James Hamlin:
CMO, Business Mentor, Advisor, Community Builder & Agency leader.
I'm James. I bring 25 years of Marketing, Growth & Leadership experience gained from leading a series of successfully scaled tech brands. Whether as a Fractional CMO or within the framework of our agency Here on Up,
I can help your business drive truly fearless growth.
Meet James
A multi-decade experienced Full Stack CMO, James leverages his extensive background to help manage, lead, grow, advise, mentor, invest in & nurture purpose-driven start-ups and scale-up businesses, supporting founders and teams along the way.
Major benefits to working with James
Full Stack Expertise
AI powered & fully competent across the spectrum of marketing and growth functions, offering comprehensive strategic and executional support for both B2C and B2B businesses
Connecting at the core
I love bringing people together, connecting clients with valuable resources and opportunities across industries. It's one of the joys of what i do and something I facilitate daily.
Community Driven
My focus is on building from the inside outwards, fostering strong internal cultures and customer relationships. I have also co-founded and manage two leading digital communities in the work space.
A selection of brands I've had the pleasure of growing
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Some of my areas of deep expertise
"Deep & dirty" digital marketing
From high-level strategy to detailed channel audits & execution.
Strategy with Soul
Getting involved in your plans and strategy and helping shape them for faster growth
Messaging & Positioning
Helping you cut through the AI slop with meaningful messaging that lands with your ICP
Research & Measurements
Speaking to customers, competitors, staff and ICP getting to heart of where you want to go and helping to set the North star
Models, Tools and Structure
Critiquing process, tools and set up as well as driving implementation to help cut costs and increase efficiency
Providing Leadership to teams
Bringing in Leadership and guidance to teams as well as advising and mentoring individual contributors
Community Building
Helping mobilise your ICP into a galvanise community that supports your brand
B2B Events
I hosted over 50 events in 2025 prompting connection, lead gen for partners with very high attendance
Some Case studies
300% Growth & a Business defining Partnership
- Built a community of 1500 Active Taskers Internationally
- Launched & scaled TR+ IKEA Partnership across 5 UK stores (Leading to Acquisition by IKEA in 2017)
- Led Growth, customer acq & retention, community, marketing , PR & customer services internationally
Double Digit Quarterly revenue growth, following 5 negative quarters
- Value Prop research & realignment with target user personas, repositioned strategy from bonus & discount driven to sustainable owner driven growth
- Channel shift into influencer and content marketing with an in house content squad
- Management and Launch of the businesses’ first TV campaign
43% Growth Y-O-Y in
E-Commerce
- Drove over £665K in revenue, up 43% Y-O-Y
- Full management of Google shopping ads - with increase in ad groups, campaigns and output
- Impression share in category growing from less than 1% to > 15%
Advisory and Mentorship
Providing High-touch advisory.
Minimal commitment. Maximum clarity.
Engagement Model
Providing a discreet, high-touch advisory relationship for leaders who want speed, perspective & seasoned input, without need for long-term retainers.
Commitment
- Minimum of 4 sessions
- Flexiible scheduling options
- Ability to communicate between scheduled calls
Pricing
- £100 per hour + VAT
- Discounts available for block bookings
- Can work on project based assignments or longer term
Personalized Guidance
For Founders, Agency Leaders & Entrepreneurs
James works with a small pool of leaders who want clarity, accountability and high-leverage insight without engaging a Fractional CMO or the Here On Up agency.
What I help with
- Positioning, ICP & messaging clarity
- Founder & agency leadership decision support
- GTM structure and commercial focus
- Personal brand & network acceleration
- Strategic sounding board for high-stakes choices
How it works
- 1-hour Zoom sessions (in-person where possible)
- Fortnightly or monthly cadence
- Clear problem definition → structured steps → agreed actions
- Between-session WhatsApp access for rapid guidance
Advising through the Leading Platforms
(In the top 5% of mentors Globally)
James is consistently ranked in the top percentile of mentors on both Growth Mentor (4.94 / 5 Star) and Mentor Cruise (5 Star) , a testament to his impactful guidance and expertise.
“James has added tremendous value, both personally and to the business I lead, helping me think differently about solving problems. Very approachable and relatable. Would recommend.”
“He has a huge amount of experience as a fractional CMO, offering unique perspectives that only such a background could bring.”
“He offers a wide perspective and thinks strategically, not just tactically. I received important affirmations for my marketing experiments.”
Co-founder of the CMO Circle - The Leading UK Community for Senior Marketing Leaders
500+ Senior Marketing Leaders
30+ Annual Events
15K Community Messages per year
15K Community Messages per year
10 x Commercial Partners
F
Event Management
I bring a multi-decade background in event management to help build events of any size, for any ICP. Working with partners, sponsors and event organisers, I have an excellent record of not only getting folks to events and promoting their enjoyment, but also being able to drive positive leads and interaction for partners and sponsors. I can arrange events across the value chain from concept to full event management, social proofing, event content and concepts.
Event Expertise
Multi-decade background delivering events of any size, tailored to any ICP
Partner Success
Proven track record driving attendance, engagement, and positive leads for partners and sponsors
Full Service
End-to-end support from concept to execution, including social proofing and content creation
Some Quotes & Testimonials
“James is a hugely valuable sounding board — part strategist, part coach. His support shaped both my personal development and how I lead growth.” Charlie Cooke, Head of Growth, Spacegoods
"James was instrumental in Add3’s UK expansion, leading successful marketing and networking events, securing key speaking opportunities, and converting visibility into tangible new business and long-term client growth." Paul Uhlir, CEO, Add3
"He built a great growth team and was a strong advocate for our users in the management team. James helped create our culture - transparency, fun loving, helping our users and helping each other" Shane Clifford, CEO Wonderbill (Part of Shell Energy)
"James was instrumental in Add3’s UK expansion, leading successful marketing and networking events, securing key speaking opportunities, and converting visibility into tangible new business and long-term client growth." Paul Uhlir, CEO, Add3
"He built a great growth team and was a strong advocate for our users in the management team. James helped create our culture - transparency, fun loving, helping our users and helping each other" Shane Clifford, CEO Wonderbill (Part of Shell Energy)
I was searching for someone who could mentor me and act as a sounding board as we navigate all the challenges and opportunities that come with scaling a business. James has added tremendous value, both personally and to the business I lead and made me think differently about solving problems. He has also put me in contact with some of his network which has really added value. Very approachable and relatable. Would recommend. Mathew Anderson, Director of Operations, Access Fertility
Get to know James
I'm a Family Man
Husband and father to a homeschooled family of six, cherishing family life.
Green Thumbed Animal Lover & rearer
An aspiring food grower and animal rearer, with a passion for sustainable living.
Fitness Enthusiast
Always keen for physical exercise whenever available & embracing an active lifestyle.
Music Aficionado
A former DJ and event promoter, still deeply in love with music (now as an investor in Music Tech platforms) and it's power to connect people.
Faith-Driven
Passionate about bringing spirituality into the business world where possible
