you’re exactly where most smart, senior women start their fractional journey. 

Because fractional leadership isn’t usually something women plan on day one.

It shows up as a quiet question.

A nudge.

A feeling that your experience has outgrown the shape of your current role.

You might love parts of what you do — and still feel underutilised.

You might want more flexibility — without stepping away from meaningful, high-impact work.

Or maybe you’ve already been asked, “Could you advise us on this?” and you’re wondering whether there’s something more intentional — and sustainable — on the other side of that conversation.

What I want to be really clear about from the start is this:

This episode is not about convincing you to quit your job.

It’s not about pushing you into entrepreneurship.

And it’s definitely not about blowing up a career you’ve worked hard to build.

This is about clarity.

About understanding what fractional leadership actually is, who it’s for, and how senior women are using it — sometimes quietly, sometimes deliberately — to create more autonomy, impact, and alignment in their work.

If you’re curious but cautious…

If you feel pulled, but also protective of what you’ve built…

You’re in exactly the right place.

So let’s start at the beginning.

How Most Women Accidentally End Up in Fractional Work

Most of those women fractional leaders that you know, read about or follow online don’t wake up one day and say,

“I think I’ll build a fractional portfolio career.”

What usually happens is far more subtle.

It starts with someone saying,

“Could you just take a look at this?”

Or, “We’d love your perspective on something.”

Or, “You’ve done this before — could you advise us?”

And because you’re experienced, capable, and generous with your thinking…

you say yes.

You give thoughtful input.

You spot the patterns quickly.

You offer clarity where things feel messy.

Sometimes that turns into a one-off conversation.

Sometimes it turns into a standing call.

And sometimes, before you’ve really clocked what’s happening, you’ve become the unofficial advisor — the person people rely on when things get complex or high-stakes.

This shows up a lot with startups and fast-growing companies.

Founders reach out because they trust your judgement.

Because you’ve been where they are now.

Because you can see around corners they haven’t even noticed yet.

And often, that work is unpaid.

Or underpaid.

Or squeezed in “on the side” of an already full role.

Not because your contribution isn’t valuable —

but because it’s informal.

What I want you to hear clearly is this:

That pull isn’t accidental.

It’s a market signal.

It’s evidence that your experience, your pattern recognition, your leadership judgement is in demand — even if it hasn’t yet been formalised or valued properly.

This is where many women start to feel a quiet tension.

I’m already doing this kind of work…

But I don’t have language for it.

I don’t have boundaries around it.

And I don’t know how — or whether — to make it legitimate.

Can I really replace my salary doing this without hustling all the time for roles?

And this is exactly the point where curiosity meets fear.

Is this allowed?

Is it ethical with my current role?

Am I senior enough to do this properly?

And what happens if someone finds out?

Can I really do it? 

If any of that resonates, I want you to know — you’re not behind.

You’re not late.

You’re not naïve for wondering.

You’re at the very beginning of understanding something important about how your leadership could evolve.

So let’s address these questions head on. Starting what what fractional leadership actually is — and just as importantly, what it isn’t — so you can separate the reality from the myths and decide what’s relevant for you.

What Fractional Leadership Actually Is (And What It Isn’t)

Now that we’ve named how many women arrive at fractional work, we need to clear up a lot of confusion — because this is where most smart, senior women get stuck.

Fractional leadership is not consulting.

It’s not coaching.

And it’s not contracting yourself out for a few extra hours a week.

Fractional leadership is about holding real leadership responsibility — just not on a full-time, exclusive basis.

You’re not selling time.

You’re being brought in for judgement, pattern recognition, and decision-making.

A fractional leader is trusted to:

• shape direction
• influence priorities
• guide teams through complexity
• and help organisations make better decisions faster

Often at VP, exec, or “leader of leaders” level.

This is why so many women feel a pull toward fractional work before they can explain it.

Because it uses the thing you’ve built over years: earned authority.

Now, let’s talk about what it isn’t — because this matters.

Fractional leadership is not:

• being on-call all the time
• being everyone’s spare pair of hands
• “helping out” wherever needed
• or quietly absorbing responsibility without power or boundaries
• Being hired on a contract basis because they don’t want to make the case for you being an employee. It’s fractional and executive because they can’t afford you fulltime! But need your skills and expertise.
  
  

But hear this: if any of that is what you’re doing right now, you’re not failing at fractional work — you’re just doing leadership without structure.

And here’s an important reframe I want you to hear:

Fractional leadership is not a downgrade from full-time leadership.

It’s a different shape of leadership.

For some women, it’s a bridge.

For others, it’s a portfolio layer alongside a full-time role.

And for some, it becomes a long-term way of working that evolves as their life and priorities change.

You don’t need to decide which camp you’re in today.

The only thing you need right now is clarity.

Because once you understand what fractional leadership actually is, a lot of the self-doubt starts to loosen its grip.

And that brings us to something I see very clearly in my work.

Three Women, Three Starting Points

When women come to me curious about fractional leadership, they usually fall into one of three starting points.

You might hear yourself in more than one — that’s normal.

But there’s often one that feels like, “Oh. That’s me.”

Let me walk you through them.

The Woman Who’s Building On-the-Side

This is the woman who’s still in a full-time role — often at senior manager, director, or VP level — and is thinking:

I don’t want to quit.

I can’t risk my job.

But I want to test what else might be possible.

She might already have a former colleague asking for advice.

Or a startup conversation bubbling in the background.

Or a sense that her current role isn’t stretching her anymore.

What holds her back isn’t lack of capability — it’s caution.

She’s asking:

• Is this legal with my contract?
• What if my employer finds out?
• How do I do this without burning bridges?
• Do I even have time for this?

For her, fractional leadership isn’t about escape.

It’s about optionality.

And when it’s done properly — small, safe, and strategic — it can be one of the smartest ways to build confidence, visibility, and leverage without blowing up what you’ve built.

The Woman Who’s Seeking Impact

This woman has often been through a life shift.

Parental leave.

Caregiving.

Burnout.

Relocation.

Or simply the realisation that the traditional leadership path no longer fits.

She’s deeply experienced — but she doesn’t feel seen or valued in the way she once did.

She’s thinking:

I still have so much to offer.

But I don’t want the full-time trap anymore.

And I’m not sure I trust myself to negotiate or put a price on my experience.

For her, fractional leadership represents something powerful:

The chance to do high-impact, intellectually stimulating work

without sacrificing her health, family, or sense of self.

What she often needs most at this stage isn’t a strategy — it’s confidence.

Confidence that her experience hasn’t expired.

Confidence that part-time leadership is still real leadership.

Confidence that companies will pay for outcomes, not hours.

And they do.

The Woman Who’s Curious About Startups

This woman has been giving away her brilliance for years.

She loves strategy.

She hates bureaucracy.

She gets pulled into early-stage conversations because she can see what founders can’t. She loves early invention and she wants to participate. Maybe she’s been asked to join as a co-founder but there’s no  pay involved and that’s just not right for her at this point in her life. 

She’s been advising informally, mentoring, joining “just one more call”…

And recently, she’s started to wonder:

Why am I doing this for free?

Why does this feel like real work — but not a real role?

She might have been offered equity without context.

Or asked to “stay involved” without a clear scope.

Or noticed peers quietly making real money from similar work.

What she needs isn’t more opportunities —

it’s structure, pricing, and boundaries.

Fractional leadership gives her a way to turn informal influence into intentional, paid impact — without being exploited or pulled into chaos.

If one of these women felt uncomfortably familiar, that’s not a coincidence.

Each of these starting points comes with real fears — about legality, stability, time, and worth.

So let’s talk about those fears directly — not to dismiss them, but to separate what’s real from what’s just unexamined anxiety.

That’s where things start to get much clearer.

The Fears No One Wants to Say Out Loud

At this point in the conversation, this is usually where things tighten.

Because once fractional leadership starts to feel possible, the fears surface.

And they’re rarely abstract — they’re very real, very practical, and very human.

So let’s name them.

“Is this even legal or ethical with my current job?”

This is the number one fear for On-the-Side Builders.

And it’s a smart question — not a limiting one.

The answer is rarely “you can’t do fractional work.”

It’s usually about how you do it:

• avoiding direct competitors
• being clear on scope
• separating time, tools, and obligations
• and understanding what your contract actually says (not what you assume it says)
  
  

Most women don’t need to stop exploring fractional work.

They need clarity and boundaries — not secrecy or stress.

“What if I don’t have time?”

This one shows up for everyone — but especially women already carrying too much.

Here’s the reframe that matters:

Fractional leadership done badly is exhausting.

Fractional leadership done well is focused.

This isn’t about squeezing more into your life.

It’s about working at the right altitude — fewer hours, higher leverage. And with very clear boundaries. 

If you’re already exhausted, the answer isn’t “do more.”

It’s “do differently.”

“Is this stable enough?”

This fear comes up a lot for those seeking impact — particularly those with families or caregiving responsibilities.

And it deserves respect.

Fractional work isn’t about recklessness.

It’s about diversification.

Instead of one employer holding all the power, you spread risk across:

• multiple clients
• defined time horizons
• clearer value exchange

For many women, that actually feels more stable — not less.

You do have to trust that you can sell your skills, but that will come. If you’ve managed to land a job at any point in the past, you can almost certainly get yourself fractional gigs! 

“I’m not senior enough to do this.”

This one is quiet — but pervasive.

Here’s the truth:

Fractional leadership is not about your job title.

It’s about whether people already trust your judgement.

If people are asking for your advice…

If you’re shaping decisions behind the scenes…

If you’re the one people turn to when things get messy…

You’re likely more ready than you think.

“I’m scared to price myself.”

This fear stops more women than anything else.

Because pricing leadership isn’t about confidence —

it’s about clarity.

When your offer is vague, pricing feels terrifying.

When your scope is clear and outcomes are defined, pricing becomes grounded.

Most women don’t underprice because they lack value.

They underprice because they haven’t been taught how to structure leadership work.

And that’s fixable.

None of these fears mean fractional leadership isn’t for you.

They mean you’re taking the question seriously.

Which is exactly what a good leader does.

And that brings us to the part most people skip — and why so many fractional experiments fail.

What Makes Fractional Work Sustainable (And Why Most People Get It Wrong)

Here’s the hard truth:

Most people who say fractional work “didn’t work for them”

weren’t actually doing fractional leadership.

They were doing unbounded advising.

Or part-time execution.

Or being helpful without authority.

Or they were really a full-time employee paid as a consultant. 

And that’s not sustainable for anyone.

Fractional leadership only works when four things are in place.

First: A Clear Offer

Not a long list of everything you can do.

A clear statement of:

• the problem you help solve
• the outcome you’re responsible for
• and the level you operate at

This is what shifts you from “extra help” to strategic partner.

Second: Defined Scope

This is where boundaries live.

What’s included.

What’s not.

How decisions get made.

Where your authority starts and stops.

Without scope, fractional work becomes invisible labour.

With scope, it becomes leadership.

Third: Boundaries That Protect You

This is especially important for women who are generous, capable, and used to holding things together.

Fractional leadership requires:

• protected time
• decision rights
• and clear expectations
  
  

Not because you’re difficult —

but because leadership needs space to be effective.

Fourth: A 90-Day Frame

This is one of the biggest unlocks.

Fractional work works best in defined time horizons.

A 90-day frame:

• gives clients confidence
• gives you leverage
• and prevents endless, drifting engagement

It also makes fractional work feel testable — for both sides.

You’re not signing up for forever.

You’re committing to impact.

When these four elements are missing, fractional work feels:

• exhausting
  
  
• underpaid
  
  
• unclear
  
  
• and emotionally draining
  
  

When they’re in place, it feels:

• focused
  
  
• respected
  
  
• energising
  
  
• and genuinely powerful
  
  

And this is where many women realise something important:

They don’t need more courage.

They need better structure.

So let’s talk about why you don’t need to leap — and how fractional leadership can be explored safely, intentionally, and on your terms.

You Don’t Have to Leap. You Can Test.

One of the most damaging myths around fractional leadership is that it requires a dramatic leap.

Quit your job.

Go all in.

Figure it out as you go.

That story might work for some people — but it’s not the only path, and it’s rarely the smartest one for women with real responsibilities, reputations, and careers they’ve spent years building.

Fractional leadership is scalable.

It can start as:

• one clearly scoped client
  
  
• one 90-day engagement
  
  
• one opportunity sourced from your existing network
  
  

You don’t need to announce it publicly.

You don’t need a website.

And you don’t need to decide today where this leads.

For some women, fractional work becomes a portfolio layer alongside a full-time role.

For others, it becomes a bridge — a way to test entrepreneurship with training wheels.

And for some, it evolves into a long-term way of working that flexes with life, ambition, and energy.

What matters is not the speed —

it’s the intentionality.

You’re not trying to escape your career.

You’re expanding it.

And when you approach fractional leadership this way — thoughtfully, strategically, and on your own terms — it stops feeling risky and starts feeling grounded.

Which brings us to the most important question of all.

Your Next Step (Without Pressure)

The real question isn’t:

“Should I quit my job?”

or even

“Should I go fractional?”

The real question is:

“What do I want to explore next — and how do I do that safely?”

You don’t need to have all the answers today.

You don’t need to know what this looks like in five years.

But if this episode has stirred something — curiosity, relief, recognition — that’s worth paying attention to.

If you’d like to talk it through with someone who understands the realities of senior leadership, portfolio careers, and the unique pressures women face at this stage, I’d love to help.

I offer a limited number of strategy calls each month to woman in tech where we look at:

• whether fractional leadership makes sense for you
• what a safe, ethical starting point could look like
• and how to explore your options without putting your current role at risk

There’s no pitch.

No pressure.

Just a grounded conversation about what’s possible.

You can book a strategy call via the link in the show notes.

Whatever you decide, remember this:

Your experience is not something you have to escape from.

It’s something you can build with.

And you’re allowed to design a career that fits the life you actually want.