Nancy Fox -The Fractional Fox

ACG Los Angeles

I'm very pleased to be part of one of the largest professional networking organizations aimed at driving middle market growth. It is an outstanding organization of professionals aimed at investors, executives, lenders, advisors to support this mission.

ACG Member

Fractional Connections

Fractional Connections is the premier association for fractional executives, interim leaders, and outsourced c-suite talent who support SMB owners in scaling to 10M and beyond.
We help executives pivot into multi-six figure fractional leadership businesses with The Operating System: Launch, Grow, Scale For Fractional Execs.
We help growing and scaling SMB's with workforce planning strategies, guide them in finding and successfully onboarding ideal fractional leaders.

"𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬. 
𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬. 
 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐦𝐲 𝐕𝐈𝐏 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐍𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞: 
• 𝐈 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠, 
• 𝐈 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐬,
• 𝐈 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 – 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐭.
 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞!"

 -Eric Johnson, Fractional CRO/CMO, Business Turnaround Specialist

Vistage Worldwide, Inc.

Vistage TA Member

M&A Peer Forum

Founder of specialized team of interim and fractional executives helping Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies in building value, reducing risk, smooth integrations.

M&A Peer Forum Founder

Fractional Connections Community

Fractional Connections Community ™️ is the premier center supporting and connecting fractional executives in advancing their businesses.

The Business Fox

𝙄 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝-𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙭𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙢 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨, 𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝-𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙧 𝙎𝙈𝘽 𝙘𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨.
"Working with Nancy helped me regain the focus and confidence I needed to finally make a change. She helped me find my path to becoming a fractional CMO and provided valuable networking tips that helped me land a client straight away. She'll be your biggest supporter, but she's also a straight-shooter, willing to tackle tough conversations." Veronica Williams, FCMO, FCSO 

I am an association builder bringing the RIGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER, and advisor to SMBs on how to find, select, onboard and effectively work with top fractional talent, guiding them in ways to scale faster, more cost effectively, elevating their business value, and work less. 

I create training and professional development programs on LinkedIn For Fractional Leaders, How To Fill Your Fractional Pipeline With High Retainer Clients and serve as a Fractional Practice Group Builder in growing CPA and Law Firms.

* 𝗔𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗶𝘇 𝗗𝗲𝘃 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿, 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟲𝟬 𝗖𝗣𝗔 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 
   𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀, 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱.
* 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰 𝗝𝗢𝗕𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝟱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟲 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝟵𝟬 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀/ 
   𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀.
* 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀.
* 𝗧𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝘄𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲 & 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗔 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲.

President

Results:
* Coached hundreds of high-performing professionals pivoting careers out of traditional workplace/corporate American into entrepreneurship - starting and growing businesses to 6 figures and beyond. Guiding them to identifying their niche market, offer, and client attraction funnel.
* Coached financial professional in business development - tripled assets under management in under 2 years.
* Coached over 60 accounting professionals in national top 20 firm - senior to senior partners. 65% of up and coming professionals were promoted, many to Partner level.
* Designed and launched Women's Initiative in top professional service firm.
* Developed and implemented official goal-based mentoring program in top national firm.
* Coached introverted professionals in developing new levels of self confidence/biz dev skills, resulting in originations /new clients $100K first year revenues.
* Coached partners performing at average levels into niche/personal brand optimization generating over $200K
* Created renowned tip sheet: 55 Great Icebreaker Questions to Break the Ice, Build Relationships, Be Memorable at networking events  (http://www.thebusinessfox.com)

Strategic Advising - service entrepreneurs and professionals distinguish their practices from the competition, become go-to firms in their ideal niche markets/areas of specialization.
* Work with clients and firms to leverage online strategies to generate leads, close more ideal business.
* Service based businesses - financial services, franchises, bookkeeping, staffing, accounting firms, law firms 
* Guide all service-based businesses in niche prominence, strategic growth including branch and business unit expansion, business development, sales training,leadership, and generational talent professional development.

High Performance Business & Career Advancement/Transition Coach |Speaker | Author

Network Like A Fox: A Targeted Approach To Building Successful Business Relationships

Author of widely recognized book on targeted business networking - meeting and building productive relationships with ideal decision makers and referral sources.

Author

Guess Underwear

Vice President Of Merchandising

Wacoal

Headed up product development and marketing

Vice President of Design & Marketing

Vanity Fair Brands

Product Manager

Sales & marketing growth strategies for fractional execs ✅ Adding value, lowering risk for Private Equity/portfolio companies with fractional executive talent & culture integration solutions ✅ productize your services ✅

𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲
"Nancy helped me deliver on my goals, and more. She shared her ideas on how to diversify my income streams to build a more sustainable revenue model. Given where my fractional practice was at, Nancy’s guidance was both relevant and timely. This approach should enable me to both scale revenue beyond my current state, and free up time to continue working ‘on’ my business in the weeks and months ahead. I highly recommend Nancy as a Coach!"
Steve Wittal, CSL, C.Dir. Fractional Sales and Strategy Leader

𝐖𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬, consultants, and service business owners scale up to 30K/mo+ by productizing their services, diversifying their business offerings, support the M&A/PE market, and add greater value to their clients.  Proud Vistage TA member.
Book a complimentary Scale Up Success Call: https://calendly.com/nancyfoxfc/scale-up-success

Join our Fractional Connections Community: https://fractionals.ai/fccommunity
Get In Front Of Your Ideal Decision Makers without referrals: Direct Access EBook https://fractionals.ai/book

As founder of Fractional Connections, I lead a community of top-notch executives-turned-'fractionalpreneurs' - working on a partial time basis to help growing entrepreneurs become more successful. We support the meteoric rise of the White Collar Gig Economy - a win/win for business owners and executives seeking new and fulfilling career paths.

I became a fractional Chief Business Development Officer for premier professional services firms before deciding to help others make a rewarding, autonomous career shift.

Our networking events connect the top echelon of fractional leaders with SMB owners.
As the creator of numerous business development training and coaching programs, I guide fractional execs and firms in building multi-6 & 7 figure businesses through unique positioning, networking, and lead generation methods.

I've been a featured speaker at:
𝐋𝐨𝐲𝐨𝐥𝐚 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 - 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐠𝐨 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐦
𝐀𝐈𝐂𝐏𝐀
Entrepreneur's Organization
NYC - Dept. of Environmental Protection
𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥
𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐍𝐘
𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐏𝐀'𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐧, 𝐍𝐘
𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 
𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐖𝐂𝐀 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 
𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐂𝐏𝐀
𝐂𝐏𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚
𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐦 & 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐬
𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧 & 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬
𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐩𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 & 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐧
𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧

I don't have a crystal ball but in today's article, I share telling signals for what's in store for the #fractionalprofession and their clients and 11 recommendations for succeeding in the profession.

by Nancy Fox, The Fractional Fox Recently, I posted about two active searches for fractional CFOs within three different fractional communities. I rec

Open article:    Is There A Future For Fractional Leadership? by Nancy Fox -The Fractional Fox • 4 min read

Nancy Fox -The Fractional Fox on LinkedIn • 4 min read

Is There A Future For Fractional Leadership?

Practical new ways I'm using #AI and so can you, #fractionalexecutives, #consultants... 
 
The most common usage of ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini is the creation of content. Obviously, we can use these amazing LLM tools to help us write great content faster - which can be a huge #inboundleadgeneration benefit for service businesses. 
 
I've been using some new features of AI to help my clients, as well as expand my own business opportunities: 
 
✅Business plan creation and updating. 
✅Project development (Claude launched a new projects feature. 
✅Custom GPTs - now I have two - one public and one private. They can be monetized if leveraged the right way. 
✅Charts - GPTs can create the content or data of the chart and even format this for you.. 
✅Brainstorming - I've written about this before. The one advantage of GPT brainstorming is objectivity. The downside is the input you give it determines the quality of the output you get. 
✅Lead targeting criteria - AI can help you strengthen the targeting factors you use to identify ideal prospects. 
✅Decision making - by giving you objective pros and cons to a question or dilemma, GPTs lay it all out for you to help clear the smoke in your mind. 
 
How does this assist you and your value to clients? 
 
Think of all of these benefits and rather than look at them as helping you in your business, how can you help you add value in your advisory work with clients? 
 
It's a slight but powerful shift. 
 
Taking the first one - creating a business plan using AI in the right way can simplify, systematize, and clarify next steps, timetables, and accountabilities quickly. 
 
It can help you create unique, proprietary marketing tools for your clients. 
 
Think beyond content. 
The key is learning how to probe your favorite LLM's with questions/queries in deeper, more specific ways. 
 
We are at the tip of the iceberg of possibility. 
 
#VistageLosAngeles

No alternative text description for this image

It's #𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗔𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 and today we examine the importance of the "𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻"... 
 
When a #𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆 firm acquires a new company, the clock starts ticking on a crucial period known as the "𝟭𝟬𝟬-𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻."  
 
This intense phase sets the tone for the entire investment lifecycle and is critical for realizing the PE firm's vision for value creation. 
 
The 100-day plan typically begins even before the deal closes, with the PE firm conducting thorough due diligence and identifying key areas for improvement. Once the acquisition is complete, the plan kicks into high gear, focusing on several key objectives: 
 
𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: The PE firm evaluates the existing management team, particularly the CEO. They expect the chief executive to be aligned with their goals, capable of executing the new strategy and drive 𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲.  
 
They are also assessing the level of "CEO Domination,"  how much reliance and emotional influence the existing CEO has on the entire organization. 
 
This matters because if the CEO leaves, the PE firm needs to be ready with a successful CEO replacement to keep the wheels on the bus, the business and the plan moving forward. 
 
𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝘀: Implementing robust financial reporting systems is a top priority. PE firms expect real-time visibility into key performance indicators and cash flow.  
 
𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: This is often where we see the heavy reductions in force PE for which PE has a negative reputation. 
 
𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀: The plan outlines strategies for top-line growth, including entering new markets, launching new products, rebranding, or pursuing strategic acquisitions. 
 
𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗨𝗽𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴:  Key roles are identified and filled, often bringing in new executives with specific expertise needed for the turnaround or growth strategy. 
 
𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆: Process improvements and technology upgrades are implemented to boost productivity and scalability. 
 
𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Some PE firms work to instill a performance-driven culture aligned with their investment thesis. 
 
Throughout this period, the CEO is under intense scrutiny. He/she is expected to demonstrate strong leadership, adapt quickly to the PE firm's expectations, and show measurable progress on key initiatives. Regular communication and transparency are paramount. 
 
The 𝟭𝟬𝟬-𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 is what PE firms depend on to support successful investment / exit results. 
 
If the plan goes off track, this is when the PE firm starts to seek outside solutions - a new CEO, and other advisory experts. 
 
#VistageLosAngeles

The beauty of having a robust LinkedIn community that continues to follow and engage with your posts... 
 
...is the inspiration you gain from them!  
 
Not only do I learn from others as I read and interact with their thoughts and ideas, 
 
I get new angles and ideas to share in my posts.🎁 
 
Thank you community. 
 
And as I've shared before, each Saturday morning, I provide sales/marketing business building strategies for #fractionalexecutives, #consultants, and service business owners. 
 
(Today, as I wrote my article, I realized I may have the germ of a book idea. You can tell me what you think) 
 
If you'd like to join 1800 other professionals in reading my newsletter, I'll leave the link to sign up in the first comment box.

Our team helps PE portcos grow, drive value, lower risk | Positioning & Productized Services Specialist helping fractional execs & service biz owners generate incremental recurring revenue streams

#fractionalexecutives, #consultants, still unsure if it's worth your time to post on #LinkedIn to attract CEO decision makers?

Thank you to @𝗛/𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘆 who conducted a comprehensive analysis of the Fortune 100 CEOs social media
accounts (LinkedIn and Twitter) to better understand their content, channel management and
engagement strategies.

Clearly, 𝗖𝗘𝗢'𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗼: 
𝟭. 𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
𝟮. 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀.
𝟯. 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀.

With the 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙮, developing your LinkedIn presence is an effort well worth the time and money.

#VistageLosAngeles

CEO engagement on LinkedIn

In a world often clouded by negativity and division, I found myself yearning for inspiration, uplift, and encouragement. This reflection led me to rev

Open article: Being Extraordinary: Living A Life Beyond The "But" by Nancy Fox -The Fractional Fox • 2 min read

Nancy Fox -The Fractional Fox on LinkedIn • 2 min read

Being Extraordinary: Living A Life Beyond The "But"

It's #MergersandAcquisitions Monday and today we're discussing the "new" business buyer in town... #𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀. 
 
Recently, Kirk Michie wrote extensively about this new category of buyer which may start to give #Private Equity a run for it's money. 
 
My research revealed reasons for why this trend is emerging. Here are the distinctions of a search fund buyer from PE or VC investors. 
 
Search Funds: 
🟢Acquire and operate a single existing small to medium-sized business 
🟢Established businesses, often in traditional industries 
🟢𝙎𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨/𝙚𝙭𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 
🟢Deal size: Typically smaller ($5-30 million) 
🟢Targeting stable, cash-flowing businesses 
🟢𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁 5-7 years before exit 
🟢Usually 1-2 entrepreneurs (searchers) 
 
#PrivateEquity (PE): 
👉Acquire multiple companies, often in related industries 
👉Buys mature businesses, sometimes distressed assets 
👉Has limited direct operational involvement 
👉May use significant leverage 
👉 Plans for 2-5 years per investment 
👉Professional investors  
 
Venture Capital (VC): 
✅Invest in multiple high-growth potential startups 
✅Early-stage companies, often pre-revenue 
✅Limited involvement, strategic advice, networking with follow-on rounds 
✅Risk profile: Very high; expects many failures offset by few big wins 
✅Through exits (IPOs or acquisitions) of successful portfolio companies 
✅Timeline: 7-10 years fund life, expecting exits throughout 
✅Professional investors, often with entrepreneurial or technical backgrounds 
 
𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗼𝘄? 
 
Search funds are gaining traction due to: 
a) 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗠𝗕𝗔 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀. 
 
b) Aging business owners: 𝗯𝗮𝗯𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲, 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 
 
c) 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀. 
 
d) Some universities and business schools have started promoting and supporting search funds. 
 
Search funds are clearly trying to compete in a space traditionally dominated by private equity firms and strategic buyers.  
 
Investment bankers such as Kirk and other M&A advisors need to be reliable sources of insight helping sellers navigate the tricky waters of exiting successfully. 
 
It remains to be seen whether this trend is a fad or here to stay.

Are you worth it?... 
 
As a #consultant, #trainer, or #fractionalexecutive, your potential clients struggle with one question before signing off on that engagement letter: 
 
Will engaging this person pay off? 
 
In the competitive world of #consulting and #fractionalleadership, your ability to demonstrate 𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 is paramount. 
 
It's why they ask you for testimonials before moving forward and signing the agreement. 
 
Recommendations are often helpful but not always enough. 
 
Prospects want tangibles to help them cross the finish line to onboarding you. 
 
This is why when you work with clients make sure you: 
 
1. 𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗲𝘁 of each engagement. These could be revenue targets, cost savings, productivity improvements, or other key performance indicators.  
 
2. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data. 
But raw numbers aren't enough.  
 
3. You need to 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲. For instance, don't just report a 20% increase in sales. Contextualize it: "Our strategies resulted in a 20% sales increase while also increasing client retention rates by 42% and generating an additional $500,000 in revenue." 
 
4. Relate the cost of your services when 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗢𝗜. If your $50,000 consulting fee led to $250,000 in savings, that's a 400% return on investment – a powerful selling point for future clients. 
 
5. 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆. 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝘀, 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗰𝘀 can make your impact immediately clear and memorable.  
 
By mastering the art of measuring and communicating ROI, you'll not only justify your current contracts but also pave the way for future opportunities. 
 
#VistageLosAngeles

#Fractionalexecutives, which camp are you in?  
 
A. I just want to get enough clients to fill my plate and pipeline. 
 
B. I want to build a sustainable business that is scale-able.  
 
Most people that take the career path of going #fractional don't realize in order to have a 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, they need to do everything required to build a business. 
 
Going fractional doesn't just mean helping businesses by leveraging your decades of experience and expertise. 
 
It means that is the product/service offering. 
 
𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡  𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙪𝙥 𝙖𝙙𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙮, 𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙨. 
 
There is no free lunch even if you don't want to build an empire. 
 
I talk to many fractionals who tell me they just want to serve clients; they don't  want to market or sell their services. 
 
There are some firms who will try to get you clients but it is not a guarantee. 
 
𝟭. 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 
𝟮. 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲 
𝟯. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 
𝟰. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 
𝟱. 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀/𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀. 
 
I know there are a lot of things to learn and set up when you become a #fractionalpreneur. 
 
Once you do these things, you have now risen to the top of the heap, and written your own destiny. 
 
Build your marketing and sales skills and you will never have to fear writing a resume, applying for a job, or getting a pink slip ever again. 
 
#VistageLosAngeles

I have an unusual and unexpected 'connection' to Sara Blakely, famous founder of Spanx. 
 
You will read about why and how it relates to my business today in my Saturday morning newsletter article. 
 
Check it out. 
 
(fresh business tips and strategies for #fractionalexecutives and #servicebusinessowners each Saturday- link in first comment box). 
 
#VistageLosAngeles

I had a very unpleasant surprise this week. Check out how I had a breakthrough because of it.

Something unexpected happened to me this week, and it wasn't a happy surprise. Each month, I host a Virtual Speed Networking event for fractional exec

Open article: Think Fast!  by Nancy Fox -The Fractional Fox • 3 min read

Nancy Fox -The Fractional Fox on LinkedIn • 3 min read

Wishing all of my LinkedIn community a fantastic Fourth of July!

Greg Head

Today is going to be 𝗮𝗻 "𝘂𝗻𝘃𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵" 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁... 
 
The Pareto Principle: The 80/20 rule... 
 
This principle shows up almost everyday in the work I do with clients and colleagues. 
 
Having worked with many hundreds (probably thousands) of professionals, it has become crystal clear: 
 
𝟴𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹...  
 
in order to 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁 of ... 
🤕learning to do things they don't know how to do 
🤕risking "certainty" for uncertainty to gain  greater rewards 
🤕doing things that are very taxing and costly to gain new success and rewards 
 
The other 𝟮𝟬% 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲k𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆, 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳: 
 
Doing hard things✅ 
Trying things they don't know how to do even if it's very uncomfortable✅ 
Taking risks✅ 
Working on their attitude as much as their tactics✅ 
Stretching to the point of discomfort✅ 
Possibly looking silly or foolish, definitely not looking good✅ 
 
There's nothing wrong with being average, or saying that's what you want. 
 
Being average is just as fine as being extraordinary. 
However, choosing average is the root cause of why others achieve the results you say you want.  
 
Choosing average takes away the privilege of complaining if you don't get the results you say you want. 
 
Many people who are choosing average convince themselves they would go for being extraordinary but... 
 
There is no "but" in being extraordinary. 
 
I took a whole course in "Being Extraordinary." 
 
It was one of the hardest trainings I've ever gone through. 
 
It was the absolute best life lesson, and business lesson, I've ever received. 
 
I'm sure you can guess which camp I've chosen to play in.
I've continue to get the bruises, and sometimes the results, to prove it. 
 
#vistagelosangeles

Easiest #LinkedIn Marketing Tip Of The Week: 
 
Test this out. 
 
1. Find a LinkedIn "influencer" who has a great deal of followers in your market. 
 
2. Review their profile completely. 
 
3. Review their last 5 posts and some of the comments. 
 
4. Pick one of their most popular posts and make a thoughtful comment on it, repost it, making sure to tag the influencer. 
 
5. Do the same with one or two of the influencer's commenters. 
 
Potential benefits: 
 
You gain exponential visibility.✅ 
 
By supporting another LinkedIn marketer you have helped them while helping you.✅ 
 
You attract ideal new connections effortlessly.✅ 
 
You've posted with less effort.✅ 
 
You've mixed up your content and given your brand and content some variety.✅ 
 
#VistageLosAngeles

For  #MergersandAcquisitions Monday let's hear from #interimexecutives and other leaders including #fractionalexecutives what it is like to be part of of portfolio company (#PEbacked) team post acquisition.

While during the due diligence stage, leaders on both the Private Equity team and potential portco team work on integration and the #100dayplan, not everything goes as expected.

Don't see the biggest challenge on the poll list? Put your challenge in the comments!

What are the biggest challenges for portco leaders of PE firms after the deal has been finalized, the ink is dry on the term sheet?

You wouldn't think of advising your clients to #GoToMarket (GTM) without vetting their concepts, approach, market potential, would you?...  
 
Then why would you create your brand, service offerings and positioning  (website, LinkedIn, etc.) without market verification? 
 
I know it's easier and cheaper to do the usual - turn to colleagues and networking groups for feedback. 
 
In truth, this kind of advice is likely to cost you much more. 
 
You need objective ways to test out if your offers and direction will fly. 
 
#𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 followed by #pilottesting will yield objective feedback BEFORE you invest time and money on your offers/branding. 
 
What are Think Tanks and how do they differ from Masterminds? 
 
Think tanks provide a structured environment for idea evaluation, bringing together diverse and objective experts to thoughtfully analyze GTM strategies from multiple angles and provide specific action plans. 
 
Mastermind groups can provide feedback but it is often not from your target market. Also, because these are close relationships, the feedback may not be as objective as you need. 
 
Unlike informal feedback, think tanks offer systematic, unbiased assessments that can uncover potential pitfalls and opportunities often overlooked by those too close to the project.  
 
This objective analysis helps refine ideas before significant resources are invested. 
 
Moreover, think tanks and pilot testing can simulate various market conditions and consumer responses, providing a more comprehensive view of how a GTM strategy might perform in the real world.  
 
It can also reveal a potential product introduction flop prior to making major time and money investments.  
 
This approach not only minimizes risks but also maximizes the potential for market success, offering a significant advantage over relying solely on informal feedback channels. 
 
Wouldn't you like to know about a potential fail BEFORE a full out launch, giving you time to tweak and refine your way to a successful one? 
 
The challenge is to find and attract the participation of the right Think Tank participants and make sure that the structure and processes of the session uncover what is most needed for success. 
 
 #fractionalexecutives #consultants #servicebusiness

The landscape for #fractionalexecutives has changed dramatically over the last 2 years... 
 
What has emerged, to a great degree by what business owners are asking for, are two types of fractional execs: 
 
1️⃣Strategists 
2️⃣Implementers 
 
As a member of Vistage, I see cozens of requests for all categories of fractional execs. 
 
There is usually a flood of fractional hands going up to respond to the request. 
 
Very often, I see the business owners wanting a fractional executive who is both a strategist AND someone who will "roll up their sleeves" and take on the execution of that strategy, 
 
someone who will be boots on the ground and be a tactician as well as a strategist. 
 
This occurs especially when the company is small and doesn't t have a team or staff to whom the strategic fractional executive can delegate the tasks of the strategy. 
 
As a fractional executive, it's important to be prepared to discern the expectations of the client early, 
 
to openly discuss expectations. 
 
As a fractional executive, are you a strategist, an implementer, both? 
 
Will you take on a client if they need/expect you to be both a Strategist and an Implementer?

It's just 2 days away... 
 
The best fractional executive "power hour" designed to give you deep one-on-one connections with top caliber fractional colleagues. 
 
One of the most unique features of our networking is not only how productive it is but our discussion topics make relationship-building and learning so fast. 
 
Join us! 
 
(Link to sign up in the first comment box)

Taplio

Nancy Fox -The Fractional Fox's Linkedin Analytics