Meet Sara Nay
About Sara Nay
Sara Nay is a fierce advocate for small business owner freedom through clarity. As CEO of Duct Tape Marketing and author of Unchained: Breaking Free from Broken Marketing Models, Sara’s mission is to help business owners build scalable, sellable businesses, not just jobs they can’t escape.
Sara is also a sought-after speaker who’s inspired audiences from the annual FRAK Conference mainstage to local BNI chapters, appeared on hundreds of top podcasts, and helped thousands of SMBs and consultants grow their freedom and revenue through systems and clarity. As the leader of the international Duct Tape Marketing Consultant Network, she’s mentored teams across industries and built frameworks that put control back in the hands of owners, not vendors.
My Story: The Monday Night Moment
I grew up in a household where dinner table conversations weren’t about sports or TV; they were about real people, real businesses, and the decisions that shaped their futures.
When I joined Duct Tape Marketing, I didn’t step in as CEO. I started as an intern. I learned every role from the inside out, experiencing the challenges and the chaos firsthand, earning my stripes at every level, and living through the same struggles as the business owners I now serve.
After years of balancing a thriving business, a young child, a growing team, and the relentless demands of agency life, I found myself trying to be everything to everyone.
My turning point came late one Monday night: my 18-month-old daughter was sick and asleep on my chest, I was on a client call with my phone in one hand, and my laptop open with a half-written proposal in the other. In that moment, I realized I was burning out fast and if I felt this way, I knew other small business owners did too.
That was my wake-up call.
I got to work.
That’s when I decided to build something better: a system designed to give small business owners real freedom—not just another job, but a scalable, sellable business. One that delivers clarity, control, and the power to lead, without losing yourself along the way.
I rebuilt and perfected the Duct Tape Marketing model for the modern era, developing the tools and frameworks I wish I’d had all along.
My mission is to help as many small businesses as I can go from manic chaos to serene calm, from jumbled complexity to crystal-clear clarity, and from outsourced dependency to a system they own.
Unchained Media Kit
For press, podcasts, and event organizers:
Sara’s Most Requested Presentations based on Unchained: Breaking Free From Broken Marketing Models
The Anti-Agency Model
How to finally own your marketing, break free from vendor dependency, and build a business that’s scalable and sellable.
Empowered Teams in the Age of AI
A practical blueprint for building Human + Agent teams that multiply your capability without multiplying your headcount. Learn how to orchestrate, not just execute, and use AI to amplify (not replace) your team’s genius.
From Burnout to Blueprint
A actionable ‘How to’ for small business owners ready to escape overwhelm. Sara shares the systems, mindset shifts, and routines that help you lead with calm, reclaim your time, and build a business that supports your life, not the other way around.
The Marketing Strategy Pyramid
Sara’s step-by-step framework every business owner should walk through. By the end, you’ll know exactly where every vital piece of your business stands and what to do next.
Want to Book Sara for Your Podcast, Speaking Event, or Conference?
Big or small, virtual or in-person – Sara brings clarity, actionable frameworks, and contagious confidence to every room.
Recent Podcast Interviews with Sara Nay
The Business Story Podcast
Discover how Sara Nay’s Fractional CMO+ framework combines classical strategy with AI precision to turn marketing chaos into sustainable growth and true business ownership.
Strategy & Action Podcast
Discover how Sara Nay’s Fractional CMO+ framework combines classical strategy with AI precision to turn marketing chaos into sustainable growth and true business ownership.
Rocky Mountain Marketing Podcast
Learn how the Marketing Hourglass, client-focused strategy, and smart AI use can help you simplify content and grow your business.
Grow Global
Sara Nay shared how women entrepreneurs can confidently lead global marketing in an AI-driven world—using tools to stay authentic, streamline tasks, and scale without big teams.