Interview – Erika Weiss

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, today’s guest is Erika Weiss — a fractional CMO, founder of Elevated Brand, a boutique marketing consultancy, and an adjunct professor of marketing at Loyola Marymount University’s College of Business Administration.

Erika is a dynamic consumer marketer, brand builder, and marketing strategist with a career spanning leading global brands and innovative startups in the entertainment, fitness, health and wellness, beauty, and apparel industries. She’s held brand marketing and partnership roles at the Walt Disney Studios and 20th Century Fox, where she honed her expertise in building iconic brands. During her decade at the Beachbody Company, Erika played a pivotal role in driving the success of the legendary fitness brand P90X and led the launch of Beachbody’s fitness apparel division.

She continued her impact in the fitness and wellness space by leading marketing for a digital fitness startup and launching a new health and wellness business vertical at the International Sports Sciences Association, including its Yoga and Wellness Academy. Erika has also led marketing for a high-end DTC wellness brand, a beauty brand, and a digital fitness SaaS company—developing and executing growth strategies that fueled brand awareness and customer acquisition.

In early 2024, Erika founded Elevated Brand, a boutique marketing consultancy where she serves as a foundational chief marketing officer, specializing in brand development, integrated marketing, and go-to-market strategy for fitness, health, wellness, and beauty brands. Beyond consulting, Erika is an adjunct professor of marketing and entrepreneurship at Loyola Marymount University, where she mentors the next generation of marketers and entrepreneurs.

Erika graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Barnard College, Columbia University, and earned her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Without further ado, let’s jump in.

Hi Erika, welcome to Female Fractionals. I'm so excited to have you here today.

Erika:
Thank you so much. I'm excited to be here as well.

Amanda:
Great! I like to start every episode with a bit of background. I know you have an incredible journey. Can you share your professional background and how you got started as a fractional CMO?

Erika:
Absolutely. I've spent my entire professional career in consumer marketing. I started out in the entertainment industry at the Walt Disney Company as a brand marketer, then moved over to 20th Century Fox. As a lifelong athlete and fitness junkie, I eventually transitioned into the fitness industry and joined the Beachbody Company, where I worked on the iconic P90X franchise.

I was at Beachbody for about 10 years and was laid off in early 2020—definitely not ideal timing. That led to a career rollercoaster over the next few years. I moved into the startup world, working for a series of DTC startups in fitness and wellness. But given how unstable startups can be, I ended up going through four layoffs in four years.

After my fourth layoff, I knew it was time for a change. I hadn’t considered consulting before because I thought full-time jobs were more “stable”—but I realized that stability was an illusion. I decided to stop letting circumstances dictate my career and start building something of my own.

Amanda:
So many lessons in resilience and determination. Can you talk more about how you overcame those challenges and kept going?

Erika:
Yes—and resilience is my favorite word. It’s my mantra. Over those four years, I realized a few key things.

First, after being at one company for 10 years, I had become too comfortable. I wasn’t updating my resume, expanding my network, or posting on LinkedIn. I knew I never wanted to be in that position again. So I had to reinvent myself and upskill to stay relevant.

I adopted the mantra “Always be learning.” I took digital courses, followed top marketing thought leaders, subscribed to newsletters, listened to podcasts, and read voraciously.

I also realized how critical it is to build your network. I made it a top priority to meet and connect with new people. I really believe in the idea of “make friends before you need them,” and I’m a huge believer in paying it forward. Especially in the fractional world—fractionals help fractionals.

Looking back, 90% of my opportunities came through networking. Even when things felt like failures, there was always a lesson in it. That mindset helped me keep moving forward.

Amanda:
I love that perspective. And I know from our earlier conversation, you have a really thoughtful definition of what it means to be “fractional.” Can you share that?

Erika:
To me, fractional executives are seasoned leaders who provide high-level strategy and execution on a flexible, part-time basis. They help businesses scale, pivot, or optimize—without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire.

They’re highly experienced—often with 10+ years of expertise—and they bring strategy and execution to critical initiatives. They’re embedded in the business, part of the team, leading meaningful projects. That’s what makes the model work.

Amanda:
That embedded piece is so important. I also want to ask about business development. After you landed your first couple of clients, how did you keep the momentum going?

Erika:
There are two key focuses when you're fractional: working in the business (client work) and working on the business (networking, thought leadership, business development).

I’m always having conversations and meeting people. Networking has been huge for me—going to conferences, reaching out, staying connected. It snowballs. One contact leads to another, and it grows from there.

The other big piece is LinkedIn. One of my favorite clients found me cold through a LinkedIn search. He said my profile matched exactly what he needed. I always say yes to those conversations. That one turned into a great long-term engagement.

Amanda:
That’s the dream! What are some ways you differentiate yourself or stand out?

Erika:
Let your personality shine through—your headshot, your profile, your tone. Build a beautiful personal brand that reflects who you are and what you believe in. Everything should be consistent.

Also, position yourself as a thought leader in your niche. I work in fitness and wellness, so I post when earnings calls come out or after attending conferences. Share insights and content that adds value.

Amanda:
Yes! Good, authentic presence on LinkedIn makes such a difference. What are some things you love about fractional work—and any challenges you’ve faced?

Erika:
I love working with multiple brands—it keeps things exciting, and I get to apply ideas across different clients. I also love having agency over my time. I’m a mom with two kids and a professor, so the flexibility to time-shift is huge.

As for challenges, the biggest is making sure there’s always something next—keeping the pipeline full. That can be scary. But if you stay consistent and keep showing up, the work comes.

Amanda:
So true. Last question before we go to rapid fire: looking back—either at the start of your fractional journey or your overall career—what advice would you give yourself?

Erika:
Trust the value you bring. In the beginning, I second-guessed my pricing and positioning. But the experience, instincts, and leadership were already there. The sooner you own that, the sooner you attract aligned clients who value what you do.

Amanda:
Yes! That’s one of the most important things I want women in this space to understand. Our experience is so valuable.

Okay—time for rapid fire! One word or one sentence answers.

Amanda:
First job that taught you something valuable?

Erika:
My first job out of college—think The Devil Wears Prada. It taught me exactly what kind of leader I didn’t want to be.

Amanda:
A fun fact that’s not on your LinkedIn?

Erika:
I was an elite cyclist. I trained at the Olympic Training Center and competed in the Olympic trials.

Amanda:
Favorite business book?

Erika:
Obsessed by Emily Heyward. Insightful, entertaining, and super useful for brand builders.

Amanda:
Where do you find inspiration?

Erika:
The younger generation—my teenage daughter and my students at LMU. I learn so much from them.

Amanda:
Mentor shout-out?

Erika:
Gordon Ho, my first boss at Disney. He taught me to pay it forward. And Suzanne Blankenship at Beachbody—she taught me executive presence.

Amanda:
If you could instantly master a skill?

Erika:
I’d be fluent in French. I’ve studied it for years but never fully mastered it.

Amanda:
If your career was a movie title?

Erika:
Adventures in Resilience.

Amanda:
Most adventurous thing you’ve ever eaten?

Erika:
Scorpion, ants, and crickets. I’ll try almost anything once.

Amanda:
Erika, thank you so much for joining. I’m so glad we connected, and I know this conversation will inspire so many others.

Erika:
Thank you! This was so much fun.

Amanda: As always, follow, like, comment, and share. And don’t forget to head over to femalefractionals.com for a full transcript of the show and links to everything we talked about. Thanks for listening.

Resources, Offers & Links:

• Obsessed by Emily Heyward (Erika’s favorite business book)

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