Companies running on EOS®* often struggle with marketing — not because EOS is flawed, but because of how marketing is typically integrated (or under-integrated) into the Accountability Chart and organizational structure. Here’s a clear look at what’s really going on, rooted in what Authentic calls the “Little m Dilemma.”
Read on below, or watch the following video to hear directly from our Founder and CEO, Jennifer Zick, as she unpacks a common story for businesses who Run On EOS®:
1. EOS Structure Puts Sales & Marketing in One Seat
In the EOS model, the “Sales & Marketing” roles are combined in one seat. That makes sense for early-stage or founder-led businesses. But in most entrepreneurial companies:
- This seat is filled by a sales leader (not a marketer)
- Marketing is junior, fragmented, or outsourced across disconnected vendors
- Strategy, systems, and measurement are missing or misaligned
As a result, marketing remains subordinate to sales — limiting its potential as a true growth function.
2. Marketing Becomes “Little m” — Tactical, Not Strategic
Without a mature structure, marketing tends to show up like this:
- Reactive and scattered: chasing ideas and one-off requests
- Overly acquisition-focused: fixated on net new leads only
- Low accountability: unclear ownership of metrics or outcomes
- Immature processes: no scalable content, campaigns, or scorecards
- Siloed from sales: misaligned targets, tension, and confusion
This creates the conditions for Random Acts of Marketing — frustrating, expensive, and hard to justify.
3. EOS Doesn’t Teach How to Do Marketing
EOS is a powerful operating system for clarity, accountability, and execution — but it doesn’t equip businesses to:
- Build a full-funnel customer lifecycle
- Define messaging, content, and campaign strategies
- Operationalize marketing programs
- Measure attribution, CAC, or ROI
- Evolve marketing maturity quarter by quarter
So unless there’s a clear, strategic marketing system in place, marketing never scales.
4. EOS Companies Hit a Wall Around $5–$10M
When companies hit that next growth threshold — usually around $5–10M in revenue — common themes emerge:
- Sales efforts alone won’t drive next-level growth
- Marketing is doing “stuff” but not moving the needle
- There’s no owner for the marketing roadmap or system
- The leadership team is flying blind on marketing ROI
That’s when a new solution is needed — not just marketing activity, but a system and rhythm for marketing that matches the rigor of EOS.
The Solution: Big M Marketing — with the Right Model
Authentic Growth® Activation helps EOS-run companies grow up from Little m to Big M marketing. Whether we’re providing external guidance as an Authentic Growth® Guide, or full leadership via Fractional CMO engagement, we tailor to your team structure and growth stage.
Big M marketing includes:
- Strategic, focused, aligned activation — not random acts
- A complete Marketing Operating System – with Authentic Growth® Methodology
- Defined roles and shared scorecards across Sales and Marketing
- Lifecycle thinking: Attract → Convert → Expand → Advocate
- Disciplined execution through weekly L10s, quarterly Marketing Rocks, and a complete Strategy & Annual Execution Plan
- Ongoing improvement of systems, tools, and talent – engaging our CMO Mindshare & Ally Network of vetted marketing experts
In short: EOS gives you the structure. Authentic brings the system and support to activate marketing.
Whether you need an external growth advisor (Authentic Growth® Activation) or embedded leadership (Fractional CMO), we meet you where you are — and help you move toward scalable, aligned, confident marketing. Let’s connect and get your business moving from Little m chaos to Big M confidence.
*Authentic® and our LIFT Integrator Community™ are not affiliated with EOS Worldwide. We run our business on EOS®, and are big fans of building community with like-minded leaders.
