frequently asked questions
What is a coo?
1
“COO” stands for Chief Operating Officer. This role is responsible for keeping an organization running. They translate aspirations into execution. They orchestrate the operational complexity that often bogs down a leader. In a large organization it's a full-time senior role. In a smaller one it's often a gap nobody has formally filled, which is where things quietly go wrong.
Fractional? What is that?
2
Part time. A fractional COO gives you senior operational leadership on a part-time basis, typically a defined number of days or hours per month at a monthly retainer rate. You get real strategic and operational support without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire. It is one of the most efficient ways a growing small business or nonprofit can access the kind of leadership that used to be available only to large organizations.
What sets you apart?
3
A few things…
While many consultants draft a document and disappear, I like to stay in the room for the hard parts: the implementation, the follow-through, the quarterly check-ins that keep things from sliding back.
I bring a breadth of experience that’s rarely combined into a single nice person: attorney, former Wall Street SVP, elected official, and nonprofit board leader.
I have been told I am fun to work with, which apparently is not a given.
Will you be my lawyer?
4
No. I am an attorney, and that background informs everything I do, but Clearwater Shift provides business consulting and fractional COO services, not legal advice. Engaging me does not create an attorney-client relationship. If something we uncover needs legal counsel, I will tell you and introduce you to someone.
How much does this cost?
5
Engagements are scoped individually based on complexity and time commitment. The free discovery call is where we figure out what makes sense for your situation and what it would cost. Then I provide you a detailed proposal and engagement agreement that shows you precise costs, deliverables, and timelines.
If you need something, and you’re not sure what? Then probably. If you know you need efficient, direct help with the scaffolding of your day-to-day? Then definitely. The clients I work best with are passionate, talented people who are ready to stop letting the operational side drain energy from the work they love. If you are not sure, the discovery call costs nothing and takes thirty minutes. Worst case, you leave with a clearer picture of what you need, even if it is not me.