Why the Co-Lab Trench Program Is a No-Brainer for Marketing Leaders\
- Elizabeth Mead
- May 6
- 3 min read
And why your marketing budget will thank you.
Let’s be real—keeping your marketing engine running shouldn’t require building a small army or signing your life away to a traditional agency. But for most leaders, that’s exactly what the options feel like:
Option A: Hire a full-time team and manage all the moving parts.
Option B: Sign a long-term agency retainer and hope they actually understand your business.
Enter Option C: the Co-Lab Trench Program - your third, smarter option. A flexible, collaborative way to get high-level support without the overhead, the burnout, or the bloated invoices.
The Real Cost of Traditional Marketing Support
Agency Retainers
Traditional agencies? They’re great at shiny pitch decks—but they don’t come cheap. Most monthly retainers average around $10,000, and some agencies won’t even touch your project for less than $25,000/month. Oh—and don’t forget the 6- or 12-month commitment. Hope you're in love.
In-House Marketing Teams
Hiring your own dream team? Here’s what that looks like (before benefits, software, and office snacks):
Marketing Manager
Arizona: $114,552 per year
California: $127,912 per year
Texas: $113,114 per year
New York: $134,394 per year
Florida: $109,728 per year
National Average: $115,967 per year
Web Developer
Arizona: $93,365 per year
California: $104,253 per year
Texas: $135,534 per year
New York: $81,741 per year
Florida: $67,177 per year
National Average: $82,733 per year
Content Marketing Manager
Arizona: $126,149 per year
California: $90,223 per year
Texas: $77,830 per year
New York: $112,055 per year
Florida: $58,183 per year
National Average: $87,241 per year
Digital Marketing Manager
Arizona: $113,878 per year
California: $127,158 per year
Texas: $112,448 per year
New York: $134,394 per year
Florida: $109,728 per year
National Average: $87,719 per year
Marketing Specialist
Arizona: $61,031 per year
California: $82,395 per year
Texas: $77,880 per year
New York: $96,375 per year
Florida: $71,530 per year
National Average: $80,215 per year
That’s over $437,000/year just in base salaries—and that’s without a Chief Marketing Officer, Creative Director, or Senior Developer, which could easily tack on another $300,000+. And don’t forget: you’d still be the one managing the team and the strategy.
The Co-Lab Trench Program: Built for Leaders Who Actually Want to Get Stuff Done
Whether you’re a nonprofit, a small business, or a scrappy team making magic with limited resources, the Trench was built with you in mind. Instead of hiring five people or outsourcing your soul to an agency, you get a team of experts who actually work with you:
Chief Strategist
UX Designer
Copywriter
Digital Specialist
Video Producer
All for less than the cost of a single full-time hire.
With 8 LOE credits per month, you can mix and match sessions to work on what matters most that month:
Social media content? ✅
Email marketing campaigns? ✅
Website upgrades or UX fixes? ✅
Big-picture strategy or campaign planning? ✅
Use your sessions how you need, when you need. No bloat. No waste.
Why We Call It a No-Brainer
Simple—because it is.
Instead of piecing together freelance help or waiting six weeks for agency feedback, you get:
Flexibility: Use your LOEs how you want, from sprints to full-day builds.
Consistency: Keep the needle moving without starting from scratch every time.
Value: Access a full creative and strategy team for a fraction of the cost of hiring or retaining one.
You don’t have to choose between hiring a full team or handing everything off. You just need the right rhythm—and the right people in the trench with you, whether we’re your whole crew or your favorite extension.
Elizabeth Mead, affectionately known as "EM," is an award-winning Tactical Strategist and a go-to consultant for organizations needing hands-on support in the trenches. When she's not crafting value-driven strategies, you can find her on her ranch, embracing what her husband calls "the pace of choice." It’s a lifestyle that reflects her love for solitude, the beauty of nature, sipping coffee from a rocking chair, riding quads with the kiddos, singing with her pal Joey, slow-cooking farm-fresh meals, and losing herself in a great book.
