What happens when ambition
outpaces infrastructure?
You call someone who can close the gap.
Rick Ayres
Fractional COO & Strategic Advisor
What if you had an operator who thinks like an owner — without the overhead of a full-time hire?
Rick Ayres is a strategic operator and executive advisor who steps into founder-led businesses that are growing faster than their systems — and gets things moving.
As a Fractional COO, Rick works alongside leadership teams to translate vision into priorities, priorities into action, and action into measurable outcomes.
People hesitate because they’re not sure one person can cover strategy, operations, and execution. Once they see it in action, the concern disappears.
Rick Ayres
Fractional COO · Strategic Advisor
Are you a founder building in one of these spaces?
Not a generalist. Deep operational expertise in three high-growth verticals where founder-led businesses need it most.
Coaching & Influencer Businesses
Scaling personal brands into real companies.
Operations, team management, vendor coordination, and systems that let founders stay in their zone of genius.
Events & Education
End-to-end event logistics and production.
Multi-day builder training events, masterminds, and education-based businesses — from planning to flawless execution.
Service-Based Operations
From scrappy to scalable.
Founder-led service businesses that have outgrown their scrappy phase and need operational discipline to grow profitably.
What does it actually look like when someone steps in and takes ownership?
Six core capabilities that define how Rick operates inside your business.
Strategic Vision with Real Execution
Translates your vision into concrete priorities, actionable paths, and built-in accountability. Strategy without execution is a dream — Rick does both.
Problem Solving in High-Pressure Environments
Messy situations, stalled projects, operational breakdowns. Rick steps in, diagnoses the real issue, and drives resolution without drama.
Accountability & Follow-Through
Closes loops. Finishes what others start. The operational discipline that transforms good ideas into completed initiatives.
Structure, Process & Operational Discipline
Builds systems, repeatability, and order so your business runs predictably — not reactively.
Executive-Level Judgment
Thinks like an owner. ROI-driven, not emotionally reactive. The kind of thinking you need at the top — without adding another C-suite salary.
Leadership Without Ego
Leads through logic, results, consistency, and trust. No politics, no posturing — just steady, reliable operational leadership.
Wondering if we're the right fit?
Ideal Clients
Growth-Oriented
Building something real, scalable, and durable.
Results-Driven
Outcomes over appearances. You care about what moves the needle.
Decisive
Willing to make decisions — or become more decisive with support.
Respectful of Expertise
You hired an expert for a reason. You trust the process.
Open to Structure
Ready for systems and accountability that create freedom.
Long-Term Thinkers
You play the long game. Sustainable growth over quick fixes.
Not the Right Fit
Chronic micromanagers
If you need to control every detail, this won't work.
Decision avoiders
Progress requires choices. Paralysis is expensive.
Unlimited-access seekers
Boundaries exist for a reason. Respect creates results.
Accountability resisters
If you don't want to be held accountable, we're not a match.
Strategy undervaluers
If you think execution doesn't need strategy, we'll disagree.
How do you work with someone you've never worked with before?
Five principles that shape every engagement. Clear, direct, and structured from day one.
Results Over Activity
Doing more doesn't mean achieving more. Every action is measured by the outcome it produces — not the effort it takes.
Structure Creates Freedom
The right systems and processes don't restrict — they liberate. Order is the foundation of scale.
Ownership Beats Consensus
Someone has to own it. Committees don't execute. Clear ownership drives clear results.
Integrity Is Non-Negotiable
Say what you mean. Do what you say. There's no workaround for trust.
Long-Term Thinking Wins
Quick fixes create long-term problems. Sustainable decisions compound into lasting advantage.
What does the impact actually look like?
Client examples — anonymized, but the numbers are real.
Fractional COOLeadership Coaching Business
Managing end-to-end operations, staff oversight, vendor relationships, and event production for a 7-figure coaching business.
Operational OversightAutomotive E-Commerce
Website functionality, vendor data management, and developer coordination — bringing structure to a complex technical operation.
Event ProductionEvents & Training Company
Logistics and production management for multi-day builder training events — from venue selection to flawless execution.
You understood exactly what we meant, even though we weren’t sure how to say it.
What does it cost to stop losing time?
Flexible structures designed around real business needs — not billable hour games.
Ongoing
Monthly Retainer
Sustained operational and strategic support. Rick becomes an embedded part of your leadership team — ongoing oversight, execution, and advisory.
Best for: Founders who need a long-term operational partner
3–6 Months
Project-Based
Scoped engagements for specific initiatives — system builds, team restructuring, event production, or operational overhauls with clear deliverables.
Best for: Defined outcomes with clear timelines
$150/hr · 5hr Minimum
Hourly Advisory
Strategic consultation for specific decisions, challenges, or inflection points. Targeted expertise without a long-term commitment.
Best for: Tactical guidance on specific challenges
What changes when the chaos stops?
Real outcomes from real engagements. The numbers speak for themselves.
Hours per week
Saved through restructuring and delegation across one client's business.
Annual value
Ongoing executive oversight and operational management engagement.
Referral-based
Every client came through word of mouth. No outbound marketing — just results.
Ready to stop running your business on willpower alone?
If you want comfort, I’m not your guy.
If you want results, we’ll work extremely well together.
~ Rick Ayres