Chief Outsiders

🚨 The next chapter of Chief Outsiders is here! Bringing more impact and a strategic shift, designed for CEOs who need clarity, speed, and expertise without the fluff. 🔹 Find the right fractional executive—fast. 🔹 Access expert perspectives that cut through the noise. 🔹 See how we plug into your business and drive growth on demand. Here’s what’s new: ↪ Who is this for? CEOs who need marketing and sales leadership now—but not full-time. ↪ How do I know if I need help? If revenue is stalling, leads are weak, or sales teams aren’t closing, it’s time to bring in expertise. ↪ What’s different? A clearer path to solutions, industry insights at your fingertips, and an easier way to find the right executive for your needs. Here's the next chapter of Chief Outsiders: https://bit.ly/3dSJHVm

Too many companies confuse “culture” with feel-good perks and high engagement scores. But culture is how work gets done—and if that culture isn’t driving measurable business outcomes, it’s a liability. The fix is to focus on no more than five culture shifts. Anything more, and you’re setting yourself up for failure. Then, hardwire those shifts into daily operations, hiring, and incentives. Culture should fuel growth, not just look good on paper. Read more from our own Janell Pittman via Fast Company: https://bit.ly/3DKk2vl

For years, tariffs were background noise. But for those leading a company with global supply chains or international customers, they're now front and center. Reacting as if it were still 1995 just won’t do. In Part 3 of our series, we explore how strategic sourcing can become a competitive advantage rather than just a cost center. Instead of merely scrambling for cheaper parts or squeezing suppliers, consider using this disruption to build a more resilient, future-ready supply chain. Here's how to approach it: ✅ Evaluate more than just cost - focus on agility, reliability, and supplier risk. ✅ Map your exposure by geography and tariff category (and share this information). ✅ Shift your mindset from transactional to collaborative relationships with suppliers. ✅ Integrate procurement with sales, marketing, and finance for a comprehensive tariff strategy. ✅ Incentivize partners who engage with transparency and shared forecasting. Today’s most innovative procurement teams are not just buyers; they are scenario planners and growth enablers. Key Takeaway: Cost-cutting is not a strategy; strategic sourcing is. Dive into the details and stay tuned for Part 4: https://bit.ly/4jsVVAI

In today’s market, a 10%+ CAGR is more than a goal. It’s the new minimum bar for staying competitive, commanding strong valuations, and retaining investor and board confidence. But consistent, profitable growth doesn’t come from a lucky break or an aggressive sales push. It comes from a strategic foundation that is built across five key growth levers: 1️⃣ Precision Business Development: A clear picture of your ideal customer isn't optional. Without it, you're burning resources chasing bad-fit deals. Focused targeting and tailored messaging unlock real efficiency and faster conversion. 2️⃣ Obsessive Retention and CLV: New business alone won’t cut it. Sustainable growth comes from maximizing the value of the customers you already have—upsells, cross-sells, and experiences that keep them loyal. Churn kills revenue more quietly (and quickly) than most CEOs realize. 3️⃣ Smart Expansion into New Markets or Products: Don’t diversify for the sake of it. Do it when your product can solve a real need in an adjacent market. And set exit criteria before you start—so you know when to pivot, not just when to push harder. 4️⃣ Strategic Partnerships That Actually Work: The best partnerships aren’t just distribution plays—they’re aligned, integrated relationships with shared success metrics. When they work, they expand your reach and capability at a fraction of the cost of building it yourself. 5️⃣ Recurring Revenue Models: Predictable, high-margin growth lives here. Subscriptions, memberships, retainer services—models that reduce churn and increase LTV. If you’re not exploring how to package recurring value, you’re leaving stability (and valuation) on the table. These aren't just tactics. They're building blocks of a scalable, defensible growth engine. At Chief Outsiders, we don’t theorize—we implement. Our fractional executives work with CEOs to build and execute plans like these, with the right metrics, messaging, and market motion to make double-digit growth more than a wish. Stop guessing and start executing.

When hiring a fractional executive at Chief Outsiders, you don't get a one-person response team to single-handedly achieve your goals. You get one of our battle-tested CMOs or CSOs along with a full growth team. Team Outsiders™ is our on-demand execution engine. ✔️ Ready-to-deploy talent across digital, brand, content, analytics, ops, and more ✔️ Built-in alignment with your fractional exec’s strategy ✔️ No ramp-up, no recruiting, no delays We connect strategic horsepower to executional muscle—so you move faster, more efficiently, and with less risk. That’s the Chief Outsiders difference: Strategy + execution, all in one motion.

A 10% tariff doesn’t mean a 10% price increase. Yet many companies react that way - triggering pricing shocks that damage customer trust and erode market position. It’s not just about protecting margin. It’s about protecting relationships. Smart organizations take a disciplined approach: ☑️ Quantify the real impact beyond surface-level percentages ☑️ Align sales, finance, and marketing before any price moves ☑️ Equip sales teams with the right tools, language, and confidence ☑️ Communicate increases clearly, with rationale tied to long-term value Raising prices without alignment or explanation isn’t just risky - it’s avoidable. Your pricing strategy during a tariff event is more than a math equation. It’s a test of leadership, brand integrity, and customer loyalty. Don’t fail it. Dive into Part 2 to learn more, and stay tuned for Part 3! https://bit.ly/4jlKjiy

Most firms stop at strategy. We don’t. At Chief Outsiders, execution is built into our model. That’s what sets us apart. Our Growth Gears™ OS gives you a proven framework to build your go-to-market plan. Team Outsiders™ brings the people and tech to make it happen. And our battle-tested CMOs and CSOs? They’ve been in your shoes. They know what works. We’re not another consulting firm. We’re your growth engine. 🎥 Watch Karen Hayward break it down.

In today’s unpredictable trade environment, tariffs do more than raise costs—they shake confidence, disrupt supply chains, and throw go-to-market strategies off balance. Manufacturers and mid-sized businesses can’t treat this like it’s 1995. From BOM audits to competitor benchmarking, smart companies are turning insight into strategy—and turning instability into opportunity. 🔍 Dive into Part 1 of our series on modern tariff strategy: https://bit.ly/4cr6O3B Stay tuned for Part 2, where we'll cover how sales and marketing teams can protect margins without falling into the pricing trap.

More headcount, more activity, and more noise are not the solution for lagging sales. Here's what is: Sales Terraformance is a structured, science-based process designed to create a thriving sales environment—one where leadership and management are clearly defined, goals are aligned, and execution is driven by data, not guesswork. We start with an in-depth assessment, move through strategic alignment, and end with a KPI-sensitive Sales Velocity Model that helps leaders coach, track, and improve performance every single day. Sales growth isn’t magic. It’s science. And it’s repeatable. Understand more about this approach with Chief Outsider Vince Margiotta: https://bit.ly/42b6lh7

SMBs that understand how to operationalize AI are seeing results where it matters: → Lower acquisition costs → Smarter, faster decisions → Higher customer retention The challenge isn’t lack of tools—it’s lack of strategy. At Chief Outsiders, we pair AI with our Growth Gears framework to help CEOs turn possibility into performance. Whether you need stronger insights, process automation, or scalable personalization, our battle-tested CMOs help you execute with precision. 🤩 The best part: We help you assess your AI readiness and prioritize what will drive real impact—without getting lost in tech for tech’s sake. Let’s put your growth in hyperdrive: https://bit.ly/490eNSg