Sometimes you get to a point in your career where you know how to do the work, but you can’t see yourself climbing the corporate ladder anymore.

Maybe you’re done with office politics, craving more flexibility, or impacted by a layoff, which is giving you a chance to re-evaluate what you do next.

Whatever the reason, fractional work—where companies hire experienced leaders on a part-time, project, or retainer basis—is on the rise.

With demand jumping 57% since 2020, it’s not just a lifestyle choice but could be a smart, strategic move that aligns to where the market is heading.

In this week’s newsletter, I sit down with Emily Hollender, founder of Next Wave Marketing, who went from full-time employee to fractional business owner after being laid off. She talks about what the transition looked like and shares her advice for those looking to do the same.

I know I’ve talked to a number of you exploring this as an option, so I hope Emily’s story will inspire you to make it happen!

Jump to:

• How Emily chose a field

• What prompted the transition to work for herself

• The first year and finding clients

• The hardest parts about the transition

• The pros and cons of being your own boss

• Looking ahead to what's next

• Emily's new project

• How to stay in touch and learn more

• ✨ Weekly Feels

• 🌟 Upcoming Events

• 📖 Keep Reading

Emily, thank you for chatting with me! Before we talk about your transition to fractional, what did your career path look like?

I fell into the world of consumer startups and marketing early in my career.

While I was in college in NYC, I interned and later joined full-time at Rent the Runway—a relatively new DTC startup at the time. I was immediately drawn to the scrappy, innovative, and mission-driven team. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, but I knew the traditional finance or consulting path wasn’t for me.

In true startup fashion, I got a crash course in everything from business development, to retail operations, to customer experience, marketing, and more.

That exposure sparked my deeper interest in marketing and community. I realized I was most energized by the parts of the business that brought me closer to our customers, so I raised my hand for new initiatives, like building our community events strategy and launching RTR’s Campus Ambassador Program.

Eventually, I transitioned into the Marketing and Community team, where I focused on driving organic, community-led growth in key markets.

You’ve worked at some pretty cool, mission-driven companies: Rent the Runway, Tia, The Wing. What prompted your move from full-time roles into fractional work?

My transition to fractional work was not planned.

After 10 years of working inside full-time marketing teams, I was laid off. It came at a moment when I was already feeling burnt out, I was in the middle of a move from NYC to LA, and I was uninspired by the idea of jumping into another full-time job.

I had always admired other consultants and freelancers, but never thought I had the guts to do it myself.

Consulting started as a bridge—something to bring in income while I figured out my next move. After a few months in, I realized that this way of working actually worked really well for me. It gave me the freedom and flexibility to experiment and an opportunity to plug into exciting new companies and teams without the full-time commitment. 

What did your first year working for yourself look like? How did you find your first client? 

My first year was a total roller coaster.

Once I decided to focus on fractional work instead of going back to a full-time role, I gave myself one year to “pilot” this new way of working. Could I get clients, enjoy the work, and actually make money while doing it? 

In the early phases of my fractional journey, I made an effort to talk to my network.

I created a simple Google Sheet of former colleagues and collaborators who knew (and trusted) my work and reached out to say hello. I approached these conversations with curiosity—not to pitch myself, but to offer help where I could.

It turned out that one of my former colleagues needed support building an Ambassador Program, and they knew I had the playbook to do this. They became my first client.

At first, I was worried no one would hire me. Then, 6-months into my journey, I had the opposite problem. I said yes to too many projects and suddenly found myself working 12-hour days and feeling completely over capacity. 

When you think about the transition, what were some of the other parts that felt the most difficult for you? 

So many things! One of the hardest parts was figuring out what my identity looked like outside of a full-time job.

For so long, I tied my sense of self to my title and company. When that went away, it forced me to ask: Who am I outside of my job? What do I actually want to be doing next in my life and my career? How does that align with my values? Taking the time to pause and reflect was challenging but so important. 

The imposter syndrome also felt very real. I’m a generalist, and in the beginning, I constantly questioned whether or not I was “expert” enough to charge for my skills. Over time, client feedback, results, and communities (like the Old Girls Club—where we met!)—have helped me build my confidence. 

Lastly, not having a predictable paycheck was scary. But now, three years in, I’ve been with some clients longer than I was at my last full-time job. The “stability” of 9-to-5 isn’t always what it seems…

What's been the hardest part about working for yourself? What’s been the most rewarding? 

The work never really stops.

You’re the CEO, COO, and CFO all in one—which means you’re not just doing the client work, you’re also managing contracts, sending invoices, updating your website, building your pipeline, and always thinking five steps ahead. Setting boundaries (and respecting them) is still a work in progress for me.

At the same time, that level of responsibility is the most rewarding part. I’m building something that’s mine.

I get to choose the projects I take on, the people I collaborate with, and the way I show up. That sense of ownership, independence, and impact is incredibly fulfilling.

Now that it’s been a few years into your business, how has it changed today and where do you see your business (and life) headed in the next 5 years? 

Over the past few years, I’ve built more structure and clarity into how I work, including what types of clients and projects energize me, how I want to spend my time, and how to grow my business without burning out. I’ve also gotten clearer on the value I bring and what I want to say yes (and no!) to.

This year, I’m experimenting with building a small fractional team of my own and launching my first course to support full-time operators exploring fractional work.

I’m not exactly sure what life will look like in five years, and I’m perfectly okay with that. Fractional work has given me the freedom to stay open, curious, and say yes to what excites me. I plan to keep leaning into that.

You’re launching a course on Maven to help others go from full-time to fractional. What inspired you to create it and who is it for? 

Yes! After sharing my own journey, I started hearing from full-time operators who were curious about going fractional but didn’t know where to start.

I remember how overwhelming it felt in the beginning. There was no roadmap, and I made plenty of mistakes along the way. I kept thinking, I wish someone had laid this out for me.

My mini course: From Full-Time to Fractional: A Step-by-Step Launch Playbook for Senior Leaders is designed to give you the tools, structure, and confidence to kickstart your own fractional practice through live workshops, proven tools and templates, and hands-on support.

Lastly, where can people find you, learn more, or sign up for your course? 

I’d love to connect with you! You can find me on LinkedIn and learn more about my course here (Feeling Free subscribers get 15% off).

The first cohort kicks off on June 9th, and I’m hosting a free 30-minute session later this month for anyone who’s curious. I’d love to see you there!

This is a new format for the newsletter, so I’d love to know what you think! Vote below 👇️ 

✨ Weekly Feels

Feeling busy! I’m off to Miami 🌴 this weekend for a friend’s bachelorette party, back in NY, then 10 days (!) in Orlando for a conference. After a busy few weeks of work, I’m taking my first vacation of the year with my parents—an astrophotography workshop in Joshua Tree in June 🔭. If you have recommendations, I’d love to hear them!

🌟 Upcoming Events

• May 20 | WIN NY: Leadership & Team Chemistry with Human Design | Discover the power of Human Design—a personality system that blends timeless wisdom and modern sciences, starting at 6pm

• June 9 - 18 | From Full-Time to Fractional: A Step-by-Step Launch Playbook for Senior Leaders | Learn positioning, pricing, and sales fundamentals to land your first client | Use code “FEELING FREE” for 15% off!

📖 Keep Reading

• What was the tipping point to leave corporate

• 3 steps to start building your personal brand today

• Making the Leap from Consulting to Creative Entrepreneurship (recording)

💼 Ways to Work With Me

• Want to be featured in this newsletter? I’m looking for entrepreneurs who want to share their inspirational story! Simply reply back with interest.

• 1:1 Private Coaching: I’m offering free coaching strategy calls to those looking to build a more fulfilling life. Feel free to book some time with me!