Tanya Frey spent 21 years in employment law before founding Terra Firma Consulting LLC - a firm that helps nonprofits recruit, retain, and make the hard calls on people. She now works across executive search, HR strategy, and the fractional model, placing fractional executives into nonprofits while also advising them.

That position on both sides of the table makes her a useful witness. She's seen organisations that think they want fractional but really want a discount full-time hire. Candidates who claim the title but can't articulate what they actually do. This episode covers when to pitch fractional, how to spot red flags on both sides, and why your references should work like referrals.

Key Takeaways

• Don't apply for a full-time posting and ask them to consider you fractionally. The appetite has to exist before the conversation, not during it.
• If you can't describe your practice area and what your first two weeks look like at a new client, you're not ready to call yourself a fractional executive.
• Three to four anchor clients is a sustainable load. Seven or eight is a signal you're not working at the right level.
• Treat references as evergreen relationships. Ask upfront: "Would you serve as a testimonial and refer me to peers?" They become champions, not checkboxes.
• The rate cap conversation tells you everything. An organisation that won't pay more than $X for fractional executive services wants a discount employee, not a business partner.

Guest Bio

Tanya Frey, J.D. is Founder and CEO of Terra Firma Consulting LLC in Memphis, Tennessee. With 21 years of employment law experience rooted in the nonprofit sector, she helps organisations make the calls nobody else wants to touch - from executive hiring to leadership transitions. She also hosts The Reset, a podcast about leading organisations built on people.

Resources + Links

• Terra Firma Consulting: https://terrafirmallc.com/
• Tanya on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanyacfrey
• The Reset Podcast: Search "The Reset" by Tanya Frey on Spotify

Connect with Tanya

https://terrafirmallc.com/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanyacfrey

Fracture is for nonprofit professionals who refuse to choose between doing good work and having a good life. Hosted by Cindy Wagman, founder of the Nonprofit Fractionals Network, it's real talk on building a fractional consulting business that actually pays - and still matters.

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