Get on the path to results today.
Fourth Envelope Marketing
Fractional Marketing Leadership
for Early Stage Companies
What I Do For You
Fractional CMO
You don't need a full-time marketing leader quite yet, but you need to ensure you're making the right marketing moves. I bring the marketing point of view to your exec team and guide your marketing team through the trenches. All without the high cost and higher risk of a full-time hire.
Coaching for your Head of Marketing
You've hired a rising star as your Head of Marketing, but it's a stretch role for them. (Hey, it was for me the first time, too). Let's make sure they succeed with ongoing one-on-ones for mentoring, coaching, plan/budget development, and guidance.
Messaging Guides
If we're changing the world with our software, why does our message sound so...bland? And if we have great messaging, why isn't it being used everywhere? I work closely with you, sales, other execs, and customers to produce messaging that drives results, document it in a guide designed to keep everyone on the same page, and ensure that it's consistent across your channels.
Launch Planning
Launching a new product, or entering a new market segment? To succeed, you'll need to map the segment, identify the channels to reach them, craft the messaging, and build a robust launch plan. I'll build the plan so your team can execute without distractions.
Marketing Agency Audit
Are you getting the most out of your marketing agencies? If you're like most founder/CEOs, you're probably not sure. I've spent my career working with founders and agencies, so I can step in and get you both on the same page in a win-win framework.
What People Say
"Expertise, Skill, and Objectivity"
"Expertise, Skill, and Objectivity"
"Expertise, Skill, and Objectivity"
“As a CEO/founder who’s a former CMO, I thought messaging my company would be simple. But it turned out that I was far too close to it. Russ brought the expertise, skill, and objectivity we needed to clearly convey our company’s value to our target buyer.”
Jenn Steele
CEO and Co-Founder, SoundGTM
"Yoda."
"Expertise, Skill, and Objectivity"
"Expertise, Skill, and Objectivity"
"Yoda. That’s how I’d describe Russ in one word. As a marketing & people leader, Russ is empathetic and human. He makes sure every member on this team is doing their best work by being their trusted guide. Russ has sage wisdom when it comes to anything marketing."
Harsha Kalapala
VP Product Marketing, AlertMedia
"Great Marketing Practitioner"
"Expertise, Skill, and Objectivity"
"Great Marketing Practitioner"
"I really enjoyed working for Russ because he gives you a lot of autonomy in your work. He trusts your judgement and never micromanages, and yet always makes himself available to collaborate.... Even though Russ is a VP, he’s also a great marketing practitioner and strives to keep his hands-on skills sharp."
Adelle Archer
CEO and Co-Founder, Eterneva
"Bring your A game"
"Expertise, Skill, and Objectivity"
"Great Marketing Practitioner"
"When I think of Russ, the first phrase that comes to mind is "bring your A game". He is informed, intelligent and intellectually curious and expects the same from others (both of which are incredibly refreshing and energizing!)."
Jesse Ciccone
EVP, Matter Communications
About Me
I specialize in early-stage companies (seed, Series A or B) and put two of them - TrendKite and Invodo - on the path to exit. I believe in problem-solving, not playbooks, and I believe that most lead generation / demand generation problems are messaging / positioning problems in disguise.
I live in Pflugerville, Texas, near Austin. In my spare time I write and record songs and smoke brisket and ribs.
The full bio's on LinkedIn and music's on Spotify. So check 'em both out and give me a follow.
Success Stories
Invodo (acquired: Industrial Color Studios)
Invodo (acquired: Industrial Color Studios)
Invodo (acquired: Industrial Color Studios)
Online video was exploding, but online retailers lacked the merchandising tools and production capabilities to make the most of it. We took Invodo from $0 to exit through a mix of thought leadership, targeted owned and rented events, and sales enablement to fuel outbound success.
TrendKite (acquired: Cision)
Invodo (acquired: Industrial Color Studios)
Invodo (acquired: Industrial Color Studios)
How do you drive a PR analytics company from the first $1M on through a successful exit? With a scrappy team, tons of content for classic inbound marketing, competitive search campaigns, and a powerful inbound/outbound BDR motion.
TrustRadius
Invodo (acquired: Industrial Color Studios)
TrustRadius
When your big-dog competitor has traffic in the millions and you're stuck at a few hundred thousand, you can either do something different or risk becoming irrelevant. So we dug deep to understand what could change the SEO game, pulling ourselves out of "google jail" and deploying a unicorn-level SEO team and strategy to quadruple traffic over just eight months.