Derr Consulting

Most founders think standards slow their team down.

They don't. The absence of standards does.

I've walked into more than 20 businesses. The ones struggling with chaos, missed targets, and people in the wrong roles; they all had one thing in common. No one had defined what "good" actually looked like.

People can't rise to a standard that doesn't exist. They can only guess. And guessing at scale is expensive.

When I help a team build real operational structure with clear roles, defined expectations, accountability that actually sticks I hear the same pushback every time: "We don't want to box people in."

I get it. But here's what I know to be true:

"Standards do not limit excellence. Standards make excellence possible."

The right person in the right seat, with a clear standard to meet, that's where people do their best work. That's where your team stops guessing and starts winning.

You're not limiting anyone. You're giving them something to aim at.

So here's the question: does your team know what excellent looks like in their role or are they just hoping they get close?

How fragile is your business?

If the founder stepped away for two weeks, would everything keep moving, or would the wheels come off?

Founder fragility is one of the biggest growth barriers in business. Too many companies rely on one person for every decision, approval, and problem.

In this episode, we discuss the role of a strong second-in-command and how the right operational leadership brings structure, accountability, and stability to a growing business.

If your business depends on you for everything, this conversation is worth a listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5bNNcUpqMk

Want to ask someone who's actually done it?

Our AMA sessions keep getting better, so we're bringing in a special guest.

Join Larissa Banting and me for a live Guest Podcast AMA.

We'll cover:

• Getting your first clients
• Pricing your services
• Leaving full-time employment
• Building a pipeline
• Avoiding rookie mistakes

No slides. No sales pitch.

Just honest answers, real experiences, and practical lessons from the field.

📅 Tuesday, June 30
⏰ 4:00 PM CST

Comment ZOOM and send a DM with your email. Include AMA.

First 10 people get a seat.

Six months ago I recorded a podcast.

When the recording stopped, the host and I kept talking.

No agenda. No pitch. Just two people who were curious about what the other was building.

We talked about his business. He asked about mine. It was one of those conversations that feels easy because neither of us was trying to get anything out of it.

Then I forgot about it.

Six months later, a message shows up in my LinkedIn inbox. One of his contacts whom he had discussed my business. They wanted to talk about an engagement.

That conversation after the recording never would have happened if I had packed up and left when the host said "we are done."

That referral never would have happened if I had not showed up to record in the first place.

Podcast guesting is a long game. You do not always know where the return comes from. You rarely know when it is coming. But if you keep putting yourself out there, the seeds you plant start showing up in places you never expected.

Keep guesting. Keep talking after the recording stops. Keep being genuinely curious about the people you meet.

The opportunity is almost never where you are looking.

👋 Hi, I'm Forrest, the Fractionator. I Make YOUR Cell Phone Stop Ringing and YOUR Bank Account Start Singing
📌 Follow me for real stories on building better businesses.
📘 Grab a playbook at https://fractionatorplaybooks.com/
🎙 Follow the Fixers & Founders podcast to hear from fixers and founders.
👉 https://www.youtube.com/
🔔 Turn on notifications, so you don't miss a post.
🗣 Like, comment, and share if this resonates.

Someone challenged me to do something simple and uncomfortable at the same time.

Call a different mentor each month for 12 months. Someone who made a real difference in your life. Not email or text but a phone call, old school.

I made my first call last week.

I am not sure who it impacted more, them or me.

What I did not expect was how affirming it would be in both directions. They remembered things about me I had forgotten about myself. I remembered why that relationship mattered in the first place.

Gratitude is a two-way street when you actually say it out loud.

We spend a lot of time chasing the next thing. There is nothing wrong with that, but the people who poured into you when it mattered most are still out there.

They deserve more than a LinkedIn reaction on their birthday.

Think back to who helped you turn a corner? Who told you the truth when you needed it? Who believed in you before you believed in yourself?

Find one this month and pick up the phone.

Twelve months and twelve mentors. I would love to hear what happens when you do.

Thanks to Wes Coody for sharing this with me.

👋 Hi, I'm Forrest, the Fractionator. I Make YOUR Cell Phone Stop Ringing and YOUR Bank Account Start Singing
📌 Follow me for real stories on building better businesses.
📘 Grab a playbook at https://fractionatorplaybooks.com/
🎙 Follow the Fixers & Founders podcast to hear from fixers and founders.
👉 https://www.youtube.com/
🔔 Turn on notifications, so you don't miss a post.
🗣 Like, comment, and share if this resonates.

Most fractionals do not need more content. They need answers.

That is what group coaching is for.

We run it through Derr Consulting and the format is simple.

You bring whatever is in your way. Pricing, clients, scope creep, scaling, what to say in the sales call.

I answer it live.

If you are a fractional COO, CFO, CMO, or integrator and you want a room to think out loud in, this is it.

Next session is June 25 at 3pm Central.

No long-term commitment. Just come see what it is.

Grab a spot here: https://calendly.com/fkderr-derrconsulting/group-coaching-call

👋 Hi, I'm Forrest, the Fractionator. I Make YOUR Cell Phone Stop Ringing and YOUR Bank Account Start Singing
📌 Follow me for real stories on building better businesses.
📘 Grab a playbook at https://fractionatorplaybooks.com/
🎙 Follow the Fixers & Founders podcast to hear from fixers and founders.
👉 https://www.youtube.com/
🔔 Turn on notifications, so you don't miss a post.

Some engagements just hit different.

I wrapped up a 12-month fractional engagement this week with a client I am genuinely proud of.

When I came in, the leadership team was doing what most leadership teams do early on carrying more than they should, making decisions that should have belonged to the people below them, and running at a pace that was not sustainable.

Twelve months later, that same team is developing their people, delegating with confidence, and leading in a way that creates capacity instead of consuming it.

That is the work I love most: not the systems or the scorecards. The moment a leader stops being the ceiling and starts being the catalyst.

"Forrest has been a tremendous help in organizing our business management and bringing clarity to our operation. He has experience in all aspects of business, from operations to sales to finance, and he brings a lot of value and insight to the leadership team. Many people can talk about the theory, but Forrest has actually put it all into practice. He's also genuinely passionate about business and about helping organizations thrive. His calm, steady presence makes hard conversations easier and keeps things moving even when the day-to-day gets busy. If you're looking to level up your business with greater organization, clarity, and purpose, Forrest is your guy."

That one meant a lot. It has been an honor to serve them and I am excited to watch what comes next for you.

If you are a founder wondering whether this kind of work is possible in your organization, the answer is yes. Reach out. I am happy to talk through what it could look like.

👋 Hi, I'm Forrest, the Fractionator. I Make YOUR Cell Phone Stop Ringing and YOUR Bank Account Start Singing
📌 Follow me for real stories on building better businesses.
📘 Grab a playbook at https://fractionatorplaybooks.com/
🎙 Follow the Fixers & Founders podcast to hear from fixers and founders.
👉 https://www.youtube.com/
🔔 Turn on notifications, so you don't miss a post.
🗣 Like, comment, and share if this resonates.

Founders ask me all the time: how do I find someone I can actually trust at the fractional level?

Not a full-time hire. Not a consultant who disappears after a deck.

Someone who shows up, does the work, and knows what they are doing.

That is exactly what we built.

The Fractional Referral Network is a curated directory of fractional COOs, CFOs, CMOs, and more — connected to founders and EOS implementers through Derr Consulting.

You tell us what you need. We make the introduction.

If you are a founder or implementer looking for fractional support — comment below or fill out the intake form in the comments and we will match you from our database.

No cost to reach out. Let us find the right person.

👋 Hi, I'm Forrest, the Fractionator. I Make YOUR Cell Phone Stop Ringing and YOUR Bank Account Start Singing
📌 Follow me for real stories on building better businesses.
📘 Grab a playbook at https://fractionatorplaybooks.com/
🎙 Follow the Fixers & Founders podcast to hear from fixers and founders.
👉 https://www.youtube.com/
🔔 Turn on notifications, so you don't miss a post.

Something I get asked constantly: "Where do I even start if I want to work with you?"

So I built a real home base for The Fractionator.

Three doors. One operator behind all of them.

Door one is for founders who are running both jobs. Their job and the integrator job. That stops here. You can hire me, or I can put you in front of someone from my bench who I would stake my name on.

Door two is for operators. If you are already doing fractional integrator or COO work and you want to get in front of founders, the placement bench is how that happens. Not a directory. A short list.

Door three is for the operator I was when I started. The playbooks exist because that resource was not available when I needed it. Now it is.

The site goes live soon. I will drop the link when it is ready.

If any of those three doors sound like yours, drop a comment or send me a message. I will make sure you are the first to know when it opens.

👋 Hi, I'm Forrest, the Fractionator. I Make YOUR Cell Phone Stop Ringing and YOUR Bank Account Start Singing
📌 Follow me for real stories on building better businesses.
📘 Grab a playbook at https://fractionatorplaybooks.com/
🎙 Follow the Fixers & Founders podcast to hear from fixers and founders.
👉 https://www.youtube.com/
🔔 Turn on notifications, so you don't miss a post.
🗣 Like, comment, and share if this resonates.

I get this question on almost every AMA I do.

"How do you put out so much content? What is your system?"

Here is the honest answer and it is not complicated.

I have three content pillars and I repeat them over and over again.

Written stories. Things that actually happened — in my business, in a client's business, in a conversation at a coffee shop. If someone says "that's really neat," I write it down. That becomes a post.

Podcast guest appearances. I go on other people's shows. I share those clips. I let other people's audiences find me. I am not a podcast listener myself, but my prospects are and I had to go where my audience was, not where I was comfortable.

One-on-one interview video. Straight to camera with short, direct, one idea at a time.

That is it: three formats rotating consistently.

LinkedIn is my primary platform. Everything else including Facebook and TikTok is repurposed from what I already made. I do not create separately for each platform. I create once and distribute.

The breakthrough for me was not suddenly having more ideas. It was having a place to put them.

Before I had pillars, I was random. Once I had pillars, I had a system. And once I had a system, volume got easier.

If you are struggling with what to post start there. Pick three formats that fit how you actually communicate. Then just stay consistent inside those three.

👋 Hi, I'm Forrest, the Fractionator. I Make YOUR Cell Phone Stop Ringing and YOUR Bank Account Start Singing
📌 Follow me for real stories on building better businesses.
📘 Grab a playbook at https://fractionatorplaybooks.com/
🎙 Follow the Fixers & Founders podcast to hear from fixers and founders.
👉 https://www.youtube.com/
🔔 Turn on notifications, so you don't miss a post.
🗣 Like, comment, and share if this resonates.