1 Bold Step

What 1 Bold Step does

1 Bold Step is a privately held, bootstrapped B2B growth marketing agency headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 2018–2019 by Jennifer Jurgens (CEO) and Adam Clarke (President), the firm operates as a fractional marketing department for small and mid-market B2B companies—primarily in manufacturing, technology, and professional services—offering clients access to CMO-level strategy and execution (Content, SEO, Sales Enablement, HubSpot Administration) without the cost of full-time hires. Revenue mechanics are built around monthly retainers priced $5,000–$20,000+ per client, supplemented by one-time Custom HubSpot Training Video packages ($2,500 Standard, $4,500 Premium) and recurring HubSpot Premium Support engagements.

The company's core technology stack is HubSpot CRM, Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, and Service Hub, on which 1 Bold Step holds Platinum and Diamond-tier Solutions Partner status along with Platform Onboarding Accreditation. Its proprietary framework is the "Lean Transformation of Marketing" methodology—align, enable, improve cycles—layered onto EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) and Lean/Agile operating practices. The product portfolio spans four core services (Fractional Growth Team, Strategic Growth Plan, RevOps, Sales Ops & Enablement) and four HubSpot-platform services (Consulting, Onboarding, Premium Support, Custom Training Videos), plus a low-friction HubSpot RevOps Audit used as a top-of-funnel lead generator.

Go-to-market is direct sales-led: prospects enter through a Growth Workshop discovery engagement, receive a revenue-based annual marketing plan, and convert into fractional-team retainers with a 30-day no-cause exit clause. Distribution runs primarily through the founders' network, content marketing (blog, LinkedIn, email newsletter), earned media from regional awards, and inbound from the HubSpot solutions marketplace. The firm has no institutional funding, grew from 4 to 20+ employees between 2020 and 2025, and reported 2023 revenue above $1.7 million.

Name

1 Bold Step

Legal name

1 Bold Step LLC

Website

https://1boldstep.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

1 Bold Step is a Grand Rapids-based, bootstrapped B2B growth marketing agency that operates as a fractional marketing department for small and mid-market manufacturers, technology firms, and professional services companies, delivering HubSpot-based strategy, RevOps, sales enablement, and custom training on monthly retainers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

B2B Marketing Agency Services

NAICS

Marketing Consulting Services (541613)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B/ABM Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

B2B Demand Generation & Lead Nurture Agencies (BPAFAKAA)

Keywords

• B2B growth marketing
• Fractional marketing team
• HubSpot consulting services
• Revenue operations services
• Strategic marketing planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Monthly Retainer / Fractional Marketing Team: Monthly retainer engagements for fractional marketing team services. Pricing ranges from $5,000 to $20,000+ per month based on growth goals and internal capacity. Billed monthly with flexible change orders, and no termination costs or long-term contracts. Includes 30-day no-cause out clause.
2. Custom HubSpot Training: One-time custom training video packages: Standard Package at $2,500 and Premium Package at $4,500, with additional videos and rush delivery available.
3. HubSpot Premium Support Packages: Monthly support packages for HubSpot maintenance and optimization, with flexible engagement that adjusts based on business needs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

1 Bold Step is a B2B growth marketing agency that operates as a fractional marketing department for manufacturing, technology, and professional services companies. It provides a complete marketing team (CMO, marketing managers, content creators, SEO specialists, sales consultants, and HubSpot admins) on a fractional basis, alongside a revenue-based strategic marketing plan, RevOps, sales ops and enablement, and a specialized HubSpot consulting, onboarding, premium support, and custom training practice. Engagements are sold as monthly retainers with a 30-day no-cause out clause.

Product overview

1 Bold Step is a B2B growth marketing agency that operates as a fractional marketing department, providing clients with access to a complete marketing team without the overhead of full-time hires. Their service portfolio centers on a core framework of Fractional Growth Team, Strategic Growth Plan, RevOps, and Sales Ops & Enablement, complemented by a specialized HubSpot practice that includes Consulting, Onboarding, Premium Support, and Custom Training Videos. The agency functions as an extension of clients' internal teams, implementing lean marketing methodologies and proving ROI on marketing investment. All services are tied to revenue accountability with a 30-day no-cause exit clause.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fractional Growth Team Provides businesses with access to a full marketing team (CMO, Marketing Manager, Content Creator, SEO Specialist, Sales Consultant, Systems Admin, HubSpot Admin) on a fractional basis, enabling companies to build out their marketing department at a fraction of the cost of full-time hires.
• Strategic Growth Plan Annual marketing planning engagement that produces a revenue-based strategy, tactical plan, budget, and KPIs aligned to business growth goals, with marketing, sales, and customer success alignment.
• RevOps Revenue operations service that aligns marketing, sales, and customer success out of their silos into an integrated whole to drive predictable revenue growth.
• Sales Ops & Enablement Sales operations and enablement services that help organizations optimize their sales processes, improve pipeline management, and equip sales teams with tools and training to close more deals.
• HubSpot Consulting HubSpot Platinum Partner consulting services including CRM setup, marketing automation configuration, sales hub implementation, and ongoing strategic guidance for HubSpot customers.
• HubSpot Onboarding Guided onboarding process to help new HubSpot customers optimize their data and processes while ensuring they maximize their platform investment.
• HubSpot Premium Support Monthly support packages offering cost-effective HubSpot maintenance including data management, user adoption and training, Marketing Hub Operations, Sales Hub Operations, Service Hub Operations, and Integration Management.
• Custom HubSpot Training Videos Custom video training programs for HubSpot users including role-specific instruction, workflow tutorials built around actual sales processes, and ongoing reinforcement materials delivered in a custom HubSpot dashboard. Offered in Standard ($2,500) and Premium ($4,500) packages.
• HubSpot Offer / Rev Ops Audit Discovery engagement including a 1-hour consultation with HubSpot experts, post-audit report with actionable next steps, and gap analysis of current HubSpot systems impacting business growth.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.5x return on marketing investment for first-year clients
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• National Association for Business Resources (NABR)minorOthers · 1 January 2025NABR runs the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For awards program. 1 Bold Step won the 2025 West Michigan award, evaluated across 10 criteria including compensation, benefits, wellness, engagement, and leadership. Competition accepts about 1 in 10 applicants.
• City of Grand Rapids Brownfield Redevelopment AuthorityOthers · 1 August 2022Provided Brownfield Redevelopment Program funding to cover environmental testing and assessment costs required by the State of Michigan for the purchase of 1255 Front Ave NW property. Part of a partnership between the Authority, Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), and Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE).
• Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2022Integral in helping 1 Bold Step navigate the loan and purchase process for their Grand Rapids office property. Brian Calley, President & CEO of SBAM, recognized Jennifer Jurgens for her involvement and engagement with SBAM.
• National Small Business Association (NSBA) Leadership CouncilminorOthers · 1 August 2022Jennifer Jurgens, Founder and CEO, sits on the NSBA Leadership Council. NSBA is the nation's oldest nonpartisan, small-business advocacy organization. Council members work to promote interests of small businesses to policymakers in Washington, D.C.
• Local Renovation Partners (Kentwood Office Furniture, CS Erikson, DHE, Bouma Construction, Vos Glass, Architektura)minorOthers · 1 August 2022Various local West Michigan companies that contributed to the renovation of the 1255 Front Ave NW office space. These include furniture (Kentwood Office Furniture), construction (CS Erikson, Bouma Construction), plumbing/electrical (DHE), glass (Vos Glass), and architecture (Architektura) providers.
• HubSpotcoreTechnology or IntegrationPlatinum and Diamond-tier HubSpot Solutions Partner. Provides HubSpot onboarding, consulting, premium support, custom training videos, and fractional team services leveraging the HubSpot platform. Holds HubSpot Onboarding Accreditation. Partner status enables lead generation through HubSpot's marketplace.
• GrowclassminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe entire 1 Bold Step team completed Growclass together in 2025, ensuring everyone from strategists to developers shares the same knowledge base and speaks the same language around growth marketing methodology.
• Michigan Celebrates Small Business (MCSB)minorOthersAnnual awards program recognizing Michigan's top small businesses. 1 Bold Step was named one of Michigan's 50 Companies to Watch in 2022. MCSB receives over 550 nominations annually and is competitive.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SmartBug Media: One of HubSpot's original Elite Solutions Partners, SmartBug Media is a full-service B2B inbound marketing, sales enablement, and HubSpot implementation agency — directly comparable to 1 Bold Step's fractional growth + HubSpot practice model.
• Walker Sands: Mid-market B2B marketing agency combining PR, demand generation, content, and creative services for technology and industrial clients — comparable in target verticals (manufacturing, tech, professional services) and growth-stage client profile.
• Kalungi: B2B SaaS-focused fractional marketing and HubSpot partner agency serving software companies with outsourced CMO, demand gen, and marketing operations — directly comparable in fractional-team model and HubSpot-centric delivery.
• Heinz Marketing: B2B sales and marketing agency providing demand generation, sales enablement, and pipeline acceleration for mid-market technology and industrial clients — closely aligned with 1 Bold Step's manufacturing and technology vertical focus.
• Brolik: B2B digital marketing agency offering strategy, branding, web, and demand generation for mid-market companies — comparable in service breadth and mid-market B2B focus.
• IMPACT: B2B marketing agency specializing in inbound marketing, HubSpot implementation, content, and sales enablement for mid-market companies — directly comparable in target customer (mid-market B2B), service mix, and HubSpot partnership positioning.
• New Breed Marketing: HubSpot Elite Solutions Partner offering B2B revenue marketing, sales enablement, and RevOps services to mid-market and enterprise clients — overlaps directly with 1 Bold Step's fractional growth team, RevOps, and HubSpot onboarding offerings.
• Elevation Marketing: B2B marketing agency providing strategy, demand generation, content, and marketing operations to industrial and technology companies — comparable in vertical mix and mid-market positioning.
• Square 2 Marketing: B2B revenue marketing agency focused on mid-market companies, with deep HubSpot expertise and a similar mix of strategic planning, demand generation, and marketing automation services.

Regional players

• Hallam: UK-based B2B marketing agency providing integrated strategy, content, and marketing technology services — comparable in full-service B2B agency model and mid-market focus, though operating in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/1BoldStepLLC
• Facebookfacebook.com/1BoldStep
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1-bold-step

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 1 Bold Step