Heather Aho · Brand-led growth

Building brands. Driving growth. Delivering results.

18 years building consumer brands and the P&Ls behind them. Fractional, project, and advisory.

18+
years in consumer goods
$2M to $100M
brand revenue range
Only 2
fractional clients at a time
A collage of marketing work Heather Aho has led, including Navitas Organics, Bon Appétit Wine, Le Woof, and apparel and retail campaigns
CPGFood & BeverageHealth & WellnessApparelBeautyPetHomeRetailDTCOmnichannel

About

Consumer Goods Obsessed

I've spent my career obsessed with consumer goods. Not just the big names, but the challengers: brands doing something different, meeting a need nobody else saw, sometimes doing it the weird way and getting it right. I'm drawn to brands with real personality and products that make someone's day or life a little better. And I like the ones that look after the environment or a cause they believe in, and want to shape how people consume, not just how much. That's who I love working with, and it's where I do my best work.

A Good Fit When

  • The business needs leadership but not a full-time hire
  • Marketing is fragmented and needs structure
  • The channels exist but aren't working as a system
  • Growth has plateaued and the roadmap is overdue
  • Traditional tactics no longer perform the way you need
  • You need a defined project owner, or an interim leader to fill a gap

I connect brand, paid media, content, partnerships, retention, and commercial planning into one system, drawing on 18 years of building brands and P&Ls across CPG, food and beverage, apparel, and lifestyle. BBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, certified in AI for Marketing.

Get in touch
Heather Aho

Where the Years Come From

Navitas Organics logo

Head of Ecommerce & Digital

Navitas Organics

Owned the DTC and Amazon P&L for an organic superfood pioneer. Scale supported the brand's exit to Laird Superfoods. Reported to Founder/CEO.

Burt's Bees Baby logo

Head/VP of Marketing & Ecommerce

Burt's Bees Baby

Owned a $25M DTC P&L inside a $100M baby apparel brand. Team of 7. Reported to Founder/CEO.

Banana Republic logo

Senior Marketing Manager

Banana Republic, Gap Inc.

Ran marketing for NA online expansion. Then founding marketing lead for BR Factory ecommerce launch.

Direct Wines logo

Senior Director of Acquisition

Direct Wines

Owned acquisition with a team of 6+ and an 8-figure budget. Stood up Bon Appétit Wine for Condé Nast.

Earlier: LeapFrog and Intrax Cultural Exchange.

Engagements

Ways We Can Work Together

Fractional Head of Marketing

Marketing leadership without the full-time hire. Hands-on strategy, planning, and team direction. Typically 15-30 hours a week.

Marketing Evolution Sprint

Support or ownership for a focused project to move your marketing forward.

Strategic Advisory

A sounding board and high-level wayfinder from someone who has done the work. Typically 4-5 hours a month.

Interim Marketing Leader

Steady hands while you search for a permanent hire. I step in and keep the engine running.

Fractional CMO services: what the role owns, and when a brand needs one

Track record

Recent Results

01

25% compounding ecommerce growth

Launched DTC and scaled Amazon, Target, Instacart, and other retail for Navitas Organics, a pioneer superfood CPG. A digital shelf refresh including video lifted PDP conversion 25%.

Two children wearing Burt's Bees Baby apparel pajamas

02

Double-digit growth. Beat plan.

Led marketing and DTC for Burt's Bees Baby's apparel business, with revenue, retention, and media KPIs all up on a flat budget.

Banana Republic Factory In the Trenches campaign creative from the ecommerce launch

03

8 figures in year one

Marketing lead for the Banana Republic Factory ecommerce launch, reaching 8-figure sales in the first year. Established DTC and omnichannel strategy.

Direct Wines

04

20% lower blended CAC

Rebalanced the customer acquisition mix for Direct Wines, the U.S.'s largest white label DTC wine club operator.

Client Work

Sample Client-Based Work

Evriholder

Evriholder

Social commerce development for a $350M home goods manufacturer

Le Woof

Le Woof

Amazon GTM for a luxury petcare CPG startup

ExtraordiNari Connections

ExtraordiNari Connections

Marketing and fundraising for an education nonprofit (pro bono/board)

I'm glad to recommend Heather Aho, who led customer acquisition at Direct Wines. Heather took on broad responsibility across our portfolio of DTC wine brands, and brought both strategic vision and a strong command of the channels that drive growth.

Anthony, VP of Marketing at Direct Wines Inc

Pricing

Scoped to You

Every engagement is scoped and priced to what your brand actually needs, not a one-size-fits-all package.

We work together to find the best fit for your goals and budget.

Send a short note below and I will schedule time to discuss.

Get in touch

Contact

Get in Touch

Rooted in the NY Metro and SF Bay Area, working with brands everywhere.

Every engagement is scoped individually, so the first step is a short note about your brand and what you need. I reply to every one.

I use your details only to reply to you. I never sell or share them. See the privacy notice.