Get famous.
Stay relevant.

I'm Carl Mesner Lyons. I've launched startups that became household names and run marketing for some of the UK's biggest brands. Twenty years of both means I know what it takes - and I can make it happen for you.

Seriously experienced.
Seriously rated.

I started client-side, running marketing for some of the UK's biggest and best-known brands. Then I moved into high-growth startups and scale-ups - as CMO, as advisor, as board member.

That breadth is rare. It means I know what enterprise looks like from the inside, and I know what it takes to build something from nothing.

20+
years in senior marketing roles
100+
brands advised and built

"You nailed this, Carl!"

Olly Thornton-BerryCEO, Thirdfort · Fintech & legaltech

Blue-chip background - brands I led marketing at

CloudCMO clients - a selection

Let's get
things working.

You're putting in the effort. The product is good. But the message isn't landing - and you're hitting a growth plateau.

Here's what I hear most often.

  • -"We're doing a lot, but nothing's cutting through."
  • -"Our story isn't clear - even internally."
  • -"We've outgrown our original positioning."
  • -"There are too many ideas and not enough clarity."
  • -"Marketing feels disconnected from the rest of the business."

Brand unlocks
the business.

Most marketing problems are brand problems in disguise. You need a clear, powerful brand story that can run through everything you do - your comms, your product, your culture.

Get that right, and everything downstream gets easier. Miss it, and no amount of activity will cut through.

  • 01 Brand narrative. A rousing elevator pitch that emotively gets across your story - internally and externally. The thing that makes people lean in.
  • 02 Brand platform. Your why, what and how - "brand on a page". The core DNA that defines everything you do and keeps it coherent.
  • 03 Creative starters. Headlines, messaging frameworks, tone of voice - to show how the brand story comes to life in the real world.

Flexible services.

Here's how I typically plug in.

01

One-off projects

Brand narrative, positioning, go-to-market strategy. A defined brief, a defined output.

02

Coaching & mentoring

Working alongside your marketing leader - thinking partner, sounding board, skills sharpener.

03

Fractional CMO

Senior marketing leadership on a part-time basis - for businesses that need the role but not the headcount.

04

Retained advisory

A regular slot, an ongoing relationship, always available when something important comes up.

05

NED / board advisor

For businesses that want experienced marketing representation at board level.

Senior.
Fast. Impactful.

I've been the lead marketer in four high-growth startups. I've run brand for global names. I've sat on boards. I've written the briefs, hired the agencies, and been accountable for the results.

That means I get up to speed fast, I know what good looks like, and I deliver things that actually move the business forward.

  • No juniors, no account handlers. You work directly with me, every time.
  • I've built from scratch and scaled. Startups, scale-ups, and global brands - I know what works at each stage.
  • Commercial to the core. Marketing that can't be tied to growth isn't worth doing. I don't lose sight of that.
  • Flexible. A one-off project or a long-term relationship - I work the way that suits you.

Pick a time.
How can I help?

No pitch. No proposal before we've spoken. Just a straight conversation about where you are, what's not working, and whether I can help.

Book a 30 minute slot in my diary - or drop me an email if you'd rather start that way.

→ Connect on LinkedIn