Growing a business as a fractional leader is no easy feat, but figuring out how to scale presents even more, unique challenges.

At FRAK 2023, during a panel moderated by Stef Tschida, fractional pros who have scaled their practice shared their journeys. Kristin Nordling of Lakeside HR Group and Carol Fraser from C4 Talent talked about how their businesses have evolved and how they think about bringing on help. Carol initially leaned into coaching more than fractional, and says that focus has flipped over time, leading to her build a team of four. Kristin began with one intern and has since built a team of eight, adding head count when she feels stretched thin.

Fractional work gives you the option to create a business that suits your lifestyle, but you can also choose to grow the business beyond yourself. That choice influences how you manage the business, and Carol shared that she already has a successor on board. Kristin talked about the possibility of her son taking over her business some day. If he chooses another career option, building a team makes her business a sellable asset.

Making the shift from solo to team requires you to step back from working in the business and shift your focus to working on the business. Other fractional pros from the audience shared their experiences with scaling and how to switch from pitching your services to your firm’s services. All agreed on setting up client expectations and having a good strategy to guide your scaling journey.

The hour-long panel concluded with a discussion about identifying why you want to do this work. Why serve small businesses? Why build your own thing? Several audience members shared their whys and how it impacts their work as fractional executives. One attendee made an excellent point about how your why changes over time. He stated he’s always balancing between lifestyle, wealth, and purpose. Does this resonate with you? How has your why changed over time?