Origin Stories
How fractional leaders got started and what shaped them
The Conversation
9 leaders weigh in on origin stories
“I hit that breaking point in my corporate career where I knew something was going to break -- our family or me personally.”
“I hit that breaking point in my corporate career where I knew something was going to break. Our family or me personally. And I knew I had to step away from that position to save myself and my family.”
“My family means everything to me, if I'm going to be totally blunt.”
“The story from my childhood that shaped me today is that I grew up in South Africa -- apartheid South Africa.”
“I grew up in apartheid South Africa. So really having a strong empathy for humans is very much part of my DNA.”
“I believe the number one reason people aren't thriving is because they're not in an environment that supports them.”
“At 15, I was thrown in the garage with the truckers and the mechanics and was taught to work hard and get through some tough spots.”
“It's not only something I wanted to do, but an entire community I wanted to support.”
“Seeing my father step from a large corporate role was really inspiring. I kind of find myself following that same journey of entrepreneurship — where I was able to start, grow, and exit from a local HOA property management company.”
“One challenge I overcame is ADHD and a lack of attention to detail.”
“Being intentional about who you're connecting with and finding partners who share your passion — that's been key.”
“The Cincinnati business community is special. People here actually want to help each other succeed. That's not something you find everywhere.”
“The fractional model works because organizations get someone who's done this before — who's seen the patterns, made the mistakes, and knows what actually moves the needle.”
“That's when I knew I couldn't do this long-term.”
“I don't give advice from the outside looking in. I get in the trenches with you. That's the only way to really understand what's happening.”
More Conversations
Voices in This Thread
Brennan Sweeney
Founder, Sweeney Consulting | Now Senior Manager, Huron
Carter Varn
Fractional CIO, Advanced Caliber
Mary Kay Laird
Business Development Director, Supporting Strategies
Meredith Arlinghaus
Founder & CEO, EmpowerAP
Susannah Strydom
Fractional Creative & Brand Strategy, Stardom Consulting
Tim Waymire
Chief Development Officer, Tetelestai Capital
Tobias Brauer
Founder, SolvStat | Now VP Creative, Ansera
Todd Wilkowski
Fractional General Counsel, FBT Gibbons
Will Phillips
Fractional People & Operations, The Phillips Group