Hi {{first_name}},
I've been thinking about a pattern I keep seeing with founder-led businesses.
Your business has evolved. You're running a real company now—not just landing clients and figuring things out. You have systems, maybe a team, clear business strategy.
But your marketing? It still feels fragmented, haphazard, and inconsistent. Like you are just going through the motions without really knowing why or what’s working.
I call this Marketing Drift. Your business is moving, but your marketing is just kind of along for the ride… not hurting anything, but not really contributing.
Here's a quick self-assessment to see if you're experiencing Marketing Drift - and what to do about it.
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Rate each statement from 1-5
(1 = not at all true, 5 = very true)
Leads are coming in, but they're not quite the right fit
Your content gets engagement, but doesn't convert to actual conversations
Sales calls take longer because you're re-explaining things that should be clear from your marketing
You rely heavily on referrals because your marketing doesn't generate quality inbound leads
You're spending significant time on LinkedIn but not seeing pipeline impact
Prospects decline (or ghost) after proposals, despite seemingly good conversations
Content feels like a chore because you're not sure what it's actually supposed to accomplish
When you try to explain what makes you different, it doesn't land the way you want it to — and you don’t feel excited about it.
If you scored 25 or higher: You're definitely Drifting. Your business has evolved past the marketing approach that got you here, and soon your marketing could become a dead weight that starts slowing you down (if it’s not already).
If you scored 15-24: You're starting to feel the symptoms. This is usually when founders realize something needs to shift, but they are not quite sure what.
Below 15: Your marketing is probably working well enough for where your business is right now — but keep an eye on things to avoid future drift.
What Marketing Drift Actually Means
At this point, your business has evolved past scrappy tactics. You don't need more execution help—you need integrated systems thinking.
The challenge is that you can't see how to build that system from inside your own business. And hiring another specialist to work on another isolated piece just creates more disconnected parts.
What often looks like a content problem is actually positioning that's too broad. What feels like a messaging issue is really an unclear ICP. Or everything's decent—you just need help seeing how to make it all work together.
Without diagnostic thinking to identify the real bottleneck, you end up investing in solutions that treat symptoms rather than root causes.
What Comes Next
If you scored in the higher range—if you know your marketing and business strategy should be aligned but can't quite see how to get there—I'd love to talk.
I work with founders at exactly this stage, helping them diagnose where the real misalignment is and build the integrated marketing system that matches the company they're actually running.
Hit reply and let me know your score and which symptoms hit hardest. I'd be happy to share some thoughts on what might be happening and where to start.
Katie
Grab 30 minutes here or just reply to this email to chat!