Citrus America HubSpot Implementation

Overview

HubSpot CRM implementation for ^[1] was identified as an active operational priority during the ^[2]. The goal is to finalize setup in early 2026 so the platform can support the client's renewed direct sales push and the broader ^[3].

The implementation was already underway at the time of the strategy call but had not yet been completed. The intent is to move HubSpot off the active discussion agenda — get it running, then treat it as infrastructure rather than a project.

Status

Context and Rationale

Citrus America is shifting to a more aggressive, direct sales model led by Miriam, Jacob, and Brian Framson. This model depends on reliable pipeline visibility and follow-up tooling. HubSpot is intended to provide:

• Lead capture and tracking from the website rebuild (planned Jan/Feb 2026)
• Sales pipeline management for the direct grocery retail outreach
• Email automation to support the monthly newsletter cadence and event-driven sends
• Contact management for trade show leads and geofencing campaign follow-ups

Melissa Cusumano noted during the strategy call that HubSpot completion was one of two concrete carry-over priorities from prior planning (alongside the website rebuild).

Key Requirements

Based on the strategy call discussion, the HubSpot implementation should align with:

1. Grocery retail focus — pipeline stages and contact properties should reflect the grocery buyer journey, not a generic B2B funnel
2. Website integration — forms and CTAs from the rebuilt website need to feed directly into HubSpot; this creates a dependency on the ^[4] completing in Jan/Feb
3. Newsletter continuity — the existing monthly newsletter workflow should migrate into or connect with HubSpot without disruption
4. Event email flows — pre- and post-event emails (trade shows, geofenced events) should be templated and triggerable from HubSpot

Dependencies

• Website rebuild (Jan/Feb 2026): Landing pages and conversion-oriented CTAs need to be live before HubSpot lead capture is meaningful. See ^[5].
• Event calendar: Miriam Framson committed to sharing the 2026 event calendar with AAG, which will inform email automation planning for trade show sequences.
• Contact list hygiene: Existing contact lists should be reviewed and imported cleanly before automations go live.

Action Items

Notes

• Brian Framson flagged that Citrus America is in a cost-control posture following a difficult 2025; HubSpot work should be completed within the existing retainer scope, not as an add-on budget item.
• Once HubSpot is live and stable, it should be treated as a background operational system — the monthly review meetings should not need to revisit it unless issues arise.
• The success stories and blog content being developed as part of the ^[6] should eventually be trackable via HubSpot to measure which assets drive inbound inquiries.

Related

• ^[7]
• ^[8]
• ^[5]
• ^[9]
• ^[10]