The role of a marketing agency CMO is a weird one. I had one goal while running marketing at an agency for three years: market the agency at least as well as we marketed our clients. While I didn't always succeed, I learned a lot on the job that all kinds of aspiring and veteran CMOs can take to heart. Reflecting on this recent tenure as a first-time CMO, here are some hints of what works, and a roadmap to some common pitfalls to avoid.