How it works

From first call to CMO on board — in 5–7 days.

No recruiting. No trial periods. No agency retainers. You talk to us once, we match you — and stay throughout the engagement.

Book free consultation →

5-min form + calendar booking

Tell us what you need.

Fill in a short intake form — takes about 5 minutes. Industry, company size, revenue range, your main marketing challenge, target markets. No lengthy brief required.

After submitting, you book a free 30-minute Matching Consultation directly in the calendar.

Within 24–48 hours

We prepare your match.

Before the call, we review your intake and shortlist 2–3 CMOs from our verified pool — filtered by your vertical, growth stage, target market, and tier.

Every CMO on the platform has been reference-checked. Not self-listed. Not algorithm-matched. Reviewed by a person.

30 min · no commitment

Free matching consultation.

30 minutes with our team. We go through your business, walk you through 2–3 CMO profiles, and recommend a tier. No commitment required at this stage.

If none of the profiles fit, we go back and look again. We don't close the loop until you have someone you'd actually want to work with.

30 min · CMO prepares an offer after

Intro call with your CMO.

A 30-minute call between you and your matched CMO. We sit in as silent observers — you talk directly.

After the call, your CMO prepares an individual offer: approach, involvement level, what they'd focus on in the first 90 days. You decide whether to proceed.

First month prepayment · CMO starts in 5–7 days

Sign, pay, start.

We prepare the contract: NDA + master agreement + individual SOW scoped to your engagement. You pay the first month upfront. Your CMO starts within 5–7 days.

From this point on, your account manager handles monthly check-ins, escalations, and any issues that come up. You focus on the work.

After you start

We don't match and disappear.

Three things that stay in place for the full length of your engagement.

Account management throughout

A dedicated O-CMO contact stays with your engagement — not just at the start. Monthly check-ins, written summaries, escalation point if anything goes sideways.

Replacement guarantee in month 1

If the match isn't right in the first month, we find a replacement at no extra cost. Your contract continues with the new CMO from month 2 — no restarts, no refunds discussion.

Minimum 3-month engagement

The minimum is 3 months. Real marketing leadership takes time to show results. To cancel: 30 days written notice before the end of any billing month.

Typical timeline

Day 0 to month 3.

Day 0

Intake form submitted

5 min. Calendar booking confirmed.

Day 0–1

Confirmation + consultation booked

Email with calendar link.

Day 1–2

O-CMO prepares matched profiles

2–3 CMOs shortlisted for your vertical and stage.

Day 2–3

Free matching consultation

30 min with our team. Profiles reviewed, tier recommended.

Day 3–5

Intro call with CMO

CMO prepares individual offer within 48 hours after.

Day 5–7

Contract + first payment

NDA + MSA + SOW signed. First month prepaid.

Day 7

CMO onboarded — engagement starts

Month 1

First monthly check-in

Account manager + client. Replacement guarantee window open.

Month 3+

Minimum term fulfilled

Auto-renewal unless 30-day notice given.

Are you a Fractional CMO or Channel Specialist?

See how joining O-CMO works →

FAQ

Questions about the process.

Do I need to prepare anything before the matching consultation?

No. Just fill in the intake form before the call — that's all we need. We do the preparation on our side. Bring your honest answer to "what's not working in your marketing right now."

What if I don't like any of the CMO profiles you show me?

We go back and look again. Our pool is curated, not unlimited, so we'll tell you upfront if we don't have a strong fit for your specific situation. Better to say that than to push a mismatch.

How does the intro call work — do you stay on the call?

We join as silent observers via a shared calendar invite. The conversation is between you and the CMO. We're there to ensure quality and take notes — not to pitch you.

What does the CMO's offer look like?

It's an individual proposal prepared after the intro call: how they'd approach your situation, what their involvement would look like (weekly hours, format, cadence), and the scope for the first 90 days. Delivered as a written document, usually within 48 hours of the intro call.