Fractional CMO in Tampa Bay
Senior marketing leadership for Tampa Bay firms that have outgrown word of mouth.
Reveal is a fractional CMO practice based in Indianapolis, with a regular presence in Tampa Bay. It serves construction, specialty trades, engineering, architecture, and professional services firms with $10M to $50M in revenue. Reveal provides senior marketing leadership without the cost of a full-time hire. When it works, the firm wins more of the right work at better margins, and the owner or managing partner gets time back for the business itself.
The first step is the Keystone Diagnostic. In three to four weeks it tells you what's bringing in business, what isn't, and what to do first. You get a written report and 90-day plan, yours to keep whether or not we work together again. From there, the Blueprint builds the positioning and plan, and an embedded engagement puts senior leadership beside your team for as long as it's needed. The Diagnostic starts at $7,500, about one month of what many firms already spend on marketing.
Book a Free 30-Minute Call Take the Foundation CheckNo pitch. Just a straight read on whether Reveal is the right fit, even if the answer is no.
Is Reveal local to Tampa Bay?
Reveal is based in Indianapolis, and Rob Higley is in Tampa Bay every month.
I manage building and renovation projects in Tampa Bay, working with local trades and architects, so I know how a job runs from permits to punch list. The Diagnostic starts with your own records and your own clients, so it works the same wherever the firm is.
For firms in Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater, intake and findings sessions happen in person during my monthly visits, with video in between.
Who does Reveal work with in Tampa Bay?
Owner-led and partner-led B2B firms that grew on reputation and relationships, and now need a deliberate way to win business from buyers who don't know them yet.
Construction and specialty trades. General contractors, builders, and trade firms with a strong name among the people who already know them. See how Reveal works with contractors.
Engineering, architecture, and professional services. Firms where the principals are also the sales team. See how Reveal works with professional services firms.
Reveal also works with manufacturing, logistics, and B2B technology companies when the same pattern shows up.
Where does marketing stall for growing Tampa Bay firms?
Usually after the referral network has done its job. Tampa Bay keeps adding new companies and new residents, and buyers who weren't here ten years ago don't know which firms have earned their reputations.
Growth past a certain size means winning buyers who have never heard of you. The owner or partners are too busy delivering work to build that pipeline. A capable marketing person is often in place, but without clear direction or full backing from leadership. An agency may be in place too, reporting activity nobody can connect to work won.
The call usually follows a trigger. The backlog is thinning. A key referral source retired or moved on. A founder is preparing to hand off the firm. A large pursuit was lost and nobody can say why. A marketing hire isn't working out. Or the agency report looks good and the pipeline doesn't.
What does the Diagnostic involve, and how much of my time does it take?
Three to four weeks. Most of the work happens without you. Your own time adds up to about three to four hours, roughly half a day.
You spend two to three hours on intake and one hour on the findings session. Your sales or business development lead and your marketing lead spend about an hour each. Where possible, I also speak with two to four of your clients about why they chose you. You receive an 8 to 12 page Keystone Report and a 90-day action plan, yours to keep whether or not we work together again.
Intake and findings sessions can be scheduled in person during my monthly Tampa Bay visits, or held by video. An ongoing embedded engagement follows the same pattern: in-person days when I'm in town and video between.
What experience sits behind this?
I'm Rob Higley. Twenty years in B2B marketing, based in Indianapolis, with regular time in Tampa Bay.
Across twenty years of B2B work I've served more than 125 clients, from small projects to multi-year engagements. For two years I built the U.S. marketing for a construction software and services company, winning more than a dozen ENR Top 100 contractors as clients. I've also worked with builders, electrical and painting contractors, a landscape design and build firm, property management companies, law firms, accounting firms, and an engineering consultancy.
I ran Reveal Consulting, a nine-person marketing agency, from 2004 to 2013, and later spent a year as a senior account director at Hinge Marketing, managing 7 to 10 B2B professional services and technology clients. I hold an MBA and a master's degree from Ball State University.
What does it cost, and how does it work?
Three phases. Each stands alone, and you can stop after any of them.
| Phase | What you get | Investment | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Keystone Diagnostic | 8 to 12 page Keystone Report and 90-day action plan. Yours to keep. | $7,500 to $12,000 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| 2. Keystone Blueprint | Positioning, messaging, channel strategy, campaign calendar, team structure. | $15,000 to $22,000 | 4 to 6 weeks |
| 3. Fractional CMO engagement | Ongoing embedded senior marketing leadership: monthly direction, agency oversight, dashboard with written commentary, team mentorship. | $7,500 to $12,000 per month | 6 to 18 months |
For comparison, a director-level marketing hire runs $120,000 to $180,000 a year plus benefits, and the strategic questions are still yours to answer. The Diagnostic costs about one month of what many firms already spend on marketing, and it answers those questions first.
Is Reveal a fit for your Tampa Bay firm?
A good fit is a construction, trades, engineering, architecture, or professional services firm with roughly $10M to $50M in revenue, a CEO or managing principal who is personally frustrated with marketing results, and some marketing spend already in place, whether an agency, an internal marketer, or both.
Probably not a fit if you are early stage, if leadership isn't part of the marketing conversation, or if you want someone to produce content and run ads at scale. If that's the case, I'll say so on the first call and point you somewhere useful.
Questions Tampa Bay firms ask
Is there a fractional CMO for Tampa Bay firms?
Yes. Reveal, founded by Rob Higley, is a fractional CMO practice based in Indianapolis with a regular presence in Tampa Bay. Rob works with Tampa Bay firms in person during his monthly visits and by video in between.
What does a fractional CMO cost in Tampa Bay?
The Keystone Diagnostic costs $7,500 to $12,000 and takes three to four weeks. The Keystone Blueprint costs $15,000 to $22,000 and takes four to six weeks. An ongoing embedded fractional CMO engagement costs $7,500 to $12,000 per month for six to eighteen months. Each phase stands alone.
Is the first call free?
Yes. The first call is a free 30-minute conversation. Rob Higley asks about your situation and gives you a straight read on whether Reveal is a fit. It is not the start of a paid engagement, and there is no obligation.
What is a fractional CMO?
A fractional CMO is a senior marketing executive who works with a company part time instead of full time. Reveal's fractional CMO service provides strategy, direction, agency oversight, and team mentorship for a defined fee, without the cost of a full-time hire.
How does Reveal work with Tampa Bay firms?
Rob Higley is in Tampa Bay every month and manages building and renovation projects there, working with local trades and architects. The Diagnostic starts from the client's own records and customers, so it works the same wherever the firm is located.
Does Rob Higley meet Tampa Bay clients in person?
Yes. Rob Higley is in Tampa Bay every month and schedules intake and findings sessions in person around those visits, in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and nearby. Follow-up conversations happen by video.
How much of my time does the Diagnostic take?
The Diagnostic takes three to four weeks, and most of the work happens without you. The CEO or managing principal spends about three to four hours in total, roughly half a day: an intake conversation of two to three hours and a one-hour findings session. The sales or business development lead and the marketing lead each spend about an hour. Where possible, Rob also speaks with two to four of your clients about why they chose you.
Do you replace our marketing person?
No. Reveal gives early-career marketers senior direction and review. For experienced marketing leaders, Reveal adds structure, a fresh set of eyes, and an outside voice with the leadership team. The firm keeps a stronger internal person when the engagement ends.
What size Tampa Bay firm is a fit?
Construction, specialty trades, engineering, architecture, law, accounting, and other B2B firms with roughly $10M to $50M in revenue, a CEO or managing principal who is personally frustrated with marketing results, and some marketing spend already in place, such as an agency, an internal marketer, or both.
If something here sounded familiar, it's worth a conversation.
The first call is free and takes 30 minutes. No pitch deck. We can talk by phone or video, or meet in person when I'm in Tampa Bay. I'll ask about your situation and give you a straight read on whether Reveal is the right fit. If it isn't, I'll tell you that too.
Not sure you're ready for a call? Start with the Foundation Check. It's eleven questions about your marketing that take about five minutes. You see your score out of 24 right away, and you can print the results or email them to yourself. No email is required.
Book a Free 30-Minute Call Take the Foundation Check