Ep 5: From Corporate to Agency, with Marina Fomina of Marketing Works

Key TakeawaysMarina spent over 10 years at Amazon before launching her agency, Marketing Works.Marketing Works specializes in performance marketing, with a strong focus on Google Ads and search strategy.The agency started with a lean two-person team and a bold offer: 3 months of free work in exchange for ad budget to prove results.Marina compares performance marketing to mountaineering—clients are the climbers, and her team acts as the Sherpa guiding them with the right tools and strategy.Brand awareness can feel like a dirty word in performance marketing, but it’s essential for long-term success—“Feed the cow” to keep the conversions flowing.Fractional CMO services emerged organically as clients needed broader marketing strategy support beyond just ads.Investing in yourself as a founder is crucial—mentors, coaching, and mindset work pay dividends.Success isn’t just about budget; it's about having the right setup, tracking, and understanding of the customer journey.Early clients who haven’t advertised before often require significant education—now the agency prefers working with clients who are further along the adoption curve.Tools MentionedNotebook LM – Used to transcribe meetings, organize data, and create documents like case studies with AI assistance.Scribble – A free tool for recording and transcribing meetings via Google Meet, feeding into Notebook LM for deeper analysis and strategy building.Check out Marina's agency here:https://www.marketingworks.io/ Join the Agency Uplift group: https://www.agencyuplift.co/join 👉 Get new episodes right to your inbox - click here 👈