Maeden Marketing
Accountable
B2B Marketing
Hi.
My name is Steve Lafontaine. I’m a dad twice over, a husband, a woodworker, a Cub Scout Den Leader, a camper, and a professional walk-my-kid-to-school-er. I drink too much coffee and live in the town I grew up in.
Nice to meet you. 🤝
I’m also a 20-year Marketer. I started as an “agency guy” managing clients, defining strategy, teaming up with creative folks, and much…much more. It was fun. I made lifelong friends, met my wife, and worked on big, sexy brands that drove real results.
In 2015, my wife and I decided to move to New Glarus, Wisconsin, and live on a farm. I was marketing hire #1 at a growing community bank. This meant I did everything. I loved it. I loved being my own client: hands-on with every aspect of marketing a local business. I was particularly drawn to the complexity of the B2B buyer journey.
A few years and one beautiful, healthy baby boy later, we moved back to the suburbs of Chicago. I rolled with my newfound B2B passion when I joined a SaaS company selling to state and local governments. I spent four years learning that business and building a highly accountable marketing engine. I was mentored by some of the smartest business folks I’ll ever know and led a team of 7 that was significantly more talented than I am. My participation in our acquisition was the most rewarding experience of my career.
That company was acquired, which is mostly what brings us to today.
I’m open for work, namely fractional, strategic marketing for small to mid-size B2B companies. What drives me most is when I truly understand what a customer needs. As a marketer, I’m inspired most when using technology creatively to meet those needs.
Learn more about me below, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you want to talk.
Thank you.
Steve Lafontaine
linkedin.com/in/steve-lafontaine
Services
Marketing strategy and execution based on 20 years of agency and corporate experience. Available for contracted fixed-term or ongoing support.
-
Increase the volume and quality of leads passed to your sales team
Buying a list of contacts is not the answer. Generating true demand requires orchestrating thoughtful content and distribution, streamlined prospect experiences, and a designed harmony across departments. Is it time to mandate that your marketing is accountable to revenue?
-
Understand the path to purchase, then build components that remove friction from that journey
Foster more effective sellers by arming them with messaging and materials that efficiently address buyer pain. Are you ready to move beyond pretty PDFs and formalize a true strategy to support sales?
-
Establish your voice and expertise through content - the fuel that powers mature marketing organizations
More than a monthly blog post, you need a roadmap that guides content production for the next 12/18/24 months. This roadmap is built through a deep understanding of your customers’ buying jobs. What are you doing to establish mindshare among your prospects?
-
Retain more customers, grow their lifetime value, and drive referrals
Mature organizations are purposeful in marketing to their customers. Deliver value above and beyond the core product and beyond closing the deal. Is your marketing leveraging your customers to grow?
-
Analyze what’s working in your GTM motions
Build a framework to understand how your marketing efforts are, or are not, supporting your business. Does intuition tell you that your marketing efforts aren’t paying off?
-
At the intersection of product, marketing, and sales; articulate your product or service in simple terms
Differentiate from your most relevant competitors. Translate messaging to actionable collateral, website copy, and sales enablement materials. Is it time to polish the core value of your offering?
Who is
Steve?
I’m a business leader who builds and executes revenue-accountable marketing strategies. I have 20 years of B2B and B2C experience in agency and client-side environments. I’m adept at building and leading marketing teams that measurably contribute to a business's growth.
Most recently, I sat on the leadership team that helped GovQA (Government SaaS) scale from $10M to $20M with a successful acquisition.
Education & Certifications
Michael Schultz
Managing Director
“Steve's attention to detail and commitment to delivering high-quality work is truly impressive. He listened carefully to our needs and goals and provided valuable insights and suggestions that helped us refine our go-to-market strategy.”
Holly (Smith) Milne
Segment Marketing
“Steve is a leader, a strategist, a fiercely smart marketer, and a genuinely caring teammate. Lucky are those that get to work with him!”
Melanie Pusateri
Product Marketing
“I always felt supported and trusted under Steve's leadership. He made sure our team had the tools, budget, and connections we needed to do our job efficiently and effectively. He removed roadblocks; he checked in with us on a personal level; he made us feel included in decisions.”
Mari Kate Costin G.C.C.
Partner Development
“One of the most remarkable aspects of working with Steve was his willingness to roll up his sleeves and actively participate in executing programs. He wasn't just a visionary; he understood the importance of getting things done. Steve's dedication and hands-on approach to his work were inspiring and motivated the entire team to give their best.”
Industries
Served
I’ve supported a diverse group of organizations spanning a variety of industries - acting as lead agency contact, digital specialist, in-house marketing lead, and freelance consultant.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Government Technology (GovTech)
Education Technology (EdTech)
Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)
Banking; Commercial, Retail, Residential
Healthcare
Pharma
Beer and Spirits
Commercial Real Estate
Data and Analytics
Advertising / Marketing Agencies
Non-Profit
Online Marketplaces
Early Stage Startups
Travel / Airlines
Sustainable/Renewable Technology
