Lydia Frank
Fractional CMO & Marketing Consultant: Building marketing engines that generate pipeline, grow revenue, and tell stories worth hearing.
Builder. Storyteller. Revenue driver.
I love numbers as much as I love words. That combination has helped me build categories, generate pipeline, and scale revenue at companies from $5M to $100M. Over a 25+ year career spanning marketing and editorial roles, I've built high-performing teams, positioned companies for successful exits at attractive multiples, and created memorable brands and stories that resonated at VC-, PE-, and Search-funded companies.
Most recently, I served as VP of Marketing at Chronus, where I led marketing end-to-end as a player/coach, covering demand generation, product marketing, content, communications, marketing ops, and brand. I leveraged AI tools with humans in the loop to amplify marketing impact, contributed to more than tripling the company's revenue, and helped position Chronus for a successful acquisition by Level Equity at an 8x multiple. I also led an end-to-end rebrand, resulting in significant increases in website conversion and overwhelmingly positive feedback from customers.
Before Chronus, I spent nearly a decade at PayScale, where I pivoted the brand from a compensation data disruptor to a definitive market leader in compensation SaaS, grew organic traffic 5x to millions of visits annually, and built a media presence of 12,000+ press mentions per year. I also spent time at About.com and Microsoft early in my career, which gave me a strong foundation in editorial strategy, content at scale, and digital product development.
At my core, I'm a builder and innovator. Foundation, processes, and technology can always be sharpened and put to better use.
I host the Work Mappers podcast
An exploration of the people — the nonconformists, the eccentrics, the wayfinders — who are forging new paths but drawing a map for the rest of us.
Subscribe to Work MappersCore values
These aren't words on a wall. They're the principles that shape every engagement.
Think Like an Owner
This type of partnership must be built on trust. I'll treat your business like it was my own and always provide guidance and align my work to what's best for your business.
Break the Playbook
The old tried-and-true marketing playbooks aren't working, so you need to work with someone who is willing to try something new and has the experience to know when a new approach is worth pursuing versus when it could ultimately hurt your business.
Focus on Results
Data tells you where the problems lie, what needs attention, and what's working once you start experimenting. I love numbers as much as I love words, so I will always lead with data and ensure we understand how marketing efforts are impacting pipeline and revenue.
Leverage AI with Appropriate Guardrails
I'm an enthusiastic embracer of AI to accelerate and orchestrate work, but I also know it can be done badly. AI will happily accelerate poor processes and make decisions off spotty data. Having someone in the loop to ensure the foundations are built properly, the technology is pointed at the right work, and quality controls are in place is critical.
Pressure-tested media spokesperson and conference presenter
Speaking
- International Mentoring Association Conference (2024)
- Global HR Conference, Keynote (2022)
- Businessolver Vision Conference, Keynote (2019)
- North Texas SHRM, Keynote (2019)
- Women in Negotiation Summit, Panel (2016–2019)
- 100% Talent Strike Out the Gap, Keynote (2018)