Growth Insights for CEOs

Vistage Chairs: Is Your Member’s Marketing Really Working? Ask These 5 Questions.
Executive Takeaways
- Most CEOs challenge every capital investment but can't say with confidence whether their marketing is working.
- More leads isn't better marketing. Better customers are.
- If sales and marketing are blaming each other, the CEO hasn't asked the right question.
- The real measure isn't what marketing produced. It's what it changed about the future economics of the business.
Recent Posts

Vistage Chairs: There's One Buyer Conversation Your CEOs Aren't Having
Wed, Jun 10, 2026 — Executive Takeaways Most CEOs misdiagnose why they lose deals — and it's costing them. Buyers won't tell your salespeople the real reason. They'll tell a neutral third party. The most common loss reasons are fixable — if you know what they actually are. Insight without action is just a good conversation. Win/loss analysis turns it into revenue.

When to Hire a Fractional CMO vs Full-Time CMO
Tue, May 26, 2026 — Executive Takeaways The distinction between fractional and full-time CMO isn't hours or cost — it's orientation and incentives. Fractional wins in definable contexts: transitions, growth stages, and moments requiring an honest broker. The CEO-CMO trust gap is structural, not personal. Fractional leadership changes the architecture. Full-time is right for large-scale transformation. CEOs must match the model to the moment.

Growth Without Guesswork: The Questions Great Vistage Chairs Ask
Fri, May 15, 2026 — Executive Takeaways Most CEOs are managing growth on assumptions that no longer reflect how buyers actually buy. The best Chair question isn't "how is sales going?" It's "where are the growth leaks?" AI search is already a revenue issue, not a future one. Insight without commitment is just a good conversation.
Stay up-to-date with the latest from Chief Outsiders

Should I Hire a Fractional CMO?
Fri, May 8, 2026 — Executive Takeaways A full-time CMO can cost $1M in year one — before the first campaign ships. Full-time CMOs optimize for tenure. Fractional CMOs optimize for outcomes. Fractional CMOs bring cross-industry pattern recognition that deepens with every engagement. Fractional leadership wins in specific, definable contexts. The next article maps exactly when.

How to Develop Future C-Suite Leaders: A Guide for Mentoring and Succession Planning
Fri, Apr 10, 2026 — Executive Takeaways Succession gaps quietly erode growth, value, and decision speed Strong companies treat succession as a continuous leadership discipline A 1/3/5-year talent map builds a visible, scalable leadership pipeline Sponsorship, mentoring, and coaching turn high-potential talent into ready leaders Ambition is the easy part. The real question is whether your company’s future CEO’s, CFOs, COOs, CMO’s and CROs are already growing inside the business long before you need them.

AI Search is Here – And it’s Reshaping the Buyer Journey
Tue, Dec 16, 2025 — Part 1 of our four-part series exploring how AI search is transforming visibility, SEO, and digital strategy - and what CEOs need to do now to stay competitive. Executive Takeaways Declining web traffic isn’t random - it’s a symptom of changing search behavior. AI search is already impacting over 25% of user journeys - and growing fast If you’re not being cited, you’re missing opportunities-period.

CEO Shares How He Grew His Stained Glass Business with the Help of His Peer Advisory Group
Thu, Aug 17, 2017 — Business increased by 300% since joining Vistage Chief Outsiders Fractional CMO, Neil Anderson, has a conversation with Vistage Member and CEO of Scottish Stained Glass, Martin Faith, about his experience with Vistage, an executive coaching organization that provides leadership training and business coaching to CEOs and Executives.

CEO Shares the Benefits of Participating in a Peer Advisory Group
Mon, Apr 24, 2017 — CEO Experiences Growth from Being a Member of Vistage Chief Outsiders Fractional CMO, Neil Anderson, has a conversation with Vistage Member and CEO of TalenTrust, Kathleen Quinn Votaw, about her experience with Vistage, an executive coaching organization that provides leadership training and business coaching to CEOs and Executives.

Who Are the Top Business Consulting Firms in Charlotte, NC?
Wed, Apr 30, 2014 — Top Business Consulting Firms Based in Charlotte, NC There are a wide range of consulting firms and business advisory formats available to CEOs and Presidents in Charlotte, North Carolina. As a marketing consultant, I’ve had the opportunity to work with and observe a range of firms, gaining insight into the strengths of various consulting formats.