After building a successful fractional consulting practice and working with thousands of fractionals, I'm sharing the essential roadmap I wish I had when starting out. Drawing from years of experience and insights from thousands of fractionals, I reveal what I did right and the critical lessons I learned along the way. I emphasize the importance of talking to everyone willing to listen, asking big money upfront, and never taking rejection personally. Key mistakes to avoid include billing hourly, delaying outreach, and getting distracted by logos and websites instead of focusing on client acquisition. I stress that successful fractionals master two core activities: exceptional client service and consistent outreach. I also discuss the evolution from general networking to developing a clear niche over time, the value of getting deeply involved in client businesses, and building systems before chaos hits. This episode provides actionable insights for both new and experienced fractional executives looking to accelerate their success.

Learn More: Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.co Connect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/00:00 Welcome & Mylance Product Announcement

01:18 What I Did Right: Talk to Everyone

02:28 Ask Questions & Stay Curious

03:09 Asked for Big Money from Day One

04:04 Never Took Rejection Personally

04:47 Lesson 1: Don't Bill Hourly

05:54 Lesson 2: Do More Outreach Early

07:27 Focus on Needle-Moving Activities

08:16 Skip the Logo, Website & Business Plan

09:15 Don't Worry About Your Niche Initially

10:18 Build Your Story Over Time

11:27 Keep Existing Clients vs Finding New

12:48 Build Systems Before Things Get Crazy

14:31 Wrap-up & Final Thoughts