My first experience as a department of one was in 2019. I was hired as the Director of Marketing at a tiny beverage startup where I was tasked with supporting DTC and retail across growth, brand, and retention. To say I had no idea what I was getting myself into is an understatement. In my first two weeks on the job, the blissful veil of ignorance vanished as I scrambled to teach myself the backend of Meta (nightmare), email automation in Klaviyo (manageable), and design in Photoshop (actually fun).
This experience was hands-down one of the hardest of my entire career. As often is the case, it’s also the one I’m most grateful for. There’s no better training ground for a true generalist than the solo marketer role.
I’ve been reflecting on this as I find myself back in a similar position six years later, in a fractional head of marketing gig for an early-stage startup. The functional challenges are familiar, but I’m much better equipped to handle them.
As budgets shrink and headcounts tighten, solo marketer roles are more common than ever. And, since you all hear from me every single week, I’m excited to bring a few other experts into the conversation. I spoke with six other marketers who have worked as a department of one to learn how they’ve stayed sane along the way.
Meet The Experts:
Holly Benjamin, Head of Marketing @ Lugg
Jessalyne Dixon, Director of Marketing @ Paragon Corporate Housing
Jessica Granader, Marketing Director @ Allara
Nali Sutipayakul, Head of Brand @ Creative People
Sloan Wyatt, Communications Strategist @ Agency
Simran Handa, Operations @ Dots
Rule #1: Protect your creative time
Most marketers know the struggle of an endless to-do list. Solo marketers feel this to an extreme, and I can tell you from experience that nothing kills creativity faster than stress. As Nali articulates, “It’s easy to get stuck in reactive mode when you’re the only cook in the kitchen. I started time-blocking just for ‘creative thinking.’ I do whatever it takes to protect creative thinking as much as output.”
It’s tempting to treat creative time like a reward you get after the busywork, but it’s actually the thing that will improve the quality — and efficacy — of your output.
Rule #2: Don’t try to do everything
Holly hit the nail on the head: “There are always a hundred shiny things you could do — and it’s tough not to spread yourself too thin… I learned to get really clear on the highest-priority initiatives and let go of the guilt of not doing everything.”
If you’re having trouble prioritizing on your own, ask for help from leadership, even if they don’t have experience in marketing. Even a non-marketer can be a useful sounding board when you’re deciding what comes first.
The rest of this piece is for paid subscribers.
Below, the experts go deeper into the systems, boundaries, and decision-making frameworks that actually make one-person marketing roles sustainable.
