Michelle Wainwright
Fractional Head of Brand / Podcast Host
Brooklyn, NY
www.michellewainwright.comewainwright.com
instagram @mich_wainwright
pinterest
substack
Q What do you do?
“Hi! I’m a Fractional Head of Brand which means I partner with startup founders and their teams to deliver equal parts strategy, creativity, and execution without all the strings that come with a full-time hire. ”
Timing can certainly vary, but I most typically join at one of the following points in the startup journey:
- Very early on when you are just starting to think about how you want your brand to show up in the world. I am that thought partner to lay the foundation - think brand guidelines, do’s and don’ts, messaging, campaign check-lists, etc.
- Perhaps you’ve laid the groundwork for your brand and now need support on how to actually activate it in order to build cultural relevance and community. This can include channel strategy, content production, partnership negotiations, influencer seeding, and more.
- Maybe your brand is seeing a ton of traction in market from a sales perspective and you’re now looking to take things to the next level. This can be everything from launching a brand refresh, building your founder’s profile, new market launches, running point on your Black Friday or Holiday marketing campaigns, and so on.
- Or, more simply, when you’re ready to invest in content and community.
Playbooks are done. What’s working for other brands may not and, candidly, should not work for yours. So that’s where I come in. As part of our partnership, we’ll schedule regular check-ins where we align on top priority initiatives that I’ll tackle either solo or in partnership with your team.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
A lot of hard work going after internships, jobs, and promotions over the last 15 years working either agency side or in-house at consumer brands. If I wasn’t learning and growing, I was then looking for my next move.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
Although I've always considered myself a marketing generalist (which I believe is more valuable than ever today when there are so many available tools for specialized support), I am especially skilled at brand campaigns and content production.
My LinkedIn bio simply states ‘strategic leader and executional witch’ because I have a deep understanding for strategy, creative, AND project management which, when combined, is pretty special - and efficient I might add!
Q What are you working on right now?
I’m working to build out my roster of fractional clients and produce my podcast, Creative Juicy, which I host in conversation with the creative artists, makers, and thinkers in (mostly) New York City today.
Q What’s your style?
My personal style is certainly expressed through my Pinterest, but what I produce for my clients has a wide range.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
My podcast, Creative Juicy is my happy place.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
Building my own personal brand online is something that is always at the bottom of my to-do list because I get so invested in my client work and other projects. When I grow my online presence, I get more clients, so I need to be better about prioritizing it.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Candidly, I think I’d hire a personal chef. I don’t love cooking but I do it because I care about quality ingredients and healthy food. If I had someone who could whip up a delicious range of dishes throughout my day (and also clean the kitchen!) I feel like a lot of head space would be freed up for me to focus on other things.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
This one’s a bit heavy for me because I was diagnosed with cancer a couple years ago. There are some very practical things I would tell myself but, more importantly, I’d just give younger me a really big hug.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
I really want to perfect my at-home espresso game. I bought a Breville Bambino recently, but I feel like my coffee is not nearly as good as it can be. Help a girl out!
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I’m looking to grow my Fractional Head of Brand client roster, specifically with consumer brands.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
This is a fun one! Some ideal jobs would be:
- Working with Soft Services to produce their upcoming Black Friday / holiday campaign
- Designing the opening event and influencer strategy for Ssense’s NYC boutique (a girl can dream!)
- Partnering with Ghia to build their launch strategy and campaign for a new product
- Collaborating with Comme Si’s founder, Jenni Lee, to build her founder profile online
Q: What is your rate?
Because of the tailored way I support each partner, I only take on a small number of clients at a time and do so on a flat monthly retainer. These typically start at $4k a month, but vary depending on the level of support needed.
I am also happy to explore one-off projects for previous retainer clients.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Simply email me at michelle.wainwright.mw@gmail.com and we’ll set up an intro call to discuss your brand and the kind of support you’re looking for.
Q Who is a creative you admire?
My creative recommendations entirely depend on who my client is, what they stand for, the audience they service, and the value they create, so it’s difficult to recommend someone without that context but a few creatives that I’d love to collaborate with include Stella Blackmon for video, Casey Zhang for photo / creative direction, and Julianna Salazar for styling / creative direction.
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
My morning walks in Prospect Park!
This member profile was originally published in June 2025.