Episode 34: The Strategy Behind Smart Growth
From WNY Entrepreneurs Unleashed by David Searns
November 28, 2025 · 18 min · Season 1 · Episode 34
About this episode
In this episode, Seth Greene interviews Rachel Present about the importance of strategy in business growth and how fractional CMOs can help companies scale effectively.
What if the biggest barrier to your business growth isn’t your product, your pricing, or your people but your lack of strategy? In this episode of WNY Entrepreneurs Unleashed, Seth Greene interviews Rachel Present, Fractional CMO, who has led marketing strategy at startups and global corporations alike, from early-stage tech ventures in Tel Aviv to multinational firms like Thales and Next Insurance, acquired for billions by Munich Re. Drawing from her 14 years abroad and deep Western New York roots, Rachel shares how combining international experience with entrepreneurial spirit helps businesses unlock powerful, sustainable growth. She reveals what most companies get wrong about marketing, and how a clear strategy can bridge the gap between potential and performance. Key Takeaways: → Why strategy must come before execution and how skipping this step stalls growth. → How fractional CMOs help companies scale without the overhead of a full-time executive employee. → Why keeping clients engaged and customer retention beats constant prospecting. → How to measure marketing ROI when sales cycles are long and attribution is tricky. → The three critical questions every business owner…
People in this episode
Host: Seth Greene
Guest: Rachel Present
Topics covered
- business growth
- marketing strategy
- fractional CMO
- customer retention
- marketing ROI
Keywords
- business growth
- marketing strategy
- fractional CMO
- customer retention
- marketing ROI
- sustainable growth
- entrepreneurial spirit
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Thales, Next Insurance, Munich Re
Places: Tel Aviv, Rochester, Western New York
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