Behind the Scenes As A One-Man Marketing Consultant

Most agencies love to talk about “collaboration,” but what clients often get is a game of whispers, strategists, account managers, junior staff, rounds of amends, and not a lot of clarity.

That’s exactly what I wanted to avoid when I started consulting.

After years working in-house and agency-side, driving big results but getting bogged down in slow systems and rigid hierarchies, I realised I could offer something better: a more agile, more senior, more hands-on approach. 

No fluff, no handoffs. Just focused work that moves the needle.

Now I work directly with clients as an embedded part of their team. The strategy, execution, optimisation, it’s all me. Which means clients get one brain, one voice, and one clear path to results.

And yes, the freedom is great. It lets me match my hours to my partner’s A&E rota, stay up to date with the latest trends, and actually think creatively.

 But this isn’t a lifestyle business. It’s a better way to do marketing.

First, How Did I Get Here?

Before going solo, I spent over a decade in marketing, climbing the ranks from CRM Executive to Head of CRM. 

I worked with big-name brands like PureGym, La Redoute, and a few others you’ve probably heard of.

I led teams, built CRM strategies from the ground up, and at one point helped drive £750,000 in extra net profit year-on-year through promotional email alone.

 But despite the results, the structures I worked within rarely rewarded initiative or impact. At the end of that year, when a £2,000 pay rise was “out of budget,” I knew it was time to do things differently.

So I left. 

And, ironically, ended up freelancing back to that same company at four times my previous hourly rate, but that’s a story for another day!

That wasn’t just a satisfying twist; it was the push I needed to turn freelancing into a full-time consultancy. One where I could stay hands-on, work directly with clients, and finally build marketing that’s sharp, fast, and genuinely effective.

One Brain, One Strategy

Since going solo, I’ve built my consultancy around one core idea: 

Clarity.

When you work with me, you’re not dealing with layers of account managers or teams of junior staff. You’re working directly with the person doing the work, aka, me. 

The strategy, the content, the testing, and the results all come from the same place. 

One brain, fully engaged.

That consistency is what makes the work better. No disjointed messaging. No misaligned objectives. Just joined-up thinking from someone who’s done this before, at scale, across different sectors.

And because there’s no one in the middle, the communication is sharper too. No delays. No watered-down feedback. Just direct, honest collaboration.

It also means I notice things others might miss. I’m close enough to spot content gaps, pattern shifts, or small insights that can turn into big wins. That kind of detail gets lost when ten people are involved.

And because there’s no one in the middle, the communication is sharper too. No delays. No watered-down feedback. Just direct, honest collaboration with someone who understands your goals and actually gives a damn about the results.

Personal and Direct Communication

That directness doesn’t stop at the work, it shapes how we communicate, too.

There’s no account manager relaying messages. No junior staff interpreting your brief. You speak directly to me, the person who’s building and delivering your strategy. 

Which means faster answers, fewer misunderstandings, and far better alignment.

It also builds trust. As there are no middle layers, my clients feel more confident sharing what’s working, what’s not, and what they actually need. I’m not just here to deliver assets, I’m here to make sure the whole thing performs.

And because I only work with a small number of clients at any one time, you’re never just another name on a roster. You get my full attention, not a timesheet slot squeezed between agency pitches.

I’ve had clients ping me with questions mid-campaign and get same-day tweaks that moved performance. Or spot an issue on a Friday afternoon and get a fix before Monday. That kind of responsiveness just doesn’t happen when there’s a chain of command.

This kind of working relationship isn’t for everyone, but when it clicks, it leads to some of the best work I’ve ever done.

Senior-Level Work, No Junior-Level Output

One of the quiet advantages of working with a solo consultant? You’re not being handed off to a junior. 

There is no junior.

Everything I deliver comes with over a decade of hands-on experience, including leading CRM and content strategy for major brands, managing email databases of over four million users, and handling marketing budgets exceeding £1 million per year. 

Sometimes solo, sometimes while managing and training internal teams. Either way, I am always the one responsible for making it work, a responsibility that I thrive on.

That kind of experience sharpens your instincts. It teaches you where the real leverage is. Whether I’m writing content, reviewing campaign data, or helping a client’s team build better processes, I bring the same level of rigour and strategic thinking every time.

Clients often tell me the difference is obvious. 

The research is tighter. 

The execution’s cleaner. 

The thinking behind it all just feels more aligned. 

That’s because I’ve lived it, not just read about it.

You’re not just getting copy or strategy slides. You’re getting someone who’s made the calls, trained the teams, and delivered results at scale, without the fluff and unnecessary spend of your precious budget!

Lean and Efficient: No Bloated Retainers or Unnecessary Layers

And that lean, results-first mindset doesn’t just show up in the work, it shows up in how I run the business.

I don’t do bloated retainers. 

I don’t build in layers of project management that add zero value. 

There’s no padded team, no fluff, no overhead pretending to be strategy. 

What you’re paying for is the thinking, the delivery, and the performance, nothing else.

That means your budget goes further. I spend where it counts. I cut what doesn’t. You get senior-level work with none of the unnecessary markup.

I’ve sat on both sides of the table, and I know how easily time and money get lost in “agency theatre.” With me, it’s just direct, efficient marketing, focused on what actually works.

Built-in agility: fast decisions, flexible pivots

One of the biggest upsides to working with a solo consultant? We can move fast.

There’s no need for cross-team sign-offs or layers of approval just to tweak a subject line or pivot a piece of content. 

If something’s not working, I’ll tell you (and I’ll fix it!) If we spot an opportunity, we can act on it that same day. No waiting on resourcing. No internal politics. Just action.

This kind of agility is especially valuable when things shift quickly, new algorithm updates, product launches, changing priorities, and the seemingly daily generative AI news. 

That flexibility isn’t about being reactive; it’s about being responsive. When you strip away the bureaucracy, you make space for real momentum. And clients feel that.

Long-term thinking, not just project churn

I’m not here to crank out deliverables and move on. I build for the long term. Strategies that evolve, content that compounds, and partnerships that grow over time.

Some of my best work has come from relationships that have had time to breathe. Two of my clients have been with me for over two years. Another one’s not far behind. That kind of consistency isn’t just nice, it’s powerful. It means I know the brand, the audience, the internal quirks, and where the highest leverage lives.

We’re not constantly resetting or reinventing. We’re improving, layering, and pushing things forward together.

Because when you work with someone who’s genuinely invested (not just hitting project milestones) you get more than outputs. 

You get outcomes. 

And those tend to snowball when you consistently show up and do the right things.

Is It Right For You?

I’m not going to sit here and tell you that working with a solo consultant isn’t for everyone. 

There’s no big agency machine behind me, no big team to lean on, and no illusion of scale.

What you get is me. Focused, experienced, and fully invested.

If you’re looking for layers of process, a junior team to manage, or numerous internal meetings to justify the budget, I’m probably not a good fit.

But if you want a clear strategy, clean execution, and a long-term partner who treats your brand like their own, you might find this works a lot better.

If that sounds like something you need, drop me an email: graeme@gwcontent.co.uk. 

No hard sell, just a proper chat to see if we’re a good match.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of clients do you work with?

Mostly B2C and tech-focused brands, scale-ups, and founders who want senior-level thinking without the overhead of an agency.

Do you work on retainer or project-based?

Both. I offer flexible scopes based on what actually needs to be done, no bloated retainers, just value-driven work.

How do you handle capacity as a solo consultant?

I keep my client roster intentionally small, so each client gets full attention. No context switching, no overload.

What if I need to scale output?
I’ve managed large databases and teams before. If we need to scale, I’ll flag it early and help build the right system, team, or workflow to support it—without compromising on quality.