Interview – Natalie Swan

Amanda: Welcome to Female Fractionals, the biweekly podcast for successful female fractional executives and those ready to take the leap. In each episode, I'll bring you actionable lessons and inspiration through interviews with thriving fractional leaders and experts. Let's dive in.

Hi everyone, and welcome to today's episode of Female Fractionals. I'm your host and fractional CMO, Amanda Nizzere. This episode is a great conversation with Natalie Swan and features a candid discussion about the realities of fractional leadership, the mindset shifts needed to hire a fractional, and lessons from our guest’s journey—from scrappy brand manager to successful fractional leader and business owner.

Our guest today is Natalie Swan, owner of Swan and Associates. B2B company leaders hire Natalie and her team to turn business objectives into strategic, actionable marketing. Her firm provides fractional CMO support to $5 million and up B2B companies as long-term partners. Swan and Associates offers high-touch, transformational marketing strategy services.

Marketing is always an experiment, so Natalie’s team champions an iterative approach while making strategy doable and actionable. They collaborate closely with leadership and cross-functional teams, allowing them to deeply understand the business and drive impactful results.

You can learn more about Natalie and her team at swanandassociates.co or connect with Natalie Swan on LinkedIn. I hope you enjoy today’s discussion, and without further ado, let’s jump in.

Hi, Natalie. Welcome to Female Fractionals. I'm so glad you're here.

Natalie: Thank you so much, Amanda. I'm really excited for our conversation today.

Amanda: I would love to start the conversation how I start with everyone, because I find everyone’s journeys so fascinating. Could you share a little bit about your journey from events and brand management to launching your own fractional CMO business?

Natalie: Yeah, I'm happy to share. It’s a story that really lights me up because I feel very fortunate for how things unfolded.

I started my career at a company in downtown Chicago right after college. I’m from Oregon, so it was a big jump across the country. We did large-scale event production, started by two young entrepreneurs—brothers-in-law. It was at the forefront of the experiential entertainment industry: mud runs, music festivals, beer festivals, and so on.

The company grew quickly. We were recognized by major media, putting on events for tens of thousands across the U.S. and internationally. I was traveling all the time. I really fell in love with marketing and brand because I was telling the story and promoting something I believed in—people making memories. This was as social media was taking off, so it was fun and exciting.

What drew me to marketing was how it blends business strategy and data with creativity—something I know you appreciate, Amanda. It’s that balance that makes it so compelling.

I worked my way up to brand manager, overseeing multiple brand launches and working directly with the executive team on financial projections and full marketing strategies. I managed agencies, writers, tech, website dev, customer service—it was comprehensive. I felt like an entrepreneur, responsible for the success of brands I didn’t own but cared deeply about. That gave me the skillset and confidence I needed.

Now, I own Swan and Associates, my fractional CMO firm, which I started in 2017. We’re just over eight years in, which is really exciting. We bring that same resourceful, problem-solving mentality to our clients.

Amanda: That’s great. Eight years—congratulations!

Natalie: Thank you!

Amanda: I think you’re my longest-tenured guest so far, so congrats.

Natalie: Oh my gosh!

Amanda: Tell me a little bit about the journey to landing your first client. The marketing prowess was there—but how did you go about marketing yourself and landing that first client?

Natalie: Love that you brought up the cobbler's shoes—because this was one of the hardest lessons I had to learn. I came from a sophisticated marketing firm with big-name clients, and I thought I had to do things "the right way," with all the bells and whistles.

But starting your own business doesn’t work that way. Those big teams and budgets aren’t realistic when you’re on your own—or when you're working with clients who don’t yet have a sophisticated marketing function. I had to unlearn a lot and ask: What will make an impact? What can I do with the tools I already have?

That meant sending emails and LinkedIn messages to everyone I knew—former managers, coworkers, college contacts, professors. I asked for support, and people showed up. My first client was actually my former employer. I had moved out of state and asked if I could support them a few hours a week remotely. This was 2017, before remote was common—but they said yes.

That became a mutually beneficial setup and taught me that I could lead, part-time, from afar. It all happened organically, with people I already knew and loved working with.

Amanda: That’s a great first client—and a great way to start. I’d imagine you’ve refined your positioning over time, right?

Natalie: Yep. As one does.

Amanda: So how do you position your business now? As fractional leadership, consulting, agency? How do you define it?

Natalie: Such a good question—and one that’s confusing for a lot of people. There’s so much noise in the marketing world, and business owners often don’t know what’s right for them.

When I started, I positioned myself as a marketing strategy consultant. I love strategy. Marketing doesn’t live in a silo; it reflects the business.

But I realized that strategy alone isn’t enough. You waste time and money without it, yes—but you also need someone who can execute. Many businesses hire full-time marketers who aren’t strategic leaders, or agencies that execute poorly without the right foundation. It’s not that “marketing doesn’t work”—it’s that it needs to work for your business, with the right resources.

We’re not an agency. We’re an extension of our client’s team. They work with me directly as their fractional CMO, and I partner with the CEO and leadership to align marketing with business strategy. I also have a small team for execution—so clients aren’t overpaying me for tactical work, but we’re still getting it done effectively.

Amanda: I really respect how clear you are. People often don’t know what they need. How do you define the right fit—by size, revenue, mindset?

Natalie: Mindset is huge. I look for people who want a partner. If someone says “just send me leads,” that’s a red flag.

Business is hard. My clients have strong products and loyal customers, and I want to work with people who want to take marketing off their plate and trust someone else to lead it. They’re still involved, but not micromanaging. They need to champion it within their org.

Revenue-wise, our clients are typically $5M+—that’s when they have something that’s working, and we can help pour gasoline on the fire.

Amanda: Let’s talk about the mindset shift of hiring a fractional. What misconceptions have you seen from CEOs or founders?

Natalie: There’s a belief that it’s a “cheaper” or “lighter” version of a full-time exec. But you’re paying for expertise—someone who can do the job well in less time, with better outcomes.

The real cost of hiring the wrong person—whether full-time or agency—isn’t just time or money. It’s the fact that you have to start over. A fractional can help you avoid that by guiding decisions, prioritizing focus, and driving momentum.

It’s not about “hours.” It’s about outcomes.

Amanda: That’s the perfect segue. What advice would you give a CEO to maximize their fractional’s impact?

Natalie: Hire someone you trust—and enjoy working with. If there’s no trust, it won’t work.

When I sign on with a client, I’m all in. I don’t see myself as an external resource—I’m part of the team. And that’s how I expect my clients to see me too. You’re inviting someone into your executive team—it’s a big step.

Amanda: I love that. It’s such an important distinction from a consulting engagement.

Natalie: Exactly. A consulting project is often “here’s your deliverable—good luck.” A fractional stays to manage, refine, and make it work. It’s hands-on, not a handoff.

Amanda: Let’s talk about business growth. Once you got past that first circle of referrals, what helped you grow?

Natalie: Less is more. I try to be really intentional.

I have a website—it functions, but I’m not sending paid traffic to it. I use email to stay in touch. And I network—because I enjoy it. I like connecting people and adding value. It doesn’t feel like “marketing,” but it works.

Also, client success stories. Case studies, testimonials, and especially LinkedIn recommendations. Even before I had clients, I asked former bosses and colleagues to recommend me. Let people toot your horn.

Amanda: Yes—so important. Business development is often the hardest part for fractionals. Your approach offers good alternatives to cold outreach.

One more question: when did you start bringing on team members, and how did you think through that?

Natalie: It was a journey. I love strategy, but I noticed that with clients who had internal support, I was more effective. I stayed in my zone of genius.

So I thought, “Why am I doing tasks I don’t love or that clients aren’t paying me for?” That led me to build a team.

I hired an ops coach, mapped out my tasks, and built processes. I love efficiency—SOPs, project management tools. They’ve helped improve the service we provide while freeing me up to focus on what I do best.

Amanda: Yes! Smart and scalable. It’s also about offloading the $10 tasks, whether to AI or a human. We don’t have to be the hero all the time.

Natalie: Exactly. Entrepreneurs are doers—we jump in. But it’s not always the most effective. I remind myself of that constantly. If a task drains you or someone else could do it better—find a solution.

Amanda: Looking back—any advice for your year-one self?

Natalie: Just have fun and surround yourself with people you enjoy. I love my team and clients. They challenge and uplift me. And let go of perfection—success comes from problem-solving together, not being buttoned-up all the time.

Amanda: Beautiful advice. Okay—rapid fire time. One-word or one-sentence answers. Ready?

Natalie: Let’s do it.

Amanda: Favorite productivity hack?

Natalie: ClickUp! My team and I rarely email because everything lives in our project management software.

Amanda: What’s a fun fact not on your LinkedIn?

Natalie: I’ve traveled to six out of seven continents. Antarctica is next.

Amanda: Favorite business book?

Natalie: Shoe Dog by Phil Knight. I’m from Eugene, Oregon—so it’s special to me.

Amanda: If you could instantly master a skill or hobby?

Natalie: Something creative—singing, painting, anything to use my brain differently.

Amanda: Most used emoji in professional texts?

Natalie: So many! I use them for SOPs, projects, client comms. They're fun and functional. If you're not using them, why not?

Amanda: Agreed. This was so fun—thank you so much. You have so much wisdom to share. You've got your offer, positioning, and audience locked in. Thank you for bringing that knowledge to the podcast.

Natalie: Thank you! I’m so happy to share—and for anyone listening, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn. I’d love to be a resource.

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