JON KALLUS

The CMO’s secret weapon

High level CMOs don’t have it easy. They have a multiple agencies (charging for more than they deliver), a lot inherited baggage, and a CEO that just wants things done. That’s what I’m here to fix.Whether you’re turning around a PE portco or running a global icon, I work directly with CMOs to develop and sell strategies, protect margins, optimize spend, and manage risk.

Trusted to solve the impossible by

Your brand is strong

But marketing isn’t working as well as you’d like. The problem might be your tactics, but I’d bet the real signal is trapped in layers of bureaucracy, a ton of personal opinions, and a spider’s web of stakeholders.Strong brand. Weak impact. That could mean your story isn’t solid, and your creative briefs aren’t good. I can help.

OK, how?

I know what to listen for

I bring 20 years of experience across world class advertising, marketing strategy and social media to medium to large enterprises and PE portcos.From the CAA mailroom in LA, to creating campaigns and leading creatives at world class creative agencies like BBH and Wieden+Kennedy in London, I've spent my career finding the signal in the noise, and helping everyone else see it too.

A 20 year career in advertising, communications, culture and media at

What I do

Find it. Tell it. Sell it.

CMOs don’t come to me for frameworks, blueprints, or “growth hacks.” They call me because they’re not getting the best from their agencies, and they know me as an experienced strategic and creative agent that knows how to find the real story they’re trying to tell. And how to sell that story through.I also help my clients optimize budgets, manage their agencies, and sell strategies and concepts up and down their orgs.

My signature sprint

The signal sprint

If you’re not sure how best I can help, here's where most of my projects start: my core assignment is a 6 to 8 week engagement where CMOs give me the objective, the timeline, and all the materials they already have.I talk to in house and external SMEs, dive into your market research, internal strategy decks, and more, to find the signal, and use that to help you create the executive narrative that will secure C suite buy in and budget. This is my signature sprint.

About me

About me

Part therapist, part fixer, part creative director, part strategist. I spent 12 years at the world’s most celebrated ad agencies, developing campaigns for some of the world’s best known brands, and then 8 running my own small agency that worked with publicly traded giants in consumer tech, B2B technology and managed services, DTC ecommerce, and fintech.In my spare time, I built and currently manage a popular newsletter covering travel, tech, culture + business, and am COO for a food and lifestyle influencer with 350K followers. Oh, and I'm an exited media founder too.

Contact

Let’s talk shop

I work with medium and large enterprises (from PE portcos to publicly traded companies), across a wide range of sectors, and am currently booked through June 2026. Connect with me on LinkedIn, subscribe to my newsletter, or send me a message here.