Contract to services companies to plan and execute commercial strategy - leveraging the latest tech and AI (All DM's confidential).

Commercial strategy focuses on inflating company earnings valuation via a combination of product, marketing, sales, and distribution initiatives - a mix of core business strategy and functional execution. 

Senior executives often lack access to independent (conflict-free) advice to help optimize the ~7%+ of gross rev they allocate to S&M (or 'growth') each year. This high-risk expenditure often comes with low independent oversight and governance. 

Instead of spending more, changing platforms or vendors, often quicker gains can be had by...

- adding proper strategy into BAU operations 
- better measurement systems
- enhancing internal capability
- direct incentive structures

Engagements typically start with advisory, audits, reviews, workshops, or simple execution oversight. Then custom project work where needed. Once the earnings engine is humming, I then move back into an advisory role.

I've helped hundreds of firms in over 50 sectors, across 4 continents over 17 years.  Professional services, to product, e-com, B2B, B2C and SaaS. From women's luxury apparel, to industrial manufacturing, fine art, plastic surgery, fintech, proptech, education, real estate and more. 

I suit private businesses ($10-200m ARR), PE and forward-thinking corporate brands. Usually reporting directly to the owner, board, C-suite or department heads.

Titles vary from, strategy consultant to fractional CMO, CRO to CGO, CCO, advisor, NED etc. 

In between engagements I work on AI tech of my own. 

You might see me occasionally speak at conferences like WMF or SXSW. Or stumble across articles I've written, heard me on podcasts, seen one of my viral memes on Twitter or completed one of my courses. If you have - cheers!

I also produce a podcast/show called Champagne Strategy which explores all the areas I encounter professionally, featuring world-class practitioners from all around the world. 

DM me to discuss consulting/advisory work, fractional roles and speaking opportunities.

If budgets are tight - follow the link in my bio for pro-bono resources which include:
- the Champagne Strategy podcast
- Hybrency YouTube channel
- A Dose of John *LinkedIn) & Hybrency (Substack) newsletters
- Twitter/X memes
- Brandingmag article series
- Vexpower brand tracking course

TL:DR I enjoy solving difficult business problems for those in need, because everyone wins

John James

Branka Injac Misic

If you work in financial services and don’t have a marketing team, marketing quietly becomes everyone’s problem, BUT nobody's priority.

You’re expected to do things like “just show up on LinkedIn”, make sense of AI tools, and somehow explain what you do in a way that sounds clear, credible, and human…all while navigating compliance, client work, and everything else already on your plate.

Without a marketing background, that usually leads to one of three things:

– content that sounds generic or jargon-heavy
– half-used AI tools that create more noise than clarity
– or marketing being avoided altogether because it feels cringe, risky, or forced

Unfortunately this leads to potential clients not quite getting what you do or why it matters. Conversations that stall before they start. And you end up competing on price cos’ your value never quite lands.

My approach is built on the simple belief that marketing should feel like clarity, not chaos – and AI should make that easier, not worse.

You don’t need to become a marketer, chase trends, or outsource your voice. You just need to know what to say, how to say it, and how to use the tools properly.

I help financial services businesses and teams without in-house marketing leadership use LinkedIn and AI in a practical, non-techy way so you can stop guessing, start connecting, and build a business and brand that people remember, trust, and recommend.

Some ways I can help you:

– I run training sessions on (organic) LinkedIn marketing for teams of non-marketers
– I run training sessions for non-marketers on how to use AI to make your marketing better (and avoid the slop)
– I work with non-marketers in financial services to build out their foundational positioning and messaging strategies

And if there's something else you need help with, I have a great network of partners and collaborators I can hook you up with.

Co-Founder

I work as a fractional CXO under the TwoNorthStars banner.

This work involves helping startups and small businesses, with modest budgets, grow and compete on customer experience.

We usually focus on both acquisition *and* retention – because modest budgets tend to have more pressure to produce ROI across the whole customer journey, from decreased CAC to increased LTV.

My work – which all sits under the CX umbrella – covers a range of areas across the business including:

• Marketing (e.g. marketing strategy, demand generation, GTM, messaging development and execution, SEO & content strategy...) 
• Growth (e.g. channel build out, iterative testing through the funnel, developing data-driven strategy from test results...)
• Product (e.g. product marketing, customer intelligence, user journey mapping, VoC bank creation, UX writing...)
• Brand (e.g. brand strategy, business positioning, brand guideline creation, PR strategy...)
• Community (e.g. organic social media strategy, initiative planning for community growth, strategic partnership build out...)
• Ops & service (e.g. business goal strategy, process alignment, retention strategy...)

I encourage clients to use a blend of quantitative and qualitative data to inform strategy and decision making, as one without the other only gives you half of the story.

taplio

The Battle

John James

Branka Injac Misic

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