AI won't fix your business.

Understanding your business will…
and I've spent 28 years learning both.

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The gap

Your marketing is busy. Your revenue doesn't show it.

You're running ads, paying agencies, posting on social, and checking dashboards — and still walking into Monday without a clear answer to the only question that matters: is any of this actually bringing in money?

Most $5M–$50M businesses don't have a marketing execution problem. They have a leadership gap. No one owns the strategy. Agencies stay busy but nobody connects their output to revenue. AI tools got added to the stack but nobody knows if they're helping. The budget grows. The clarity doesn't.

Solution

That's exactly the gap I close.

I'm a Fractional CMO and marketing operator who uses AI as a multiplier, not a buzzword. I've built and run twelve companies. I know what a broken marketing function looks like from the inside — and I know how to fix it. I start with your business, build the strategy, align the execution, and use AI to make it move faster and cost less than any agency you've worked with.

Proof

Real engagements.
Real numbers.

See all case studies →
12–20150–200

Weekly sales leads per office

HiLine Homes · Three-year engagement

$3M$11M

Annual revenue

Stanbrooke Custom Homes · Under three years

45

Days to resolve a full contractor shortage

Stanbrooke Custom Homes · Creative recruiting campaign

Benefits

What you actually get.

Senior marketing leadership from day one.

No onboarding lag, no learning curve. I've run this function inside real companies — I own the strategy, direct the vendors, and hold execution accountable from week one.

AI used where it pays, ignored where it doesn't.

I went deep on AI three years ago as an operator, not a technologist. I know which tools move revenue and which ones just add noise. You get the results without the science projects.

An operator who's been in your seat.

Twelve companies, 28 years, every function. I don't advise from the outside — I've made payroll, managed vendors, built sales teams, and fixed what was broken. That's the judgment I bring to your marketing.

One person. Full marketing ownership. Results you can measure.

Services

Three ways to engage.

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Fractional AI Advisor

AI leadership for owners who are done experimenting. I bring senior business judgment to the one question most consultants can't answer: where AI actually belongs in your business. Working across every function, finance, operations, marketing, sales, HR, I find the highest-payoff place to start, put AI to work, and prove the return. Not a technologist. An operator who's run twelve companies and knows what moves profit.

  • Business-wide AI opportunity mapping
  • Practical implementation, not slide decks
  • Measurable return, not hype
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Fractional Marketing Director

An experienced marketing leader who sets strategy and also oversees execution, systems, and day-to-day marketing operations, on a fractional basis. You get senior leadership closer to the operational work, without the cost, delay, or risk of a full-time hire.

  • Executive leadership without full-time cost
  • Team and vendor direction
  • Performance tracking and optimization
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Fractional CMO

Board-level marketing leadership: strategy, direction, and accountability at the executive table. A Fractional CMO works at the highest strategic level, involved in leadership discussions and long-term brand and growth strategy, without the cost of a full-time hire.

  • Executive leadership without full-time cost
  • Team and vendor direction
  • Performance tracking and optimization
Explore How We Help
What clients say

What clients say when the work is done.

Jerry Suhrstedt
About

28 years of running businesses. Not advising about them.

28 years of building, running, and rescuing companies — twelve of them — across marketing, technology, construction, and professional services. Fractional CMO and marketing operator who uses AI to help $5M–$50M businesses grow faster than their competition.

About Jerry →
What's Included

One engagement. The whole marketing function.

Fractional CMO Leadership
Lead Generation Systems
Marketing Strategy And Roadmap
CRM And Marketing Automation
Brand And Messaging Alignment
AI Opportunity Mapping And Implementation
Agency And Vendor Oversight
Weekly Or Biweekly Leadership Cadence
Funnel And Conversion Review
KPI Definition And Reporting
FAQs

Common questions.

How is this different from hiring a full-time CMO or Marketing Director?
A full-time CMO costs $150,000–$300,000 per year before benefits and overhead, plus 6–9 months before they're fully productive. With SumoLab, you get the same senior-level leadership at a fraction of the cost, productive from week one, with no long-term payroll commitment.
Who is this for?
Established businesses generating $5M–$50M in revenue that have outgrown tactical marketing but aren't ready — or don't need — a full-time marketing executive. You likely have a coordinator or an agency, but no one owning the strategy and connecting it to revenue. That's the gap I close.
Is this the same as hiring an agency?
No. Agencies execute deliverables — ads, content, websites. I own the strategy that tells the agency what to build and holds them accountable for results. Most agency relationships fail because no one connects their output to your business goals. I am that connection.
Will you do the work or just advise?
Both, in proportion to what's needed. I lead the strategy, make the decisions, and own the outcomes. I also step in on systems, CRM, content, and AI implementation when execution is the constraint. The goal is progress, not slide decks.
Is AI actually practical for my business right now?
For most $5M–$50M businesses, yes — but only when it's aimed at the right problem. The companies getting real return from AI aren't the ones who bought the most tools. They're the ones who had someone with enough business judgment to know where to point them. That's what I do.
How quickly will I see results?
Most clients get strategic clarity within the first 30 days — clear positioning, aligned messaging, a prioritized roadmap. Revenue impact from lead generation typically shows in 60–90 days depending on your sales cycle. The first conversation is free, and I'll tell you honestly if this is the right fit.

Ready to turn your marketing into a revenue engine?

Book a Strategy Call →