Building Momentum Through Fractional CMO Partnership
Elston Hay & Grain
Elston’s Hay & Grain is a long-standing, family-run business serving San Diego County’s equestrian and agricultural community, with locations in Ramona and Poway.
Dodson Consulting has partnered with Elston’s as a fractional CMO for over 1.5 years — providing ongoing marketing leadership to help the business grow based on its priorities, pace, and resources.
The Challenge
Elston’s had strong community roots and steady demand, but was navigating growth in a changing market:
Customer churn as long-time customers relocated out of state
Marketing efforts lacked consistency and clear direction
Opportunity to modernize systems and customer experience
Increasing complexity across marketing, operations, and external partners
Top-line sales didn’t tell the full story. The business was both replacing lost customers and building a stronger foundation for future growth.
The Approach
Rather than focusing on isolated tactics, Dodson Consulting partnered with Elston’s to guide growth step by step — prioritizing the right initiatives at the right time.
As a fractional CMO partner, Dodson Consulting:
Provided ongoing strategic direction and decision support
Sequenced initiatives based on business needs and capacity
Coordinated vendors and external partners
Aligned brand, marketing, and operations into a more connected system
What We Did
Clarity doesn’t happen all at once — it’s built over time through the right decisions, in the right order. This is what long-term, embedded marketing leadership can look like.
-
Ongoing partnership to guide priorities, decisions, and execution over time.
-
Refined brand presence and created more consistency across in-store, digital, and community touchpoints.
-
Shifted from brand-agnostic posting to a structured brand-right approach across social and email, while launching educational content.
-
Supported and manage rollout and maintenance of a new online store that integrated seamlessly with brand POS system
-
Manage multiple vendors to ensure alignment between strategy, execution, and day-to-day operations.
What Changed
Even with external headwinds, the business continues to gain momentum:
Increased customer traffic across both locations
Growth in delivery demand across San Diego County
Stronger engagement across email and social channels
More consistent response to promotions and seasonal campaigns
Improved alignment between marketing, operations, and business priorities
The team now operates with clearer direction, stronger systems, and greater confidence in what to prioritize next—while continuing to build momentum over time.
—
* Special thanks to Your Design Pals for their branding work, and to Minivan Productions for their photography and video support.
Growth doesn’t come from doing everything at once. It comes from making the right moves in the right order — with the right level of support.
“Working with Dodson Consulting has made a real difference for our business.
Jessica helped us step back and really look at who we are as a brand, what makes Elston’s different, and how we wanted to grow while still staying true to our community and values. She helped us get more organized, prioritize what mattered most, and create a clearer direction across our marketing and customer communication.
From the website and online store to social media and messaging, everything feels more connected and on-purpose now. What I appreciate most is that Jessica really listens. She asks good questions, explains things in a way that makes sense, and helps simplify what can sometimes feel overwhelming. She keeps us focused on what fits our business, our customers, and our goals instead of just chasing more activity.
We’re a small family-run business, and having somebody in our corner who brings both strategy and a steady hand has been a huge help.”
— Wayne Elston, Elston Hay & Grain Owner