07: What is Fractional Work // Alaina Andreozzi (Fractional CMO & Co-founder of Pizza Wine)
Sep 21, 2023
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Alaina Andreozzi, fractional CMO & Co-founder of Pizza Wine, discusses leaving a successful career, defining fractional work, pitching it to clients, building a network, and finding work-life balance.
Fractional work is being a part-time marketing executive, operating as a CMO for brands without the full-time commitment.
Hiring a fractional CMO provides cost savings and flexibility for seed and early-stage startups.
Building relationships and networking are crucial for expanding client bases and exploring new opportunities as a fractional CMO.
Deep dives
Becoming a Fractional CMO: Elena Andriosie's Journey
Elena Andriosie shares her journey from a successful career in account management to becoming a fractional CMO. She explains what prompted her to leave her agency roles and pursue more flexibility. Elena defines fractional work as being a part-time marketing executive, operating as a CMO for brands without the full-time commitment. She highlights the benefits of hiring a fractional CMO, such as cost savings and flexibility for seed and early-stage startups. Elena emphasizes the importance of clear boundaries and communication to ensure effective collaboration and deliverables. Additionally, she discusses the origins of Pizza Wine, a side project she co-founded with her brother and partner.
Discovering the Need for Fractional Support
Through conversations with founders and industry professionals, Elena identified the need for support in people management and executive-level guidance. She realized that offering fractional CMO services allowed her to address those needs and provide valuable support to early-stage companies. Elena's focus on building relationships and networking within her existing network and beyond has been a crucial aspect of expanding her client base and exploring new opportunities. She emphasizes the importance of connecting with individuals who can provide valuable insights and introductions to potential clients.
The Value of Being a Multi-Hyphenate
Elena embraces her multi-hyphenate identity, combining her work as a fractional CMO with her freelancing projects and co-founding Pizza Wine. She mentions how having multiple work streams provides a sense of diversity, flexibility, and creativity. By leveraging her skills and interests in different areas, Elena constructs a work pie that aligns with her strengths and allows her to pursue various passions. She highlights the stability and freedom that comes from diversifying her work rather than relying on a single job or career path.
Navigating the Fractional Work Landscape
Elena explains the unique value of fractional CMOs and their difference from consultants or freelancers. Fractional CMOs offer ongoing, part-time commitments, bringing executive-level leadership and guidance to startups. The role involves managing teams, providing strategic thought partnership, and supporting founders in various crucial areas. Elena acknowledges the importance of clearly defining scope, deliverables, and expectations with clients to ensure mutual understanding and build strong working relationships. She also emphasizes the need for consistent communication and transparent conversations around time and workload to maintain balance and meet client expectations.
Investing in Yourself and Trusting Your Gut
Elena shares the significance of investing in yourself and taking risks, highlighting her decision to quit her job and bet on her own potential. By allocating a specific amount of time and money to invest in herself, Elena created a sense of stability and purpose during her career transition. She also encourages individuals to trust their instincts and follow their passions, even if the path is uncertain. Elena believes that by listening to their gut and pursuing what brings them joy, individuals can find direction and fulfillment in their work and personal lives.
In this episode of 5to9, I had a chat with Alaina Andreozzi, a fractional CMO, a Pizza Aficionado, and a super networker.
Alaina rose through the ranks in account management at agencies like Wunderman Thompson, R/GA, and Suma Brands. Ultimately she realized she wanted more flexibility and is now a fractional CMO for Haldi - a personalized clean skincare brand and Aavia - a mood and period tracker. She’s also the co-founder of Pizza Wine - a sparking red wine best paired with pizza!
We talked about what prompted her to leave a good career, being unafraid to name what she wanted (even when it didn’t make any sense), her path to being a fractional CMO, what is fractional work, pitching it to clients (who usually aren’t looking for it), building your network, her "work-pie" and more!
This is Alaina Andreozzi for 5to9.
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