Why We Ditched Fancy Job Titles for Real Results
Fifteen years ago, when I left a long career in corporate America to found The Small Marketing Agency, I knew I wanted to build something fundamentally different.
In the corporate world, I was constantly vexed by the traditional "I-Thou" hierarchy. I’d meet a Vice President of Marketing, a CMO, or another senior executive with an impressive title—and yet, when pressed, they often struggled to articulate what they actually did day-to-day
Just because someone holds an executive title doesn't mean they are building, creating, or driving results. Too often, a fancy title just means you manage employees and sit in meetings. You might be insulated from the actual work, operating in a silo designed to protect your status rather than push the needle for clients.
I wanted to build an agency focused on contribution, output, and accountability—not titles.
Function Over Form
At The Small Marketing Agency, we don't focus on job titles. We focus on job functions.
When you work with our team, you are talking directly to the people who are executing and contributing to your account. Because we operate with a flat, cross-functional structure instead of rigid corporate silos, our team members bring value across the entire marketing ecosystem:
- Your Social Media Manager doesn't just schedule posts—they actively contribute to your public relations strategy and email marketing.
- Your Email Marketing Manager doesn't just send newsletters—they provide input on your overall graphic design, brand cohesion, and go-to-market strategy.
- Your Project Manager doesn't just manage deadlines—they influence design direction, coordinate trade show schedules, and support campaign rollouts.
The Power of the Big Picture
When people hide behind big titles, they isolate themselves from the process that actually makes things happen.
In marketing, process is everything. Team members need to know what’s at stake, understand their specific role, and remain laser-focused on the ultimate goal.
Because our team isn't boxed in by corporate labels, everyone understands the big picture and how all the moving parts fit together. We are defined by what we do and not our titles.
What This Means for You
For our clients, this philosophy changes everything:
- Total Alignment: Everyone on our team understands your overall strategy, not just their small piece of it.
- Built-in Quality Control: Because our roles overlap and collaborate, we are constantly cross-checking work to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.
- No Overhead Bloat: You aren't paying for middle managers to manage other managers. You are paying for specialists who get work done.
We don't need big, fancy titles to prove our value. We let the work—and the results—speak for themselves. You want to grow big? Go small.