Meet JP McGuirk – Marketing Guy, Family Man, Straight Shooter

So… what exactly do you do?
Glad you asked. I help businesses cut through the noise and actually connect with their audience. With the ultimate goal or increasing the sales funnel and bringing in business. I’m a marketing strategist, a fractional CMO, a brand builder, and occasionally a therapist for overwhelmed business owners. I partner with companies to figure out what’s working, what’s not, and how to fix it — without the fluff.

 

What's your superpower as a marketer?

Besides a knack for spotting untapped opportunities? I’d say simplifying the complex. Whether it’s a messy brand story or a mountain of marketing data, I love breaking things down and building a clear, strategic plan that actually works, without the fluff.
 

What types of businesses do you usually work with?
I’ve worked with everything from ski areas and real estate developers to dental practices and tourism boards. I especially love working with small to mid-sized businesses that are ready to grow but need a seasoned guide to help them do it smartly (and affordably). Bottom line, I can work with any and all companies, but I love the following industries – tourism, hospitality, destination marketing, dental and healthcare practices, senior living, insurance and community banks, commercial and residential real estate developers and builders, manufacturing companies, and anything that supports economic development.

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What made you decide to start your own consulting firm?
After 30 years in the industry (yep, 30!), I realized I could make a bigger impact working directly with clients — no red tape, no bloated teams, just honest, strategic, results-driven work. I care about my clients, and I want that to show every day. Plus, I like being able to choose projects that actually light me up.

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My entire career has led me to this point, and I have worked for many great companies, and have had many great mentors along the way. For the past 10+ years, being on the executive team at Focus Media, a full service marketing, advertising and public relations agency has allowed me to hone my skills and leading an organization and providing expert marketing strategy and counsel. Most work samples you see on this website are from projects I led and worked on at Focus Media.

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What’s something people don’t know about marketing, but should?
That it’s not about shouting the loudest — it’s about saying the right thing to the right people at the right time. And no, “just post more on Instagram” is not a strategy, although it can be a small part of one ha ha. Also, as a marketer, you need to grow and learn every day, pay attention to the trends and what is new.
 

What’s one project that you’re really proud of?
Oh, there are a few — but one that stands out is working with Orange County Tourism in Orange County, NY – just one hour north of NYC. I led the account for over ten years and in that time we have more than tripled website traffic, have had record breaking results, have won several awards, and it just has been an overwhelming gratifying experience to see their growth with me leading the strategy. It was creative, collaborative, and delivered serious results. Alas, that is not a project.

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There are way too many to think of that I am really proud of. But I will just give two other quick examples. I was the lead for the team that was hired to help LEGOLAND New York Resort get approved to build in Goshen, NY. The project faced heavy, well-funded, organized opposition, but ultimately it was overwhelmingly approved. We did this through transparent communications, consistent brand storytelling, and proactive, positive campaigns highlighting the benefits of the project. This project was approved and is now one of the largest tourism attractions in the state of New York. I am extremely proud to have led the team to help make that happen. Finally, I have to mention transitioning Mount Peter Ski Area from traditional focused marketing to digital focused marketing. This strategy had and has been extremely successful, and the owners often credit me and my team with their success. While we still do traditional advertising, the focus is on digital, we have a nice 360-degree program. I have been working with them for over 8 years now, and they are a great partner.
 

What's your favorite part of the job?
Hands down, the “a-ha” moment — when a client sees a new opportunity they hadn’t considered before, or when a campaign finally clicks and the leads start rolling in. That feeling never gets old. Seeing the clients’ smile, happiness and acknowledgment that the “plan” or “strategy” or “tactic” is working is what drives me every day!
 

Do you ever get sick of marketing?
Only when I hear the phrase “let’s go viral” or "can you make the logo bigger" ha ha. But seriously — marketing is always evolving, and I love staying on top of trends, testing new tools, and helping clients navigate the chaos. It keeps me on my toes (and maybe slightly over-caffeinated).

 

What do you do for fun when you're not working?
I live in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. I live with my amazing fiancé Laura, and I have two amazing sons, Colin and Ryan. When I am not working, I can be seen driving around in my 1962 Buick Electra Convertible with Laura or going to flea markets and antique stores with my boys (they both love it – how lucky am I?). I love to golf, but don’t get out enough, I love to read, and I still go to concerts multiple times a year.

 

What is the difference between a full-service marketing agency, a marketing consultant, and a fractional CMO?

Full-Service Marketing Agency:
An agency is a team of specialists that offers a wide range of marketing services—think branding, ad campaigns, graphic design, public relations, social media, website design, SEO, and more. They handle a lot of the execution work.
 

Marketing Consultant:
A consultant is typically an individual expert (like me!) who works directly with your leadership team to assess, plan, and guide your marketing strategy. Consultants offer hands-on direction and advice and can also manage vendors or teams—but they don’t usually do all the execution themselves. Although, we can help you build the right team or use the right freelancers if needed.

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Fractional CMO:
A fractional Chief Marketing Officer is a senior-level marketing leader who works part-time and, on a contract, or retainer basis. They step in as a member of your executive team, setting strategy, leading initiatives, managing marketing staff or agencies, and bringing big-picture leadership without the full-time salary.

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Why should a company choose each?

• Full-Service Agency:
  Great if you need a wide variety of marketing services and don’t have the internal team to handle. Agencies have specialists for everything and can move quickly—ideal for execution-heavy work.

• Marketing Consultant:
  Perfect when you need outside expertise to evaluate what’s working (and what’s not), sharpen your messaging, build a plan, or run the overall strategy. Consultants are objective and flexible, often less costly than agencies or full-time hires, and bring clarity without adding full-time overhead.

• Fractional CMO:
  A smart move for companies that need senior-level marketing leadership but aren’t ready to hire a full-time CMO. You get executive experience, strategic thinking, and team leadership—without the full-time cost.  
   

If someone’s on the fence about hiring a consultant like you, what would you say to them?
I'd say this: You don’t need a large agency or a full-time hire to get big results. You just need someone who’s been around the block, knows what works, and truly gives a damn about your business. That’s where I come in.

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How would you work with a smaller company?
I can act as their marketing department and/or I can build out their marketing department. I can hire freelancers, manage or build out staff, vendors, agencies. I can do this on a fractional basis and save the company a lot of money by not hiring a full-time senior level in-house person. Or I can just handle the portions of their marketing that they need me to, but most of all I can provide senior level strategy and implementation.

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What do you think of AI?
I’m AI-forward — meaning I don’t just follow the hype, I look for practical ways to use AI to get real results. I’m not a coder or a data scientist, but I am someone who’s always learning, testing, and figuring out how AI can save time, spark creativity, and make smarter marketing decisions. Whether it’s generating content ideas, streamlining workflows, or analyzing campaign performance, I know how to use AI tools to benefit the businesses I work with — without losing that all-important human touch.