Your Agency COO

I help agency founders scale sustainably without burning out. No more putting out fires 24/7 or drowning in Slack messages at midnight. I turn messy operations into smooth, scalable systems that keep projects on track, clients happy, and profits where they should be: in your pocket.

Founder & Agency Operations Strategist 

Flying Cat Marketing

As the Head of CAM and PM, my main responsibility was to lead a team that delivered exceptional service to all our clients and collaborated seamlessly with internal team members, creating raving fans and contributing to the growth and success of Flying Cat Marketing. 

Main Responsibilities and Achievements:

- Identified improvement areas across different company processes and collaborated closely with senior leadership to ensure operational excellence and the seamless coordination and execution of projects, resulting in a 100% completion rate on project deliverables.
- Led and mentored a team of ICs to translate objectives and strategies into efficient project plans through strategic planning, experimentation and performance tracking, leading to a consistent 100 score on client CSAT scores.
- Successfully set clear quarterly goals for the team using available data, aligning them with client and business objectives and coordinating progress reporting, leading to a 25% decrease in client churn.
- Proactively nurtured the team's professional development through training and coaching based on the latest industry trends to create a high-performing and customer-focused team, and consistently monitored resource allocation and processed, resulting in up 48% gains in time efficiency.
- Fostered ownership, collaboration and teamwork through strong leadership, communication and process documentation, which led to an improvement in ICs' satisfaction and successful completion of team objectives.

Head Of Client Account and Project Management

In this role, I was dedicated to delivering exceptional service that left a lasting positive impression on our clients, fostering their loyalty, and contributing to the growth and success of Flying Cat Marketing.

Main Responsibilities and Achievements:

- Provided end-to-end project and account management support across 12+ client portfolios by defining, implementing and tracking projects' OKRs, KPIs, roadmaps and workflows to effectively prioritize and execute deliverables.
- Collaborated with global teams to meet deadlines in a timely manner and provide a seamless experience through a deep understanding of clients' business objectives, prioritizing efforts and improving processes.
- Conducted quarterly risk assessments and monthly reviews to anticipate potential roadblocks, identify improvement opportunities and proactively find creative solutions through team collaboration, experimentation and performance metrics tracking.
- Cultivated strong, genuine connections with clients to build trust and foster long-term partnerships through excellent communication, influence and negotiation tactics and risk mitigation.
- Delivered high-quality and data-driven presentations and reports to senior stakeholders that showcased the value of our services, enhanced the client's experience and guaranteed continuous alignment on project objectives.

Client Account & Project Manager

ikus translations

As a Co-Owner and Translator at Ikus Translations, my personal professional goal was to uphold the boutique approach of our translation studio by delivering high-quality, accurate, and culturally nuanced translations that foster genuine connections between people and bridge language barriers.

Main Responsibilities and Achievements:

- Managed all aspects of business administration, led continuous improvement initiatives, and developed robust business strategies to enhance productivity, streamline workflows, and drive company growth and client satisfaction.
- Oversaw a team of translators, editors and designers across 20+ projects in parallel, coordinating tasks and delivery timelines, resulting in a 100% completion rate of deliverables on time in a fast-paced environment.

Co-Founder & COO

elantitour.com

At el antitour, I took pride in curating a travel-specialized website that captivates Spanish-speaking audiences with valuable insights on European and American destinations. My focus on SEO, content management, photography, and affiliate relations helped create a memorable travel experience for our readers while driving growth and success for the website.

Main Responsibilities and Achievements:

Writing & Editing: Craft compelling and informative blog articles on various travel destinations around the world. Edit and proofread content to ensure high-quality output.
Content Management: Manage the content creation process, including planning content calendars, coordinating with contributors, and ensuring timely publication.
Uploading Content onto CMS: Utilize content management systems to upload and publish articles, ensuring optimal presentation and formatting.
Photography Editing: Enhance visual content by editing and optimizing travel photographs for blog posts, social media, and other promotional materials.
Social Media Management: Oversee and manage social media accounts, curating content, engaging with the audience, and driving traffic to the site.
Monitoring Growth Metrics: Utilize SEO tools and analytics to monitor website traffic, user engagement, and performance metrics, making data-driven decisions for continuous improvement.

Co-Founder & Content Writer

Freelance

English to Spanish translation of scientific, technical, legal and financial texts. Localization. Editing/proofreading. Audio/video transcription and subtitling.

Main Skills Developed and Utilized:

Bilingual Proficiency: Demonstrate fluency in both English and Spanish, enabling accurate and natural translations.
Cultural Sensitivity: Possess a deep understanding of cultural nuances, ensuring translations resonate with the target audience.
Communication Skills: Effectively convey complex ideas and messages across languages, maintaining clarity and coherence.
Time Management: Efficiently manage multiple projects and deadlines, prioritizing tasks for timely delivery.
Customer-Centric Approach: Provide personalized and attentive service, catering to the unique needs and preferences of each client.

English - Spanish freelance translator, editor and proofreader

Oxford Policy Management

As a Project Officer at OPM, my personal professional goal was to excel in my role as a reliable and effective coordinator, providing top-notch support to stakeholders and contributing to the successful execution of projects. I actively collaborated with diverse teams, managing contracts, invoicing, and larger international projects with substantial budgets, aimed at driving positive change for low- and middle-income governments. 

Main Responsibilities and Achievements:

- Actively collaborated with diverse teams, managing contracts, invoicing, and large international projects with budgets up to £20M, contributing to the successful implementation of programs aimed at driving positive change for low-income governments in Africa and Asia.
- Acted as a central point of contact for stakeholders across different organizational levels for escalation of issues, monitoring program performance and facilitating collaboration among internal teams and external partners.
- Oversaw the entire contract lifecycle, ensuring compliance, and managing subcontract agreements.
- Ensured accurate and timely invoicing, and provided financial reporting and analysis for project stakeholders.
- Offered support, guidance, and training to team members to enhance their skills and performance.
- Actively contributed to larger-scale corporate initiatives and projects as needed.

Project Officer

As a Project Administrator at OPM, I monitored and supported project delivery while assisting external partners and team members. My responsibilities encompassed project planning, contract negotiation, implementation, and collaboration throughout the dissemination cycle. Additionally, I managed travel logistics, financial reporting, budget, and general project accounting.

Our team's mission was to ensure smooth and efficient project execution. We provided essential support to internal teams, ensuring projects met objectives and delivered impactful outcomes to beneficiaries.

Main Responsibilities and Achievements:

- Leveraged strong interpersonal skills to ensure smooth collaboration and effective communication between international teams, facilitating efficient operations across four different time zones.
- Developed and implemented project planning and financial reporting best practices in program management across 15+ projects with budgets up to £10M.
- Assisted in contract negotiations and ensured adherence to terms during project execution.
- Worked closely with teams during project dissemination, sharing findings and outcomes with stakeholders.
- Organized travel logistics for project-related events, workshops, and meetings.
- Handled project budgets, monitoring expenditures and producing accurate financial reports. Maintained records of project expenses, payments, and financial transactions.

Project Administrator

TRADUCIRE

As Project Manager at Traducire, I oversaw simultaneous translation projects, managed budgets and invoicing, and led translation/editing/DTP teams. I maintained daily client communication and closely monitored project progress to ensure quality, timely delivery, and cost efficiency.

By fostering a collaborative and results-oriented work environment, I ensured projects were delivered on time, within budget, and met the high-quality standards expected by our clients.

Main Tasks and Responsibilities:

Project Planning and Scheduling: Created detailed project plans, including timelines, resources, and milestones, to effectively manage simultaneous translation projects.
Budgeting and Invoicing: Managed project budgets, tracked expenses, and prepared accurate and timely invoices for clients.
Translation/Editing/DTP Team Management: Assembled and led teams of skilled translators, editors, and desktop publishing professionals to deliver high-quality results.
Client Relationship Management: Maintained regular communication with clients, addressing project queries, providing updates, and ensuring client satisfaction.
Project Progress Monitoring: Tracked project milestones, monitored quality control processes, and maintained a proactive approach to keep projects on track.

Main Skills Developed and Utilized:

Project Planning and Management: Demonstrated expertise in project planning, resource allocation, and efficient project execution.
Budget and Financial Management: Effectively managed project budgets, expenses, and invoicing.
Team Leadership: Led and motivated translation, editing, and DTP teams to achieve project objectives.
Client Communication: Maintained strong and effective communication with clients to understand their needs and deliver exceptional service.
Quality Control: Ensured project deliverables met high-quality standards, with attention to detail and accuracy.

Localization and Translation Project Manager

Independent teaching

Main responsibilities & skills:

Conducting personal and group English classes for elementary, intermediate, upper intermediate, and advanced levels.
Tailoring teaching methods and materials to suit individual student needs.
Fostering a supportive and engaging learning environment to enhance student progress and language development.

English Teacher

Instituto Anglo Francés

Main responsibilities & skills: 

Delivering personal and group English classes for upper intermediate and advanced levels.
Preparing students for international exams, such as TOEFL and First Certificate.

Estancia Benquerencia

Main responsibilities & skills: 

Providing consecutive interpretation services at international polo events.
Facilitating effective communication between participants, spectators, and officials.
Demonstrating language proficiency and cultural sensitivity to ensure seamless interpretation.

Interpreter

⚡️Empowering SaaS growth with a customer-centric mindset 🚀 Head of Account Management @FlyingCat😻 Passionate about fostering client success 🌟 Enthusiastic travel blogger 🗺️

Most agencies chase leads. The best ones build operations that do the selling for them.

13 years in, I've watched agencies either scale or implode. The ones that win realize boring operational work is actually their most surprising revenue driver.

When your operations work, your team makes cooler shit. 
Clients notice. They pay more, stick longer, and send their friends.

→ The agency founder trap:
⚠️ Scope creep devours your margins
⚠️ Your team makes the same mistakes over and over
⚠️ High churn kills your cash flow
⚠️ You're the bottleneck in everything

The fix is to build foundational systems that scale.

→ I help 6-figure agency founders turn operations into their biggest growth lever.

⚡My track record: $20M+ in projects managed | 100s of SOPs built | 40% faster onboarding | 48% capacity boost | 33% faster delivery | +$250K ARR in upsells and renewals | +100 NPS scores from +20 clients 

Results: Better margins. Happier teams. Clients who bring you new business. A holiday where you don't have to check your emails.

→ Ways we can work together:
🟡 Ops Audit: Deep dive + prioritized roadmap
🟡 10-Week Sprint: Build your operational foundation fast
🟡 PM Coaching: Train your junior PMs to run your agency like a pro
🟡 Fractional COO: I become your operations partner

You get: Weekly strategy + async support + actual implementation + 10-15 hours back per week + measurable revenue improvements.

⭐ Start here: Take the 5-min Agency Health Check and get your tailored roadmap: https://tally.so/r/wvqRRA

Ready to build operations that scale? Let's chat.

I love talking about all the times I’ve quit, panicked, and started from scratch.
Because that’s when the best stuff always happens.

Sometimes I quit with a plan. Other times, because I’d outgrown what I was doing. 
And sometimes... I just couldn’t stand another Monday.


At 23, I was a freelance translator.
Long nights, chain-smoking, bad posture.
I learned how to deal with managers, deadlines, and constant feedback.
What I’d do differently? Say “no” more often.


At 25, I became a project manager in a translation agency.
I jumped at the opportunity: it felt like organizing sh*t was what I was born to do.
Still long hours, still no boundaries, but it taught me how agencies *really* run BTS.
What I’d do differently? Take more holidays. 


At 26, I quit and took a year backpacking around Europe.
House sitting, hostel jobs, low budgets.
Learned the value of outreach and networking: shooting your shot matters.
What I’d do differently? Be more in the moment.


At 28, I moved to the UK to work as a project officer at a think tank.
First time in an office, cycling to work under the rain every day.
Learned how to manage massive budgets and work across cultures and time zones.
What I’d do differently? Network more & negotiate my salary better.


At 30, I quit again to spend 18 months driving from Canada to Panama.
Freelance writing, travel blogging, wi-fi hunting on remote beaches.
Learned that freedom also takes discipline.
What I’d do differently? Stress less about money.


At 32, I joined a remote marketing agency.
Big lessons on modern agency ops, project and client management.
Worked with awesome people and built my first remote team.
What I’d do differently? Share more of what I was learning in real time.


At 36, I quit again.
Took a six-month sabbatical to rest and reflect. 
And decided to build my own business, applying everything I know about operations to help remote agencies grow.

What I’m doing differently now:
 → Sharing what I’m learning as I go.
 → Not stressing that much about money.
 → Negotiating better.
 → Networking.
 → Enjoying the moment.
 → Taking holidays.
 → Saying no when I have to.


Every pivot was messy, scary, and full of doubt at the time.
But it also taught me something I couldn’t have learned if I’d stayed.

It's also showed me you never really start from zero. 
You can always apply everything you’ve learned in a new direction.
Every chapter compounds: you just have to give yourself permission to turn the page.

So if you’re in the middle of a pivot: be patient, you're not behind.
You’re just in the process of becoming your next best version.


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👋🏼 Hola, I’m Pilar, I help agencies get their sh*t together.

Follow me for scalable systems, productive teams, happy clients, and the revolutionary concept of *not working weekends.* 


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📸 Me in my travel blogger IG era, posing so naturally with a Lonely Planet in a spotless RV that *definitely* looked like that every day.

Pilar Suquilvide

Your Agency COO | I help agencies get their sh!t together |📍Buenos Aires & Barcelona

“I replaced my entire team with AI.”

…until I had to hire them back.


I think we’ve officially entered the AI hangover phase.

Everyone’s sold on the dream of replacing humans.


But no one’s talking about:

 • the nightmare of managing dozens of half-integrated AI tools that don’t actually talk to each other,

 • the security risk of giving an AI agent access to your company’s ENTIRE arsenal of sensitive systems: passwords, billing & bank access, HR data, client contracts, IP...

 • the complex automations that require a $500/hour consultant just to set up (and maintain).


I love using AI. But I honestly think the “replace everyone” narrative is pure fantasy.

I’ve yet to see an AI stack that replaces entire functions without sacrificing quality, security, or context.

The fact that many experts  (including OpenAI’s own CEO Sam Altman) are warning that we *might* be in an AI bubble (comparing parts of the hype now to dot-com levels) doesn’t exactly make me feel better about where this is heading??


Curious to hear: has anyone actually seen a team fully replaced by AI (without creating a bigger mess in the process)?

Do you think we’re in an AI bubble? What do you think comes next?



PS: Yes, both of these posts come from the same person. One month ago: selling their AI agent setup; this week: hiring a LinkedIn ghostwriter.

I have no idea… is it irony? Reality check? Or just LinkedIn content at its finest? What do you think? 


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👋🏼 Hola, I’m Pilar, I help agencies get their sh*t together.

Follow me for scalable systems, productive teams, happy clients, and the revolutionary concept of *not working weekends.*

Freedom without boundaries broke me.

At 17 I saw someone working from a laptop at a kitchen table.
Mind. Blown. 
That became my whole goal.

Fast forward another 17 years: 
I had the laptop. The location independence. The "dream."

I was also completely miserable.

Turns out "flexible schedule" was code for "never stop working."

I checked Slack at dinner. 
Answered emails on weekends. 
Never fully disconnected. So my brain didn't stop when the laptop closed.

Slowly, the thing that once symbolized freedom became a kind of jail. 
And I was exhausteddd: mentally, emotionally, physically.

Here's actually saved me:
⤷ Therapy showed me my worth was beyond my job.
⤷ My calendar helped me get it together.  
⤷ Response windows went in contracts. 
⤷ Limited call days per week. 
⤷ Hard stops on meetings. 
⤷ Slack off after 6pm.

Suddenly I could close the laptop without guilt. 
Go for a walk without checking my phone. 
Have dinner and actually BE there.

The whole point of ditching corporate was freedom. 
But I'd built a new office that never closed.

So spare me the pictures of your laptop on the beach.
Real freedom isn't working from anywhere. 
It's knowing when you're NOT working.

Systems gave me that back. Therapy helped A LOT. Boundaries made it real.
 
Truth is your clients will survive a 24-hour response time.
Your revenue won't tank because you're offline at night.
And the coolest part is you'll finally feel like a person again. 

What's the one boundary you need most?

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📸 Overlooking the pyramids of Teotihuacan, Mexico. Proof that sometimes I do close my laptop and touch grass (or, well, ancient stone).

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👋🏼 Hola, I’m Pilar, I help agencies get their sh*t together.

Follow me for scalable systems, productive teams, happy clients, and the revolutionary concept of *not working weekends.*

At this point, testing new PM tools feels a lot like dating:

...full of big promises and disappointing first dates.



But this week... I might’ve found the one???

Meet my latest crush 😍 



PS: If you want to see the full comparison, check the link in the comments! I’m tracking all 10 tools there :) 





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👋🏼 Hola, I’m Pilar, I help agencies get their sh*t together.

Follow me for scalable systems, productive teams, happy clients, and the revolutionary concept of *not working weekends.*

Hey you, happy Thursday! Here’s today’s friendly PSA: 

Your clients are hiring you. But you’re hiring them too.


Here’s the not-so-fun part about providing services: 

Sometimes you’ll sign a client who looks amazing on paper…

…and 6 weeks later, you realize you can’t actually do anything that matters because: 

→ Decision-making is all over the place
→ Approvals take forever
→ Recommendations get ignored

And yeah, revenue is nice, but if impact is zero… what’s even the pointttttt


I know, 'cause: yeah, been there, done that.

And I've learned that skipping the client qualifying step is a fast track to frustration and wasted hours.


Here's a few things I check upfront now:

→ Can we actually collaborate? Will the team give me time, access, data?
→ Who makes the calls? Who signs off, and how long does it usually take?
→ Where’s the red tape? Legal, C-level, cross-team hurdles, what slows progress?
→ Are they open to recommendations? Do they want “yes people,” or actual impact?
→ Who’s the internal champion? Who will push my work forward on the inside?


So if you're struggling with projects where you feel you have zero measurable impact, here are your immediate action steps:

1. Add these questions to your discovery calls.
2. Put them in your SOW to make sure they're commited.
3. If these things aren’t in place, sorry, but that's a red flag 🚩: walk away!


→ Bottom line: Don’t just take ANY client. Take the ones you can actually impact. Your time, your energy, and your work deserve that.


[Shout-out to Erin Balsa (link in comments) whose post inspired this one!] 






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👋🏼 Hola, I’m Pilar, I help agencies get their sh*t together.

Follow me for scalable systems, productive teams, happy clients, and the revolutionary concept of *not working weekends.*

So, I’m building my business in public. 

I'm sharing the wins, the fails, the numbers, the 'WTF am I doing' moments (and oh, boy, there are plenty of those), and the lessons learned along the way. 

This post is a recap of Quarter 3. 

So if: 

🌙 You’re building something solo and want to feel a little less solo 
🌙 You’re thinking about jumping from 9-5 to full-time entrepreneurship
🌙 You’re just here for a lil’ sneak peek behind the curtain

see it all broken down in the carousel below 👇



💛 Also, for my fellow solopreneurs: 

If you ever need a sounding board, someone to cheer you on, or just a little accountability buddy, I’m just a DM away (connecting with people on here has been one of my favorite parts of this journey so far!)



If you have any other questions, drop them below and I’d be glad to share! 

Thanks for being here. 💞 



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👋🏼 Hola, I’m Pilar, I help agencies get their sh*t together.

Follow me for scalable systems, productive teams, happy clients, and the revolutionary concept of *not working weekends.*

Q3 solopreneur recap!

Some people use decks to explain stuff.

I use memes and a whiteboard.


Turning rules into real work is where most teams get stuck.

In this one, I break down how SOPs come alive through workflows. And why documentation alone doesn’t move the needle.


What’s one thing in your day-to-day that would run smoother if it had a clear process behind it? 


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👋🏼 Hola, I’m Pilar, I help agencies get their sh*t together.

Follow me for scalable systems, productive teams, happy clients, and the revolutionary concept of *not working weekends.*

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