Case studies
What ongoing leadership produces.
Every engagement starts with the business problem. Some require a defined strategic or execution engagement. Others require ongoing Fractional CMO leadership to establish priorities and keep the marketing function moving. Client names are kept private. The work, and the results, speak for themselves.
Nonprofit & education · Two affiliated organizations, Chicago
From fragmented marketing activity to an integrated growth infrastructure across two organizations.
The situation
An established pediatric therapy organization had spent decades building a strong reputation, but the market changed. Well-funded competitors entered, and search visibility became increasingly competitive. Marketing systems—intake, referrals, reputation—were not operating as one connected system. They needed executive leadership to determine what to fix, what to build, and in what order.
The levers I pulled
We prioritized initiatives to strengthen acquisition and operations, then put the infrastructure in place. This included local SEO programs, rebuilt website strategy and conversion pathways, dedicated CRM pipelines for new family intake and partnership building, AI-enabled web chat routed directly to intake, a social media cross-posting tool, an event-evaluation tool to reduce team overwhelm, and email nurture SOPs with dedicated templates for prospective families and partners.
The result
What began as fragmented activities became a connected marketing operating system. Search visibility improved dramatically, websites became stronger assets, and family inquiries gained a defined path. The internal team was left with the tools, SOPs, and training to sustain the new infrastructure.
Trades · Tire shop, Chicago · Local SEO + GBP + Website
Eighty years in business. Never needed marketing. Until they did.
The situation
Eight decades built on reputation and repeat customers, until newer competitors with sharper digital strategies began eclipsing them in local search. Calls had dropped 50% year over year. By the time they came to me the profile was still sliding: 45 calls that month, down 31%, with profile views down 19%, and every top search term was branded, only people who already knew them. No one new was finding them.
The levers I pulled
I sequenced Google Business Profile optimization, citation cleanup, and off-page SEO ahead of the new website, so the foundation was already paying off before the site even launched. To capture that momentum, their single-page presence was expanded into a comprehensive six-page website, designed SEO-forward from the ground up.
The result
Seven months in, the foundation is holding firm. Flagship keywords consistently hold the #1 position on Google Maps close to the shop, and new customers are finding them for the first time.
By month two, still with no website, calls rose another 10%, directions requests 20%, and total interactions climbed from 210 to 240. After the website launched in month three: commercial tire service ranked #1 on Google Maps, flat tire repair moved from #19 to #3, fleet tire service from unranked to #3, and truck tire repair to #2 in organic search, all within days.
Hospitality & membership · Social membership club, Chicago (two locations)
A strong concept leaning on one revenue channel, and one founder carrying all of it.
The situation
The concept was strong, but the business ran on a single revenue channel, and nearly all of the responsibility was falling on the founder. The brand identity was unclear and the voice wasn't landing. Real opportunities in offers, pricing, partnerships, and advertising sat untapped, and there was no one holding the marketing function together while the founder ran everything else.
The priorities
Sharpened brand identity and voice, a messaging strategy, new thinking on offers and pricing, Local SEO, citation building, and off-page SEO at the original location and again for the second location from its October opening, paid social used opportunistically, and structured preparation for the first hire.
The result
A brand that sounded like the founder's vision instead of a generic membership playbook, a clear path to revenue beyond one channel, weight lifted off the founder, and strong local rankings holding steady across both locations, backed by a full year of growth in leads and search visibility since the SEO program began.
Strategic Projects
Trades · Concrete contractor, Chicago
Zero online presence. Ten months later, a business that runs on inbound.
The situation
A family-owned concrete business with excellent work and a loyal customer base built entirely on word of mouth, but no website, no local search presence, and a 34-follower Instagram account to their name. Competitors with weaker reputations were outranking them, and there was nowhere to send interest even if it came.
What We Changed
Google Business Profile optimization came first, claimed and fully built out before anything else. From there: a full website and a dedicated landing page, built before a dollar of paid traffic ran, then local SEO to keep the foundation earning attention long after ad spend stopped, and an AI web chat added later that now converts visitors into detailed, ready-to-quote leads: dimensions, materials, timelines, not just a name and a number.
The result
In ten months, a family business with zero digital footprint built a steady, month-over-month flow of leads and calls, a foundation that keeps producing whether or not ads are running.
Home & lifestyle services · Pet grooming and self-wash, Chicago
From limited local visibility to owning the Google Maps results for an entire service category.
The situation
A new Chicago pet grooming and self-wash business had strong word of mouth, but very little local search visibility. Nearby pet owners searching for grooming were more likely to find established competitors first. The business started without a website, creating an opportunity to see how much local demand could be captured by getting the Google fundamentals right first.
The strategy
This strategic project concentrated on high-impact levers: Google Business Profile optimization, local keyword strategy, citation development, a review-generation strategy, and AI-assisted web chat to capture inbound demand. The owner later added a simple website himself, strengthening a foundation that was already producing results.
The result
The business didn't need a large advertising budget or an expensive website build to establish local visibility. Executing the right fundamentals consistently paid off. One year later, every tracked keyword holds the #1 Google Maps position, and local search has become a measurable customer-acquisition channel for the business.
The results also extended beyond the immediate radius around the business. Several additional service searches reached area-wide average positions between #2 and #3, demonstrating visibility across the broader local market rather than only immediately surrounding the storefront.
Operator credibility · Indoor playspace, pre-launch
She didn't find a consultant. She found an operator whose work spoke for itself.
The situation
An entrepreneur preparing to open an indoor playspace had a vision and a location, and needed someone who had already solved the problems she was about to face, not a generalist with a framework. She found Jessica online, and flew to Chicago to learn from her before launch.
The Strategy
Pre-launch strategy, business-plan review, pricing structure, space and capacity planning, party programming, customer experience, and the kind of guidance only an operator who has run the same business can give.
The result
A successful launch with a clear plan, defined pricing, and a differentiated experience built in from day one. The parent-lounge concept refined in our work became central to the business. She went on to build a thriving playspace, then became a leading consultant in the industry herself.
New engagements are added here as results mature. Specific client names are kept private; the work and the numbers speak for themselves.
Want results like these for your business?
Let's talk about what marketing needs to accomplish next.
Let's Talk