Leadership Lessons with Kristi Gaudioso: From Microsoft to Fractional CRO

Hiring a Fractional CMO? Watch This First | Re-Broadcast with Natalie Swan

In this popular episode of Female Fractionals, host Amanda Nizzere sits down with Natalie Swan, founder of Swan and Associates, to explore what it really means to be a fractional CMO. Natalie shares her journey from scrappy brand manager in the experiential event space to running a high-touch fractional marketing firm serving B2B companies with $5M+ in revenue. You’ll hear how she landed her first client (hint: it was her former employer), the mindset CEOs need before bringing on a fractional, and why strategy without execution is a common and costly trap. Natalie also talks about growing her business, building a lean but powerful team, and why building trust is the foundation of every successful fractional engagement. Whether you're a fractional executive yourself, or a CEO considering hiring one, this episode offers actionable insights and permission to scale with clarity—not chaos. 👩‍💼 Guest Bio: Natalie Swan is the founder of Swan and Associates, a fractional CMO firm that helps B2B companies turn business objectives into actionable marketing strategies. Her team works with companies doing $5M+ in annual revenue, bringing a high-touch, collaborative approach to long-term marketing leadership. Learn more at swanandassociates.co or connect with Natalie on LinkedIn. 💡 Topics Covered: Natalie's journey from experiential events to launching her own firm How she landed her first client without a full website or email list The difference between fractional leadership, consulting, and agency models What CEOs often get wrong when hiring fractionals Why mindset matters more than metrics in early engagements How Natalie built her team to stay in her zone of genius The value of LinkedIn recommendations and client success stories What to offload as a fractional to stay strategic 📚 Resources Mentioned: Project Management Tool: ClickUp Book: Shoe Dog by Phil Knight Connect with Natalie on LinkedIn Learn more: swanandassociates.co ⚡ Rapid Fire Answers: Productivity Hack: ClickUp for team communication and SOPs Fun Fact: Traveled to 6 of 7 continents (Antarctica’s next!) Dream Skill: Singing or visual art Most Used Emoji: Too many to count—but they’re SOP-approved! 🔗 Full Transcript + More Episodes: Visit femalefractionals.com for the full transcript, past episodes, and more resources for fractional executives.

How Erin Coupe Turned Burnout into a Calling (Rebroadcast)

In this powerful rebroadcast episode, host Amanda Nizzere welcomes Erin Coupe—founder of Authentically EC, author of the best-selling book "I Can Fit That In", transformational speaker, and mindset coach—to share her extraordinary journey from burnout in high-powered corporate roles to building a soul-aligned business. After nearly two decades in global companies like Goldman Sachs and CBRE, Erin hit a turning point. She transitioned from defining herself by job titles to rediscovering her true identity. Erin shares how childhood adversity shaped her grit, why she walked away from Wall Street, and the inner work that led her to a thriving coaching business rooted in authenticity. Whether you're navigating burnout, exploring fractional work, or considering entrepreneurship, Erin’s story offers a roadmap for reclaiming your energy, identity, and joy. What You’ll Learn: * Erin’s journey from financial hardship to corporate success—and why she walked away * The two pivotal moments that catalyzed her career and mindset transformation * How to begin a soul-aligned pivot before leaving your current job * Why action (not clarity) is the key to confidence * How to quiet your inner critic by naming it (Erica, anyone?) * What it means to ritualize your life and shift from obligation to intention * Practical tools for navigating burnout and rediscovering yourself Links & Resources: 💼 Authentically You – Erin’s Website; https://www.erincoupe.com/ → Subscribe for alignment insights + grab Erin’s free mindset mastery guide 🎧 The Erin Coupe Podcast – bite-sized wisdom in under 15 minutes 📚 Order Erin's new, best-selling book, "I Can Fit That In" here: https://www.amazon.com/Can-Fit-That-Erin-Coupe/dp/B0FMBQJ9KG  👥 Want to go deeper? Apply to Erin’s private cohort experience. Podcast listeners receive $100 off if accepted.

From C-Suite to Startup: How Brooke Skinner Ricketts Built a Career Acceleration Empire

🎙️ Rebroadcast: Episode 3 In this inspiring rebroadcast, host Amanda Nizzere sits down with Brooke Skinner Ricketts, CEO of Beyond Barriers—a career acceleration platform with a mission to give every professional the tools they need to realize their full potential. Brooke's journey is anything but linear. From aspiring documentary filmmaker to waitress to accidentally landing in account planning, she climbed the corporate ladder to C-suite roles at Twitter, Cars.com, and more—before taking the ultimate leap into entrepreneurship during the pandemic. Now, she's helping thousands of ambitious professionals break through career plateaus, navigate workplace challenges, and accelerate their growth through what she calls "career fitness"—a 12-week transformational program that goes far beyond traditional professional development. 🔑 Key Takeaways: On Taking the Leap: "Leap and the net will find you"—Brooke's guiding principle for taking risks throughout her career How COVID became an accelerant for purposeful work and entrepreneurship Why building something new required letting go of "renovating and watering" other people's companies On Career Acceleration: Why ambitious people rarely get stuck because of ability—it's the navigational skills they're missing The five pillars of career fitness: Clarity, Courage, Commitment, Conviction, and Community How to move from "should I speak up?" to "what am I going to say?" On Boundary-Setting & Self-Care: The simple framework: What are the three things you need to accomplish today, this week, this month, and this year? Why accountability partners are essential (both personal and professional) The practice of "controlling the controllables" in uncertain times On Mentorship: Women are over-mentored and under-sponsored—and what that means for your career How to be strategic with your asks: Use the STAR method to make it easy for people to say yes (or no) "Just because you can doesn't mean you should"—the power of ruthless prioritization On Board Service: Start talking about your interest in board work—to everyone Target nonprofit boards strategically: choose organizations where you'll meet corporate board members Common misconceptions: Board work isn't a "cake job"—be prepared for bankruptcies, CEO transitions, and crisis management First-time board member advice: You're there to ask smart questions, not have all the answers 💡 Golden Nuggets: "Just because you can doesn't mean you should"—especially important for women who are wired to take on non-promotable work Women have 6x more mentors but are far less likely to have sponsors "No is a complete sentence"—and it's okay to use it The best investment in yourself might be as simple as playing tennis once a week Career fitness is like physical fitness: you can't go to one CrossFit class and be in shape forever 🎯 Perfect For: Fractional executives navigating their entrepreneurial journey Professionals feeling stuck at a career inflection point Anyone considering a leap from corporate to entrepreneurship Leaders looking to develop their teams beyond traditional skills training Women seeking board opportunities 📚 Resources & Links: 💼 Beyond Barriers - https://www.gobeyondbarriers.com 🔗 Connect with Brooke on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookericketts/ ❤️ Love the show? Don't forget to like, follow, rate, and share Female Fractionals to help us grow the community and support more women in fractional leadership.

AI Toolkit for Fractional Executives (Rebroadcast with Crys Black)

We’re bringing back one of our most popular episodes—because the insights are just that good. What happens when a fractional CMO meets the rise of AI? Magic—and massive efficiency. In this rebroadcast of Female Fractionals, host Amanda Nizzere sits down with the dynamic Crys Black, a fractional CMO and RevOps leader at Crys Black Consulting. Crys shares how she leverages over a dozen AI and tech tools to run her business, amplify client results, and even build an AI-powered digital twin to manage her social presence (yes, really!). You’ll hear how her nonlinear career—from IT to marketing to fractional life—intersects with her love of experimentation, and how AI has not only improved her workflows but also helped her create a custom Valentine’s Day album. Whether you're overwhelmed by the pace of new tools or just wondering where to start, this conversation offers inspiration, a practical roadmap, and permission to simply start playing. 💡 Highlights: * How Crys transitioned from Silicon Valley IT to fractional CMO life * Her go-to AI tools, including ChatGPT, Motion, Storm, and Lovable * How she preps for sales calls in just 10 minutes using deep research tools * Why your digital twin might be your best content creator yet * Her method for staying current without the overwhelm * How she used AI to win Valentine’s Day (we’re serious) ✨ Fractional doesn’t have to mean frazzled. With the right tools, you can scale your value—without scaling your hours. Visit FemaleFractionals.com for the full transcript and bonus resources from this episode.

Leadership Lessons with Kristi Gaudioso: From Microsoft to Fractional CRO

📢 Welcome (Back) to Female Fractionals! The biweekly podcast for successful female fractional executives—and those ready to take the leap. Hosted by Amanda Nizzere, each episode brings you actionable lessons and inspiration from thriving fractional leaders and experts. ✨ Standout Conversation Revisited: We’re revisiting one of our most impactful episodes with Kristi Gaudioso, fractional sales leader and founder of Luminate Consulting Services. With over 25 years of experience driving sales and revenue growth from startups to enterprises (including 13+ years at Microsoft), Kristi shares her journey into fractional leadership, the power of building repeatable revenue streams, and the importance of knowing your worth in the fractional world. 🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe!  Know someone considering a fractional career? Share this standout conversation and help support the growing fractional movement.