A weekend getaway with friends, and a fiercely contested Mölkky trophy, sparked reflections on the role of healthy competition in business. From energizing sales teams to sharpening marketing strategies, competition done right unites people, fuels growth, and keeps companies grounded in what really matters.

Watching my kids hit major milestones - moving home after graduation, leaving a beloved university town, stepping into Oxford - reminded me how change always comes with both loss and opportunity. Founders face the same reality: every growth stage demands letting go of what worked before and building for what’s next. Read on to see why these transitions matter and how the Clarity Sprint helps fintech leaders turn milestones into momentum.

In this personal reflection, I share how my journey to lose 10 pounds has mirrored the experience of building illumination, my fractional CMO practice. From navigating the inevitable ups and downs to staying patient, tracking the right metrics, and keeping a strong baseline, these lessons apply directly to how I help fintech founders build marketing engines that sustain growth through the roller coaster of business.

This is a personal reflection on the Glengarry Highland Games, and how a family tradition rooted in my husband’s heritage is a powerful reminder of what alignment truly means. From the synchronized force of the mass bands to the quiet strength of showing up together year after year, this piece connects the dots between cultural ritual and business leadership. For founders feeling the pressure to move fast, it offers a grounded alternative: move in rhythm, not chaos.

Before you plan your 2026 marketing roadmap, take a hard look in the rearview mirror. This piece breaks down why your KPIs aren’t just numbers, they’re signals. Signals that tell you what’s driving growth, what’s draining budget, and what’s masquerading as success. If your funnel feels fuzzy and your metrics aren’t tied to real business outcomes, it’s time for a strategic reset. Includes a practical GTM audit approach for founders ready to trade chaos for clarity.

When growth feels stalled or your leadership energy is running low, sometimes the most strategic move isn’t to push harder. It’s to pause. In this reflection from a weekend in the Muskokas, I explore how stillness, perspective, and human connection can fuel stronger leadership and more grounded marketing decisions. For founders and marketing leaders alike, it’s a reminder that clarity doesn’t come from chaos. It comes from space.

After both my kids graduated this June, it’s time to reflect on the connection between parenting and leadership. This piece explores how real growth - whether at home or in business - comes from consistency, structure, and showing up when it counts.

This article unpacks the invisible weight women leaders carry. The emotional labor, culture work, and trying to get clarity in the chaos, and why willpower isn’t the solution. Through personal insights and industry data, it shows how sustainable leadership isn’t about doing more, but building systems that support real, measurable growth.

If you’re tired of marketing plans that crumble at the first sign of trouble, this article shows you how to build a marketing strategy that stands strong, just like the brick house in the story of the three little pigs. Learn why a rushed, disconnected approach can waste your time and money—and discover how to lay a solid foundation with research, ICPs, a UVP, and team alignment.

Open banking has the potential to transform how Canadians manage their finances—but with only 9% public awareness, the entire initiative risks stalling before it starts. Trust and storytelling—not just policy—are the missing ingredients. Fintech founders and credit union CEOs have a unique opportunity to lead the charge by educating the public, humanizing the benefits, and building the momentum needed to make open banking a reality.

This article reframes marketing as a disciplined, test-and-learn process that connects early signals to real business outcomes like CAC and revenue. Through Mandy’s personal story, it offers a practical, empathetic lens on how small, focused changes can drive sustainable growth.

Discover how a deeply personal challenge — losing just 10 pounds — revealed hard truths about leadership, growth, and strategy that every fintech founder and financial services CEO can learn from.

We are family…Discover how the lessons learned at home—from integrity and resilience to humor and boldness—shape leadership in unexpected ways. Learn how these family values are not just part of personal growth, but a vital foundation for navigating the complexities of today’s business landscape.

If everything feels urgent, nothing is actually important. Here’s how great marketing orgs cut through the noise — and scale smarter.

If you’ve grown your fintech startup through grit, referrals, or direct selling — but now feel stuck in the middle of the funnel — this insight can help. Learn how to shift from early traction to a full-funnel system that drives scalable, predictable revenue.

If you’ve ever struggled to explain how marketing drives revenue — especially when budgets tighten — you’re not alone. This insight offers a more grounded, transparent approach to aligning marketing with revenue so your efforts are valued, not questioned.

After raising Series A, many fintech founders unintentionally sabotage their next stage of growth by scaling sales teams faster than their market readiness. This blog reveals how to avoid the most expensive mistake founders make post-funding.

With a re-elected federal Liberal government in place, open banking is accelerating, payments oversight is tightening, and more innovation funding is available. The fintechs that win won’t just have better tech—they’ll have a smarter go-to-market strategy. That’s where strategic CMOs come in.

Founders are under pressure to scale fast — but more marketing doesn’t mean better marketing.

The real growth advantage comes from strategic focus, not channel overload.
AI can help you execute faster, but without a strong foundation, it just scales the wrong things quicker.

Do you think of marketing as an expense or a profit margin? Strategic marketing can lower customer acquisition costs, accelerate pipeline, and increase brand trust, leading to higher revenue and growth. By measuring impact, investing in customer-centric strategies, and hiring fractional CMOs, fintech companies can turn marketing into a powerful revenue driver.