Ep. 6: The AI Toolkit Every Fractional Exec Should Know—with Crys Black

04/24/25 • 28 min

What happens when a fractional CMO meets the rise of AI? Magic—and massive efficiency. You'll want to grab a pen and paper for this one!

In this episode of Female Fractionals, host Amanda Nizzere sits down with the dynamic Crys Black, a fractional CMO and RevOps leader at Crys Black Consulting. Crys shares how she leverages over a dozen AI and tech tools to run her business, amplify client results, and build an AI-powered digital twin to manage her social presence (yes, really!).

You’ll hear how her nonlinear career—from IT to marketing to fractional life—intersects with her love of experimentation, and how AI has not only improved her workflows but also helped her create a custom Valentine’s Day album.

Whether you're overwhelmed by the pace of new tools or just wondering where to start, this episode will give you inspiration, a real-world roadmap, and full permission to just start playing.

💡 Highlights:

How Crys transitioned from Silicon Valley IT to fractional CMO life
Her go-to AI tools, including ChatGPT, Motion, Storm, and Lovable
How she uses deep research tools to prep for sales calls in 10 minutes flat
Why your digital twin might be your best content creator yet
Her approach to staying current without getting overwhelmed
How she used AI to win Valentine’s Day (we’re serious)

🔗 Resources + Links:

✨ Fractional doesn’t have to mean frazzled. With the right tools, you can scale your value—without scaling your hours.

Visit FemaleFractionals.com for the full transcript and bonus resources from this episode.

What happens when a fractional CMO meets the rise of AI? Magic—and massive efficiency. You'll want to grab a pen and paper for this one!

Whether you're overwhelmed by the pace of new tools or just wondering where to start, this episode will give you inspiration, a real-world roadmap, and full permission to just start playing.

💡 Highlights:

How Crys transitioned from Silicon Valley IT to fractional CMO life
Her go-to AI tools, including ChatGPT, Motion, Storm, and Lovable
How she uses deep research tools to prep for sales calls in 10 minutes flat
Why your digital twin might be your best content creator yet
Her approach to staying current without getting overwhelmed
How she used AI to win Valentine’s Day (we’re serious)

🔗 Resources + Links:

✨ Fractional doesn’t have to mean frazzled. With the right tools, you can scale your value—without scaling your hours.

Visit FemaleFractionals.com for the full transcript and bonus resources from this episode.

Previous Episode

Ep. 5: How Erin Coupe Turned Burnout into a Calling

In this powerful episode, host Amanda Nizzere welcomes Erin Coupe—founder of Authentically EC, transformational speaker, and mindset coach—to share her extraordinary journey from burnout in high-powered corporate roles to building a soul-aligned business.
After nearly two decades in global companies like Goldman Sachs and CBRE, Erin hit a turning point. She transitioned from defining herself by job titles to rediscovering her true identity. Erin shares how childhood adversity shaped her grit, why she walked away from Wall Street, and the inner work that led her to a thriving coaching business rooted in authenticity.
Whether you're navigating burnout, exploring fractional work, or considering entrepreneurship, Erin’s story offers a roadmap for reclaiming your energy, identity, and joy.
What You’ll Learn:

Erin’s journey from financial hardship to corporate success—and why she walked away
The two pivotal moments that catalyzed her career and mindset transformation
How to begin a soul-aligned pivot before leaving your current job
Why action (not clarity) is the key to confidence
How to quiet your inner critic by naming it (Erica, anyone?)
What it means to ritualize your life and shift from obligation to intention
Practical tools for navigating burnout and rediscovering yourself

Links & Resources:
💼 Authentically EC – Erin’s Website
→ Subscribe for alignment insights + grab Erin’s free mindset mastery guide
🎧 The Erin Coupe Podcast – bite-sized wisdom in under 15 minutes
📚 Pre-order Erin’s book (coming September 2025!) – stay tuned for title reveal
👥 Want to go deeper? Apply to Erin’s private cohort experience. Podcast listeners receive $100 off if accepted.

Next Episode

Ep. 7: Resilience, Relationships, and Reinvention: Erika Weiss on Thriving as a Fractional CMO

In this episode of Female Fractionals, Amanda sits down with Erika Weiss — a seasoned fractional CMO, founder of Elevated Brand, and adjunct professor at Loyola Marymount University. With a rich background in brand strategy, fitness, wellness, and consumer marketing, Erika shares her journey from corporate leadership to launching her own consultancy after four layoffs in four years.

🔍 What You'll Learn:

Why Erika left the corporate world to create her own path as a fractional executive
Her personal definition of what it really means to be “fractional” — and why embedding with the client is key
The importance of resilience, upskilling, and building a strong professional network
How Erika lands clients through authentic relationship-building and a standout LinkedIn presence
Tactical advice for marketing yourself as a fractional, especially in competitive industries
How she balances her roles as a consultant, professor, and mom — and why agency over her time is her biggest win
What she wishes she’d known at the start of her fractional journey

💡 Erika’s mantras:
“Resilience is my ethos.”
“Always be learning.”
“Make friends before you need them.”

📘 Mentioned in the episode:

Obsessed by Emily Heyward (Erika’s favorite business book)
Her mentors she wants to give a shout-out to: Gordon Ho and Suzanne Blankenship

🎧 Subscribe, share, and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!
🌐 Full transcript and links: femalefractionals.com

Female Fractionals - Ep. 6: The AI Toolkit Every Fractional Exec Should Know—with Crys Black

Transcript

Amanda: Hi everyone, and welcome to today’s episode of Female Fractionals. I'm your host and fractional CMO, Amanda Nizzere.

If you're driving or walking, I suggest waiting to listen to this episode until you can have a pen and paper handy, because today we're talking tools to drive your business forward—with Crys Black, fractional CMO and RevOps leader at Crys Black Consulting.

Crys specializes in helping early-stage tech startups scale efficiently. W