NEWS! Kelly Chartre of Winneconne launches Visionary Balance as a fractional chief marketing officer
- visionarybalance
- Aug 4
- 5 min read
Kelly Chartre of Winneconne, a client of SCORE NorthEast Wisconsin, has found her niche. Her new business, Visionary Balance, combines her dual passions for marketing and travel as she ventures forth as a fractional chief marketing officer.
A fractional CMO works within a company, usually on a part-time basis, and serves as the marketing executive. For companies needing marketing expertise, but not wanting to take on a full-time employee, this gives the flexibility of having expert help when most needed.
In pitching the business, Chartre said, “You don’t need another agency. You need a strategic partner who can step in fast, think like a CMO, and drive real business outcomes. As a fractional chief marketing officer, I help growth-minded companies unlock clarity, build marketing engines that scale, and get measurable results — without the cost of complexity of hiring full time."
While feeling the tension that comes with starting a business, Chartre feels confident that her past experiences will fuel growth. A lifelong resident of northeastern Wisconsin, Chartre holds an MBA in marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Her resume includes several key leadership positions at top companies in the area.
“I’ve been able to work with some of the larger, more influential companies in the Fox Cities and that fed my desire to stay and grow here,” she said. “Having through those journeys, I learned that I am very efficient at building a award winning teams.”
She also started to dream about the next steps in her life. While working at Fox World Travel as vice president of marketing and leading strategy development and branding, she gained clarity into what she would enjoy pursuing next.
“Fox World Travel was an ideal organization for my passion. When I grew up, we had a cabin at the lake in Upper Michigan where I experienced nature. Then, at age 16, I took my first airplane trip and was hooked.” she said. “In college, I traveled all over Europe and that gave me the desire to travel as often as I could.”
Working at Fox World Travel helped her to define the type of business she would want to start. Years earlier, she had taken business classes and written a business plan. At that point, she was considering a focus in the spa industry. Although she ultimately decided against it, the idea of having a business never left.
Today she serves as a fractional CMO for travel, spas and other leisure businesses.
“My niche is specific to travel. That includes cruise lines, hospitality companies, immersive and experiential travel, spas, and any experiences that allow people to take time to reflect,” Chartre said.
For months, as planning for the business got underway, she continued to work full time. But that left little time for building a business model and a decision was made to go all in.
“I left Fox and became fully invested in the business. A safety net can sometimes be a hindrance to progress. I wanted to jump in and invest in me and that’s how I got to this point,” she said.
That was just over six weeks ago, and once the decision was made, Chartre built up her professional network and aggressively pursued networking.
She added, “In referring to my professional network, of course, it meant starting with the core contacts I’m connected with, but it also means getting into industry specific groups on LinkedIn and talking to other solopreneurs for advice on how they found success.”
Advice came from those contacts and from her SCORE mentor, executive life coach, female entrepreneurs, and her former leaders at Fox World Travel. From each, she says she is getting advice that is thought-provoking and moves her further along her path.
The networking has also helped. With those connections, she was able to land her first two contracts.
She said, “When a company asks about my role, the first thing I ask is what problem they are looking to solve and how I can provide those solutions. If we agree that it is a good match, it is a quick and easy contract and I am ready to jump in with both feet immediately. It is all about creating a plan, getting the buy in, executing the plan, and following up.”
The greatest challenge, so far, has been doing the items that she had a team for in her corporate leadership roles. Building a website (visionarybalance.com), creating and editing videos, graphic design and social media proved bring her back to some basics.
“I will be the first to say it out loud,” she said. “My strength is not as a hands-on implementer; but a leader of strategy, solutions and processes. It has been a challenge to market for myself without a team.”
So far, having completed a solid website and progressing on social media, she is proving to be up to the task. She is working hard; especially to put together a list of potential clients. Although it can be uncomfortable to make the initial calls, she is focusing on the good that will come from it and on the number of people she’s worked with who are happy to help with referrals.
Her message is that hiring a fractional CMO is especially advantageous as companies turn to AI for marketing. Many will shrink from the bottom up thinking that AI will be able to perform the needed functions.
“My perspective is that it will change from the bottom up, but those who think it can replace people are setting themselves up with issues in the future," she said. "Practitioners are the engine behind the marketing and need to be the eyes and ears. By itself, AI creates an almost generic marketing plan, and your AI-brands will simply look 'vanilla'.”
With her help, the promise is that marketing will be authentic and unique to a company with an approach that blends storytelling with data-driven market insight.
“What sets us apart?” she said. “Visionary Balance provides high-impact, executive-level marketing strategy. We aren’t just fractional in time; we are full spectrum in vision.”
To that end, Chartre has built a team of experts who are ready to jump in and solve bigger problems. The promise is that she, along with others who work with her, will be able to step in to help companies gain clarity, further their brands, and reach their growth potential.
She said she is excited to attack the role with the same zest that defines her life. She wants to be an example to her two children of what it looks like to take a risk and succeed. And to do it with energy, positivity and a smile.
“I am known for being a happy and invested person,” she said. “If I were to define myself with a song, it would be, ‘Walking on Sunshine.’ I am always looking for ways to inspire and always to build people up.”
A Personal Note from Kelly: My Deepest Appreciation
"I am endlessly grateful for my professional network, the open arms of the travel industry, my colleagues, coaches, and family. Each outreach has been met with such generosity and shared optimism—it humbles me daily. My heart is truly full."
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