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Why I made the jump from in-house to freelance Marketing executive

by Loic Jeanjean on
Fractional CMO

Over the past 20 years, I've had the privilege of working with innovative and forward-thinking tech startups like Pleo or Ledger. But like many marketers, I've experienced the ups and downs of the job market, including layoffs and uncertainty about my future in the field.

5 months ago, I made the choice to go the Fractional CMO route. And it has been the most fulfilling I've been in a long time.

At first, I was hesitant to take the leap and become my own boss. I worried about finding clients, setting my rates, and building a reputation as a reliable and effective marketer. All those turned out to be less of a struggle than I had imagined (more on that in a future post)

I love having the freedom to work from anywhere and choosing the clients that interest me most. Freelancing has allowed me to take control of my career, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

This flexibility is huge! I can work from home, a coffee shop, or a co-working space, and I can set my own schedule. This allows me to balance my work and personal life in a way that works best for me.

Another thing I've loved lately is the variety of work freelancing brings me. I have had the chance to work with a web3 startup, a couple of fintechs, and 3 SaaS companies.

Each one approached me with their own unique marketing challenges. So far this is what I found:

Early-stage startups (pre-seed to seed) need help with:

  • hiring their first marketing team
  • creating a go-to-market strategy
  • deciding where to deploy a small marketing budget

While more established startups (series A or B) need help with:

  • scaling their marketing efforts
  • driving predictable & sustainable growth
  • prioritizing which new market/vertical to open
  • coaching & developing their marketing leaders

This is super exciting, it keeps my work fresh and exciting and allows me to learn and grow as a marketer.

And it has been incredibly rewarding to see the results of my work and to know that I have made a difference in their business.

Of course, freelancing also comes with its own set of challenges. It requires a certain level of discipline and self-motivation to stay on track and meet deadlines.

But for me, the benefits of freelancing far outweigh the challenges.

Freelancing has allowed me to build a career on my own terms, while also maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

It's given me the opportunity to leverage my experience in new and exciting ways, build amazing relationships with the founders I've come to meet, and maintain a level of independence and autonomy that I did not have as an in-house marketer.

If you're considering making the leap, I'm always happy to chat and share my own experiences as a fractional CMO.

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