A Fractional Chief of Staff provides strategic thought partnership with hands-on support for your highest-priority initiatives – but on a part-time, contracted basis rather than full-time employment.

I work at the strategic level to help you:

• Make better decisions faster
• Prioritize among competing good options
• Translate your business coach’s insights into operational reality
• Coordinate your most important initiatives
• Free you up for the high-impact work only you can do

Think of me as your strategic right hand – someone who shares the load of holding your business’s complexity and helps bridge the gap between your vision and operational reality.

Great question! Many founders aren’t clear on the distinctions between support roles. Here’s a breakdown:

Virtual Assistant (VA)

• Primary Focus: Administrative tasks and execution
• Scope: Founder’s calendar, email, scheduling, basic social media, data entry
• Team Management: No
• Strategic Input: Minimal
• Hours: Typically 10-40/week
• Best for: Founders drowning in admin work who need task execution

Executive Assistant (EA)

• Primary Focus: High-level administrative support
• Scope: Complex calendar management, travel, meeting prep, correspondence, gatekeeping
• Team Management: Minimal (may coordinate but not manage)
• Strategic Input: Some (prepares materials, attends meetings)
• Hours: Typically 20-40/week
• Best for: Busy executives who need sophisticated admin support and gatekeeping

Online Business Manager (OBM)

• Primary Focus: Operations management and team coordination
• Scope: Managing team members, overseeing projects, implementing systems
• Team Management: Yes – direct management of team
• Strategic Input: Some (executes strategy but doesn’t create it)
• Hours: Typically 20-40/week
• Best for: Growing businesses that need operational leadership and team management

Integrator (EOS/Traction terminology)

• Primary Focus: Full business execution and operations
• Scope: Running the entire business day-to-day
• Team Management: Yes – manages all operations and team
• Strategic Input: Moderate (translates vision into execution)
• Hours: Typically 40+/week (often full-time)
• Best for: Established businesses ($500K+) needing a full-time #2 to run operations

Fractional Chief of Staff (My Role)

• Primary Focus: Strategic thought partnership with selective hands-on support
• Scope: Strategic priorities, key initiatives, cross-functional coordination
• Team Management: Coordination on strategic initiatives (not day-to-day management)
• Strategic Input: High – thought partner at the leadership level
• Hours: Typically 10-14/month (fractional model)
• Best for: Established businesses ($250K-$750K+) with existing team who need strategic layer added

Key Distinction: VAs, EAs, and OBMs focus primarily on EXECUTION. Integrators RUN operations. Fractional Chiefs of Staff provide STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP with selective tactical support.

Corporate Chief of Staff roles typically:

• Report directly to C-suite executive (CEO, COO, etc.)
• Full-time position (40+ hours/week)
• Broad scope: strategy, operations, communications, special projects
• May manage direct reports and cross-functional initiatives
• Heavy meeting attendance and executive representation
• Often involved in board relations and stakeholder management
• Salary range: $100K-$300K+ depending on company size

Fractional CoS for Small Business (my role):

• Partner with founder/CEO at leadership level
• Part-time engagement (10-14 hours/month)
• Focused scope: strategic priorities, key initiatives, decision support
• Coordinate team on specific projects (not manage them day-to-day)
• Selective meeting attendance (strategic sessions only)
• Direct work with founder, not multiple executives
• Investment: $2,500 USD/month

Key Similarities:

• Strategic thinking at leadership level
• Seeing the whole ecosystem
• Translating vision into action
• Coordinating cross-functional work
• Supporting key initiatives
• Trusted advisor role

Key Differences:

• Scale: Corporate = enterprise complexity; Small business = founder-led business
• Time: Corporate = full-time; Fractional = part-time/focused
• Scope: Corporate = everything; Fractional = selective priorities
• Team: Corporate = often manage people; Fractional = coordinate, not manage
• Meetings: Corporate = many; Fractional = only strategic ones

Why this matters for small business owners:

Corporate CoS functions are valuable, but most small businesses:

• Can’t afford/don’t need full-time CoS
• Don’t have enterprise-level complexity
• Need focused support on key priorities, not everything
• Want partnership, not another employee to manage

The fractional model brings CoS-level thinking and support in a right-sized package for established small businesses.

The core CoS principles are universal – but application looks different at different scales:

Principle 1: See the Whole While Managing the Parts

Corporate: CoS sees across all departments while managing specific enterprise initiatives
Small business: I see your whole business ecosystem (offers, team, operations, vision) while managing 1-2 key priorities
Application: Same principle, smaller scale

Principle 2: Extend the Leader’s Capacity

Corporate: CoS multiplies CEO’s effectiveness by taking things off their plate
Small business: I multiply your effectiveness by handling strategic coordination you’re currently doing
Application: Same principle, different scope

Principle 3: Bridge Strategy and Execution

Corporate: CoS translates board strategy into operational initiatives
Small business: I translate your business coach’s insights into operational reality
Application: Same principle, different context

Principle 4: Honest Feedback Without Politics

Corporate: CoS can give CEO direct feedback without career risk
Small business: I can give you honest perspective without employee power dynamics
Application: Same principle, even more important in small business

Principle 5: Own Outcomes, Not Just Tasks

Corporate: CoS owns success of strategic initiatives, not just task completion
Small business: I own the book launch succeeding, not just checking tasks off list
Application: Same principle, same accountability

What’s Different in Small Business:

More Personal:

• You’re not just CEO, you’re the face of the brand
• Business often deeply tied to personal vision and values
• Relationships are closer and more informal

More Agile:

• Can pivot faster without bureaucracy
• Decisions happen quicker
• Less process, more conversation

More Visible Impact:

• Every initiative matters more proportionally
• Results show up faster
• Strategic work has direct revenue impact

Fewer Resources:

• Can’t hire specialists for everything
• Need to prioritize ruthlessly
• Must be scrappy and creative

Wearing Multiple Hats:

• Founder is CEO + face of brand + often top salesperson
• Team members often cover multiple functions
• Less role specialization

Why This Actually Works Better:

In small businesses, CoS principles are often MORE powerful because:

• You can actually move the needle significantly
• Changes happen fast without corporate bureaucracy
• Close partnership with founder creates strong alignment
• Impact is visible and meaningful
• Work feels purpose-driven and personal

Corporate CoS evolved for enterprise complexity. Small business gets the best parts without the bureaucracy.

You need an OBM or Integrator if:

• You have NO team members yet (they’d be your first key hire)
• You need someone to BUILD operational systems from scratch
• You need someone to MANAGE your team day-to-day
• You need someone to RUN operations while you focus on vision
• You need 20-40+ hours/week of operational leadership
• Your main pain point is: “I need someone to execute and manage everything”

You need a Fractional Chief of Staff if:

• You ALREADY HAVE operational team members (VA, OBM, contractors)
• You have operational foundations but need STRATEGIC COORDINATION
• You need help PRIORITIZING and DECIDING (not just executing)
• You need a THOUGHT PARTNER who sees your whole ecosystem
• You’re spending 10-14 hours/month on strategic work
• Your main pain point is: “I’m the bottleneck for strategic decisions”

Quick Test:

• If you answered “no team” → Start with OBM/Integrator
• If you answered “have team, still bottleneck” → Fractional CoS could be right fit

Many businesses need BOTH: An OBM to run operations + a Fractional CoS for strategic partnership.

When I say “hands-on support,” I mean I work IN your business on specific strategic initiatives – not just advise from the sidelines.

Here’s what that looks like:

Managing 1-2 Strategic Initiatives:

• I own coordination of key priorities (like a book launch or new program rollout)
• I create project timelines, coordinate team members, identify blockers
• I ensure these initiatives move forward, not just get talked about
• What I don’t do: Manage ALL your projects or become your full-time project manager

System Documentation + Optimization:

• I document ONE key system per engagement (like client onboarding)
• I optimize existing systems that aren’t working well
• I create process documents and workflows
• What I don’t do: Build all systems from scratch or manage all systems ongoing

Team Coordination on Key Priorities:

• I facilitate coordination meetings on strategic initiatives I’m managing
• I ensure team members understand their roles on these priorities
• I identify handoffs and dependencies
• What I don’t do: Manage your team day-to-day or handle all team communication

Preparing Strategic Materials:

• I prepare agendas for your business coach sessions
• I create quarterly planning documents
• I develop decision memos for strategic choices
• What I don’t do: Attend every meeting or prepare all materials

The key principle: I provide enough hands-on support to move strategic priorities forward, but I’m not executing on everything or running daily operations – that’s what your operational team does.

This is one of the most important questions! Integrating a Fractional Chief of Staff into an existing team requires clear role definition and communication.

The Integration Process:

Step 1: Understanding Current Team Structure

• First, I learn about your existing team members and their roles
• We map out who does what and where gaps exist
• We identify what might need to be reallocated when I join

Step 2: Clear Role Definition

• We define specifically what I’ll own vs. what stays with your existing team
• We clarify reporting relationships and communication flows
• We set boundaries so there’s no confusion or stepping on toes

Step 3: Team Introduction + Alignment

• I meet with key team members to understand their work
• We establish how we’ll coordinate on strategic initiatives
• We agree on communication norms and meeting rhythms

Step 4: Ongoing Coordination

• Regular check-ins to ensure smooth collaboration
• Clear handoffs when work moves between strategic and operational
• Adjustment as needed based on what’s working

Common Team Configurations + How I Fit:

Configuration 1: You have a VA

• They handle: Admin, scheduling, email management, basic tasks
• I handle: Strategic priorities, decision support, coordinating key initiatives
• Overlap: Minimal – I may coordinate the VA on strategic projects
• Reallocation: Likely none needed

Configuration 2: You have a VA + OBM

• VA handles: Admin tasks
• OBM handles: Operations, team management, systems execution
• I handle: Strategic thought partnership, priority coordination, translating coach insights
• Overlap: I coordinate with OBM on strategic initiatives they’re executing
• Reallocation: Possible – some strategic planning might move from OBM to me

Configuration 3: You have an EA/OBM Hybrid

• They handle: Admin + operations + team management
• I handle: Strategic layer – planning, priority management, decision support
• Overlap: We collaborate on strategic initiatives
• Reallocation: Likely – I take strategic load off them so they can focus on operations

Configuration 4: You have a specialized team (VA, Marketing, Tech, etc.)

• They handle: Their specific functions
• I handle: Cross-functional coordination on strategic priorities
• Overlap: I facilitate coordination across team on key initiatives
• Reallocation: Minimal – I add strategic layer they don’t currently have

Key Principles:

I work ALONGSIDE your team, not above them or instead of them:

• I don’t replace existing team members
• I don’t manage your team day-to-day (unless that’s explicitly part of our scope)
• I coordinate team efforts on strategic priorities I’m managing
• I respect existing relationships and communication flows

Clear Communication is Essential:

• Your team needs to understand my role from the start
• We establish how decisions are made (what needs your input vs. what I can handle)
• We’re transparent about when work is moving between strategic and operational

Success looks like:

• Your team feels supported, not threatened
• Clear boundaries prevent overlap and confusion
• Everyone knows their role and how we work together
• Strategic initiatives move forward smoothly

This is a valid concern! Introducing a new strategic partner can feel threatening to existing team members if not handled well.

Common Team Fears:

• “Am I being replaced?”
• “Does this mean I’m not doing a good job?”
• “Will this person be my boss?”
• “Is my role going to change?”
• “Will I lose direct access to the founder?”

How We Address This…

BEFORE I’M HIRED

You prepare your team:

• Explain why you’re bringing in a Fractional CoS
• Clarify what gap they’re filling (strategic layer, not replacing anyone)
• Emphasize that you value your existing team
• Frame it as adding support for YOU, not fixing THEM

Example messaging: “I’m bringing in strategic support so I can be a better leader to all of you. This isn’t about anyone not doing their job well – it’s about me having a thought partner at the leadership level so I can focus more on vision and less on being the bottleneck. Your roles aren’t changing.”

DURING ONBOARDING

I meet with key team members individually:

• Learn about their role and what they care about
• Clarify what I will and won’t be doing
• Address any concerns directly
• Establish how we’ll work together

We establish clear boundaries:

• I’m not their manager (unless explicitly scoped that way)
• I’m not taking over their responsibilities
• I’m coordinating on strategic projects, not everything
• Communication flows stay the same

We create transparency:

• Team understands my scope
• Everyone knows how decisions are made
• Regular check-ins to ensure it’s working

ONGOING

I demonstrate I’m additive, not disruptive:

• I make their work easier, not harder
• I respect their expertise and relationships
• I support them in their roles
• I give credit and visibility to their work

Red flags I watch for:

• Team member withdrawing or disengaging
• Passive-aggressive behavior
• Resistance to coordination on projects

If resistance emerges, we address it:

• Direct conversation with that team member
• You and I discuss what’s happening
• Adjust how I’m working with them if needed
• Sometimes this reveals misalignment that needed addressing anyway

SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

After 1-2 months, your team should:

• Feel clearer on priorities (less whiplash from scattered focus)
• Have better structure for strategic projects
• Feel more supported, not threatened
• See you’re less stressed and more focused
• Understand how I fit and what value I add

If they don’t feel this way, something needs adjustment.

The Reality:

Good team members welcome appropriate support. The most common reactions:

Relief: Team members who’ve been over-functioning in strategic areas (like an OBM making CEO-level decisions or coordinating across the business) are usually grateful to hand that off and focus on their actual role. Strong, secure team members respond: “Great! This will make my job easier.”

Concern: Occasionally someone worries about overlap or their role becoming redundant. This typically indicates:

• Insecurity about their value (needs reassurance)
• Control issues (needs boundaries)
• Fuzzy role clarity that already existed (bringing me in forces helpful clarification)

We address concerns directly during onboarding through role clarification and clear communication about who does what.

Role confusion is common when adding a strategic layer – but it’s solvable with clear communication.

Prevention (Best Approach):

Before I start, we create a RACI for strategic initiatives.

Example: Book Launch Project

This makes clear:

• Who owns what
• Who makes which decisions
• Who needs to be consulted vs. just informed
• Where handoffs happen

Common Overlap Scenarios:

Scenario 1: You + OBM Both Doing Project Management

Problem: OBM has been managing all projects, now CoS is managing some projects – confusing for the team

Solution:

• OBM continues: Day-to-day operational projects, team management, systems maintenance
• CoS manages: Strategic initiatives (book launch, new program, major system overhaul)
• Handoff: When the strategic project becomes operational, CoS hands it over to OBM

Example: CoS manages book launch through release. Post-launch, OBM owns ongoing book-related operations (fulfillment, customer service, reorders).

Scenario 2: You + EA Both Preparing Materials

Problem: EA usually prepares meeting materials, now CoS is doing it for some meetings – unclear who does what

Solution:

• EA prepares: Routine meetings, admin materials, scheduling-related docs
• CoS prepares: Strategic materials (business coach agenda, quarterly plans, decision memos)
• Clarify: Which meetings require strategic prep vs. admin prep

Example: EA prepares a weekly team meeting agenda (operational). CoS prepares a quarterly planning deck (strategic).

Scenario 3: You + VA Both Coordinating Schedule

Problem: VA manages calendar, but CoS needs to block strategic time – potential conflicts

Solution:

• VA owns: Day-to-day calendar management, client bookings, routine scheduling
• CoS requests: Strategic time blocks, ensures founder has space for high-impact work
• Protocol: CoS requests through VA, VA implements (unless urgent strategic need)

Example: VA schedules all meetings. CoS says “Founder needs 4 hours of focus time Tuesdays for Q4 planning.” VA blocks it.

Scenario 4: Founder + CoS + OBM All Making Decisions

Problem: Team doesn’t know who to ask for decisions, creating delays or duplicate requests

Solution: Decision-making framework:

Founder decides:

• Major strategic direction
• Significant financial investments
• Brand/messaging direction
• Hiring/firing

CoS decides (within agreed parameters):

• Strategic initiative execution details
• Priority sequencing recommendations
• Resource allocation on managed projects
• Vendor selection for strategic projects

OBM decides:

• Day-to-day operational decisions
• Team workflow and processes
• Routine vendor/tool decisions
• Standard operating procedures

Team knows: “Ask OBM for operational, ask CoS for strategic project, escalate to Founder for major strategic or financial.”

When Confusion Happens (Recovery):

• Step 1: Acknowledge It – “I’ve noticed some confusion about who’s handling X. Let’s clarify.”
• Step 2: Map It Out – Create simple visual showing who owns what (share with team)
• Step 3: Adjust – Shift responsibilities if current division isn’t working
• Step 4: Over-communicate Temporarily – For a few weeks, explicitly state who’s handling what in each situation
• Step 5: Check In – “Is this clearer now? Any remaining confusion?

The goal: Team should always know exactly who to go to for what. If they’re confused, we haven’t communicated clearly enough.

This is THE most common concern – and it requires sensitive handling.

Why OBMs Sometimes Feel Threatened:

Legitimate concerns:

• “Is this because I’m not performing well?”
• “Am I losing strategic responsibilities I enjoyed?”
• “Will my role become less important?”
• “Does the founder not trust me anymore?”

Misunderstandings:

• They think CoS = senior OBM (it’s not, it’s a different function)
• They think CoS will manage them (usually not)
• They think CoS = replacement (it’s additive)

Ego concerns:

• They were “right-hand” before
• They like being close to strategic work
• They’re protective of their relationship with the founder

HOW TO ADDRESS THIS (FOR YOU, THE FOUNDER)

Before hiring CoS, talk to your OBM:

Have this conversation: “I’m considering bringing in a Fractional Chief of Staff for strategic support. I want to talk with you about this first because I value you and our working relationship.

This isn’t about you not doing your job well – you’re excellent at operations and team management. This is about me needing strategic thought partnership at a level that’s not fair to expect from you while you’re running operations.

Your role isn’t changing. You’ll still [specific responsibilities]. In fact, this should make your life easier because I’ll be less of a bottleneck on strategic decisions that affect your work.

What questions or concerns do you have?”

Address concerns directly:

• If worried about performance → Reassure about their value
• If worried about role change → Clarify what stays the same
• If worried about relationship → Affirm importance of partnership
• If worried about reporting structure → Clarify (usually they don’t report to CoS)

DURING COS ONBOARDING

OBM + CoS meet early:

• I acknowledge their existing relationship with founder
• We map out how we’ll work together
• We identify potential overlaps and clarify boundaries
• We establish communication norms

You (founder) facilitate this:

• Present us as partners, not hierarchy
• Clarify how you see us working together
• Model collaborative relationship
• Make clear both roles are valued

ONGOING PARTNERSHIP

I actively collaborate with OBM:

• Keep them informed on strategic projects
• Respect their operational expertise
• Credit their work publicly
• Coordinate handoffs cleanly

Example:

• I manage book launch strategy and coordination
• I keep OBM informed so they can plan operations accordingly
• When launch completes, I hand ongoing operations to OBM
• I acknowledge their operational execution in updates to founder

RED FLAGS TO WATCH

• Signs OBM is struggling with the change:
• Passive-aggressive comments about strategic decisions
• Going around CoS directly to founder unnecessarily
• Undermining CoS suggestions to team
• Withdrawing or becoming less engaged
• Competing for founder’s attention

If this happens:

You (founder) need to address it:

• Direct conversation with OBM about what’s happening
• Reaffirm both roles are valued
• Set clear expectations about professional collaboration
• May need to adjust scope if overlap is genuine issue
• In rare cases, may discover OBM isn’t right fit anymore (separate issue)

WHEN IT WORKS WELL

OBM + CoS partnership can be powerful:

• OBM focuses on what they’re best at (operations)
• CoS focuses on what they’re best at (strategy)
• Founder gets both operational AND strategic support
• Work flows smoothly between strategic and operational
• OBM often feels relieved not to carry strategic weight

Success looks like:

• OBM says: “This is so helpful, I can focus on operations now”
• Regular coordination between OBM and CoS happens naturally
• Handoffs are smooth
• Both feel valued and clear on their roles

THE REALITY

• Secure, strong OBMs usually welcome appropriate strategic support because:
• They’re overloaded trying to be operational AND strategic
• They recognize strategic partnership is different skill set
• They want founder to have what they need
• They appreciate clear role boundaries

If OBM can’t adapt to this change, it usually reveals:

• They were over-functioning in strategic areas (beyond their role)
• They have control or ego issues
• Role clarity was already problematic
• They may not be right fit for growing business

Sometimes adding CoS clarifies that the OBM role needs adjustment – and that’s valuable information.

Bottom line: This requires change management, but it’s usually navigable with clear communication and mutual respect.