What if you didn't need a massive ad budget to grow?
I help wellness and lifestyle brands build content strategies that work without burning through your marketing budget.
Here's the thing about paid ads: they work until they don't. Costs go up, returns go down, and you're stuck on a treadmill you can't get off. I've spent 18 years building content engines for organisations that needed real growth, not just temporary spikes. One project I'm particularly proud of? We built an audience of 2,500 listeners and grew traffic by 25% with zero dollars spent on advertising.
What if you didn't need a massive ad budget to grow?
I help wellness and lifestyle brands build content strategies that work without burning through your marketing budget.
Here's the thing about paid ads: they work until they don't. Costs go up, returns go down, and you're stuck on a treadmill you can't get off. I've spent 18 years building content engines for organisations that needed real growth, not just temporary spikes. One project I'm particularly proud of? We built an audience of 2,500 listeners and grew traffic by 25% with zero dollars spent on advertising.
18 years building content strategies across APAC | $1M+ in annual budgets managed | 2x Australian Marketing Award Winner | $0 spent on my most successful campaign
I'm Michelle Chee, and I help companies get off the paid advertising treadmill. I've led content teams for government bodies, built marketing systems for wellness locations across Southeast Asia, and turned around underperforming digital properties into brand growth drivers.
Over time, here's what I've learned: The best marketing doesn't depend on outspending your competitors. It depends on understanding your audience and creating something valuable for them. It's about creating systems that's sustainable for business growth and team wellbeing.
The Work: Clarity & Sustainable Growth
Adelaide Living:
$0 Budget. Real Community.
Focus: Reducing Paid Ad Dependency
2,500+
Organic Listeners & 25% Traffic Growth
The Problem: They needed community engagement but had a strict $0 ad spend. Most people think you need a big ad budget to grow an audience.
The Approach: I built the "Adelaide Living" storytelling platform from scratch -podcast, SEO, owned distribution only.
The Insight: You don't need a massive marketing budget. You need good stories and smart strategy that builds community through shared belief and purpose.
Adelaide Aquatic Centre:
$0 Budget. Real Community.
Focus: Digital Transformation & Revenue Generation
72%
Increase in revenue
Year-over-Year
The situation: An outdated system, poor SEO, and stagnant revenue, competing with private aquatic centres and gyms.
The Approach: Led a digital transformation, implemented a new online booking system, comprehensive SEO, and conversion-focused content.
The Insight: Rapid results are possible when you fix the foundation: the right tech, the right content, and proper conversion tracking.
GoFit: Organic Growth Despite Budget Cuts
Focus: Brand Awareness through concentrated SEO Content Strategy
440%
New user growth from organic search.
The situation: Cut marketing budgets but growth expectations remained. We had to double down on organic marketing with a focus on content marketing.
The Approach: Built an SEO content strategy from the ground up, created content people were actually searching for, implemented new website to support brand growth.
The Insight: Sustainable growth comes from owning your audience, not renting it. High-quality, SEO-driven content can be an effective brand builder and shield against rising ad costs.
The Work: Clarity & Sustainable Growth
Adelaide Living: $0 Budget. Real Community.
Focus: Reducing Paid Ad Dependency
2,500+
Organic Listeners & 25% Traffic Growth
The Problem: They needed community engagement but had a strict $0 ad spend. Most people think you need a big ad budget to grow an audience.
The Approach: I built the "Adelaide Living" storytelling platform from scratch -podcast, SEO, owned distribution only.
The Insight: You don't need a massive marketing budget. You need good stories and smart strategy that builds community through shared belief and purpose.
Adelaide Aquatic Centre:
$0 Budget. Real Community.
Focus: Digital Transformation & Revenue Generation
72%
Increase in revenue
Year-over-Year
The situation: An outdated system, poor SEO, and stagnant revenue, competing with private aquatic centres and gyms.
The Approach: Led a digital transformation, implemented a new online booking system, comprehensive SEO, and conversion-focused content.
The Insight: Rapid results are possible when you fix the foundation: the right tech, the right content, and proper conversion tracking.
GoFit: Organic Growth Despite Budget Cuts
Focus: Brand Awareness through concentrated SEO Content Strategy
440%
New user growth from organic search.
The situation: Cut marketing budgets but growth expectations remained. We had to double down on organic marketing with a focus on content marketing.
The Approach: Built an SEO content strategy from the ground up, created content people were actually searching for, implemented new website to support brand growth.
The Insight: Sustainable growth comes from owning your audience, not renting it. High-quality, SEO-driven content can be an effective brand builder and shield against rising ad costs.
Why Fractional Hire?
You might be wondering: what exactly is fractional, and why would I choose this instead of hiring someone full-time?
Fair question. Here's the honest answer: Fractional means you get senior expertise without the full-time commitment. I work with you 2-3 days a week instead of every day. You get the same strategic thinking and hands-on execution as a full-time Head of Content, but at a fraction of the cost.
This works well when: you're not ready to commit a full-time senior hire yet / you're between growth stages (past junior, not ready for full team) / you want to build your content capability without the risk of a bad hire / you need someone who can start contributing immediately.
This doesn't work well when: You need someone in the office every day handling operational tasks / your organisation isn't ready to implement (you need to be able to move on recommendations).
The way I think about it: Fractional lets you try before you buy. If we work well together, great. If you realise you need something different, you're not stuck with an expensive hire you need to let go. It's lower risk for you, and it gives me the flexibility to work with multiple organisations doing work I care about.
The Content Person Who Develops Leaders
I've spent 18 years building content strategies for organisations that needed real growth, not just vanity metrics.
My career has taken me through some interesting places: ad agencies in Kuala Lumpur, government communications in Adelaide, wellness brands across Southeast Asia. I've managed million-dollar budgets, led teams through digital transformations, and built content programs that generated millions in revenue.
But the work I'm most proud of? The projects where we proved you don't need endless money to create impact. Like the young fitness brand, GoFit that experienced a 500% increase in search impressions through strategic content focus and 35% increase in search rankings. Or the podcast that built an audience of 2,500 with zero ad spend. Or the aquatic centre that increased revenue 72% in a year through better content and smarter systems.
Somewhere along the way, I realised something: The best content strategies don't just need technical expertise - they need someone who understands how teams actually work, how people make decisions, and how to build capability that lasts.
That's what led me to become a Certified Master Performance Coach. Now I don't just build strategies - I develop the teams who'll execute them. I coach while I create. I upskill while I implement.
These days, I split my time between two things: Fractional content leadership for select organisations and building Physis Global, my coaching and training practice focused on leadership development and holistic wellbeing. These two sides of my work feed each other. My coaching makes me better at developing content teams. My content experience makes me a better leadership coach.
I'm based in Selangor, Malaysia, and work with clients across APAC and globally. When I'm not building content strategies or coaching leaders, you'll find me writing about personal growth at michellechee.com.
Let's have a conversation
If you're wondering whether fractional content leadership makes sense for your organisation, the best way to find out is to talk. I'm happy to have an exploratory conversation with no pressure - sometimes it just helps to talk through opportunities.
Ready to chat?
michelle@physis.global
Just send me a quick note about your biggest content challenge.
© 2025 Michelle Chee. All Rights Reserved. | Fractional Content Head & Leadership Coaching.