I need to say something that might scare off a few people reading this.
I’m not the right fit for every business owner.
And honestly? That’s a good thing.
I can only work with so many clients at a time. This isn’t false modesty or a clever way to manufacture demand. It’s math. Thoughtful, hands-on work takes time and attention.
So I’d rather be clear about what working with me means.
You’ll get support. You’ll get someone who cares about the business you’ve worked hard to build.
You will not get someone who nods along with every decision.
Not for everyone, and that’s the point.
You’re hiring a person, not just a skill set
When you’re considering a fractional COO, experience and operational knowledge matter.
But there’s another question worth asking:
Can we have an honest conversation when we disagree?
Because we will disagree sometimes.
You might see an opportunity you want to move on immediately. I might see the workload it creates for a team that’s already stretched thin.
You might be ready to launch something new. I might want to understand why the last three priorities still need you to keep them moving.
Neither perspective makes one of us wrong by default.
But pretending there’s no tension won’t help us make a better decision.
Can I explain what I’m seeing without making you feel judged? Can you question my recommendation without either of us turning it into a contest?
That’s the working relationship I want to build.
You see the destination. I look at what it takes to get there.
You’re the Visionary.
You built this business. You understand its history, care about its future, and see possibilities other people might miss.
I’m the Integrator.
I’m looking at how the people, priorities, and moving pieces need to work together to support that vision.
Our perspectives are different because we’re not standing in the same place.
You’re carrying the responsibility of ownership, the daily decisions, and everything happening outside the business. Children. Aging parents. A household. The appointment you need to reschedule for the third time.
I bring some distance.
Enough to notice when a plan relies on you absorbing another responsibility. Enough to question a process everyone has accepted because it’s been inconvenient for so long that it now feels normal.
Not because you aren’t smart enough to see it.
Because you’re busy keeping it moving.
Partnership doesn’t mean handing over your business
When I describe this work as a partnership, I mean there’s give-and-take.
You remain the owner and final decision-maker. Partnership means we work through the decisions together, with room for both your vision and my perspective.
You bring knowledge I don’t have. I bring a perspective you’re hiring me to contribute.
I need to understand what matters to you, including the things that might not be obvious from a spreadsheet. You need to know why I’m recommending a change, not just hear that I think you should make one.
Neither of us benefits if I sit quietly waiting for instructions.
And neither of us benefits if I walk in assuming I know your business better than you do.
We have to be able to listen, question, and adjust.
I’ll hold your hand. I won’t help you ignore the problem.
I’m stubborn. We should probably get that out of the way.
But there’s a difference between being committed to a good outcome and being attached to my own opinion.
I’ll explain my thinking. I’ll listen to yours. If there’s information I’m missing, I want it.
What I won’t do is stay quiet about a concern because agreement would make the conversation easier.
If a plan depends on you working nights again, I’m going to point that out.
If responsibilities are unclear, I’m not going to suggest another app and pretend we’ve addressed the problem.
If everything still comes back to you despite having a team, we’re going to look at why.
Kindly. Thoroughly. Without making you feel like you’ve failed some imaginary test of business ownership.
You already have enough people who need something from you.
My role is to help you build a business that doesn’t require you to catch every falling piece.
Sometimes that means reassurance. Sometimes it means saying, “I know you can make this work. I’m questioning whether you should have to.”
Both are part of the support.
Trust has to go both ways
I don’t expect you to trust me because I’ve put “fractional COO” on a website.
I earn your trust by listening closely, following through, explaining my recommendations, and telling you when I don’t have an answer yet.
You should be able to ask why. You should understand what we’re changing and what that change is meant to accomplish.
And I need to trust that when I raise a concern, you’ll consider it.
Not automatically agree. Consider it.
The same goes for me. If you push back, I need to hear what’s behind it rather than assume you’re resisting change.
Maybe I’ve missed something. Maybe there’s a concern we haven’t discussed. Maybe the recommendation needs to change.
Honesty has to work in both directions. Otherwise, it’s not much of a partnership.
Why I care about a business that isn’t mine
The honest answer? I enjoy this work.
I’m naturally curious. I like learning how different businesses operate and figuring out why something that should be straightforward has become everyone’s weekly headache.
Every business gives me a new puzzle to sit with.
But there’s a person behind that puzzle.
A woman who built something meaningful and would like to enjoy it. Who still has ambition, even if lately it’s been buried under decisions, interruptions, and being the person everyone turns to.
That’s what makes this work matter to me.
I want supportive leadership to feel normal. Not like a concession you make when you can’t cope anymore.
You don’t need to reach a breaking point to deserve a capable person beside you.
And you shouldn’t have to choose between being taken seriously and admitting you need support.
So, are we a good fit?
You don’t have to love being challenged.
Most of us don’t, especially on a day when we’ve already answered forty-seven questions before lunch.
But you do need to want a working relationship where honesty is welcome, even when it’s inconvenient.
I’ll bring care, operational experience, and a willingness to work through the uncomfortable parts with you. I’ll respect what you’ve built without assuming every part of it should stay the same.
If that’s the support you’re looking for, book a call.
We’ll talk about what’s happening in your business, where you’re carrying too much, and whether working together makes sense.
No need to tidy up the story first. I’d rather hear what’s actually going on.
