Helping (Fractional) Consultants Escape Feast & Famine | Backed by Consulting Experience + a First Client Guarantee | Author of the original guide to Fractional Consulting

→ Are you stuck in a traditional role, trading time for money?
→ Frustrated that half of your workday doesn’t add value?
→ Worried about relying on a single source of income?
→ Wishing for more flexibility in your career?

You're not alone

Fractional Consulting is transforming career paths for people who want to break free from traditional constraints.

→ Get paid for the value you create, not the hours you work
→ Work with multiple clients, creating stability and reducing risk
→ Enjoy the freedom to work from anywhere, balancing work & life

Hi, I'm Dan, and I've been successfully running a Fractional Consulting business for over 10 years

Now, I’m helping others fast-track their journey with The Fractional Formula, a premium programme designed for those who want rapid, results-driven transformation

Here’s what The Fractional Formula offers

→ 7 weeks of live training in small groups, creating a powerful, focused learning environment
→ Unlimited 1-2-1 coaching sessions with me, tailored to your specific needs
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This programme has already helped hundreds of people create their dream careers

Many found success within 7 weeks, landing their first clients and joining my "7 Week Club"

If you’re ready to transition from day-rate contracting to managing a portfolio of high-value clients, I can help you do it in just 7 weeks → guaranteed

Let’s have a confidential chat to discuss your goals

Book a free 30-minute consultation, and let’s talk about your future

Message me here or email me directly to get started

Fractional is exploding in the UK.

And now the recruiters have arrived.

They've spotted the trend, slapped a new label on it, and started "placing" Fractionals into organisations.

Sounds great, right?
Not so fast.

What they're really selling is one narrow avatar of fractional work:
👉 part-time day-rate roles.

It looks familiar because it is familiar - it's just interim and contract in new clothes.

But here's the thing: fractional is bigger than that.

Much bigger.

There are at least three distinct avatars:
a) Embedded fractional role (yes, part-time day rate).
b) Outcome-based delivery (problem solving, execution, fixed price).
c) Advisory/retained partner (long-term strategic support, no execution).

And they're not exclusive. You can deliver different avatars to different clients - or even multiple to the same client.

Recruitment-led fractionals? They only deal in avatar (a). Because that's what fits their business model.

But don't confuse "being placed" with "building a business."

The danger is simple:
❌ you end up back in a time-for-money trap
❌ fragile income, one client at a time
❌ boxed in by someone else's definition

Fractional should be about leverage, control, and resilience.
Not just finding yourself a part-time job with a fancier title.

So yes - celebrate the attention.
But don't outsource the definition of fractional.
Own it. Shape it. Build it on your terms.

Dan Gwalter

𝗜𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂?
→  A business leader focussed on growth
→  You're known for what you do, and do it well
→  Your reputation was built the hard way

Scalability is what you need but

→  Aligning projects with your big goals feels like a shot in the dark
→  Making your operations smoother feels impossible
→  Projects are failing to achieve desired outcomes
→  Digital upgrades seem endless and risky
→  You just don't have the bandwidth

You need someone who can tackle these problems head on

Hi, I'm Dan!

With over 25 years in technology leadership, I simplify complex tech landscapes into clear, actionable strategies.

Here’s what I do:

𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵
💡 I guide organisations to scale effectively, turning tech investments into business growth.
🔦 My approach cuts through noise, aligning tech with strategic business needs for maximum ROI.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆
💡 I bring order to project chaos, ensuring each step aligns with your vision.
🔦 Focus is key. I ensure that your priorities and not tech agendas drive projects.

𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲
💡 I refine operations for COOs, instilling agility and productivity across the board.
🔦 Change doesn’t have to be painful. I streamline processes for better outcomes with less hassle.

𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
💡 I turn digital ambitions into reality, ensuring tech initiatives propel your business forward.
🔦 It’s about making digital work for you and aligning tech with your business goals for success.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗲?
• 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀: I bring 25 years of experience and am ready to tackle your challenges.
• 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻: I focus on what works: reducing costs, enhancing processes, and unlocking revenue.
• 𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵: I offer a partnership that transforms your business for the better based on real-world success.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲
Don't need a full-time resource right now? That's great. I offer Fractional Technology Leadership.
Use what you need, pay for what you use, win strategically and commercially

𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗜𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻

Don’t let tech challenges hold you back 

Are you ready for straightforward solutions and tangible results? 

Connect with me. Book a 30-minute chat, and let’s start the conversation.

𝗵𝘁𝘁𝗽𝘀://𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆.𝗰𝗼𝗺/𝗻𝗼-𝗻𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲-𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽/𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸-𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹

Helping Fractional Consultants Escape Feast & Famine | Backed by Consulting Experience + a First Client Guarantee | Author of the original guide to Fractional Consulting

I am not part of this wave

Read that again

Over the last 12 months, the consulting space has filled up with volume coaches
High churn
High pressure
Low accountability

Stack them high
Run them hard
Move on quietly

I am not doing that

If your model only works when people feel desperate
If success depends on urgency, hype, or borrowed confidence
If clients are treated like throughput, not operators

That is not coaching
It is extraction

I work with fewer people on purpose
I stay involved on purpose
I design systems that hold up when motivation disappears

If something cannot survive scrutiny, repetition, and real operating pressure
It is not a method
It is theatre

This year I am not competing on noise
I am competing on standards

If that limits the audience
Good

The people this is for will recognise themselves

Talks about #growth, #startup, #mentoring, #leadership, and #technology

After years of coaching fractional consultants, one truth stands out

The difference is not intelligence  
Or experience  
Or effort  

It is whether the business runs without them pushing it  

Most people are the engine  
Memory  
Energy  
Improvisation  

That works  
Until it doesn’t  

The top fractional operators build businesses that carry weight  
Visibility continues  
Conversations repeat  
Delivery does not kill momentum  

This is not marketing  
It is an operating discipline  

Freedom in fractional work does not come from flexibility  
It comes from control  

If you step back for thirty days  
What still works without you

Every successful fractional consultant goes through a luck phase

The dangerous ones stay there

Early clients arrive easily  
Former colleagues  
Warm intros  

It feels earned  
It feels deserved  

Then one quarter slows  

More content  
More effort  
More noise  

No improvement  

Here is the lesson only repetition teaches

Luck builds confidence  
Confidence delays structure  

By the time luck fades  
The business has no spine  

This is why panic looks like activity  
And activity does not fix fragility  

The strongest operators replace coincidence early  
Before they are forced to  

If your pipeline only works when people remember you  
You do not have one yet

📢 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗽𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲?

January is when broken systems get exposed

Read that again

The calendar flips
The inbox fills
And whatever you were hoping would quietly disappear
shows up anyway

Same pressure
Same uncertainty
Same lack of control

People tell themselves:
“I just need to get back into the swing of things”
“It’s early, I’ll sort this properly later”
“Once this month settles, I’ll think clearly”

That thinking is the problem

January doesn’t create chaos
It reveals it

If last year relied on luck, referrals, or bursts of effort
January makes that obvious very fast

Because when work restarts
Structure either holds
Or it doesn’t

Most people are not unlucky
They are just repeating an operating model that never gave them control

And they can feel it now
Even if they don’t want to name it yet

So here’s the uncomfortable question

What followed you into January
that you promised yourself would not come with you this time?

If you are honest, you are not independent

You are just dependent on different people

Agencies
Recruiters
Platforms
Referrals that vanish without warning

You do the work
They control the access
They define the value

Somehow this has been sold as freedom

Most consultants are not failing
They are quietly angry

Angry at giving up control
Angry at being treated like capacity
Angry at needing permission to earn

That anger is not the issue
Ignoring it is

Because control is not created by working harder
It is created by owning demand

If you want help thinking that through properly, I am offering a 30 minute call
No pitch
No funnel
No pressure

You bring the situation
I will help you see exactly where the dependency sits

If that is useful, the link is here
https://lnkd.in/eF-mYH37

Being busy is the easiest way to avoid deciding

Especially in January

The inbox fills up
Projects restart
People start “getting organised”

So they:
Tweak their profile
Tidy their website
Post a little more
Make notes about what they should fix

It looks productive
It feels responsible

It isn’t

Busy work creates movement
Not momentum

Most January activity is a substitute for a harder question:
“What actually needs to change for this year to be different?”

Because deciding means:
Choosing what to stop
Choosing what matters
Choosing what you will no longer tolerate drifting

That is uncomfortable
So people stay busy instead

By February they will say:
“Things just got away from me”
“I need a bit more time”
“I’ll revisit this once it calms down”

It never does

The gap between busy and effective shows up early in the year
You can feel it already if you are honest

So here’s the real test

Which of your January actions are helping you avoid a decision
rather than forcing you to make one?

If your business stops when you get busy, you do not own a business

You own a job with a nicer title

Most consultants feel “tired” and misdiagnose it
They think they need rest
Or motivation
Or a break

They do not

What they are feeling is structural strain

Delivery depends on memory
Sales depend on energy
Visibility depends on spare time

Nothing runs unless you are present

That works right up until it doesn’t
And when it breaks, it breaks quietly
Missed opportunities
Delayed decisions
A constant sense of being behind

This is not burnout
It is being the bottleneck

If that pattern feels familiar, I am offering a 30 minute conversation
No pitch
No fixing everything
No pretending this is easy

You will leave with at least three insights you can act on immediately
And a clearer view of what needs to stop depending on you

If that is useful, book here
https://lnkd.in/eF-mYH37

Hope feels reasonable right up until pressure arrives

Most consulting businesses run on it

Hope that 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘀 continue
Hope that 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 evens out
Hope that 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 once things settle

It works
𝗨𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁

Hope is not reckless
It is just unproven

It hides in sensible places:
→ “I’ve always landed on my feet”
→ “I’m experienced, I’ll figure it out”
→ “This has worked before”

The problem is simple

If you cannot explain why work arrives
↳ You cannot repeat it
↳ And you cannot rely on it

That is not pessimism
𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀

Control does not mean certainty
↳ It means knowing what creates demand
↳ Knowing what sustains momentum
↳ Knowing what breaks when pressure hits

Most people say they want growth
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘂𝗻𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

January makes this distinction obvious
Because hope gets louder
And systems either show up
Or stay missing

So here’s the uncomfortable line to sit with

If nothing changed structurally this year
What are you hoping will change anyway?

Nobody tells you what actually cracks when you go independent

It is not the workload
It is not the income
It is not even the risk

It is the moment you realise there is no structure holding you up anymore

No title doing the talking
No organisation lending credibility
No one quietly telling you that you are “doing fine”

At some point the question appears
Usually late
Usually alone

Was I actually good
Or was the role carrying me

Most people try to outrun that moment
More posting
More activity
More noise

It does not work

Clarity does not arrive through effort
It arrives through honest examination

If you are in that headspace, I am offering a 30 minute conversation
No pitch
No programme
No performance

You will leave with at least three insights you can act on immediately
And a clearer understanding of what actually needs fixing

If that would help, the link is here
https://lnkd.in/eF-mYH37

The fractional market is not slow

It is unforgiving

After thousands of conversations, this is what I see

The market no longer rewards competence  
It rewards clarity  

Plenty of capable people are struggling  
Plenty of average ones are fully booked  

Not because the market is broken  
Because it is selective  

When buyers have options  
They do not explore  
They choose  

If you are vague  
You are invisible  

This is the lesson most people miss

Strong markets hide weak positioning  
Tight markets expose it  

Fractional work did not get harder  
It got cleaner  

If demand feels inconsistent  
The question is not “where did it go”  

The question is “why should it choose you”

📢 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 - "𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂"

Posting into silence messes with your head

Not because of ego
But because silence creates doubt

Is this landing
Is anyone paying attention
Am I wasting my time

Most people assume this is a content problem
It rarely is

It is usually a positioning problem

If the signal is unclear, the response will be weak
Polite likes are not traction
They are confusion

More effort does not fix that
Clearer framing does

If you are frustrated with visibility that goes nowhere, I can help you think it through properly

I am offering a 30 minute conversation
No pitch
No optimisation theatre
No algorithm myths

Just a clear look at why attention is not turning into conversations

If you want that clarity, the link is here
https://lnkd.in/eF-mYH37

I’ve been creating content for years.

But not for the reason you think.

It wasn’t to go viral.
It wasn’t to build a personal brand.
It wasn’t to “grow an audience”.
It wasn’t to get clients fast.

It was to still be here years later.

Every year I see the same cycle with consultants using content to get from client 0 to 1.

They arrive loud.
Five posts a week.
Big promises.
Hot takes.
Momentum.

Three months later:
Silence.
Lower quality.
Long gaps.
Quiet exits.

Most don’t even make it to year one.

Here’s the part no one tells you.

Year one rarely works.
Year two people recognise your name.
Year three they trust you.
Year four you become the default answer to a problem.

Content doesn’t create clients.
It creates memory.
Trust.
Pattern recognition.

If your business needs content to “work” in 90 days, you’re already in trouble.

Because sustainable consulting isn’t built on intensity.
It’s built on rhythm.

Fewer posts.
Clear ideas.
Same problems.
Same audience.
Over and over.

If you’re using content to escape short-term pressure, you’ll burn out.
If you’re using it to build long-term leverage, it compounds quietly.

If you want to build a consulting business that still exists in three years,
let me help you design it properly.

Not louder.
Not faster.
But sustainable.

Start with a conversation.

January always looks the same.

Energy is high  
Intentions are good  
Activity increases  

Very little actually changes

Not because people are lazy  
Because enthusiasm without a model does not compound

That is why I don't run January cohorts

January attracts people looking for a reset  
Motivation-driven decisions  
Hope that effort alone will create momentum  

February attracts different behaviour

People who have watched January play out  
People who can see that being busy is not the same as building pipeline  
People are ready to own their business instead of trying harder inside a fragile setup  

That is who I work with

The next Fractional Formula cohort starts in February for a reason  
Not because it sounds neat  
Because it works

January is about intent  
February is about ownership  

If that distinction matters to you, you already know why

Most people will decide nothing this quarter

They will think about it
Make notes
Have a few honest moments
Then get pulled back into delivery

It feels sensible
It feels responsible

It is also how another year slips past unchanged

Because delay has a cost
Even when nothing looks wrong yet

The cost shows up later as:
→ Panic gaps between clients
→ Scrambling when a project ends
→ Over-reliance on referrals
→ That quiet sense of “this shouldn’t feel this fragile by now”

None of that appears suddenly
It is the compound effect of not deciding earlier

January is uncomfortable for a reason
It creates a brief moment where you can see the pattern clearly
Before momentum and noise return

Most people will wait until pressure forces a change
A few will act before that point

Not because they are braver
But because they are tired of repeating the same cycle

So here is the line that matters going into the weekend

Are you planning to let the next few months happen to you
Or are you willing to interrupt the pattern while you still can?

The most stressful part of consulting is not being busy

It is not knowing if busy will continue

When work is coming in, everything feels stable
When it slows, every decision feels urgent

You start second guessing
Tweaking
Posting
Consuming advice you never install

It feels like progress
It is not

Anxiety thrives where predictability is missing

This is not a confidence problem
It is not a motivation problem
It is a system problem

If your income still relies on hope, timing, or goodwill, that tension will not go away on its own

I am offering a 30 minute conversation to work through this
No pitch
No selling
No shortcuts

You will leave with at least three practical insights you can apply immediately
And a clearer sense of what would actually calm your pipeline

If that would help, book here
https://lnkd.in/eF-mYH37

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