On this special one-year anniversary episode, STRATIVIS founders Erin Todus and Amy Crook look back on the year that turned an ambitious idea into a growing business.

They share the highs worth celebrating, the lows that tested them, the lessons they learned the hard way and the people who helped bring STRATIVIS to life. From building a business and growing a team to navigating uncertainty, taking risks, and figuring things out in real time, this is an honest reflection on what year one really looked like behind the scenes.

They also look ahead to what’s next for STRATIVIS, the opportunities they’re excited about, the impact they want to create, and the vision guiding them into year two.

One year in. A lot learned. Even more still to build.

What does it really take to leave a successful corporate career and build a company from the ground up?

In this episode of Fractional Frequency, we sit down with Ike Nwabah, co-founder of Basalingo, to discuss the realities of bootstrapping a startup, building a two-sided marketplace, and leading through uncertainty.

After years in executive leadership roles at companies like Autodesk, AT&T, Cisco, and Armor, Ike made the leap into entrepreneurship to solve a deeply personal problem: helping children learn new languages through activities they already love, like music, sports, dance, and art.

Together, we explore:

• Why Ike chose to bootstrap instead of raising venture capital
• The unique challenges of building a marketplace that requires both supply and demand
• Leadership lessons from transitioning out of corporate America
• Building culture with a lean team of family members, interns, and subject matter experts
• The one metric every bootstrapped founder should be watching
• Advice for professionals navigating layoffs and unexpected career changes

Whether you're a founder, operator, product leader, or someone considering taking the entrepreneurial leap, this conversation offers practical insights on leadership, growth, and building something meaningful from the ground up.

In this episode of Fractional Frequency, we sit down with Yakov Filipenko, Founder and CEO of Intch, to explore how the workforce is evolving and why fractional talent is becoming a permanent part of the future of business.

Yakov shares his journey from being voted out of his own startup to building a global HR technology platform that connects companies with specialized talent. Along the way, he challenges some of today's biggest assumptions about AI, hiring, and what truly makes professionals valuable in an increasingly automated world.

Together, we discuss:

• Why the "social contract" between employers and employees has fundamentally changed.
• The rise of fractional work and why Gen Z is redefining traditional careers.
• Why AI won't replace human judgment—and why decision-making will become the most valuable skill of the future.
• How small and midsize businesses can use fractional talent to innovate and scale more effectively.
• Why resumes are becoming less meaningful and what will replace them.

Whether you're a business leader, founder, HR professional, or someone navigating today's rapidly changing workplace, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on the future of work and the leadership mindset needed to thrive in it.