Fractional COO

I find what's broken and fix it.

Whether you own the company or run a division inside one.

When problems keep coming back, I find out why. I interview your whole team, map how the work moves, and build a structure that doesn't depend on one person.

Is this you?

If one of these sounds familiar, let's talk.

Are you a founder who…

can't take two weeks off?
is still holding it all together?
couldn't show a buyer how it runs?

Are you a leader who…

inherited a team nobody has mapped?
is still integrating an acquisition?
can't get strategy to reach the work?

The engagement

A fractional COO for the year.

A clear plan in 90 days, and the experience to turn it into results.

I step in as your operating leader. The first 90 days are the Operating Reset: chaos to clarity, in three phases. For the rest of the year, I put the plan into action.

01

Listen

Days 1 to 30

I interview every team member and play back what I heard. Then I map how the work moves and what waits on the owner or leader.

“Staff proactively providing their own checklists, procedures, and recommendations because they genuinely felt heard.”

02

Flag

Days 31 to 60

Single points of failure, key-person risk, what breaks at scale and who should decide what. Then we choose what to fix first.

03

Install

Days 61 to 90

Processes documented, decisions handed off, a weekly scorecard and growth plan, and a playbook your team can run.

“Comprehensive, state-specific workflows documenting responsibilities, handoffs, and backup coverage.”

From day 91: plan to results.

I own the playbook. I keep it current and hold the team to it.
I lead the roadmap. I drive the fixes, hires and handoffs until the plan produces.

Starting at $6,000 a month for a year-long engagement. Pricing scales with staff and office size. No equity required.

Includes the option to end after the first 90 days.

Not ready for the full engagement?

Brokerage Organizational Assessment

See who carries what first.

A task-level look at who does what, so you can move work off your plate and align your team.

  • An online assessment for each team member, under an hour
  • Results by functional area, in Excel or Google Sheets
  • Profile cards and a company-wide analysis
  • A kickoff and a findings session

Starting at $1,500. One-time. Pricing scales with staff and office size.

In a client's words

“She doesn't just identify problems or hand over a report. She takes the time to understand the people behind the processes and provides practical solutions that make a real difference.”

Emily Keaton, Director of Operations - Multi-State Title Company

Read the full story

Working with Laura O'Connor was incredibly valuable during a critical period of transition for our title company. What initially began as an effort to identify operational risks and ensure business continuity turned into something much more impactful.

Laura has a unique ability to quickly understand a complex organization, build trust with employees, and uncover opportunities that leadership may not even realize exist. From the beginning, she created an environment where our team felt comfortable being open and honest. What started as employees being hesitant to share feedback evolved into staff proactively providing their own checklists, procedures, and recommendations because they genuinely felt heard and invested in the process.

One of the biggest takeaways for me was the confidence Laura helped restore in our existing team. We entered this transition with significant concerns about employee retention, outdated procedures, and how much institutional knowledge we stood to lose. Through her interviews and assessments, Laura helped us recognize just how much knowledge, capability, and ownership already existed within our staff.

Her work also resulted in tangible, lasting improvements. We went from relying on procedures that hadn't been updated in six or seven years to having comprehensive, state-specific workflows documenting responsibilities, handoffs, and backup coverage. Beyond the documentation, Laura provided actionable recommendations that we were able to begin implementing almost immediately.

Perhaps most importantly, Laura helped us move from a reactive, high-pressure situation to one where we could confidently focus on the future. Within a matter of months, we went from simply trying to maintain continuity to identifying opportunities for efficiency, accountability, and long-term growth.

I would highly recommend Laura to any organization navigating leadership changes, operational challenges, or simply looking to better understand and strengthen its business. She doesn't just identify problems or hand over a report. She takes the time to understand the people behind the processes and provides practical solutions that make a real difference.

Emily Keaton, Director of Operations - Multi-State Title Company

For brokerage owners

Your brokerage runs. Does it run without you?

Out of your head and onto paper.

Commissions, compliance and the monthly close still wait on your desk, and how things get done lives in your head. For brokerages, the Operating Reset starts with the money: commission payout and the monthly close. Then it documents how the business runs, moves work to the right people and sets a growth plan.

My roots are in real estate, franchising and multi-location operations, so I read a brokerage fast.

Buying or selling a brokerage?

I handle the operational side of brokerage M&A, buy side or sell side: diligence prep, LOI and purchase agreement sessions, and the closing sequence. Priced by phase. Most recently, I supported three flagship brokerage acquisitions for a national franchise brand.

For valuations, deal brokering and any M&A work outside operations, I refer clients to RTC Consulting Inc.

Book a free call

Two ways to start

Fractional COO engagementStarting at $6,000 a month

Year-long A clear plan in 90 days, then the work to make it produce.

Brokerage Organizational AssessmentStarting at $1,500

One-time A single project, no ongoing commitment.

Pricing for both scales with staff and office size. The engagement includes an option to end after 90 days.

The first call is free. We'll see what fits and talk pricing. No cost, no obligation, no hassle.

See how the Brokerage Organizational Assessment works

Laura O'Connor

Meet Laura O'Connor, MPA

A real operator, not a framework.

I've been COO, President and fractional operator for growing businesses, PE-backed companies and national networks. The business I ran couldn't function without me, so before I left, I built the systems, decision rights and rhythms it needed. Then I left, and it kept running.

That's the work I do now. I don't stop at the recommendation. I stay through the build.

78 officesand 4,000 users moved onto new back-office and compliance systems
3 companiesintegrated across 13 offices and 150 agents
3,000 agentsin a national brokerage, as fractional COO
28 interviewsacross four state operations during a leadership transition

HousingWire Woman of Influence (2023) · RISMedia Newsmaker
Swanepoel Power 200 · Co-founder, Thought Leadership Circle

How I work

Listen first. Then build.

Active listening

Every engagement starts with the people doing the work. They usually know where it hurts.

Honest guidance

If I'm not the right fit, I'll say so and point you to someone who is.

One operator, specialists on call

When the work needs more hands, I bring in vetted specialists and direct them. Accountability stays with me.

Resources

Learn the playbook.

Brokerage M&A Accelerator

RTC Consulting's self-paced course on growing a brokerage through acquisition, with Let Go Coco as a program partner. It covers readiness, valuation, due diligence, deal structure and transition planning.

View the program on RTC Learning

Fractional Leadership White Paper

Why growing companies bring in fractional executives, and how to know when you need one.

Read it below

Let's connect

The first call is free.

Tell me what's changing. We'll see what fits and what it would take. No cost, no obligation.