E7: Your Client Load and the Bell Curve Nobody Talks About - Tracey van Marcke

Tracey van Marcke didn't set out to build a fractional COO business. During COVID, her network kept asking "while you're looking, could you help with X?" After the third conversation, something clicked. Five years later, TvM Impact Consulting supports nonprofit CEOs and executive directors as their "right-hand executive" - an operational partner who's been on the other side of that desk and can carry some of the weight. **Key Takeaways** - Your client is always the person - the CEO or ED - not the nonprofit itself. Serve the human and the organisation follows. - A prospective client who bad-mouths a previous consultant is a clear red flag. If they'll say it about them, they'll say it about you. - Project work is a legitimate entry point into long-term retainer relationships. Use it strategically. - Three to four clients is a sustainable sweet spot - the right number depends on the type of work, not just hours. - The timing of fractional work always finds a way to work out. Build your pipeline and trust the process. **Guest Bio** Tracey van Marcke is the Founder and Principal of TvM Impact Consulting, LLC, a fractional COO practice serving nonprofit CEOs and EDs. A former nonprofit CEO herself, she's been doing this work for five years and was a 2023 NAWBO Richmond Women of Excellence Award Finalist. **Resources + Links** - TvM Impact Consulting - Nonprofit Fractionals Network - NFN OS Program **Connect with Tracey** Website | LinkedIn \--- Fracture is for nonprofit professionals who refuse to choose between doing good work and having a good life. Hosted by Cindy Wagman, founder of the Nonprofit Fractionals Network, it's real talk on building a fractional consulting business that actually pays - and still matters. Subscribe to Fracture | Join the OS