Why are marketers always the first to go in a startup shakeup?
In this raw and revealing conversation, marketing advisor Oren Greenberg breaks down the harsh realities behind why growth leaders get scapegoated—and what’s actually broken under the hood of most early-stage companies.
With 20+ years in digital marketing and experience advising both scale-ups and global brands like Canon and BT, Oren unpacks:
🚩 Why most startup marketing hires fail (and it’s not what you think)
🧠 The psychology of founders under pressure—and how it warps decision-making
🎯 Why attribution, strategy mismatch, and unrealistic expectations kill momentum
⚔️ How to survive micromanagers, misaligned exec teams, and chaotic growth cultures
🛠️ The real work of being a fractional CMO (spoiler: it’s part therapist, part operator)
Whether you’re a founder, head of growth, or fractional leader navigating the chaos of startup life—this one’s for you.
💥 Bonus: Oren shares his framework for choosing the right clients, firing the wrong ones, and staying sane through it all.
— 👂 Like this episode? Follow The Ugly Phase for raw founder stories, smart strategy, and zero fluff.
📈 Keywords included: entrepreneur burnout podcast, how to pivot your startup, business growth plateau, startup psychology, leadership during business challenges, how to scale without burnout, stories from founders who pivoted, growth strategy for stalled businesses.
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Where to Find Oren:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orengreenberg/
Follow me on IG @olyagrovelofficial
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olya-grovel-ryabinina/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheUglyPhase
Website: https://olyagrovel.com/