BRAND GROWTH STRATEGIST | FRACTIONAL CMO
Growth without positioning is just noise.I help founder-led consumer brands build emotionally connected, positioning-led businesses, from ground zero through retail readiness and into scale.
Building a brand is messy.
I'm the person founders call when they have the vision but need the roadmap.With 20 years primarily in prestige beauty, I sit at the crossroads of brand, product, and commercialization. My approach starts with consumer connection — the insight that shapes brand positioning and storytelling before anything else. From that foundation I execute across product development, copy, communications and omnichannel strategy, bringing a brand to market as a connected, scalable whole.I've been in every room.
Mythologie Collection was an end-to-end brand build — from founder vision to market, on an accelerated timeline. Hello Sunday SPF exclusively into the US & Sephora. IT Cosmetics OG— from employee #11 through a $1.2B acquisition by L'Oréal. Kevyn Aucoin through a successful acquisition by Harmay. WK Mechanical building social content & strategy for a legacy heating & AC company, bringing modern visibility to an essential trade.If you're building something meaningful, I'd love to help you scale it with intention.
The Brand-to-Market Approach
Brand builds emotional connection
Product creates market relevance
Commercial drives scalable growthGrowth doesn't come from marketing alone. It requires alignment across brand, product, and commercialization. When those three work together, you get clarity, momentum, and a system built to scale.
WHAT I OFFER
Brand Strategy & Positioning
Brand positioning, narrative development, storytelling, and emotional connection
Copy & Communications
Brand and product copy, packaging copy, content strategy, and integrated communications
Product Development
Innovation roadmaps, lab and formulation strategy, regulatory compliance, packaging briefs, artwork review, pricing, and discontinuation strategy
Retail & Commercial Strategy
Retail readiness, visual merchandising strategy and briefs, GTM planning, trade marketing, distribution, and pricing strategy
Omnichannel Growth
Pre-launch revenue, consumer behavior, market insights, full-funnel growth strategy, and omnichannel planning
HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER
Every engagement is tailored to your brand's stage, needs, budget and growth objectives. Here's where I typically start:Fractional CMO Ongoing strategic and executional leadership for founders who need a senior marketing partner without a full-time hire. (Retainer / Limited Availability)Brand & Growth Roadmap A focused 4-week discovery and strategic blueprint — your positioning, priorities, and path to market, built to act on immediately. (Project Based)Brand & Growth Sprint A 3-hour focused session to diagnose your biggest challenge and walk away with clear, prioritized next steps. (One Time)Weekly Strategy Sessions Dedicated 1:1 weekly sessions for founders who need an expert thinking partner on key decisions as they happen. (Ongoing)Agency & Brand Partnerships Open to select white-label and referral collaborations with agencies serving founder-led consumer brands. (Project Based)Pricing available upon inquiry.
FEATURED RESULTS
1.2M+
Views on Sephora launch campaign reel5000%
Organic social growth in one quarter for a local heating & air conditioning business$70K Operational savings
Through sourcing optimization for a start-up brand6 Consecutive Months
Exceeding Sephora retail sales targets in Year 16 Launch SKUs
Guided formula validation and positioning alignment to ensure ingredient strategy, product claims, and brand storytelling worked cohesively together while leading readiness for U.S., international, and Sephora Clean compliance
Featured Case Studies
CASE STUDY 1
Scaling Hello Sunday’s U.S. Launch
& Sephora Growth Strategy
How a short-term Sephora launch engagement evolved into a multi-year omni-channel growth partnership.The Situation
UK SPF brand entering U.S. market
Needed support launching into Sephora
Early-stage brand with lean infrastructure
Needed retail + DTC alignmentWhat I Led
Sephora commercialization support
U.S. launch planning
Omni-channel strategy
Distribution planning
Budget planning
Website build + optimization
Retail growth strategy
Social launch concepting, strategy + copywriting
Influencer campaigns
Cross-functional coordinationKey Wins
Exceeded first-year Sephora retail sales plan by 3% in a seasonal category
Delivered 6 consecutive months, beating retail sales targets outside peak SPF season
Helped secure Sephora collaboration support typically reserved for major brands
Concepted brand’s first viral launch reelGenerated
1.2M views
22K likes
Supported successful U.S. market entryStrategic Takeaway
This engagement demonstrated the importance of aligning retailer relationships, consumer storytelling, and omni-channel execution to drive sustainable retail momentum.
CASE STUDY 2
Building Mythologie’s Launch Foundation
for Prestige Retail Expansion
Transforming an early-stage concept into a retail-ready prestige beauty brand through a discovery project that evolved into a long-term fractional engagement.The Situation
Founder preparing for launch
Needed go-to-market strategy
Brand lacked operational and retail infrastructure + product formula compliance and strategy
Needed compliance, positioning, and platform optimization before scalingWhat I Led
Brand positioning refinement
Sephora Clean / international compliance guidance
Product formula refinement & launch timing
Packaging sourcing
Warehouse sourcing
Shopify migration + UX optimization
Influencer + PR outreach strategy
Pre-launch campaign strategy
Competitive landscape analysis
Consumer profiling
Pricing strategy
Distribution roadmap
Financial/demand planning support
Operational hiring supportKey Wins
Reduced packaging/manufacturing costs by ~$70K
Secured operational partners within weeks
Transitioned website from WooCommerce to Shopify
Improved launch readiness across operational and brand systems
Contract expanded from 4-week engagement into on-going retained partnership with 2 contract extensionsStrategic Takeaway
Fractional leadership at the pre-launch stage allowed the brand to build positioning clarity and a stronger infrastructure before entering retail and consumer acquisition phases
CASE STUDY 3
Audience Growth & Brand Momentum
Across Emerging Businesses
Driving awareness, engagement, and community traction through strategic content and growth initiatives.PART 1 — WK MechanicalSituation
Local Heating & Air Conditioning business seeking stronger digital presence
Needed on-going modernized social strategy and audience growthWhat I Led
Meta Weekly Content strategy
Reel concept development & creation
Organic social storytelling
Brand visibility initiativesKey Wins
Increased social views by 5000% organically within first quarter &
Established repeatable content strategy
Continued quarter-over-quarter top-of-funnel growth⸻PART 2 — Retail/AI Beauty SpaceSituation
Founder developing long-term beauty retail/tech concept
Needed interim revenue generation & weekly strategy guidance for newly acquired spaceWhat I Led
Revenue-generating activation concepts
Community partnership development
Event strategy
Founder advisory
Early-stage growth planningKey Wins
Activated space through:
Founder events
Fashion pop-ups
Sample sales
Art gallery experiences
Business networking activations
Helped establish early community awareness
Created bridge between short-term revenue and long-term brand visionStrategic Takeaway
Strong brands are built through community relevance, experiential engagement, and strategic momentum long before full-scale launch.
Let's Connect
| Title | Author |
|---|---|
| [email protected] | |
| Phone | 914-443-5616 |
| Location | New York / Remote |
About Me
Hi, I'm Jenn.
I've spent 20+ years in prestige beauty across brand strategy, commercial growth, and marketing — and I still love every minute of it.I've been featured in Beauty Independent for my perspective on brand building and the evolving beauty landscape, and I bring that same point of view to every founder I work with.Outside of work, I'm a mom of two, dog mom to Harley Quinn, an athlete, and someone who is endlessly curious about people, brands, and what makes both of them tick. That curiosity is what drives me — and what inspired me to launch Jennifer Lacenera Consulting."Raising brands like I raise my kids — heart, attention, and a game-winning plan. Snacks optional."
