Founder's CMO™
Strategic Brand Leadership for Founder-Led Businesses
Founder's CMO™
Strategic Brand Leadership for Founder-Led Businesses
Nestor Makarigakis
Fractional CMO & Embedded Partner // Guiding Founders from Vision to Market Leadership
Stop Outpacing Your Brand.
Build One That Scales With Your Vision.
Unlock Predictable Growth with Strategic Brand Leadership Tailored for Founders.
Founder's CMO™ is the private leadership practice of Nestor Makarigakis, trusted by founders scaling through high-stakes growth.Operated by FounderCompany, LLC
Founder's CMO™ is the private leadership practice of Nestor Makarigakis,
trusted by founders scaling through high-stakes growth.Operated by FounderCompany, LLC
Dear Founder,You’re scaling fast—but your brand isn’t keeping up.
Things feel out of sync. Marketing feels disjointed. And you can sense it’s costing you: momentum, clarity, alignment—maybe even belief. Yours. The team’s. Both.You don’t need a full-time CMO. Not yet.
But you do need someone who can meet you where you are, cut through the noise, and help your brand catch up to your business—fast and without the learning curve.That’s where I come in.Guiding founder-led companies is personal to me.
Because I believe a brand can evolve without losing the spark you first gave it—the conviction and soul that made it matter. I help founders reconnect to that origin and lead what’s next with strength and intention.I’ve spent over two decades embedded inside founder-led organizations, showing up during those messy, high-stakes moments when things are growing fast and breaking faster.My role is to get you clear, aligned, and moving with momentum—by channeling the conviction that sparked your brand into a strategy that scales.
Because if you don’t shape what’s next, the market will do it without you.If that’s where you are, read on—then let’s talk.
Symptoms You Can't Ignore
Founder-led companies rarely fail because their product is weak. They falter when clarity and alignment break down.You might recognize the signs:
Your story feels scattered—or outdated
Your sales cycles get longer and harder
Your marketing execution loses consistency
Your teams operate off different playbooks
You're growing, but not as fast—or as cleanly as you should be
These are not just marketing problems.
They're leadership signals that demand realignment.
The Real Cost of No Strategy
The costs of ignoring these signals are significant.
Inefficient spend: Throwing money at tactics and agencies without a cohesive plan
Slowed growth: Failing to connect with—and convert—your ideal customers
Brand dilution: Sending mixed messages that confuse your market
Competitive disadvantage: Being outmaneuvered by competitors with clearer positioning
Undermined valuation: Suffering a weak, fragmented brand perception
These aren’t "soft" problems—they’re hard costs.
And importantly, they’re fixable.
Most founders know where they want to go. What they need is someone inside enough to feel what the business needs—and experienced enough to lead it there.
The Right CMO, Right Now
Hiring a full-time CMO is a massive investment.For founders scaling quickly, a fractional model offers a more precise solution: executive-level leadership without the full-time cost or long-term commitment.My embedded approach isn’t just another option—it’s purpose-built for founders like you. Here's exactly what you'll get:
Immediate impact: Skip the long hiring and onboarding cycle. I integrate into your team from day one, ready to lead.
Executive-level strategy: Decades of experience at the highest levels
Founder-focused approach: Strategic guidance calibrated to the unique challenges and speed of startups
Outcome-driven support: Not an agency, but every engagement is tied to measurable growth
Modern & data-informed: I apply elite best practices and outside-in perspective to recognize patterns and opportunities that fuel your growth
Unlock Your Brand's Full Potential
When you have true CMO-caliber leadership embedded inside your business, things change quickly and decisively. This is the impact of strategic brand leadership:
Your brand gets sharper, truer, stronger
Your messaging becomes clear, aligned, and scalable
Your sales team has the tools to accelerate deals
Your marketing team stops spinning and starts converting
Your momentum returns—and you scale with confidence
Your valuation strengthens, reflecting a market that recognizes your brand's worth
This isn’t about launching a campaign.
It’s about building the infrastructure that drives lasting market leadership.
20+ years of embedded brand leadership. Global experience across 100+ markets.
Trusted by founder-led, family-owned, and multi-generational enterprises—and the boards that guide them.
Meet Your Embedded Partner: Nestor Makarigakis
I am a Fractional CMO and Brand Strategy Leader sought after by founder-led businesses navigating pivotal moments of growth, succession, and transformation.My approach is built on over two decades of hands-on leadership experience – embedding within executive teams to sharpen voice, align brands, and build systems for sustainable scale. This work is backed by rigorous executive education at Columbia Business School, plus training in leadership, governance, and strategy through the 4A’s (American Association of Advertising Agencies), NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors), and AMA (American Management Association).My experience includes:
Driven sevenfold revenue growth for a NYSE-listed company
Integrated 50+ brands into a category leader
Ignited expansion of markets, portfolio, and channels—from local to global—via organic and M&A
Led communications across IPO, earnings, ESG, and multiple leadership successions.
I’ve been a founder, an operator, and an executive. I understand what's at stake.
I work selectively and embedded, empowering you with executive-level brand strategy that goes beyond fractional leadership—acting as a force multiplier tailored specifically to founder-led businesses.See more of my background and connect with me on LinkedIn
"There are very few people you can trust with the company's soul. Nestor was one of them."
— Anonymous Founder, Chairman and CEO
"There are very few people you can trust with the company's soul. Nestor was one of them."
— Anonymous Founder,
Chairman and CEO
Is This The Right Fit?
This model is designed for founders and leadership teams who know the stakes:
Founders preserving what made them great while building what’s next
Successor CEOs balancing a cherished legacy with new growth
Family-led businesses and multi-generational enterprises preparing for transitions, capital events, or exits
Growth-stage companies scaling toward major milestones (Series funding, IPO, expansion, exits)
If you’re facing a pivotal moment—you’re exactly who this was built for.
Ready to Talk Strategy?
Strategic opportunities are time-sensitive. Leadership gaps don’t wait—and neither will your growth.Start Your Strategic Conversation
Begin with a private, no-obligation strategy call.No fluff. No sales pitch. Just an open conversation about what’s blocking your growth and how you can quickly regain clarity and momentum.Start fast. Lead sharp. Scale right
Begin with a Private Strategic Conversation
Results are not guaranteed and vary based on individual circumstances. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Private leadership practice. Trusted by founders. Aligned with boards. Built for momentum.We provide independent leadership advisory in brand, marketing, and communications for founders and their companies.
We are not an advertising agency, investment fund, incubator, or educational program.
Founder’s CMO™ is a division of The Founder Company™ and operates as a DBA of FounderCompany, LLC.
The Founder Company™, its logo, Founder’s CMO™, and What Made You Great™ are trademarks of FounderCompany, LLC.
The Founder Company™ and Founder’s CMO™ also operate as DBAs registered in New York.
© 2025 FounderCompany, LLC. All rights reserved.
Private leadership practice.
Trusted by founders. Aligned with boards.
Built for momentum.We provide independent leadership advisory in brand, marketing, and communications for founders and their companies. We are not an advertising agency, investment fund, incubator, or educational program.
Founder’s CMO™ is a division of The Founder Company™ and operates as a DBA of FounderCompany, LLC. The Founder Company™, its logo, Founder’s CMO™, and What Made You Great™ are trademarks of FounderCompany, LLC. The Founder Company™ and Founder’s CMO™ also operate as DBAs registered in New York.
© 2025 FounderCompany, LLC. All rights reserved.
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