Interview: Building Strategic, Silo-Free Marketing That Actually Scales
Behind the Agency Podcast with Kate Hamilton, Fractional CMO & Agency Marketing Strategist
Watch
Prefer the highlights? Key takeaways and summary below.
TL;DR – Key Takeaways
Most agency silos aren't intentional—they're structural. Misaligned KPIs and isolated departments breed friction.
Strategy gets skipped not because it isn’t valued, but because it feels slow. Kate recommends a sprint-style, test-and-learn approach to build while doing.
Adopt OKRs to create alignment across teams and connect individual work to the bigger picture.
Mistake to avoid: Jumping to tactics just because a competitor is doing it. It wastes resources and often backfires.
Strategy isn't a luxury—it's a decision-making engine. It helps you stop chasing your tail with tactics.
One of Kate's best tools: map each tactic to a part of the funnel so nothing is wasted or left behind.
Founders still matter. Their job is to aim the team toward a clear north star—and stop switching direction too often.
Agencies must choose: go generalist and plan for complexity, or go niche and commit to a focused vision.
Meet the Guest
Kate Hamilton is a fractional CMO and marketing strategist who helps agencies build marketing functions that scale. With leadership roles in multiple agencies and a history of building sales and marketing engines from scratch, Kate now partners with teams to break down silos, clarify strategy, and drive intentional growth.
Episode Summary
1. Silos aren’t personal—they’re systemic
Departments get built out with separate goals and KPIs. Without shared context, you get turf wars, duplicated efforts, and bloated processes. Generalists who can connect the dots are the missing link.
“It’s not malicious. It’s just structure. But the client feels it.”
2. Strategy gets skipped because it feels slow
Teams leap into tactics out of fear or FOMO. But without a strategy, every new move is guesswork. Kate recommends a sprint-style approach: small, strategic experiments that ladder up to a bigger plan.
3. Map tactics to the funnel
Instead of trying to do everything, pick 1-2 tactics for each funnel stage: brand awareness, engagement, and nurturing. Assign each tactic a role and align it to your resource constraints.
4. Use OKRs to break silos
Start with a shared objective (the O), then let each team define their own KRs that support it. This structure builds autonomy and alignment.
5. Mistakes to avoid
Building your site or strategy to mimic big brands like Nike without understanding the why.
Investing in channels just because competitors are doing it.
Running on vanity metrics like traffic instead of what actually drives revenue.
6. Founder role: aim the ship
Leaders need to stop chasing shiny objects and give the team a clear direction. Strategy helps reduce the cost of misaligned execution.
7. If you don’t focus, you’ll redo everything
Without a clear niche or ICP, marketing and sales have to start over with every pivot. That erodes trust, creates team confusion, and adds friction to scaling.
Notable Quotes
“Silos don’t start with people—they start with org charts.”
“Strategy doesn’t have to be slow. Think of it like hiking: stop to check the map every so often.”
“You’re going to build your sales and marketing engine four times if you don’t pick a direction.”
“Don’t copy Nike’s site unless you’re Nike.”
Learn More / Get in Touch
Visit → katehamilton.com
Connect on LinkedIn → Kate M. Hamilton
Want More Interviews Like This?
Subscribe to the show on YouTube
Subscribe to my weekly newsletter
