Case Study: The Best Hire Amalfi Ever Made

Ryan Hunt served as fractional CMO for The World of Huck Gee and has held senior marketing leadership positions at various stage companies, involving brand strategy, market expansion, partnership development, and revenue growth initiatives. He has 15+ years' experience as a marketing executive and strategist with domain knowledge in sports, entertainment, consumer technology, lifestyle, and IP licensing. Ryan has led marketing efforts for companies that have achieved significant market presence and revenue growth, including his role as Director of Marketing/C-Suite at Superplastic, Senior Marketing Manager at Electronic Arts, and marketing leadership on NBA 2K at Take-Two Interactive.

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I’m currently the Fractional Chief Marketing Officer & Revenue Consultant for Amalfi, a high-end private community of professional athletes, accredited investors, and founders who fuel growth through competition and camaraderie. Founded by former NHL players and serial entrepreneurs, Amalfi represents a paradigm shift from traditional cookie-cutter executive networks as the only private community at the intersection of sport and business where high performers forge real relationships, elevate leadership capabilities, enhance mental and physical wellness,  and unlock business opportunities, together.

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Working on a fractional-basis, I dedicate approximately 15 hours a week toward the following outcomes:

1. Revenue Pipeline Optimization - Advanced segmentation and personalized journey mapping that preserves community exclusivity while maximizing conversion touchpoints and qualified lead generation.
2. Integrated Marketing Execution - Development and implementation of omnichannel campaigns across CRM, social, website, partnerships, and events to drive cohesive market presence and member acquisition.
3. Content Strategy & Performance - Architected nimble, data-driven content framework that accelerates pipeline velocity and supports conversion optimization across all touchpoints.
4. MarTech & Operational Excellence - Built integrated technology ecosystem connecting automation, customer data platforms, and analytics tools for streamlined revenue operations and performance insights.

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How I Found & Started Working with Amalfi

I first heard about Amalfi through a job post on Fractional Jobs. I was instantly captivated by  the opportunity given the founders' backgrounds in professional sports and their visionary approach to leadership networking, which was a perfect match for my experience leading marketing brand and market growth at startup and Fortune 500 companies.

I requested an introduction to the client and Taylor Crane, at Fractional Jobs, connected me with the founders through a series of calls. It was a match made in heaven.  Based on their needs and my expertise, particularly in professional sports and entertainment, led to them offering me the position.

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Why Choose a Fractional Executive?

As an early-stage startup with incredible momentum but limited resources, Amalfi sought experienced marketing leadership who could plug-in quickly and "own marketing" to deliver immediate results, but without the extremely high expense of a full-time hire or multiple agencies to cover all their marketing and brand strategy bases. 

Through our partnership, Amalfi gained access to my 15+ years of seasoned expertise across sports, entertainment, and consumer technology at a fraction of the cost of a $300K+ executive hire. Rather than waiting through lengthy onboarding periods or navigating agency markup costs and junior execution teams, I embedded directly with their leadership team from day one, bringing proven playbooks from Electronic Arts, Take-Two Interactive, and Superplastic that eliminated the typical learning curve. 

This approach provided Amalfi with executive-level marketing strategy and revenue optimization capabilities that would otherwise be financially out of reach, while my cross-industry background spanning sports marketing and entertainment IP aligned perfectly with their unique positioning at the intersection of professional athletics and business networking. 

The result was scalable, integrated leadership that built internal capabilities and delivered immediate impact without long-term overhead or hiring risks—exactly what was needed during this critical growth phase.

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Why My Background Hit Different

My differentiator: the combination of Fortune 500 marketing expertise with startup leadership, building scalable brand strategies and marketing infrastructures that accelerate growth for early-stage ventures.   

Specifically for Amalfi, my direct professional sports industry experience marketing to elite athletes through NBA 2K and other sports properties gave me authentic insights into Amalfi's target community. Understanding how professional athletes think, what motivates them, and how they evaluate exclusive opportunities was crucial for crafting messaging and positioning that would resonate. This sports credibility, paired with my track record building brands from early stage to scale, positioned me to navigate Amalfi's unique market.

The personal fit with the founders was equally critical. Our immediate rapport around high-performance mindset and shared vision for what Amalfi could become made it clear we could work together effectively to build something exceptional.

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Key Accomplishments

Amalfi membership and brand awareness has increased substantially under my marketing and brand growth leadership: 

• Led brand overhaul, pricing, and value proposition to launch paid membership model, driving 121% growth in 90 days and 203% in 120 days.
• Built and executed full-funnel acquisition strategies, increasing web traffic 320%, qualified leads by 39%, and a 26% paid conversion rate.
• Directed content and social strategic frameworks to boost audience growth by 141% and achieve 17% average engagement rates.
• Developed integrated tech stack and automations creating operational efficiencies equivalent to 2-3 full-time employees.

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"Ryan has been 10 out of 10. Best hire ever. We love him. Such a crusher."

- John Beauprez, co-founder @ Amalfi

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Following these results, my contract was extended 12 months and the partnership continues to drive scalable growth. I'm grateful to work with Amalfi and thankful to have connected through FractionalJobs.io.

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Ryan is a senior strategic advisor for ambitious early-stage and founder-led ventures across sports, entertainment, technology, luxury lifestyle, and consumer brands. He excels with Seed to Series B companies at inflection points—pre-revenue or early traction—where visionary CEOs and founders require dynamic strategic collaboration and proven marketing execution to amplify impact and accelerate growth.

Ryan operates exclusively through referrals and trusted networks, making direct outreach the preferred path to engagement. Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn or reach him directly at ryanhunt007@gmail.com. A sample of Ryan’s work can be viewed here.

And if you’re looking for a different kind of fractional leader, that’s where Fractional Jobs can help (the site you’re reading this on). Fractional Jobs helps startups, SMBs, and nonprofits hire fractional talent across about 10+ different function areas. You can book a call with Fractional Jobs founder Taylor Crane right here to learn more.