REFLECTIONS ON FUTURE FRACTIONAL
Today, I’m sharing reflections from my inaugural fractional coaching program: Future Fractional. Spoiler: it was a hit. And we’re doing it again soon.
WHAT HAPPENED INSIDE FUTURE FRACTIONAL
In September, I quietly launched an idea I’d been mulling for months:
A beta coaching cohort for fractional operators
Targeting people curious about fractional work, already doing it but struggling, or unsure how to make it work well
I wanted to tackle exactly what I’d struggled with in my own fractional career:
Feast-or-famine cycles
Unhealthy pipeline management
Undercharging
Settling for work that didn’t excite me
Avoiding visibility
Acting like an employee instead of a business owner
Eight people said “hell yes.”
Over eight weeks, we met weekly with one goal: help operators stop treating fractional work like a side quest and start running it like a real business—so they could earn more, do work they loved, and live their lives.
MY OWN FRACTIONAL JOURNEY
For years, I used the label “fractional COO” without really owning it:
Avoided visibility
Took whatever work came my way
Undercharged
Over-delivered
Blurred boundaries
My practice behaved like a string of reactions, not an intentional business.
Then I hit a wall.
Energy drained
Resentment growing
No pipeline
I did what everyone says not to do: I stopped.
From January to April, I had zero paying clients.
I treated my business as my only client:
Rebuilt offers, pricing, capacity, positioning
Redesigned online presence and follow-up systems
Defined my client criteria
I wrote my Fractional Manifesto:
This is not my backup plan
This is my first choice
I want multiple clients, control over my time, meaningful work, respectful collaborators, and fair pay
I want a business that supports a full life—not a job that consumes it
Everything from content to discovery calls aligned with this manifesto.
Fast-forward: booked through H1 2026, on track to 3X income from fractional engagements, and actually enjoying the work.
FUTURE FRACTIONAL | BETA COHORT
Eight weeks. Participants: fractional COOs, ops leaders, L&D, comms, and strategy pros.
Sessions: part teaching, part hot seat, part “group therapy for operators”
Common struggles surfaced: fear of rejection, visibility, pricing, boundary-setting
Outcome: participants posted, reached out, set boundaries, raised rates, closed deals
Key insight: information isn’t the problem. Mindset is.
Knowing isn’t enough
Doing consistently, in a nervous-system-friendly way, is what matters
FUTURE FRACTIONAL 1.0
Post-beta, I rebuilt the program:
11 weeks instead of 8
Six live sessions
Five asynchronous implementation weeks
Curriculum order revamped
Start with identity, boundaries, and Fractional Manifesto
Then move through positioning, offer creation, visibility, sales, pricing, delivery, proof, and a 90-day integration plan
Working space, not a classroom
Participants build, test, and refine real assets
Personalized coaching and feedback via Slack
Community became essential—support and accountability
IS THIS FOR YOU?
You’re ready if you:
Want to treat fractional as a strategy, not a stopgap
Have experience leading ops or teams
Want self-employment more than full-time work
Are willing to honestly examine money, visibility, work patterns, and boundaries
Want a long-term, sustainable career
You’re probably not ready if you:
Expect guaranteed income without changing behaviour
Want to stay permanently invisible
Expect risk-free shortcuts
The fear never disappears. But it no longer drives your decisions.
WHAT’S NEXT
This is for anyone ready to stop dabbling in fractional work and build a real, sustainable business.
Full program details: 👉 here
Even if now isn’t your time, consider: you deserve a fractional practice that pays well and leaves room for your life.
Keep building the version of work that actually works for you. I’ll be here, cheering (and nudging).
Until next time,
Mary Alice
