table of funtents

1. 👋🏼 it’s me, hi

2. 🥧 different ways to fractional

3. 💩 no bs good to knows

4. 🎁 feb’s personal corner

5. 👑 misfit wisdom nuggets

👋🏼 it’s me, hi

HI MISFITS!

Reporting loud and clear after a v quiet weekend in the Cotswolds 🥰

Despite living here for 12 years, this was my first time visiting and I swear - the UK has so much potential when the sun’s out.

before we dive into today’s episode, can you help a girl out? 🫶🏼

When I started the minority misfit, I mapped out 12 episodes based on your questions in the sign up survey / DMs.

After 16 weeks (12 full episodes / 4 minis), I want to keep the momentum going but can’t do it without your input.

• what burning questions are still left unanswered?

• what would you ask if we hopped on a call together or grabbed a coffee?

tldr: have a topic idea / question? email me!

This newsletter is for you, and I want to make sure it hits the right notes. ALL suggestions are welcome.

Tysm, misfits! Now let’s dive into today’s episode.

🥧 different ways to fractional

Equal parts beauty, equal parts ambiguity:

Fractional services come in all shapes and sizes.

The beauty is you can shape the service to work for both you and the client. The ambiguity is no two fractionals look the same, meaning your prospect may already have conflicting information about what fractionals offer.

Most fractionals have some things in common:

• we’re seasoned experts at something (e.g. have a playbook)

• we offer our experience on a part-time or temporary basis

• it’s a “done for you” service (e.g. not just advice)

(if you’d like to learn more about how I differentiated between keshty’s fractional and advisory offers, check out this past episode)

One common divide rests in our setup: what should our working arrangement with clients look like? What works and what doesn’t?

Today, I’ll share 3 different setups I experimented with when starting out. They are:

1. interim

2. dedicated day(s) a week

3. fluid day(s) a week

1. interim

In this setup, you temporarily work with one company exclusively.

Interim roles typically mimic a full-time arrangement, meaning you’ll work with them 4-5 days a week for a defined period (e.g. 6 months). More often than not, you’re also working in an existing, defined role rather than on a project.

Examples:

1. after a co-founder breakup, you play Acting COO until they find a new one

2. you lead an Ops function while the full-time leader is off on parental leave

3. you spend a quarter exclusively helping one organisation fundraise

2. dedicated day(s) a week

In this setup, you work a minimum of 1 day a week for a client.

The day / time stays the same every week.

Examples with Client A, assuming you work with them 1 day a week:

1. you’re dedicated to them every Tuesday for the full day

2. you split your day into 2 half days, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons

3. fluid day(s) a week

In this setup, you work a minimum of 1 day a week for a client.

How this time splits across the week is flexible - whatever will best get the job done.

Examples with Client B, assuming you work with them 1 day a week:

1. you work 2 hours a day Monday-Thursday; times can differ each day

2. some weeks you’ll work Tuesday all day, others you’ll split it up into half days

3. you work “on demand” based on client need; for example, many fCROs / fCFOs work less at the start of month, then stack hours at month / quarter end

💩 no bs good to knows

Now I bet you’re wondering: which setup is best?

I’m afraid there’s no right answer (classic); it really depends how you like to work.

Here’s my personal pro / con list for each setup:

interim

IMO, interim’s cons outweigh the pros.

For one role, I went through an entire scoping + interview process for an Interim COO spanning across the UK, US and Australia. This was a mega change transformation job with the expectation I’d travel / be available across 3 time zones. Their literal words were “for the right person, budget won’t be a blocker. They can name their price.”

When offered the job, I proposed a 6-month project fee commensurate with the role size (massive) and was told to quote a pro-rated salary instead. I pro-rated that salary to a US-based COO in California, because that’s both my origin and their HQ.

They tried to swindle a UK COO salary (significantly lower) pro-rated to 4 days a week because that’s where I’m currently based.

Needless to say, I’d have left money on the table (and been miserable across 3 time zones), so everything happens for a reason.

dedicated vs. fluid day(s)

Having a dedicated day continues to be the best way for me to set boundaries, and is how I intend to start all fractional engagements. But for my veteran clients where trust already exists, I now prefer fluidity.

I found one full day long, and even two half days in conflict with a startup’s pace. Things move quickly and not replying to Slacks / Emails for days wasn’t it.

I now work fluidly with one of my long-standing clients. We still have weekly 1:1s (these times stay the same), but I feel more on top of my work and involved with the team when I give a couple hours every day instead.

🎁 feb’s personal corner

📚 currently reading: Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez

I actually started this book last year, got angry every 5 pages and had to put it down in favour of 15 fiction books instead. It’s FULL of mind-blowing insights though, so I’m committed to finishing it this month!

🎧 listening to: The Weeknd’s new album, Hurry Up Tomorrow 

ICYMI, The Weeknd comes up as my top artist every year on Spotify Unwrapped. This is his final album in a trilogy following After Hours and Dawn FM, and rumoured to be his last with the stage name “The Weeknd.” After Hours is my fav of the three, but it’s still a gorgeous album + I’ll be playing it on repeat all Feb.

🏔️ top priority: getting my dang body back outside

This Cali girl seriously wasn’t built for strolls in freezing darkness / walking to the gym in hail. I wish I was one of those people who sustains motivation regardless of weather, but alas. With earlier sunrises and later sunsets, my non-work prio this month is hauling my ass outside for longer.

👑 misfit wisdom nuggets

✍🏼 The brilliant Kate Jacobs, seasoned coach, mentor and leader writes:

“I’d tell my younger self to get clear on what mattered most to me ASAP.

The world has never been more crowded with opinions about ways to live and work, inspirational quotes, top tips, influencers, self-proclaimed "guru's", leaders, friends and peers, the list goes on.

I have long been fascinated by the modern concept of choice, the American Dream that we can have it all, when in reality, we can't, and the impact this has on self-identity. Choice is fundamentally positive, but too much choice can lead to becoming paralysed, overwhelmed, and interestingly, never satisfied.

So how do we create our own dream?

First, you need to know what that is, and recognise that modern identity is fluid, it changes as our lives and priorities change. Whether chasing the career ladder or crafting your own business you won’t ever be lost for should do's and could do's.

Knowing what matters for you to live well whilst succeeding in your work is the one thing that will guide you through your life. What is absolutely non-negotiable? Where are you happy to be flexible? What will you compromise on, and importantly, how much? This clarity allows you to cut through the noise.

Check in often to know how decisions align with what matters most, take time to reflect on whether those key things have changed, your identity is not fixed, a long list of things will impact it over your lifetime. Get clear on it and reduce the cognitive overload of choices to the ones that matter to you.

And lastly, be kind to yourself when you try something and discover it doesn't work for you! Walk away with integrity and use that new wisdom to get even clearer on what matters.”

📣 HEY MISFIT! If you’d like to be featured in an upcoming issue, email me with your answer to this question and LinkedIn profile. Let’s learn together 🫶🏼

Thanks for joining episode 13, misfits, and don’t forget to email me with episode topics + ideas!

Before you go, let me know what you thought of this issue with the pulse check below! Good intent feedback is always welcome ⬇️

xo, Neds