Dr. Duke Merhavy, founder of Fractional CMO LLC, recently sat down with Tales With Taylor for a conversation that goes far beyond typical business discussions. This exclusive interview reveals the real stories behind building a revolutionary marketing consultancy.
Tales With Taylor is a spirited interview podcast where successful entrepreneurs share their most captivating stories over their favorite beverage (Earl Grey tea, in this case), hosted by Taylor Wellman of Financial Potion video marketing in Mesa, Arizona.
They discussed many topics, including what drives someone to leave a successful 25-year corporate marketing career to start their own fractional Chief Marketing Officer business, and even how does military intelligence experience helped shape client relationships.
Dr. Merhavy also shared childhood observations that sparked his fascination with marketing, his military leadership lessons from his time as a captain in Israeli Military Intelligence, and the “aha moment” that led to the creation of the fractional CMO model.
He revealed several real client stories—including an aerospace company with a three-year-old voicemail problem costing them customers daily—and his honest take on AI in marketing, complete with a hilarious ChatGPT story about fabricated historical facts.
This isn’t typical CEO speak. Dr. Merhavy discussed why he fires clients who can’t handle honest feedback, the “mystery shopper” approach he uses to reveal customer journeys, and why measuring everything doesn’t always tell the whole story.
His direct, no-nonsense approach offers perspectives you won’t find elsewhere, including why sometimes the best business advice is simply “stop the nonsense.”
Ready for unfiltered business insights?
Watch the complete conversation here to discover the real stories behind building a successful Fractional CMO business and the mistakes that teach the biggest lessons.
