full

The Marketing Leader Who Turned His Day-One Confusion Into a Career Philosophy with Christian Kunkel, Fingercheck

What if the CMO who calls himself "just a simple guy" has cracked the marketing code that's stumping industry leaders?

Christian Kunkel went from asking "What's a GRP?" to leading Fingercheck through the saturated payroll software market. While other CMOs chase growth hacks, Christian discovered customers were finding them through ChatGPT — not Google or ads. This revelation completely shifted his team's approach to customer discovery.

In this episode, Charlene Ormo interviews Christian Kunkel, a strategic mind who's not just building marketing systems, but reshaping how small businesses thrive. As CMO of Fingercheck, he's leading the charge in making payroll, HR, and financial flexibility accessible for the people who power our economy. But beneath the strategy is a mission rooted in empathy, resilience, and hard-won lessons.

This isn't your typical CMO interview about funnels and attribution. Discover how a marketing leader cut through the noise by returning to what most of us forgot — and the tactics making it work today.

"I think I'm just a simple guy, kind of passionate about a few things... I just like to find the simplest way of breaking something down in my head just so I can kind of understand the nuts and bolts."
- Christian Kunkel


Meet Christian Kunkel — In 5 Fun Facts

  • The GRP Mystery Detective - Day one in marketing: "Go fill a box with GRPs." Christian spent hours wandering the office asking "What's a GRP?" only to discover it was an elaborate prank.
  • Jets Obsession Level: Maximum - This die-hard Jets fan believes if they win a Super Bowl in his lifetime, his legacy is complete (right after being a great dad and husband).
  • The Support Call Crasher - While other CMOs chose strategy meetings, Christian secretly joins customer support calls for raw marketing gold you can't find anywhere else.
  • Comic Book Marketing Genius - Christian literally drew a comic book to explain boring location data because apparently PowerPoints weren't cutting it. Did it generate millions? Of course not. Did customers think it was amazing? Absolutely. Because sometimes the best marketing ideas sound completely ridiculous until they work.
  • The Homebody with a Famous Wife - Married to a Jennifer Lopez (not that Jennifer Lopez), Christian prefers quiet nights at home over the hustle and bustle. While the world chases the spotlight, he's found his superpower in the comfort of his living room.


Topics Covered


[01:23] The Simplicity Superpower 

Why Christian's approach to breaking down complex problems is his secret weapon in a world of marketing complexity. While other CMOs get lost in sophisticated frameworks, Christian's "simple guy" method cuts through the noise to find solutions that actually work.

[06:02] The Mentorship Multiplier 

How the right guidance transformed Christian's career and why he's obsessed with paying it forward. Christian reveals the specific advice that changed everything for him and how he's using it to build unstoppable marketing teams.

[07:13] The Support Call Gold Mine 

How secretly listening to customer support calls gives Christian marketing insights that million-dollar research can't buy. While other CMOs stay in their ivory towers, Christian gets on the frontlines to hear what customers really think.

[09:00] The "Feel Smarter" Formula 

Christian's counterintuitive definition of good marketing that most CMOs get backwards. Instead of overwhelming prospects with features, he discovered the psychological trigger that makes customers want to buy without feeling sold to.

[10:06] The Ungate Everything Strategy 

Why Christian gives away content for free when everyone else is building walls around theirs. This approach seems crazy until you see the trust and authority it builds—turning prospects into advocates before they even become customers.

[14:40] The ChatGPT Discovery 

How AI completely changed Christian's marketing strategy (and why most marketers are missing this shift). Christian found customers were discovering Fingercheck through AI conversations, not Google searches, forcing a complete rethink of their customer acquisition strategy.

[17:43] The Low-Hanging Fruit Hunt 

Christian's method for finding the easiest wins hiding in plain sight. He shares the specific audit process that consistently uncovers quick victories most marketing teams walk right past.

[19:04] The Daily Activity Death Audit 

His ruthless system for killing activities that waste time and money. Christian's brutal question—"If we stopped doing this, would anyone notice?"—has saved his team countless hours of meaningless busywork.

[22:24] Strategy vs. Execution Showdown 

How Christian balances big-picture thinking with getting stuff done when resources are tight. He reveals the framework small marketing teams can use to stay strategic without drowning in day-to-day execution.

[26:09] The Sales-Marketing Peace Treaty 

Why Christian's relationship with sales is his competitive advantage. Instead of the typical finger-pointing, Christian built a feedback loop that turns sales conversations into marketing gold.

[29:14] The Small Business Mission 

How Fingercheck helps the little guys compete with enterprise solutions. Christian explains why fighting for the underdog isn't just noble—it's brilliant business strategy in a market dominated by giants.

[31:50] From Punch Cards to Digital 

The evolution of time management that's revolutionizing blue-collar work. Christian shares how they're dragging entire industries from paper timesheets into the digital age, one construction site at a time.

[34:05] Work-Life Balance Reality Check 

Christian's honest take on maintaining sanity in the tech hustle. He reveals why treating work-life balance as a marketing strategy actually makes his team more productive and creative.

[38:06] The Legacy Question 

What Christian wants to be remembered for (and why it's not what you'd expect from a CMO). His answer reveals the deeper purpose driving his unconventional marketing approach.

[39:46] The Trust Your Gut Moment 

When to ignore the experts and bet on your own instincts. Christian shares the specific moment he went against conventional wisdom and why it became his biggest breakthrough.

[40:13] The Complexity Trap 

Why simple solutions get complicated and how to avoid the spiral. Christian explains the dangerous pattern that kills good marketing ideas and his system for keeping things elegantly simple.


3 Key Things You Can Apply Today

  1. Audit everything with the "Would anyone notice?" test. Go through your marketing activities and honestly ask: if you stopped doing this tomorrow, would anyone even notice? If the answer is no, or if you can't explain why you're doing it in 30 seconds, eliminate it and invest that time in something that actually moves the needle.
  2. Make your customers feel smarter, not sold to. Instead of gating valuable content or pushing aggressive sales tactics, focus on genuinely helping your audience solve problems. Provide real value upfront, meet them where they are, and build trust through helpfulness rather than pressure.
  3. Stay close to customer conversations. Whether it's joining support calls, reading customer feedback, or talking directly to your audience, maintain regular contact with the human voices behind your metrics. The insights you gain will inform better marketing than any dashboard ever could.

Connect with Christian Kunkel


Connect with Charlene Ormo

All Episodes Previous Episode

About the Podcast

Show artwork for Humans Behind the Metrics
Humans Behind the Metrics

Listen for free