The Operator Behind the Advice
State of Mind Strategies is a commercial growth advisory founded by Zachary Leifer. The practice helps leadership teams identify what is holding growth back and decide where your next dollar or minute is best spent.
Why the practice exists
The practice was built on a simple observation from inside operating roles: most companies do not lack effort. They lack a clear view of the constraint. Money, people, technology, and attention flow toward symptoms while the underlying problem stays untouched.
Zachary approaches that problem the way an engineer approaches a system. Curiosity first: how does this business actually grow, where does performance break, and why. Then discipline: align purpose, strategy, and execution so resources concentrate where they create the most value.
His time in the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School sharpened the conclusion behind the firm. The highest use of a senior operator is not one company at a time. It is bringing executive-level judgment to multiple companies at the moments when clarity matters most.
The operating background
Zachary Leifer is a senior commercial operator with 15+ years of experience, including roles as a Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Commercial Officer, VP of Digital Marketing, and VP of Corporate IT across Fortune 500, startup, gaming, hospitality, sports media, SaaS, and retail environments.
That background shapes how the practice works. Growth rarely breaks inside a single department. It breaks between marketing and sales, between data and decisions, between technology and adoption, or between strategy and execution. Having held both commercial and technology executive roles is what allows the work to cross those boundaries.
Zachary completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School and studied at Cornell University. His work has earned industry recognition including a Gold HSMAI Adrian Award for brand site improvements, along with Silver and Bronze Adrian Awards for campaign work at The Venetian and The Palazzo.
What working together looks like
Every engagement starts with a diagnostic view: where growth is breaking down, what constraint is causing it, and what should receive time, capital, people, or technology next. From there, support takes the form that fits: growth advisory, fractional CMO leadership, or interim executive coverage.
The practice does not hand over a deck and walk away. The work is accountable to commercial outcomes: revenue, margin, and enterprise value.
What colleagues and clients say
The following are recommendations from prior professional experience. They reflect executive and operator roles, not State of Mind Strategies client engagements.
“Zack brought real operating discipline to the CMO role. At 1/ST, he took a methodical approach to defining our North Star, enforcing disciplined capital allocation, and aligning marketing, tech, and ops across the enterprise.”
“He is respected and well-regarded by his peers given that he is so dedicated and continuously looking for solutions to improve the business.”
“From strategy to tactical implementation, I've never met or worked with anyone so focused, grounded and successfully metrics driven to prove success.”
“His approach to marketing and strategy is both disciplined and at the same time creative. He approaches challenges instantly able to tap into a wide set experience and brings to any conversation a rich understanding of best practices and careful, targeted research.”
More recommendations are available on LinkedIn.
Frequently asked questions
What is Zachary Leifer's background?
Zachary Leifer is a senior commercial operator with 15+ years of experience, including roles as Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Commercial Officer, VP of Digital Marketing, and VP of Corporate IT. He completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School and studied at Cornell University.
What industries has the founder operated in?
Fortune 500, startup, gaming, hospitality, sports media, SaaS, and retail environments, including leadership roles at The Venetian Las Vegas, Las Vegas Sands, and 1/ST Technology. That range matters because growth rarely breaks inside a single department or a single kind of company.
Has the work been recognized?
Yes. The work has earned four HSMAI Adrian Awards, including a Gold for brand site improvements and Silver and Bronze awards for campaign work at The Venetian and The Palazzo.
Where the practice works
State of Mind Strategies is based in Las Vegas and works with companies across the United States. Engagements are led directly by the founder. Contact: [email protected], or schedule a conversation below.
The Las Vegas roots are operating roots: leadership roles at The Venetian Las Vegas, Las Vegas Sands, and 1/ST Technology. For local engagements, see fractional CMO services in Las Vegas and business growth consulting in Las Vegas.
