The Breaking Point
A boutique 3M marketing agency in Austin was drowning in its own success. The husband and wife founding team had built something beautiful, his podcast and Instagram following generated a steady stream of clients, while she kept the creative fires burning and clients happy. But three years of nonstop hustle had pushed them to the edge.
Their challenges weren't unique to them, they reflected a pattern we see across professional service firms: the ability to sell without the ability to properly execute with confidence on the work. Quality was slipping and trust was eroding with clients. Revenue had flatlined despite working longer hours than ever. They couldn't even fully disconnect during their own wedding. The founders were trapped in their own business, and their team could feel it. They had left their 9-5 for freedom but instead found themselves working 24/7.
Where We Started
Our Fractional COO was engaged for 2-days per week. We began with what we call a value chain analysis, following one client's complete journey from first phone call to final payment. Every handoff, every bottleneck, every moment where value leaked out got tagged as an Opportunity for Improvement.
When we sorted these OFIs into our four core categories, People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash, the picture became clear. The biggest problems weren't mysterious. They were hiding in plain sight: broken handoffs between sales and account management, unclear project ownership, and no systematic way to track deliverables or deadlines. Next came role clarity using our GWC framework.
We developed an accountability list for each role and asked three simple questions: Does this person Get the job? Do they Want it? Do they have the Capacity to excel at it? The gaps were pretty obvious, no real account leadership and zero daily project control meant client work bounced between team members with no clear ownership.
Bumps in The Road
Change is never comfortable. Some longtime team members pushed back hard, and the agency lacked people with the right skills for newly defined roles. Culture and capacity had to evolve together, or nothing would stick.
Building the New Rhythm
Right people, right seats. We moved team members into roles that matched their natural strengths and interests. We outlined specific accountabilities for each person, along with measures for success so that they knew what a win looked like. Those who couldn't make the transition or didn’t align with the company’s core values chose to leave, and that was okay.
Smart capacity building. Through our ecosystem of partners, we brought in seasoned account managers and admin support from South America. Same time zone, fresh energy, lower cost.
Seamless account and project handoffs. We redesigned the client journey from sale to delivery. Each account now had a dedicated manager who owned the relationship from onboarding through project completion. Clear handoff protocols eliminated the confusion that left clients wondering who was actually running their project. Improved status reporting ensure full visibility for the client.
One source of truth. Asana became mission control, every task, owner, and deadline visible ona single dashboard that everyone actually used. We even used Asan to develop internal how-to / process documentation to support execution consistency and quality delivery.
Disciplined meeting rhythm. Daily standups kept projects moving. Weekly pipeline reviews caught potential bottlenecks early. Leadership huddles maintained strategic focus and alignment. A cleaned-up CRM delivered real time pipeline visibility.
Numbers that matter. We reviewed financials on a bi-weekly cadence, collected aged receivables, sharpened their Ideal Client Profile, strengthened contracts, and launched honest
client feedback systems. No more flying blind.
Goals that drive action. Annual targets flowed down to quarterly OKRs, then to personal KPIs. Everyone knew exactly what winning looked like.
The Breakthrough Moment
Three months in, something magical happened during a routine team meeting. Each account manager walked through every live project, not just reciting timelines and deliverables, butclearly articulating the "why" behind each client's goals and how their work connected to those deeper purposes. Everyone had complete visibility into project status, upcoming deadlines, and potential roadblocks, without either founder needing to fill in gaps or translate between team members. For the first time in years, the founders simply listened and smiled. Trust had returned to the company.
Six Months Later
The transformation was outstanding:
Monthly revenue doubled because the rainmaker had the confidence to sell again
Operating costs remained flat, meaning every dollar of new revenue dropped to the bottom line
The co-founder took a full month vacation with zero emergency calls
Projects flowed from start to finish with on-time delivery improving from 55% to 85%
Our six-month engagement included an aggressive transition plan. By month four, we began coaching a high potential team member to take over day to day operational activities, ensuring the improvements would stick long after our engagement ended.
What Stuck
Today, the agency only hires people who pass the GWC test and align with their values. Quarterly OKRs keep everyone focused on what matters most. Short, purposeful meetings and shared visibility make progress unmistakable. Most importantly, bulletproof account and project management processes mean clients experience seamless service delivery, and the team can confidently execute on every promise made during the sales process.
In Their Words
"Our fractional COO has been a game changer for our agency. He set up the systems, found the right people, and kept us focused on what matters. He's not just a strategic thinker, he's a joy to
work with."
— Partner and CMO
