Fractional CMO Services: Senior Marketing Leadership Without a Full-Time Hire
Dr. Linda Orr, PhD gives $5M to $500M brands in healthcare, premium DTC, and B2B direct senior leadership: one person who sets the strategy, coordinates your existing team and vendors, and is accountable for the results. Quoted in Forbes. Published in the Journal of Business Research. Built Upwork's first marketing mix model, covering an $88M marketing budget. 86% client retention.
Our Impact By The Numbers
$88M in marketing budget modeled for Upwork, 100+ clients from $5M to $500M in revenue, 25+ years leading growth, and 86% client retention.
I treat your budget like it’s my own money. Every recommendation has to earn its place on the plan.
$88M
Marketing budget covered by Upwork's first marketing mix model, built by Dr. Orr.
100+
Clients served, from $5M to $500M in revenue.
25+
Years leading growth across tech, healthcare, and consumer brands.
86%
Client retention. Most clients stay or come back.
A FEW OF OUR HAPPY CLIENTS
Is a Fractional CMO the Right Fit for You?
You might be ready for fractional CMO support if:
-
You are spending on marketing but cannot clearly see what is working.
-
Your team is strong, but no one owns the full growth strategy.
-
You need a senior head of marketing, but a full-time CMO is not realistic yet.
-
You are under pressure to lower CAC, improve ROAS, or unlock new revenue.
-
You want a clear 90-day plan and someone who will hold the team (and agencies) accountable.
"If that sounds familiar, this is exactly the kind of problem I solve." Dr. Linda Orr, PhD
CMO-level strategy, backed by a team that can actually execute
Dr. Linda Orr leads every engagement as your fractional CMO: setting strategy, owning the roadmap, and holding your team and vendors accountable to results.
​
What that's looked like in practice:
-
Built Upwork's first marketing mix model across an $88M annual media portfolio, plus 1-, 3- and 5-year budget strategy. The model supported a 25% media budget reduction while sales kept growing
-
Managed high seven-figure budgets while aligning marketing, sales, and operations around a single growth plan
-
Led successful launches and scaling for healthcare, telehealth, DTC, and complex B2B brands
Where execution is needed, Linda's team does the hands-on work: tracking and CRM setup, web page builds, email marketing, Meta and paid social, SEO and AEO implementation, and video and image editing. Linda manages Google Ads herself and reviews the team's work, so you get senior-level thinking backed by people who can build, measure, and improve the system.
You get the thinking of a full-time CMO without the full-time headcount, equity, or overhead.
Three ways to work together
Fractional CMO Retainer (Ongoing)
Format: monthly retainer
Best for: brands from $5M to $500M in revenue that need a senior marketing owner
Price: starting at $8,000/month; most engagements run $12,000 to $20,000 a month
90-Day Growth Roadmap (Project)
Format: one-time project
Best for: teams that can execute but need clarity, prioritization, and a plan
Price: starting at $12,000
CMO Strategy Sessions / Office Hours
Format: single sessions or a monthly package
Best for: founders and marketing leads who have doers in-house and need a senior sounding board
Price: $750 per session; monthly packages from $1,500/month
For brands that need a dedicated CMO to lead strategy, own the roadmap, and coordinate execution across your team and partners.
What you get:
-
Part-time CMO leadership from Dr. Linda Orr, PhD
-
Support from specialists in analytics, paid media, and tracking
-
Full ownership of marketing roadmap, budget priorities, and performance reviews
-
Monthly reporting tied to CAC, pipeline, and revenue
-
Independent oversight of your agencies and freelancers
A fully scoped project that ends with a prioritized, data-backed 90-day plan your team can run with immediately.
What you get:
-
Deep dive into your data, channels, funnels, and margins
-
Prioritized 90-day roadmap with the highest-ROI actions first
-
Clear KPIs, budget guardrails, and a testing plan
-
Working sessions with your team to align and hand off cleanly
For teams that want CMO-level guidance without a full retainer commitment.
What you get:
-
Monthly or ad-hoc strategy sessions with Dr. Orr
-
Help pressure-testing channel decisions, campaign plans, and vendor selection
-
Guidance on internal hiring, agency oversight, and what to outsource
-
Honest second opinions on plans your team has already built
The first 90 days set the strategy, fix measurement and show early results. Then we decide together whether to continue, change the scope or hand the work to your team.
Built for established companies with $5M to $500M in revenue. Not ready for a retainer? Start with a free scorecard a single-channel audit from $4,750, or a growth opportunity assessment.
What clients say about working with Dr. Orr
Most engagements are under NDA, but here's what clients say:
★★★★★
​
“Dr. Orr's exceptional leadership and advanced knowledge in sales and marketing were invaluable. She provided practical tools our team could use immediately to perform with confidence.”
​
B. MacDonald
B2B Sales Enablement · Sales Training
★★★★★
​
“Linda at Orr Consulting is absolutely brilliant. As a fractional CMO, she brings a level of strategic thinking and marketing expertise that goes far beyond the typical consultant, and she delivers real, measurable results.”
​
M. Moffett
Google Review
★★★★★
​
“She identified several options including enhanced brand recognition and increased sales and market penetration routes we had not considered.”
​
Upwork Client
Premium DTC Apparel · Growth Strategy
★★★★★
​
“Her fractional CMO work is backed by both data and market insights/trends... She knows how to balance big picture marketing strategy with the daily work it takes to turn that strategy into results.”
​
Elevate Agency
Google Review
★★★★★
​
“Linda is great at what she does. She provided valuable insight and strategic planning for our company's marketing improvements. I would hire her again in a heartbeat and plan to use her again for future strategic needs.”
​
Upwork Client
Analytics Dashboard · Marketing Strategy
★★★★★
​
“Linda has been an invaluable source of wisdom for my unique and difficult to boilerplate market company. She is data driven and does not have one-size fits all solutions.”
​
R. Sparks
Google Review
★★★★★
​
“Linda gave us excellent strategic thoughts on our initial marketing plans. She's clearly experienced, competent and responsive.”
​
Upwork Client
B2B SaaS · Marketing Strategy
★★★★★
​
“Linda was a pleasure to work with and extremely thorough. The insights directly shaped our positioning and go-to-market strategy.”
​
Midmark Dental
Healthcare · Market Research · Launch Strategy
★★★★★
​
“Linda is an absolute pro. She's incredibly responsive, solution-oriented, and really easy to work with... If you're looking for someone who makes marketing feel less overwhelming and gets results, Linda's the person for you.”
​
Q. Mayberry
Google Review
Leadership in Practice
Three engagements that show what fractional CMO leadership looks like day to day: setting direction, building the measurement, and turning findings into budget decisions.
Brand Strategy
We help you define who you are, who you serve, and why you win.
-
Identifying target audiences and sub-segments
-
Pinpointing growth opportunities and white space
-
Crafting key messaging and value propositions
-
Highlighting competitive advantages
-
Recommending effective channels and tactics
-
Developing brand positioning and architecture
-
Establishing measurement scorecards so you know what’s working
Marketing Planning
We design marketing plans that your team and partners can actually use.
-
Creating short-term and long-term strategies
-
Mapping customer journeys and attitudes
-
Optimizing media spend and channel selection
-
Measuring tactic efficiency across OOH, TV, digital, and more
-
Establishing KPIs and dashboards
-
Visualizing and reporting on performance for leadership
Business Growth
We connect marketing to revenue, operations, and long-term value.
-
Aligning marketing with business objectives and financial targets
-
Exploring new revenue streams and market opportunities
-
Conducting competitive and market landscape analysis
-
Building go-to-market strategies for new product launches
-
Aligning sales and marketing for revenue growth
-
Evaluating internal and external impacts on growth (PR, ops, market shifts)
-
Optimizing customer acquisition and retention strategies
Strategy First, but Not Strategy Only
Strategy only matters if it gets executed. Depending on what you need, I lead execution directly, bring in my team, or direct the agencies and specialists you already work with:
Marketing research and statistics: custom research, segmentation, and testing
Analytics and measurement: attribution, tracking, dashboards, and marketing mix modeling
Paid media and digital marketing: search, social, and performance media
Implementation by my team: tracking and CRM setup, web pages, email marketing, and video and image editing
How an engagement works
Initial Discovery
An introductory conversation about your goals, challenges, current channels, team, and data, so we can agree on where to start.
Creative & Campaign Execution
Your team and partners carry out the plan with my direction on campaigns, content, messaging, and channel activation. Every workstream has a clear owner.
Data Analysis & Insights
I analyze customer behavior, marketing performance, acquisition economics, competitive conditions, and measurement gaps to identify the biggest opportunities for improvement.
Testing & Optimization
Tracking, structured tests, and regular performance reviews keep the work on course, with reporting on revenue, CAC, and pipeline.
Strategy Development
I turn those findings into a prioritized marketing roadmap, with clear channel priorities, budgets, KPIs, team responsibilities, and timelines.
Continuous Support & Growth
As the business and market change, I update the plan, re-prioritize budgets, and keep leadership informed.
Fractional CMO: Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a fractional CMO cost?
My fractional CMO retainers start at $8,000 a month, and most engagements run $12,000 to $20,000 a month. A 90-Day Growth Roadmap starts at $12,000. Strategy sessions are $750 each, with monthly packages from $1,500 a month.
​
What does a fractional CMO do?
I act as your senior marketing owner. I set strategy and priorities, decide where the budget goes, direct your team and agencies, and report results in terms of revenue, CAC and pipeline.
​
Who is a fractional CMO a good fit for?
Companies from $5M to $500M in revenue that need senior marketing leadership but are not ready to hire a full-time CMO, or that need a senior leader in place quickly.
​
Do you work with our existing team and agencies?
Yes. I work alongside your team and agencies. When there are gaps, my team can handle areas such as Meta ads, SEO, tracking and CRM, web builds and email.
​
How does an engagement start?
It starts with a free 30-minute introductory call about your goals, channels, team and data, so we can agree on where to start.
​
Updated October 28, 2026
Ready to see if we're the right fit?
If you're investing in marketing but no one owns the full picture (strategy, budget, vendor accountability, and results), a fractional CMO engagement may be exactly what's missing.
A 30-minute introductory call is enough to talk through your goals, current challenges, and timing, and to decide whether working together makes sense.
​
Prefer to send details first? Share your website, current spend, and what's not working. We'll reply within 1 business day.
Looking for a Fractional CMO in Cleveland/Akron? → See our local page