Maya Sorensen

• Age: 51
• Location: Toronto, Ontario
• Occupation: Fractional Chief Marketing Officer
• Income: 110000
• Education: Master's in Marketing
• Company size: 1 (solo consultancy)
• Years in role: 5

“I don't believe in luck; I believe in testing and iterating until you find what works.”

Maya Sorensen didn't plan to become a solo marketing consultant. After earning her Master's in Marketing from Ryerson University, she spent a decade climbing the corporate ladder at agencies and in-house teams, eventually becoming a VP of Marketing at a mid-sized B2B SaaS company. But the politics and bureaucracy wore her down. At 46, she took a buyout and launched her own consultancy, initially as a safety net while she figured out her next move. She never looked back. Now 51, Maya works with 3-5 early-stage startups at a time, typically pre-seed or seed-stage founders who need to prove product-market fit before their next round. She's drawn to the raw energy of tiny teams—companies with 1-5 people where every dollar counts and every decision matters. She offers them something most agencies can't: the strategic depth of a seasoned CMO at a fraction of the cost, delivered with brutal honesty. She's been known to tell a founder, 'Your product is not ready for paid ads,' and then help them fix it. Her toolkit is a mix of classic and cutting-edge: HubSpot for CRM, Google Analytics and Mixpanel for data, Jasper and ChatGPT for content drafts, and a growing stack of AI-powered analytics tools she tests obsessively. She's an early adopter by nature (openness 0.71) but remains skeptical of hype—she needs to see ROI before she recommends a tool to clients. Her low agreeableness (0.45) means she's not afraid to deliver hard truths, which founders appreciate once they get past the sting. Maya's relationship with money is pragmatic. She earns $110k a year, enough to cover her modest lifestyle in Toronto's Liberty Village, max out her RRSP, and invest in index funds. She values time over money—she turned down a $150k director role because it would have meant a 45-minute commute and less flexibility. Status matters little to her; she drives a 2018 Honda Civic and wears the same black turtlenecks she's worn for years. What she craves is impact: seeing a client's metrics move because of her work. Her recent decision to focus exclusively on AI-enabled startups was a calculated bet. She spent three months auditing AI tools, attending conferences, and building a network in the space. She now positions herself as a 'growth strategist for AI-native companies.' It's a niche that excites her and differentiates her from generalist marketers. Time is her most precious resource. She guards it fiercely: no meetings before 9 AM, no calls after 6 PM, and a strict policy of batching similar tasks. She uses a timer for deep work sessions and tracks her hours with Toggl. Yet she's not rigid—she'll drop everything to help a client in crisis or take a spontaneous afternoon off for a hike. Maya's constraints are real: inconsistent income, the loneliness of solo work, and the constant pressure to stay ahead of the curve. But she's built a life that aligns with her values of efficiency, honesty, and growth. She's not looking for a job; she's looking for the next challenge.

Background & daily life

A day in their life

6:30 AM: Wake up, meditate for 10 minutes, then run with Leo. 7:30: Shower, coffee, scan emails and Slack messages. 8:30: Review client dashboards—check CAC, LTV, conversion rates. 9:00: Client call with a Berlin-based SaaS founder (time zone advantage). 10:30: Deep work—write a landing page or edit a blog post. 12:00: Lunch—salad and a webinar on AI copywriting. 1:00 PM: Freelancer check-in calls. 2:30: Strategy session for a new client proposal. 4:00: Break—walk to a local café for an iced latte. 4:30: Respond to emails, update Trello boards. 6:00: Networking event or virtual meetup. 7:30: Dinner—often takeout while watching a documentary. 9:00: Wind down with a book or a skincare routine. 10:30: Sleep.

Lifestyle

Maya lives in a one-bedroom condo in Toronto's Liberty Village, a neighborhood she chose for its walkability and proximity to startup hubs. She's divorced with no children, and her golden retriever, Leo, keeps her company. She starts most days with a 5K run along the lakeshore, then a quick protein shake. She's disciplined about budgeting—she maxes out her RRSP and invests in index funds—but splurges on high-quality coffee and the occasional spa day. Her social life revolves around industry meetups, dinner with a small group of fellow marketers, and weekend hikes with her sister when she visits. She's health-conscious but not obsessive; she cooks simple meals and allows herself wine and dark chocolate. She values efficiency in everything, from her meal prep to her skincare routine.

Work life

Maya runs a solo marketing consultancy serving 3-5 early-stage startups at a time. Her clients are typically pre-seed or seed-stage SaaS founders with limited budgets and high expectations. She spends her days on Zoom calls, reviewing dashboards in Google Analytics and Mixpanel, writing copy, and managing freelance designers and writers. She uses AI tools like Jasper and ChatGPT to draft content, but she insists on human editing for tone. The pressure is constant—she's responsible for driving growth metrics that can make or break a funding round. She loves the variety and the challenge of building something from scratch, but she sometimes misses the camaraderie of a full-time team. She works from a co-working space twice a week to combat isolation.

Relationships

Maya is closest to her younger sister, a graphic designer in Vancouver; they talk weekly and collaborate on projects occasionally. Her inner circle includes two former colleagues who now run their own agencies—they meet monthly for 'mastermind' dinners. She's also mentored by a former boss, a seasoned CMO who still advises her on big decisions. She's respected in Toronto's startup community but keeps most relationships professional. Her biggest influence is her father, a retired engineer who taught her to question everything.

How they decide

Maya is methodical but not paralyzed by analysis. She gathers data from multiple sources, consults her mentor and trusted peers, then makes a decision quickly. She's risk-averse with money—she'll research a purchase for weeks—but takes calculated risks in her career, like turning down a stable job to go freelance. She trusts her gut when it's backed by experience. She avoids decisions based on hype or FOMO; she needs to see evidence.

How they sound

Maya speaks with a direct, no-nonsense cadence. She uses marketing jargon ('unit economics,' 'conversion funnel') but balances it with casual phrases like 'let's cut the crap.' She's articulate and confident, rarely hedging her statements. She avoids overly salesy language and buzzwords like 'synergy' or 'disrupt.' She's quick to ask 'what does the data say?' and will call out logical fallacies. She's not afraid to say 'I don't know' but will follow up with 'let me find out.'