We recently connected with EJ Stern & Katherine Wilson and have shared our conversation below.
EJ & Katherine , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear your thoughts about making remote work effective.
Fractional Law Firm CMO was formed by two busy moms in a post-Covid world, so embracing remote work was a no-brainer for us.
From the start, we focused on investing in the right tools and technologies that allow us to collaborate in real-time, communicate efficiently with our team, project manage effectively, protect our clients’ data, and automate a number of marketing functions. These tools and technologies have made our small yet growing team highly productive. They also ensure that our services – whether CMO services, coaching, or workshops – are delivered with the same level of expertise and dedication as if we were in-person.
Our clients span the country and most have embraced the hybrid model. They appreciate the efficiency of remote work tools. They also appreciate the cost-savings of virtual meetings and have not pushed back on our remote approach.
Of course, nothing really beats face-to-face interactions, particularly for high-level strategic discussions involving various stakeholders. When we facilitate a major one or two-day strategy session, we do encourage that meeting to be in person, if possible.
Beyond the obvious benefits of flexibility and reduced commute times, remote work has allowed our team to tap into a broader talent pool, not limited by geographical constraints. This diversity has brought fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to the table. Furthermore, it has given us a unique insight into the challenges and opportunities that our clients face in this new digital age, allowing us to tailor our strategies even more effectively.
EJ & Katherine , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
About Fractional Law Firm CMO: With a combined experience of more than forty years in Big Law marketing and business development, Fractional Law Firm CMO was founded to bridge a critical gap in the legal industry. We recognized that while the largest law firms have the luxury of a full-fledged marketing department, small and mid-sized firms often lack the same level of sophistication. Our mission is to bring that high level of expertise to law firms of all sizes, tailored to their specific needs and budgets.
Our Services:
At the core of our business are our CMO services, which encompass a full suite of marketing strategy, business development, branding, thought leadership, and social media guidance. We work closely with law firms to craft a bespoke strategy and implement it across various platforms and tools. In addition to our CMO services, we offer workshops as well as one-on-one and group coaching focused on business development, marketing, and brand building.
Our Impact:
Since our launch in November 2022, we’ve had the privilege of advising more than a dozen firms across the country, helping them achieve their marketing and business development goals.
About Our Team:
EJ Stern:
EJ is a certified professional coach with a unique background in legal marketing. She began her journey in the marketing department of Steptoe & Johnson LLP during her senior year in college and quickly fell in love with the business side of law. EJ has since led strategy and business development for some of the largest law firms in the country. Her expertise lies in quickly assessing challenges and implementing effective solutions.
Katherine Wilson:
Katherine brings over twenty years of experience in the legal and professional services industry. With a background in both litigation and business development, she has led large cross-functional projects and teams in various market-facing initiatives. Katherine’s experience extends to managing vendor relationships, budgets, and large branding and digital projects.
We are incredibly fortunate to have a talented team supporting our efforts. Our capabilities include graphic designers, PR professionals, content writers, financial analysts, and former legal marketing professionals.
What Sets Us Apart:
Our in-house experience gives us unique insights into the industry, allowing us to maximize the potential of law firms in ways that many other consulting firms can’t. We marry our strengths and talents to deliver sophisticated, yet practical solutions tailored to each firm’s needs.
What We Want You to Know:
If you’re a law firm looking for a strategic partner who understands the intricacies of legal marketing and can deliver customized, sophisticated solutions, look no further than Fractional Law Firm CMO.
We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.
EJ Stern was living in NYC in March 2008 when the unimaginable occurred. A crane fell on her apartment complex killing seven, leaving EJ sofa hopping and living out of a suitcase for several weeks. The experience felt like a sign. It was time to leave the big city. She called her headhunter, and a month later, she was interviewing for a Marketing Manager role at Troutman Pepper (f/k/a Troutman Sanders) in Atlanta, GA.
Little did she know, her hiring manager, Katherine Wilson, would become a mentor, lifelong friend, and later the co-founder of Fractional Law Firm CMO. EJ and Katherine worked together for nearly 10 years. While they both initially focused their careers on business development and practice group management, Katherine leaned into her creative side and ultimately became the firm’s first Branding Director, managing a multi-million dollar global rebrand project and building out the design, digital, and multimedia teams while leading the firm’s marketing operations. EJ leaned into business development, ultimately conceptualizing, launching, and leading an internal Business Development Coaching Program for high-potential partners. She also led the firm’s Women’s Business Development Initiative and the Associate Marketing & Business Development Training Curriculum.
Ultimately their paths went in different directions. EJ departed Troutman to serve as US Head of Client Development for Clyde & Co US. Katherine briefly departed Troutman to lead Southeast Marketing for KPMG. After only four months away, Troutman asked Katherine to return to lead out the firm’s merger with Pepper Hamilton and the resulting rebrand.
The two stayed in touch over the years, hoping one day to work together again. When EJ initially contemplated a fractional marketing offering for law firms, Katherine was her first call. And the rest is history!
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Our long-standing history of success, active involvement with industry associations like the Legal Marketing Association (LMA), and a robust digital presence have been the cornerstones of building Fractional Law Firm CMO’s reputation.
Between the two of us, we have more than forty years of experience in legal marketing and law firms. We’ve had the privilege of working with and learning from some of the best professionals in the industry. As lawyers and legal marketers have changed roles and moved firms, our reputation carries with them. Over the years, we’ve made a concerted effort to stay in touch with our former colleagues, and we’ve been incredibly fortunate to have many of those colleagues return as clients of Fractional Law Firm CMO. Those who have worked with us know our work ethic and our passion to drive results, and they’ve spread the word.
Our active involvement with LMA has been instrumental in solidifying our position in the industry. LMA is a highly-respected platform that brings together professionals dedicated to the business of law. Our association with LMA has provided us with opportunities to collaborate with peers, stay updated with industry trends, and contribute to the broader legal marketing community. We’ve met so many wonderful mentors and friends through LMA and we love giving back to the next generation.
Digital marketing – specifically LinkedIn – has been pivotal for us. We’ve leveraged it not just as a networking tool but as a platform to share insights, engage with industry professionals, and showcase our thought leadership. Our consistent engagement on LinkedIn has allowed us to connect with a nationwide audience and has given us an incredible amount of exposure. It really has been the cherry on top for our reputation-building efforts.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fractionallawfirmcmo.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089293868198
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fractional-law-firm-cmo/
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the_law_firm_cmos?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
Image Credits
Aharon Hill Photography