# Joining the Fractional Executive Movement By [Hard Mode First](https://hardmodefirst.xyz) · 2022-03-17 --- ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/0add203886d11aaba4648b8e550cb773.png) For the past six weeks, I’ve been quietly piloting the next chapter in my career — that of the fractional executive. That’s to say, rather than work at one full-time job, I’ve decided to split my focus among several projects, all at once. This fractionalization of my work persona likely won’t come as a surprise to those who know me best. I’ve always had a wide range of interests and professional goals — too broad and seemingly disparate to ever fit into one neatly-typed job description. Now, I can finally be a little bit of everything: The go-to-market generalist, the community strategist, the social impact specialist, the venture capitalist, sure, why not? * * * **I spent the past year internalizing and normalizing this concept** through my time at [Bolster](https://bolster.com/), an executive talent marketplace where our members are looking for some type of “on demand” work. That’s when I realized: This isn’t just a fad, it’s a way of life. And it can be mine, too. So far, my projects are shaping up to be a mixture of all different facets of my personality. I’m continuing to spend time with the Bolster team on a variety of business development and go-to-market initiatives. I’m also helping jumpstart a few brand new initiatives in web3, including a new web3 builder community called [Zeitgeist](https://mirror.xyz/zeitgeistxyz.eth/WXClcSF6qxPluBMumWxJWLFHOVqgjW-2axAPsnPy8CU), where we’re excited to work with high-quality teams on the bleeding edge of this technological revolution. Finally, I’m deepening my time spent evangelizing programs that broaden access to careers in technology for under-represented youth in New York City. **The biggest misconception about fractional work is that it can simply all be boiled down to one word: Consulting.**  But that’s not exactly the right framing of this new work modality. As I learned at Bolster, [there are many different flavors of fractionalization](https://startupceo.com/2021/02/use-cases-to-bolster-your-team-how-to-leverage-on-demand-talent-in-your-business). Many fractional executives (myself included) are much more hands-on and project-based than would be expected from a mere consultant. With the exception of a few coaching clients that I’ve taken on, I’m nearly always the one both _creating_ the thing and _doing_ the thing: Building and executing a community strategy, designing and implementing an educational curriculum. * * * **With such a short, dynamic cycle of rapid iterations,** it’s easy to see how one can become addicted to the high of this idea of _vocational voyaging._ But despite the obvious perks, I still had a hard time pulling the ripcord and finally launching myself into the fractional workforce. I hope through sharing some of this story out loud, I can help shed some light on the process for others as well. For one, there’s the obvious risk involved: Without spending at least 50% of my time with any single employer, I forfeit access to typical employee benefits, such as health insurance. The prerequisites to pursue fractionalization are high (and often a barrier to entry). You need some degree of financial freedom and a network large enough to seed your deal flow. I feel incredibly lucky to have cultivated both over the past decade. That’s not to say I can simply skirt by being largely unemployed for months and months (I promise you, I really can’t), but I was able to give myself the grace of a ramp-up period that I’m learning is crucial to this type of transition. (This is also where it helps to be a [Bolster member](https://bolster.com/for-members).) Second, as a new mom with a second baby on the way, the stakes are higher than ever for our family, which means there’s not a lot of room for waffling around without an income. Despite perceiving this career shift as an opportunity to do more (not less), **it’s hard to ignore the societal script that’s already been written for women around this stage in our careers: _Having a baby means it’s time to ease up, stay put, and then regroup in a few years once the dust has settled._** The trouble with this narrative is that it’s inherently biased against women leveling up during a time that, for most of us, [happens to fall directly in line with our biggest opportunities for career advancement](https://www.vox.com/2018/2/19/17018380/gender-wage-gap-childcare-penalty). So against the advice of the well-meaning men and women who encouraged me otherwise, I decided to be a little impatient, and push through, anyway. * * * **While there is more chaos, to be sure,** in managing multiple calendars and projects at the same time, there’s an elegance to fractional work, too. You can be laser-focused on what you do the best and cut out the stuff that falls along the fringe. After over a decade of working in and around startups, I know my work style well enough to understand what projects I can do faster than anyone else, and by optimizing for the things that fall directly in line with that sweet spot, I can 4x my own output and sphere of influence. And in many ways, the timing could not be better. With the [ubiquity of remote work](https://news.gallup.com/poll/355907/remote-work-persisting-trending-permanent.aspx), [the normalization of on-demand work](https://www.wsj.com/articles/people-quit-full-time-jobs-for-contract-gigs-and-make-six-figures-great-resignation-11647291183) (even at the executive level), and [an economy in dire need of more knowledge workers](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2022/01/25/what-the-job-seekers-market-shift-means-for-your-career/), there’s never been a better time to pursue your own entrepreneurial ambitions. This also aligns with the crypto-native way of decentralized, project-based work that’s taken hold among DAOs and other web3 projects. I’m excited to dive fully into this new operating mode over the next few months and to share what I learn along the way. In the meantime, if you’re looking for a little fractional help on a project of your own, you know where to find me. --- *Originally published on [Hard Mode First](https://hardmodefirst.xyz/joining-the-fractional-executive-movement)*