Scaling With Intention: How Cris Gordon Built an Agency, a Brand, and a Portfolio as a Mom of Four

She runs an 8-year-old PR agency, invests in female-founded companies, wrote a book, and has four kids. Her secret? Ruthless intentionality.

---

I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Cris Gordon — founder of CB Communications, angel investor, author of Mommy Marvelous, and mom of four — for a conversation that I think every ambitious woman needs to hear.

Because Cris doesn’t just talk about “doing it all.” She’s actually doing it. And she’s refreshingly honest about what that really looks like behind the scenes.

8 Years of Agency Building

Cris launched CB Communications in 2017 — the same year I started my journey. She came from the traditional agency world and saw everything she wanted to change.

“The client felt like this distant part of the equation. Teams were overlooked, overworked, exhausted, lacking creativity, burnt out. I knew there had to be a better way.”

Her mission from day one: recreate the agency experience from the inside out. Happy team members → better work → happier clients → stronger results. It sounds simple, but so few agencies actually operate this way.

“If you recreate the experience for the employees, you’re inevitably going to recreate the experience for the clients. They’re going to have happy employees working on them, coming to work excited, creative, thinking outside the box.”

The Power of Storytelling

If there’s one thing Cris is known for, it’s her mastery of storytelling. And her framework for it is genuinely brilliant — she calls it the Four C’s:

Consistency. Show up the same way in every room. If people see you twice and get two completely different versions, they’ll be confused. And confusion kills trust.

Clarity. Be crystal clear about who you are. No one should ever question what you do or what you stand for.

Conciseness. Keep people listening. A great story that drags loses its power.

Credibility. Back your story with proof. Real results, real experiences, real data.

And then she shared the analogy that blew my mind: “Say you have tomatoes, flour, spices, and cheese. In one room you might make a pizza. In another, tomato soup and grilled cheese. In another, focaccia. The ingredients stay the same — but the dish adapts to the audience.”

Your story works the same way. The core ingredients never change, but how you present them adapts to every room you’re in.

Motherhood and Business: The Real Talk

What I love most about Cris is her honesty about what it actually takes to run multiple businesses as a mom of four:

“I have an au pair. I have a cleaning lady. I have Whole Foods delivered. I have a nutritionist that helps me plan meals. These are the things that go on behind the scenes so that I can show up for my clients, my kids, and my family.”

She’s not pretending to do it all alone. And she’s adamant that accepting help isn’t weakness — it’s strategy.

“Help doesn’t mean you’re weak. We are stronger when we can explain the things we need help with. I’ve become a better mom because of the support around me.”

This is so important for every woman in business to hear. The “I can do it all myself” mentality isn’t a badge of honor — it’s a fast track to burnout.

Hiring and Firing Like a CEO

Cris shared some of the most practical hiring advice I’ve ever heard:

Hire before you’re “ready.” “I hired my first person before I even had the money. It lit a fire under me. When someone else is relying on you for their income, there’s a different layer of motivation.”

Be crystal clear about expectations. “If you give the consumer or the viewer or the employee an opportunity to be confused, they will be. And that will work against you.”

Fire fast when it’s not working. “You’re not doing them any favors by keeping them. You’re not giving them the opportunity to grow. And you’re costing yourself money and emotional energy every day you delay.”

Always ask: is this a revenue-generating task? “If it’s not, you’re cutting your hourly rate to $5 because you’re spending time on things that aren’t moving the needle.”

Angel Investing for Agency Owners

One of the most fascinating parts of our conversation was about angel investing — something most agency owners never consider.

Cris shared two paths in:

Cash investing. Angel checks can range from $5,000 to $500,000. You’re betting on the founder and their ability to execute.

Sweat equity. This is where it gets interesting for agency owners. Instead of (or alongside) cash, you offer your services — PR, social media, website, branding — in exchange for equity in the company. “You can do half and half. Your typical retainer fee cut in half, and the other half vests over time.”

Her advice for getting started: look at the brands you already love. Look at founder-led companies that are raising. Shoot your shot. “There are so many tools now that make it super easy. Contracts and negotiations are all run through platforms. You don’t have to be an expert to get started.”

The Takeaway

Cris’s entire philosophy comes down to one word: intentionality.

“If you’re going to be someplace, go all in. There is no wobbling back and forth. Once I pick to go somewhere, I go all in. It allows me to alleviate the guilt and second-guessing.”

Whether it’s showing up for a client, being present with her kids, or walking into an investment meeting — full presence, full intention, no apologies.

That’s the energy every agency owner should aspire to.

Want to build a business with this level of intentionality? Learn more about the Charm Collective →