The Fractional Operator

Lauren Groff, Owner and CEO of Groff NetWorks, joins The Fractional Operator to discuss 21 years of business evolution, moving from basement-based IT support to strategic technology advisement, and why proactive systems, automation, peer networks, and accountability matter for growing businesses. He shares lessons on escaping the firefighting cycle, using technology strategically, building peer groups, and developing the core values that help guide employees, partners, vendors, and clients.

Learn more about Lauren Groff and Groff NetWorks at groffnetworks.com. 

0:00 Why Data Is at the Center of Hourglass

2:02 Lauren's 21-Year Business Journey

4:16 From Fractional CFOs to Strategic Technology

6:49 Why SMBs Need More Than AI

9:22 Finding Hidden Technology Opportunities

12:16 Adapting Through 21 Years of Business

14:29 The Evolution Into Cybersecurity

16:45 Helping Businesses Plan What's Next

18:18 Why Peer Networks Drive Growth

21:13 How to Build Your Own Peer Network

24:27 Accountability and Getting Honest Feedback

26:58 Breaking Through Business Growth Ceilings

28:35 Breaking the Firefighting Addiction

31:44 Making Proactive Services Visible to Clients

34:39 Showing Clients the Value of Recurring Work

37:26 The Importance of Core Values

39:48 How to Evaluate a Business Coach

42:06 Where to Find Lauren and Groff NetWorks

Want more Hourglass? Connect with Michael today!

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Hourglass SaaS: hourglasssaas.com 

#FractionalOperator #FractionalLeadership #BusinessGrowth #TechnologyStrategy #ITLeadership

How can business owners get out of the weeds, create accountability, and build a company that can operate without them? Expert EOS Implementer Dave Borland joins Mike Nelson to explain the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), including its six key components: Vision, People, Data, Process, Issues, and Traction. As well as how fractional leadership, systems, measurable data, and disciplined execution can help organizations grow, and how business owners can create a business that gives them back their time.

Connect with Dave and learn more about EOS at eosworldwide.com.

0:00 Welcome to The Fractional Operator

1:06 Dave Borland's entrepreneurial and fractional background

3:15 Discovering systems, processes, and leadership

5:49 How Dave discovered EOS

8:02 What EOS is: Vision, Traction and Healthy

9:24 Using EOS to turn around a struggling business

10:46 From business owner to fractional EOS Implementer

12:57 EOS Implementer vs. Integrator

15:21 The EOS implementation process and accountability chart

17:10 Rocks, priorities, issue solving and scorecards

21:24 Why EOS is simple—but difficult to execute

23:10 The hard truth business owners sometimes need to hear

27:23 The six key components of the EOS Model

31:59 People, core values and getting the right people in the right seats

33:08 Why data and measurable KPIs matter

35:45 Processes, recurring issues and the “ten-minute problem”

39:13 Traction, meeting cadence and accountability

40:46 How systems can give business owners their time back

42:29 How to know whether your business needs EOS

45:39 Where to connect with Dave Borland

Want to learn more about Hourglass? 

Website: hourglasssaas.com.

Facebook: facebook.com/michael.rgh.nelson 

Instagram instagram.com/5tmichael 

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Linkedin: linkedin.com/michaelnelson2 

#EOS #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #FractionalLeadership #BusinessSystems

Heather Starke, CEO of Starke Business Services, joins Mike Nelson on The Fractional Operator to explain how fractional financial services, bookkeeping, networking, delegation, and numbers-based advising can help small businesses grow. Heather shares how she built her business from a bookkeeping firm into a broader advisory service, why she networks for resources instead of clients, and why business owners eventually need to “buy back” their time. 

Learn more about Heather and Starke Business Services at starkebusinessservices.com. 

0:00 Mike introduces The Fractional Operator and Hourglass SaaS

1:37 Heather explains how she started Starke Business Services

3:10 From bookkeeping to controller and advisory services

4:22 Why Heather prefers “numbers-based advising” to fractional CFO

6:30 Starting a business with a newborn during COVID

8:41 How Heather's Chamber experience shaped her business

10:25 Why networking can be more powerful than marketing

11:30 The simple networking strategy: just ask

14:40 How to stand out in a networking room

15:37 Why networking is about follow-up and relationships

20:02 The hardest transition: solopreneur to having staff

23:53 Why business owners need help buying back their time

25:30 The importance of mindset and positivity

31:11 Building an affordable “CFO in a box”

32:40 Why businesses should have a bookkeeper from the start

34:40 “Where did my money go?” Understanding cash flow

37:11 How to connect with Heather and Starke Business Services

38:01 Mike wraps up The Fractional Operator

Want to learn more about Hourglass? Visit our website, hourglasssaas.com, and connect with Michael on social media.

Facebook: facebook.com/michael.rgh.nelson 

Instagram: instagram.com/5tmichael 

Twitter/X: x.com/5tmichael 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelnelson2 

#FractionalCFO #SmallBusiness #BusinessGrowth #Bookkeeping #Entrepreneurship

Christopher Crowd, Founder and CTO of Severus AI, joins Michael Nelson to explore AI tools that can help fractional operators automate lead generation, customer communication, scheduling, email, prospect research, CRM workflows, and more. Christopher demonstrates AI agents that can act as virtual receptionists, qualify leads, book appointments, interact with customers, manage email, and connect with business systems. 

Learn more about Christopher Crowd and Severus AI at severusai.com. 

0:00 Welcome to The Fractional Operator

2:18 Christopher Crowd and Severus AI

4:31 Building AI-powered micro applications

5:00 The AI-powered website receptionist

6:28 Turning websites into virtual salespeople

10:17 AI tools every fractional operator should consider

11:23 AI lead qualification and prospect journeys

14:30 Live AI receptionist and appointment-booking demo

16:25 Connecting AI agents to CRMs and business systems

17:16 AI-powered e-commerce and instant customer service

19:45 AI voice cloning and personalized business voices

20:10 Building an AI chief of staff with Cassy

23:22 Using AI to manage 100+ emails a day

25:06 Creating emails, blogs, and presentations with AI

27:11 Can AI actually take action for you?

32:30 AI-powered prospect discovery and outreach

35:24 CRM, pipeline and business-card automation

38:40 AI phone agents and the seven-day trial

Want to learn more about Hourglass? Check out our website hourglasssaas.com or connect with Founder Michael Nelson on social media.

Facebook: facebook.com/michael.rgh.nelson

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelnelson2

Instagram: instagram.com/5tmichael 

Twitter/X: x.com/5tmichael

#FractionalOperator #AIForBusiness #AIAutomation #FractionalBusiness #SeverusAI

In this episode of The Fractional Operator, host Michael Nelson sits down with Sabrina Houser, Founder of Capital CFO+, to discuss her incredible journey from solo operator to managing a robust remote team of 40. Sabrina shares how adapting to client demands helped successfully expand her business from fractional financial services into comprehensive marketing and HR solutions. Discover how implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) transformed her company's accountability, leadership approach, and operational structure, and prepare your fractional business for future growth through AI and automation.

Connect with Sabrina and learn more about Capital CFO+ at capitalcfollc.com. 

0:00 Introduction & Transparency in Client Portals

2:15 The Evolution of Capital CFO to Capital CFO+

3:11 Expanding Services Based on Client Needs

5:54 Simplifying Services vs. Managing Complex Offerings

9:11 Implementing EOS and Building Team Accountability

11:45 Leading with Heart vs. Maintaining Performance Standards

13:28 Transitioning from Non-Profit Leader to Full-Time Entrepreneur

15:48 Navigating Covid-19 and the Rise of Fractional Services

17:58 Growing to 40 Employees Across Finance, HR, and Marketing

19:41 The Strategy Behind Hiring Before Capacity Overflow

22:29 Managing Recurring Accounting vs. Project-Based HR

25:05 Overcoming the Challenge of Letting Go and Trusting Experts

30:18 Key Growth Strategies: Referral Partnerships that Work

32:35 Using Core Values to Streamline Hiring and Firing

37:27 How Sabrina Handles Client Retention and Satisfaction

40:13 Tech Stack Essentials: CRMs, Dropbox, and Google Tools

42:31 Leveraging AI and Automation to Elevate Your Team

45:24 Where to Listen, Subscribe, and Connect

Want to learn more about Hourglass SaaS? 

Website: hourglasssaas.com 

Facebook: facebook.com/michael.rgh.nelson 

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LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelnelson2/ 

#FractionalOperator #BusinessScaling #EOS #CapitalCFO #AgencyGrowth

Timothy Judson, Principal and Fractional Client Success Leader at Client Success Advisor, joins Mike Nelson to explain how strategic client success improves retention, uncovers new revenue opportunities, and helps businesses scale sustainably. They discuss customer retention, onboarding, expansion strategies, fractional leadership, enterprise client success, and why understanding customer outcomes is the key to long-term growth. Learn why the fastest path to growth often comes from serving your existing customers better and how fractional operators can build more predictable businesses.

Connect with Timothy Judson and learn more about Client Success Advisor at clientsuccessadvisor.com.

00:00 Introduction & Hourglass SaaS

00:49 Meet Timothy Judson

02:02 What "Fractional" Really Means

02:53 What Is Client Success?

05:36 Signs Your Company Needs a Client Success Leader

07:58 Growing Revenue Through Existing Customers

08:29 Customer Success Beyond Retention

12:03 How Timothy Structures Fractional Engagements

15:10 The Client Onboarding Process

19:38 Working Yourself Out of a Job

21:14 Measuring Business Gaps & ROI

24:23 How Timothy Finds Clients

26:44 The Fractional Sales & Marketing Roller Coaster

31:55 Why Cold Calling Still Works

36:38 Trends Driving Fractional Leadership

42:14 Enterprise vs. Small Business Challenges

44:36 Timothy's Best Advice for Fractional Operators

47:40 Where AI Fits into Customer Success

50:07 Final Thoughts & Resources

Stay up to date with Blue Collar StartUp!

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#FractionalLeadership #CustomerSuccess #BusinessGrowth #ClientRetention #Entrepreneurship

What happens when an IT company stops fixing problems and starts preventing them? In this episode of The Fractional Operator, Mike Nelson sits down with Jared Humiston, Owner & President of ADKtechs, to discuss fractional CIO leadership, proactive IT strategy, scaling without chaos, cybersecurity, and why simplifying your business can create happier employees and better customers. Whether you're a fractional executive, MSP owner, or business leader looking to grow sustainably, this conversation is packed with practical lessons on leadership, operations, and long-term business strategy.

Learn more about ADKtechs and connect with Jared Humiston at adktechs.com. 

00:00 Introduction to The Fractional Operator & ADKtechs

00:58 Jared's background and 21 years building ADKtechs

03:06 How the IT industry evolved from reactive to proactive service

07:06 Finding the ideal customer and saying no to bad fits

11:16 What a Virtual CIO (vCIO) actually does

13:10 Using technology to improve efficiency instead of replacing people

15:04 Why ADKtechs eliminated tiered service packages

18:08 The difficult decision to simplify the business model

21:02 Shrinking from 300 customers to 56—and growing anyway

23:37 Helping clients understand proactive value before problems happen

25:10 Building stronger customer relationships through strategic meetings

27:19 Scaling without creating operational chaos

28:13 Standardization as the key to sustainable growth

30:26 Why onboarding only two new clients each month works

32:02 Fighting chaos through systems and consistency

34:17 Jared's biggest leadership lesson after 21 years in business

37:21 Final thoughts and where to learn more

Follow Michael Nelson and Learn More about Hourglass

Website: hourglasssaas.com 

Facebook: facebook.com/michael.rgh.nelson

Instagram: instagram.com/5tmichael 

Twitter/X: x.com/5tmichael

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelnelson2

#FractionalOperator #FractionalCIO #BusinessGrowth #CyberSecurity #Leadership

What does a fractional HR leader actually do, and when does a growing business need one? In this episode, Mike Nelson sits down with Katie Tansey, Chief Human Resource Officer and Founder of HR Resolved, to discuss employee alignment, HR systems, AI, compliance, company culture, and why great HR creates better businesses—not just better policies. They also explore the realities of running a lifestyle business versus scaling a company and how AI is changing, but not replacing, fractional expertise.

Learn more about Katie Tansey and HR Resolved at hrresolved.com.

00:00 Introduction to The Fractional Operator and Katie Tansey

00:40 Katie's endurance mindset and entrepreneurship

02:54 What HR Resolved does for growing businesses

06:24 Why Katie and Bill started HR Resolved

08:16 Growing the business through referrals and trust

10:11 How COVID transformed the HR industry

14:00 Becoming selective about ideal clients

15:31 Do fractional firms eventually work themselves out of a job?

19:08 What employee alignment actually means

20:26 Organizational design, job descriptions, and clarity

24:10 Defining alignment inside a company

27:15 Founder overwhelm and "vibration vs. rotation"

30:47 AI, HR technology, and the future of fractional services

35:00 Why AI increases the value of experienced fractional operators

39:45 HR Resolved's service offerings today

43:27 Lifestyle business vs. scaling a company

47:28 The emotional side of entrepreneurship and growth

52:27 Where to connect with Katie and HR Resolved

Visit Hourglass SaaS at hourglasssaas.com.

Connect with Mike Nelson

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Twitter/X: x.com/5tmichael

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelnelson2

#FractionalHR #HumanResources #SmallBusiness #Leadership #FractionalOperator

In Episode 5 of The Fractional Operator, Mike Nelson sits down with Christopher Ryan, Supreme Commander of SIX Marketing, to discuss growth strategy, sales, AI, and what fractional leaders get wrong when scaling their businesses. Chris shares how SIX Marketing evolved from traditional marketing into a growth-focused ecosystem built to solve business problems rather than treat symptoms. They also dive into AI distractions, sales training, hunting versus farming, and practical advice for new fractional operators trying to build sustainable businesses.

Learn more about SIX Marketing online at six.marketing and connect with Chris today on LinkedIn

00:00 Introduction and meeting Christopher Ryan

01:32 What SIX Marketing actually does

02:19 Building a fractional ecosystem for growth

03:31 Solving business problems instead of symptoms

05:04 The SaaS company case study and stopping churn

07:02 Why growth can create operational problems

09:34 Strategic growth versus chasing leads

10:20 AI and whether it replaces marketers

12:01 Human expertise versus AI outputs

14:44 Why SIX became a growth agency

16:19 Finding the real ideal customer profile

18:25 Revenue sharing and partnership mindset

22:24 Growth stages and knowing your strengths

24:16 The biggest challenge for new fractional operators

26:30 Learning sales and fixing weaknesses

30:20 Why content builds credibility, not leads

32:04 Hunting mindset versus farming mindset

35:44 Biggest mistakes new fractional operators make

39:28 Keeping up with AI without getting distracted

43:20 Why AI can become a business killer

47:25 How to connect with Christopher Ryan

49:00 Mike's closing thoughts and newsletter

Connect with Mike and learn more about Hourglass SaaS:

Website: hourglasssaas.com

Facebook: facebook.com/michael.rgh.nelson 

Instagram: instagram.com/5tmichael

Twitter/X: twitter.com/5tmichael

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelnelson2 

Featured “Viking Music” from Claude Houde on Pixabay.

In Episode 4 of The Fractional Operator, Mike Nelson sits down with Lisa Boucher, Professional Coach, Speaker, Mentor, Consultant, and Founder of The HR Ninja, to discuss what the first year of building a fractional HR business actually looks like. Lisa shares lessons on networking, finding the right clients, overcoming entrepreneurial challenges, creating loyal teams, and having the hard conversations that drive growth. Whether you're a fractional executive, consultant, agency owner, or small business leader, this episode delivers practical insights on leadership and sustainable business growth.

Learn more about Lisa and The HR Ninja at lisaboucher.com 

0:00 Welcome to The Fractional Operator

1:11 Meet Lisa Boucher and The HR Ninja

2:03 Why Lisa became a fractional HR leader

3:10 Flexibility, travel, and creating bigger impact

5:12 Hourly vs retainer models for fractional work

7:37 Why fractional work stays exciting

9:16 Starting a business without a rigid plan

10:35 Finding the right niche and target clients

13:28 Hard conversations and leadership lessons

15:15 Building loyal employees through better communication

18:42 First-year entrepreneurial challenges and mindset

24:02 Learning sales without feeling “salesy”

28:48 Networking strategies and building relationships

37:02 Time management, systems, and creating balance

46:13 What Lisa would tell herself one year ago

48:34 Final thoughts, gratitude, and closing remarks

Connect with Mike Nelson & Hourglass SaaS:

Hourglass SaaS: hourglasssaas.com 

Facebook: facebook.com/michael.rgh.nelson 

Instagram: instagram.com/5tmichael 

Twitter/X: x.com/5tmichael 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelnelson2 

#FractionalLeadership #FractionalHR #Entrepreneurship #SmallBusiness #TheFractionalOperator