“I need a grown-up brain to partner with — not another junior executor.”
That’s what a founder said to me on our first call.
He had smart people, decent growth, and a clear vision – but the team was just… stuck.
Everyone was CONSTANTLY busy – hustling, reacting, getting stuff done – yet progress felt slow, and everyone felt overwhelmed.
So he kept hiring more hands. But what we discovered on our call was what he really needed… was another HEAD.
After 12+ years helping founders get ‘unstuck’ and fill the gaps in their business, I’ve found that no matter HOW good your people are – your smartest team members still need outside strategy.
We all get stuck in the weeds when we’re “in it” every day.
People get buried in projects, assumptions, and legacy decisions. They can’t see the forest for the funnel.
I see this gap over and over again – stuck between vision and execution. Bogged down by too much stuff that’s not the RIGHT stuff. .
When I started working with this client, we didn’t touch their marketing first. We fixed their thinking problem.
We mapped what success actually looked like across marketing, ops, and delivery as a whole.
We defined measurable outcomes – not just outputs.
Then we built systems and accountability around that clarity.
Within 60 days, projects that had been circling for months started crossing the finish line.
The same team, the same tools – just WAY more execution because they finally had a strategic filter.
We didn’t need more people. We needed a grown-up brain in the room that wasn’t stuck in the mucky day-to-day.
That’s the power of bringing in a consultant instead of another contractor or adding to your team.
Contractors do tasks. Consultants shift trajectories.
If you’re a founder with great people who aren’t moving fast enough – it’s probably not their fault.
They may need someone outside the noise who can see what’s missing, connect the dots, and make execution inevitable.
So the next time you think you need another pair of hands, ask yourself:
Do you really need help doing more?
Or do you need help thinking better?
Rachel
If you need help getting above the trees so you can see the big picture, and you’re tired of vague advice from consultants who talk a big game, but rarely perform… I’d love to fix that for you.
I work with growth-stage founders as a fractional integrator or strategic advisor to fix messy ops, underperforming teams, and stalled revenue.
Want a second ‘grown-up’ brain on your business?