For founders who need their business to actually reflect what they're building—and who want to do it smarter, not just harder.
You know what you're doing. You've built something real. But when it comes to explaining it, marketing it, positioning it—something gets lost in translation.
Maybe your messaging feels generic. Maybe you're using language that doesn't sound like you. Maybe you've tried the templates and frameworks and they just don't fit.
Or maybe you're scaling and need someone who can think strategically about the whole picture—not just execute tactics, but actually build the infrastructure that makes growth sustainable.
In 2026, the founders who win aren't just the ones with the best product—they're the ones who can think strategically about AI, positioning, and infrastructure from day one.
I work with early-stage startups, scale-ups, and established businesses that need marketing leadership without the full-time hire. Sometimes that's a few focused sessions to get clarity. Sometimes it's ongoing fractional CMO work to build and run your marketing function.
What I actually do
I don't just execute marketing tactics. I help you think differently about how you show up in the market—and build the systems that make that sustainable.
I help you figure out what you're actually selling
Not features. Not "solutions." The real transformation your customers are buying. Then we make sure every touchpoint reflects that clarity—so your marketing finally sounds like you and resonates with the people you want to reach.
I give you strategic clarity on what actually matters
Help you figure out who you're actually for, what makes you different, and how to talk about it in a way that doesn't sound like everyone else in your space. We cut through the noise and get to what's real.
I build the infrastructure that makes growth repeatable
Strategy without systems is just ideas. I set up the processes, frameworks, and team alignment that turn marketing from a guessing game into something you can actually scale—demand gen, positioning, sales-marketing alignment, the whole picture.
I translate vision into market language
You know what you're building. Your market doesn't—yet. I bridge that gap with positioning and messaging that's strategically sound but still feels authentic. No corporate buzzwords, no template copy that could be anyone's.
I bring AI into your marketing as a strategic capability, not just a tool
Most companies are dabbling with AI for content generation. That's table stakes. I help you use AI to transform how you understand customers, personalize at scale, accelerate research, and make smarter strategic decisions—the things that actually create competitive advantage.
I provide fractional CMO leadership that actually moves the needle
Ongoing strategic partnership for companies that need a marketing leader but aren't ready for a full-time hire. I come in, assess what's working and what's not, build the strategy, align your team, and help you execute it—with AI integration built in from the start.
My offerings
90-Minute Strategy Session
$350
A focused conversation to work through a specific challenge: positioning, go-to-market strategy, messaging that's not landing, or figuring out your next move. Good for founders who know what they need but want an outside perspective.
You get: 90-minute intensive session, post-session summary with key insights and next steps, plus one week of follow-up support via email / WhatsApp.
AI Marketing Readiness Audit
$575
A focused assessment of your current marketing operations and 3-5 high-impact AI integration opportunities with a clear implementation roadmap. We identify where AI creates real leverage—customer research, personalization, predictive analytics, content systems—versus where it's just noise.
You get: Current state assessment, prioritized AI opportunity matrix, implementation roadmap with timeline and resource needs, tool recommendations, and 60-minute presentation of findings.
Timeline: 1 week
The Solopreneur Business Audit + Action Plan
$675
A focused, high-touch engagement to get clear on your positioning, your offers, and your plan to attract the right clients, without the overwhelm.
You get: Intake questionnaire, 90-minute strategy session, custom video walkthrough of your action plan, written strategic brief, and 2 weeks of WhatsApp support for questions and refinement.
Timeline: 2 weeks
Brand Clarity + Storytelling Intensive
$875
For founders who've built something real, but can't yet explain it in a way that lands with the people they want to serve. We'll look at your current messaging, identify gaps and opportunities, and co-create a clear, differentiated story that feels like you and actually converts.
You get: Messaging audit, 2-hour intensive working session, complete messaging framework (positioning statement, value props, key messages), content templates, and one follow-up session to refine based on market testing.
Timeline: 3-4 weeks
AI-Integrated Go-to-Market Strategy
$1,450
Launching something new? Entering a new market? This intensive combines traditional GTM strategy with AI-powered market intelligence, competitive analysis, and launch modeling.
You get: Complete launch roadmap, AI-assisted competitive intelligence framework, customer research at scale, messaging that lands, and custom AI workflows configured for your team to use during launch and beyond.
Timeline: 2-3 weeks strategy development + 90-day launch support with two optimization sessions
Ongoing Strategic Marketing Leadership (Retainer)
$2,500/month
A monthly strategic partnership where I join your team as your Fractional CMO. You get a senior partner working as part of your leadership team—shaping strategy, aligning execution, and steering growth—without the cost of a full-time hire.
You get: Deep strategy development and execution, AI integration roadmapping, marketing systems and process setup, team alignment and leadership, monthly strategic planning sessions, and priority access for urgent needs.
Engagement: 6-month engagement. I work with only one fractional CMO client at a time to give you my full strategic attention. Once we've built your marketing systems and infrastructure together, most clients shift to a reduced-rate advisory retainer where I'm your ongoing strategic partner without the intensive execution.
Who is this for
Founders and CEOs
Who know their business but don't know how to market it in a way that feels authentic.
Startups and Scale-ups
That need marketing leadership but can't justify a full-time CMO yet.
Purpose-driven companies
In tech, wellness, conscious business, or professional services that want marketing that actually reflects their values—not just performative language.
Forward-thinking teams
Who want to integrate AI into their marketing strategy in ways that create actual competitive advantage—not just use ChatGPT for blog posts.
People who are tired of marketing that feels like BS
And want someone who can help them do it differently.
Trusted by founders and teams
“Melina brings clarity to the big picture and follows through with care and precision.”
I worked closely with Melina across a wide range of initiatives including a rebrand, website launch, content strategy, and the systems needed to ensure long term brand consistency. She brings together thoughtful strategy and strong execution in a way that feels both grounded and creative.
Melina has a gift for asking the right questions. She helps frame the big picture, clarify what really matters, and articulate a cohesive narrative that guides decisions. She is highly responsive, collaborative, and genuinely fun to work with. I deeply value her partnership and mentorship.
— Wendy Staudt, CMO Katabat
“Melina knows how to connect and covert your target clientele. She’s truly above the rest.”
Melina has proven time and again that marketing is strategic and requires careful development and ongoing adjustment. She’s taught me how to ID my target audience and speak to them in an intelligible and clear way.
Her marketing incorporates business and mindfulness and we were grateful to bring both into our marketing strategy.
— Shana Ginsburg, CEO Ginsburg Advanced Tutoring
“A true CMO on demand who combines strategic clarity with real execution.”
Melina has a rare ability to hold both the strategic and the practical at the same time. She was deeply involved in shaping major marketing decisions while also ensuring those decisions were executed by a small team of part timers and interns.
She truly operates as a CMO on demand who also makes sure things actually get done. That balance is difficult to find, and Melina manages it with clarity, structure, and ease. She is driven, experienced, well organized, and genuinely a pleasure to work with. I would strongly recommend her to early stage startups in the social impact space and beyond.
— Robin van Dalen, CEO Inuka Coaching
“A grounded leader you can trust to align people, strategy, and execution.”
Melina is exceptional at stakeholder management and ensuring alignment across teams. She leads with clarity and trust. She is not just a boss, but a true motivator who encourages ownership and accountability while supporting people to do their best work.
Her ability to craft strong marketing strategies and translate them into clear tactical plans was a major asset. Her international background, with roots in the US, the Netherlands, and Greece, also played an important role in aligning our global team.
Most importantly, Melina is someone you can rely on. She is trustworthy, consistent, and deeply supportive. I learned a great deal from working with her and would highly recommend her for any marketing leadership role.
— Jolanda Geerts, Senior B2B marketing leader
“Clear guidance, practical insight, and sharper strategic positioning.”
Working with Melina brought clear, practical guidance on what needed to be done to reach our marketing goals. Her expertise and pragmatic experience made a tangible difference in refining our strategic positioning. She has a rare ability to simplify complexity and translate vision into focused, actionable direction.
— Sabine Louët, CEO SciencePod
“A true CMO on demand who combines strategic clarity with real execution.”
Melina has a rare ability to hold both the strategic and the practical at the same time. She was deeply involved in shaping major marketing decisions while also ensuring those decisions were executed by a small team of part timers and interns.
She truly operates as a CMO on demand who also makes sure things actually get done. That balance is difficult to find, and Melina manages it with clarity, structure, and ease. She is driven, experienced, well organized, and genuinely a pleasure to work with. I would strongly recommend her to early stage startups in the social impact space and beyond.
— Robin van Dalen, CEO Inuka Coaching
Background
I am a Duke and MIT Sloan alum (MBA) and spent some years as a management consultant before moving into marketing and business development. I've served as Fractional CMO for over two dozen companies—mostly in SaaS, conscious tech, wellness, and professional services.
I've worked with AI platforms, wellness companies, coaching businesses, financial services firms, and a lot of founders who came to me because traditional marketing advice wasn't working for them.
I've been integrating AI into marketing strategies since 2023—not as a replacement for strategic thinking, but as an amplifier of it. I know how to identify where AI creates real leverage versus where it's just shiny object syndrome.
I know how to build marketing strategies that drive results. I also know how to do it in a way that doesn't make you feel like you're performing or selling your soul.
Get in touch
If you want to talk about working together, email me or book a 20 minute exploratory call below. Tell me what you're building and where you're stuck.
We’ll figure out if it makes sense.
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