professionals Streamline your webinar programs and tap into more data, more content, and far less manual work. Save time, simplify your workflow, and integrate Goldcast.io with your stack. Support the show
