01CAC climbing
"CAC keeps climbing — we've hit the point where advertising isn't profitable."
The #1 problem founders bring us. Get a marketing leader to read your account and name the lever that actually moves efficiency.
Marketing leadership on demand
Hire a fractional CMO you’ve actually worked with first.
Skip the 6-week search and the blind $8k/mo commitment. Book a 1:1 with a real CMO or head of marketing who's already scaled a brand like yours — then keep them on as your fractional CMO for ongoing coaching when you're ready.
500+ mentors · 10,000+ sessions delivered · 4.99/5 average rating
Learn how the best consumer brands are built
Sound familiar?
The decisions founders bring us when they think they need a CMO.
02No strategy
"We don't have a marketing strategy that's actually working."
Stop guessing the channel mix. Have someone who has allocated 7-figure budgets tell you where the next dollar should go.
03First marketing hire
"Do I hire a head of marketing, an agency, or a fractional CMO?"
Get an honest answer from people who have been each one — before you commit to a full-time salary.
04The plateau
"Growth has stalled and I can't tell if it's creative, channel, or product."
A diagnostic call with an operator who has broken the exact ceiling you're hitting — and knows which one it usually is.
05Team & budget
"How should I structure my marketing team and split the budget?"
Org design, in-house vs. agency, and budget allocation from people who run teams at 8 and 9-figure brands.
06New channel
"We want to add retail / Amazon / a new channel and don't know where to start."
Pressure-test the expansion with someone who has already launched the channel you're eyeing.
How MentorPass works
The easiest way to hire a fractional CMO.
Find your expert, book a call, solve your problem — and keep them on when you’re ready.
1. Find your expert
Browse vetted CMOs and heads of marketing, and pick the one who's scaled a brand like yours.
2. Book a call
Choose a time and book a 1:1. Your expert reviews your business before you meet.
3. Solve your problem
Get on the call and leave with a specific, prioritized plan you can run this week.
Keep them on
Love your expert? Retain them as your fractional CMO — ongoing coaching at a cadence you control.
The leading expert network for consumer brands.
MentorPass was created in 2020 to give everyone access to the mentors who can help them best achieve their goals. In 2021, we went all in on the DTC industry, and have since built the strongest network in the world.
500+
mentors
245
vetted marketing leaders
10,000+
sessions delivered
4.99
average rating
2,000+
brands advised
Everything you need to know about hiring a fractional CMO.
What is a fractional CMO?+
A fractional CMO is a senior marketing leader who runs your marketing part-time — setting strategy, owning the channel mix, structuring the team and allocating budget — for a fraction of the cost of a full-time chief marketing officer. Instead of a $250k+ executive salary, you get experienced leadership on a flexible, ongoing basis.
What does a fractional CMO do?+
A fractional CMO owns the marketing decisions a founder shouldn't be making alone: which channels to scale, why CAC is climbing, how to structure and hire the team, and where the budget should go. Day to day that can mean auditing your paid media, building a growth roadmap, setting up reporting, or coaching a junior team — scoped to what your business needs.
How much does a fractional CMO cost?+
A traditional fractional CMO runs $5,000–$15,000+ per month, usually on a multi-month retainer committed before you’ve ever worked together. On MentorPass you start with a single 1:1 — the price of one call — and only set up an ongoing coaching retainer with the same operator if it’s a fit. You try the relationship before you scale it.
When should you hire a fractional CMO?+
Hire a fractional CMO when marketing has outgrown you but isn't ready for a full-time executive — revenue is real, paid spend is meaningful, and the decisions are getting expensive to get wrong. It's an especially good fit for startups and DTC brands that need senior judgment now, without a six-figure commitment.
Fractional CMO vs. agency vs. full-time hire — what’s the difference?+
An agency executes campaigns but rarely owns your strategy, and you're often handed junior account managers. A full-time CMO owns everything but costs $250k+ and takes months to hire. A fractional CMO sits in between: senior ownership and strategy, at a fraction of the cost and risk — and on MentorPass you can pressure-test the fit on a single call first.
Who are the marketing leaders on MentorPass?+
They're current and former CMOs, VPs and heads of marketing from brands like Obvi, True Classic, Native, Cuts and AG1 — operators who have personally scaled real P&Ls. Every profile shows their experience, ratings and verbatim reviews so you can choose the right fit.
How fast can I talk to someone?+
Most leaders have availability within days. You book a 30- or 60-minute 1:1, they review your business beforehand, and you leave with a specific, prioritized plan you can run this week.
Can I keep working with them on an ongoing basis?+
Yes — it’s the most popular path. Start with one session, then put the operator who fit best on an ongoing coaching retainer so they act as your fractional CMO at a cadence you control. You scale the engagement up only once you’ve seen the value firsthand.
Don't take our word for it. Hear from the operators building the next generation of iconic brands.
As heard on Open Residency Podcast
I hire people who are young & hungry and give them access to tools like MentorPass.
Ross MackayFounder & CEO, Cadence
“MentorPass has been a pivotal tool in our success. We've gotten critical advice and built great relationships.”
George PadillaCo-Founder, Rho Nutrition
“MentorPass gives you access to the operators who built billion-dollar brands. One call feels like a year worth of trial and error.”
Sam GarstFounder & CEO, Nood
1,000+ 5-star reviews
“Extremely specific advice and materials tailored to my exact problems. 50x value.”
PF
Pavel F.“...it saved us months and hundreds of thousands so we're grateful to have him on MentorPass.”
HL
Harel L.“...thankfully we spoke with him and are able to change things now before it costs us millions.”
SR
Santiago R.“I left the call with a game-plan that will save me millions.”
EJ
Evan J.“The wisdom and experience passed down to me on the call is worth millions. There's definitely levels to this retention game.”
RS
Russell S.“He gave me advice that I'm confident will yield a 100x ROI from our 30-minute call.”
MS
Marcin S.“The value I got from the call was 100x the costs.”
CA
Christian A.“ROI in 3 minutes, then 57 extra minutes of awesome learning. Highly recommend.”
WB
William B.“2 months on and we have been growing consistently 100% MoM.”
KF
Kyle F.“...his insights saved me years and a ton of $$.”
SR
Santiago R.“The ROI on this call is going to be insane.”
RG
Rutger G.“My tear-down session was shockingly valuable, immediately actionable, and trivial in cost — compared to the six-figure sales increase I expect as a result.”
KH
Khalid H.“The most valuable call I've had in the last 5 years in business.”
AF
Alex F.“Every conversation with Roman feels like a brain upgrade. 10/10, would absolutely recommend.”
AS
Armon S.“Straight to the point and delivers value bombs. I'm excited to see the insane ROI from this call!”
TC
Thijmen C.“I got more value in 30 mins with Max than 6 months working with another marketing "expert". Fantastic.”
OP
Olivia P.“More value in 30 minutes than most mentors or masterminds offer in months.”
MD
Michael D.“Extremely specific advice and materials tailored to my exact problems. 50x value.”
PF
Pavel F.“...it saved us months and hundreds of thousands so we're grateful to have him on MentorPass.”
HL
Harel L.“...thankfully we spoke with him and are able to change things now before it costs us millions.”
SR
Santiago R.“I left the call with a game-plan that will save me millions.”
EJ
Evan J.“The wisdom and experience passed down to me on the call is worth millions. There's definitely levels to this retention game.”
RS
Russell S.“He gave me advice that I'm confident will yield a 100x ROI from our 30-minute call.”
MS
Marcin S.“The value I got from the call was 100x the costs.”
CA
Christian A.“ROI in 3 minutes, then 57 extra minutes of awesome learning. Highly recommend.”
WB
William B.“2 months on and we have been growing consistently 100% MoM.”
KF
Kyle F.“...his insights saved me years and a ton of $$.”
SR
Santiago R.“The ROI on this call is going to be insane.”
RG
Rutger G.“My tear-down session was shockingly valuable, immediately actionable, and trivial in cost — compared to the six-figure sales increase I expect as a result.”
KH
Khalid H.“The most valuable call I've had in the last 5 years in business.”
AF
Alex F.“Every conversation with Roman feels like a brain upgrade. 10/10, would absolutely recommend.”
AS
Armon S.“Straight to the point and delivers value bombs. I'm excited to see the insane ROI from this call!”
TC
Thijmen C.“I got more value in 30 mins with Max than 6 months working with another marketing "expert". Fantastic.”
OP
Olivia P.“More value in 30 minutes than most mentors or masterminds offer in months.”
MD
Michael D.“Probably the most valuable 30 minutes of my life. 100% recommend.”
KR
Kamal R.“The advice I got from him can change the trajectory of my business.”
TS
Tom S.“Questions that were on my mind for months were solved in minutes! I'm kicking myself for not meeting him sooner.”
EG
Eli G.“It took me almost 5 months and he solved it in 1 hour — just by listening to me.”
PK
Patrick K.“...could well have just saved me 6 months of trial and error.”
JH
Jacob H.“I gained more clarity in 1 hour than in the last 1.5 years. Highly recommend!”
AS
Alexander S.“Since working with Bryan I've experienced the fastest growth in my e-com brands to date and consistently exceeded Q4 targets.”
SS
Sliman S.“Over 20 calls later, this was probably the most valuable call I've had on MentorPass. Need I say more?”
HH
Hamza H.“...his knowledge was worth 10x what I paid for the session. Run, don't walk to book time.”
MS
Michele S.“George is my go-to expert for all things ecommerce email marketing.”
PA
Pat A.“Worth its weight in gold. Highly highly recommend.”
HB
Hayden B.“No way you will waste your money!”
TC
Thomas C.“Ron should be charging more for these sessions. His insights and connections make every minute beyond worthwhile.”
JS
Josemaria S.“Come with the right questions and you will leave with the power to easily 100x+ the cost of the call.”
J
Justin“I've been working on feedback from this session for the last 7 months including implementing EOS and competitively bidding COGS. Extremely valuable.”
TR
Tavish R.“Worth every penny, wish I had done this sooner!”
MV
Mike V.“Probably the most valuable 30 minutes of my life. 100% recommend.”
KR
Kamal R.“The advice I got from him can change the trajectory of my business.”
TS
Tom S.“Questions that were on my mind for months were solved in minutes! I'm kicking myself for not meeting him sooner.”
EG
Eli G.“It took me almost 5 months and he solved it in 1 hour — just by listening to me.”
PK
Patrick K.“...could well have just saved me 6 months of trial and error.”
JH
Jacob H.“I gained more clarity in 1 hour than in the last 1.5 years. Highly recommend!”
AS
Alexander S.“Since working with Bryan I've experienced the fastest growth in my e-com brands to date and consistently exceeded Q4 targets.”
SS
Sliman S.“Over 20 calls later, this was probably the most valuable call I've had on MentorPass. Need I say more?”
HH
Hamza H.“...his knowledge was worth 10x what I paid for the session. Run, don't walk to book time.”
MS
Michele S.“George is my go-to expert for all things ecommerce email marketing.”
PA
Pat A.“Worth its weight in gold. Highly highly recommend.”
HB
Hayden B.“No way you will waste your money!”
TC
Thomas C.“Ron should be charging more for these sessions. His insights and connections make every minute beyond worthwhile.”
JS
Josemaria S.“Come with the right questions and you will leave with the power to easily 100x+ the cost of the call.”
J
Justin“I've been working on feedback from this session for the last 7 months including implementing EOS and competitively bidding COGS. Extremely valuable.”
TR
Tavish R.“Worth every penny, wish I had done this sooner!”
MV
Mike V.Meet your fractional CMO with a single call.
Book a 1:1 with a marketing leader who's scaled a brand like yours. Get a plan you run Monday — and keep them on for ongoing coaching when you're ready.
