People ask how fractional CMOs get paid, so I will just tell you how I do it, rate and all.
Hourly is the core
My rate is $500 an hour. A decade ago it was a lot lower. It grew as the results did. Hourly is the cleanest version: you pay for the time on your business, nothing hidden.
Equity, once it is earned
After I have worked with a client for a while and proven it out, I will sometimes take a piece of the company instead of, or on top of, the hourly. That ties my upside directly to theirs, which is the point.
Vendor commissions
When I plug a client into someone from my network, a developer, a PPC or SEO shop, a PR firm, I usually earn a referral cut. It saves the client the vetting and the risk, and I only ever send people I would use myself.
The takeaway: the structure flexes to fit the client. Hourly, equity, or a mix.
Want to talk through what a fit would look like? Book a quick call.
