Hero image

Launch Your Successful Fractional Leadership Consultancy in 7 weeks

Launch your Fractional Leadership Consultancy using Mike's Playbook that he used to 2x income, work 50% less- while providing outsized value

This course is no longer available.

Explore other courses

Course overview

Create the life you want by doing impactful work that you love.

Fractional Leadership (if done well) can unlock outsized-value for both clients and you.


For clients, 'outsized-value' means generating a short, medium and/or long-term Return-on-Investment (ROI) by collaborating with you that outperforms all other possible investments for their business.


For you, 'outsized-value' means step-change (not just incremental) improvement in the amount you work, when you work, how you work, what you work on and/or how much you are compensated for this work.


To do this, a holistic approach that takes into account both goals/constraints, as well as outcomes (outsized-value provided) is needed.


In this course, Mike opens up his Playbook to you on how he built up his successful Fractional Leadership Consultancy (www.eightytwentycmo.com) from the ground-up.


Learn, step-by-step, how Mike:


1) Approached goals/constraints holistically to set the foundation for creating a better life

2) Identified the very specific HyperNiche that he knew he could add outsized-value to

3) Created a value proposition that made him the 'only choice' for prospective clients

4) Leveraged his existing network to refine his service offering while at the same time creating advocates that spotted opportunities for him

5) Signed and provided-outsized value to his first client, while creating a foundation to more easily land his next client

6) Grew/scaled his Fractional Leadership Consultancy to achieve even more ambitious goals while respecting his constraints


More than that, you'll also benefit from learning about the missteps that Mike made over his 4 years as a Fractional Leader, so that you can avoid these mistakes and get to success even faster.


Students will also benefit from being a part of this tight-knight Community of Fractional Leaders. This Community includes those members of your Cohort - as well as those alumni from previous course Cohorts. These peers will help troubleshoot, advise and support during the course and, even more importantly, Cohort-Specific, and All-Cohort Slack channels provide ongoing source of support (and referrals) well after the course is complete.


Finally, you will be able to truly differentiate yourself in the growing industry of Fractional with a solid, trusted and proven credential (course certificate) that demonstrates the thoughtfulness of your approach and your commitment to providing outsized-value.


Feel free to visit Mike's LinkedIn Profile to find out more about his career and Fractional Leadership Consultancy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcgaudet/



*NOTE THAT A MAXIMUM OF 10 STUDENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED INTO THIS COHORT TO HELP ENSURE THE HIGHEST-VALUE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE - SO APPLY SOONER RATHER THAN LATER*



It is probably helpful to understand the outsized-value that actual students experienced from the course, below are the actual insights provided by students to a third-party researcher (also see named testimonials and ratings further down the page):


“This is the kind of course that could easily help you 50x your consulting revenue”


“Resources have already paid off for me, MSA and SOW are already in play”


"Input from the cohort was really helpful, we were able to build off of each other”


“Each of us was in a different domain, so it was good to connect and get different

perspectives”


“Great having access to all the materials and recordings, I intend to go back and refine”

Who is this course for

01

Director/VP/Executive-Level professionals of ANY discipline/industry currently working full-time who want to move into Fractional Leadership

02

Current Fractional Leaders of ANY discipline/industry who want to quickly refine and improve results for their current Practice

03

Current Director/VP/Executive-Level Consultants of ANY discipline/industry who want to quickly and successfully pivot into Fractional

What you’ll get out of this course

Your Holistic Goals/Constraints (HGC) that will improve your life

Establishing HGCs is the essential first step towards creating a Fractional Leadership Consultancy that will enable the life you truly want.

Your well-defined HyperNiche (HN) that you can confidently provide outsized-value to

Knowing your HN enables you to focus on those companies where you can both provide outsized-value to and rationalize a top-of-market investment from.

Your ‘Only-Choice’ Value Proposition (OCVP) that wins deals

The OCVP allows you 'turn the tables' in meeting with prospective clients, unlocking faster time-to-signature and higher closed-won rates.

Your Iterative & Collaborative Go-To-Market (ICGTM) Plan to get in front of the right people

The ICGTM allows you to bring a service offering to market that you know will resonate - while, at the same time, creating a 'Sales Team' from your existing network.

Your Win & Outsized-Value (WOV) Plan to quickly land (and provide outsized-value to) your first client

The first client is the hardest to land and the most important to provide outsized-value to - the WOV Plan ensures that you know what to do to achieve both these tasks.

Your Growth/Scale (GS) Plan for your Consultancy to achieve your longer-term HGCs

The GS Plan lays out your approach for landing your next clients, systematizing your approach and establishing even more ambitious life-changing HGCs for Years 2 and 3.

Your 3-Year Fractional Leadership Consultancy Strategy that pulls it all together

All of the above components in one place, with a coherent narrative thread applied and a clear plan for how to utilize this invaluable asset to achieve your HGCs.

What’s included

Mike Gaudet

Live sessions

Learn directly from Mike Gaudet in a real-time, interactive format.

Lifetime access

Go back to course content and recordings whenever you need to.

Community of peers

Stay accountable and share insights with like-minded professionals.

Certificate of completion

Share your new skills with your employer or on LinkedIn.

Maven Guarantee

This course is backed by the Maven Guarantee. Students are eligible for a full refund up until the halfway point of the course.

What students are saying

Course syllabus

7 live sessions • 54 lessons • 7 projects

Week 1

May 2—May 4

    Watch Lecture on Developing Your Holistic Goals/Constraints (HGC) Statement

    • 📄

      Video Recording

    May

    2

    Session 1

    Fri 5/23:00 PM—4:30 PM (UTC)

    Module #0: Course Overview

    • 📄

      Introductions and Course Overview

    Module #1: Developing Your Holistic Goals/Constraints (HGC) Statement

    Creating a successful Fractional Leadership Consultancy starts with identifying what 'success' means to you - and the constraints that you need to operate in to be successful.

    • 📄

      What are Holistic Goals/Constraints (HGCs) and why are they important?

    • 📄

      Identifying your Holistic Goals/Constraints (HGCs)

    • 📄

      In-Session Exercise - Identifying Your HGCs (30 minutes)

    • 📄

      Prioritizing Your Holistic Goals/Constraints (HGCs)

    • 📄

      In-Session Exercise - Prioritizing Your HGCs - (15 minutes)

    • 📄

      Creating your Holistic Goals/Constraints (HGCs) Statement

    • 📄

      Homework Assignment - Develop Your HGC Statement (3 hours)

    Watch Lecture on Crafting Your HyperNiche (HN) Statement

    • 📄

      Video Recording

Week 2

May 5—May 11

    May

    9

    Session 2

    Fri 5/93:00 PM—4:30 PM (UTC)

    Module #2: Crafting Your HyperNiche (HN) Statement

    Identifying the clients that you are world-class at providing outsized-value to is integral to having a successful Fractional Leadership Consultancy.

    • ✍️

      Present/Finalize Your Holistic Goals/Constraints (HGCs) Statement (60 minutes)

      Submit by May 9
    • 📄

      What is a HyperNiche and why is it important?

    • 📄

      Identifying Your HyperNiche Variables

    • 📄

      In-Session Exercise - Identifying Your HyperNiche Variables (30 minutes)

    • 📄

      Prioritizing Your HyperNiche Variables

    • 📄

      In-Session Exercise - Prioritizing Your HyperNiche Variables (15 minutes)

    • 📄

      Creating Your HyperNiche Statement

    • 📄

      Homework Assignment - Craft Your HyperNiche Statement (3 hours)

    Watch Lecture on Creating Your ‘Only-Choice’ Value Proposition (OCVP) Statement

    • 📄

      Video Recording

Week 3

May 12—May 18

    May

    16

    Session 3

    Fri 5/163:00 PM—4:30 PM (UTC)

    Module #3: Creating Your ‘Only-Choice’ Value Proposition (OCVP) Statement

    Defining the outsized-value that you provide to your HyperNiche - and how you are going to provide it - is essential in creating a successful Fractional Leadership Consultancy.

    • ✍️

      Present/Finalize Your HyperNiche Statement (60 minutes)

      Submit by May 16
    • 📄

      What is an 'Only-Choice' Value Proposition (OCVP) and why is it important?

    • 📄

      Identifying Your 'Only-Choice' Value Proposition Variables

    • 📄

      In-Session Exercise - Identifying Your OCVP Variables (30 minutes)

    • 📄

      Prioritizing Your 'Only-Choice' Value Proposition Variables

    • 📄

      In-Session Exercise - Prioritizing Your OCVP Variables (15 minutes)

    • 📄

      Creating Your 'Only-Choice' Value Proposition (OCVP)

    • 📄

      Homework Assignment - Create Your 'Only-Choice' Value Proposition (3 hours)

    Watch Lecture on Designing Your Iterative & Collaborative Go-To-Market Plan

    • 📄

      Untitled lesson

Week 4

May 19—May 25

    May

    23

    Session 4

    Fri 5/233:00 PM—4:30 PM (UTC)

    Module #4: Designing Your Iterative & Collaborative Go-To-Market (ICGTM) Plan

    After defining your HyperNiche and Only-Choice Value Proposition, designing an Iterative and Collaborative Go-to-Market that 1) helps refine your offering to resonate with your audience and 2) creates an army of advocates is essential in successfully launching a Fractional Leadership Consultancy.

    • ✍️

      Present/Finalize your 'Only-Choice' Value Proposition Statement (60 minutes)

      Submit by May 23
    • 📄

      What is an Iterative & Collaborative Go-To-Market (ICGTM) & why is it important?

    • 📄

      Identify and prioritize the collaborators to engage in your ICGTM

    • 📄

      In-Session Exercise - Identify and rank sources of people for ICGTM (30 minutes)

    • 📄

      Reach out to and meet with the right people for your ICGTM

    • 📄

      Capture insights and make changes to your FLC Strategy

    • 📄

      Spread awareness through One-to-Many (OTM) sources for your ICGTM

    • 📄

      In-Session Exercise - Identify OTM categories and sources (30 minutes)

    • 📄

      Designing your Iterative & Collaborative Go-To-Market (ICGTM) Plan

    • 📄

      Homework Assignment - Design your Iterative & Collaborative GTM Plan (3 hours)

    Watch Lecture on Creating Your Win & Outsized-Value (WOV) Plan

    • 📄

      Video Recording

Week 5

May 26—Jun 1

    May

    30

    Session 5

    Fri 5/303:00 PM—4:30 PM (UTC)

    Module #5: Creating Your Win & Outsized-Value (WOV) Plan

    The hardest client to get is your first one - which is why an entire Session is dedicated to not only landing your first client, but also ensuring that you add outsized-value for them, which creates the necessary conditions for a successful Fractional Leadership Consultancy.

    • ✍️

      Present/Finalize Your Iterative & Collaborative GTM Plan (60 minutes)

      Submit by May 30
    • 📄

      Winning (signing) your first client

    • 📄

      In-Session Exercise - Turn Your HGCs into Differentiators (20 minutes)

    • 📄

      In-Session Exercise - Create Plan for Winning Your First Client (20 minutes)

    • 📄

      Providing outsized-value to your first client

    • 📄

      In-Session Exercise - Create your Plan to provide Outsized-Value (20 minutes)

    • 📄

      Creating your Win & Outsized-Value (WOV) Plan

    • 📄

      Homework Assignment - Create Your Win & Outsized-Value (WOV) Plan (3 hours)

    Watch Lecture on Architecting Your Growth/Scale Plan& Assembling 3-Year Plan

    • 📄

      Video Recording

Week 6

Jun 2—Jun 8

    Jun

    6

    Session 6

    Fri 6/63:00 PM—6:00 PM (UTC)

    Module #6: Architecting Your Growth/Scale (GS) Plan

    Identifying possible paths to grow/scale from the start that fit withing your Holistic Goals and Constraints allows you to better plan and execute for a successful Fractional Leadership Consultancy over the long-term.

    • ✍️

      Present/Finalize Your Win & Outsized-Value (WOV) Plan (60 minutes)

      Submit by Jun 6
    • 📄

      Getting Your 2nd Client

    • 📄

      Systematizing Your Approach

    • 📄

      In Session Exercise - Year 2 and 3 HGCs (20 minutes)

    • 📄

      Possible Paths to Grow/Scale

    • 📄

      In Session Exercise - Possible Grow Scale Paths (20 minutes)

    • 📄

      Architecting your Growth/Scale (GS) Plan

    • 📄

      Homework Assignment - Architect your Growth/Scale Plan (1.5 hours)

    Module #7: Assembling Your 3-Year Fractional Leadership Consultancy Strategy

    Finally, putting all of the different parts of the Fractional Leadership Consultancy Strategy together (Holistic Goals & Constraints (HGCs), HyperNiche (HN), Only-Choice Value Proposition (OCVP), Iterative & Collaborative Go-To-Market (ICGTM), Win & Outsized-Value Plan (WOV), Growth/Scale Plan (GS)) to set you up for success in launching your Fractional Leadership Consultancy.

    • 📄

      How is the Fractional Leadership Consultancy (FLC) Strategy meant to be used?

    • 📄

      Homework Assignment - Assemble Your FLC Strategy (1.5 hours)

Week 7

Jun 9—Jun 14

    Jun

    13

    Session 7

    Fri 6/133:00 PM—4:30 PM (UTC)

    Module #8: 3-Year Fractional Leadership Consultancy (FLC) Strategy Presentations

    Presenting your Fractional Leadership Consultancy to Mike and Cohort for feedback and refinement to be 100% ready for launch.

    • ✍️

      Present Your Grow/Scale (GS Plan) - withing your larger FLC Strategy

      Submit by Jun 13
    • ✍️

      Present Your 3-Year Fractional Leadership Consultancy Strategy (2.5 hours)

      Submit by Jun 13
    • 📄

      Final questions, comments and thoughts

What people are saying

        I had a lot of questions about how to start my fractional CMO practice. Fortunately, I had Mike to offer guidance and advice. 3 months in, my business calendar is full of exciting, profitable projects which are a direct outcome from the thinking, systems, and processes I learned from Mike.
Marc Binkley

Marc Binkley

Fractional CMO & Speaker, Quatical
        Mike is an expert at creating sustainable and thriving fractional businesses. Before I stepped out on my own, I spoke with Mike and he showed me everything I needed to build confidence that I could operate my own business. Fractional work is a large part of our business and has given me empowerment I never thought was possible.
Renee Matsalla

Renee Matsalla

Co-Founder, Tacit Edge Inc.
        Mike’s approach on how to establish and grow a Fractional Leadership consultancy was incredibly valuable. He showed me how to design a practice that fits my goals of meaningful work, driving incredible value for clients, and most importantly living a balanced life. If you are thinking about Fractional Leadership, this course is a no-brainer. 
Heather Ilsley

Heather Ilsley

Fractional CMO
        Mike stands out as a true authority in Fractional Leadership. His no-nonsense, proven methodology helped me to kick off and grow my own Fractional COO business faster than I imagined. If you’re a Fractional Leader or thinking about becoming one, I highly recommend that you check out his course. It’s straight talk and solid tactics!
Nish Sampath

Nish Sampath

Fractional COO, Switch Advisory Group
        Mike 100% knows his stuff when it comes to setting up and helping others create successful fractional businesses. He gives folks (myself included) the confidence and tools they need to make a fractional business their own.
Daniel Sacks

Daniel Sacks

Fractional Philanthropy & Impact Advisor
        Mike helped me level up my positioning, my process and my price. His no-nonsense approach to Fractional Leadership isn’t just talk—it’s practical, actionable advice you can implement today. I would definitely recommend that any current or aspiring Fractional Leader consider taking this course to supercharge their business.
Matt Hayles

Matt Hayles

Fractional CMO, Interval Consulting
        When the opportunity to engage in fractional work presented itself, Mike was the first person I reached out to. His methodical approach to identifying your HyperNiche and crafting an “Only-Choice” Value Proposition was absolutely invaluable for me. I can’t wait to get my hands on (and start applying) the full Fractional Leadership curriculum!
Jaret Hargreaves

Jaret Hargreaves

Digital Health Product Advisor

Meet your instructor

Mike Gaudet

Mike Gaudet

Principal, Eighty Twenty CMO

Mike’s Fractional Leadership journey started 5 years ago, when he was working as in-house, full-time Marketing Leader in Tech. He was working upwards of 60 hours a week, in-office which was doable…until he had his first child. After that, he knew that he needed to think of a way to continue to do the work he loved and provide outsized-value, but to do so within his new (holistic - work and personal) goals/constraints.


The solution Mike came up with was to create Eighty Twenty CMO, his Fractional CMO consultancy. Over the past 4 years, Mike has met (and exceeded) the holistic goals that he set - doubling his income, while providing even more outsized-value than before


More than that, he did so while respecting the constraints that he set for himself to create the life he wanted - working 50% less than before and taking 3-months of vacation a year, all while (mostly) working from home.


This course is Mike's 'Playbook' that other current and aspiring Fractional Leaders have leveraged to fundamentally change their relationship to work, while not compromising on outsized-value provided or income generated. 

Course schedule

5.5 hours per week

  • 1.5 Hour Live Sessions (7) - 10.5 Hours of Instruction Total

    9:00am-10:30am MT (GMT+7)

    1.5-hour live Sessions will take place every week on the same day/time for 7 weeks.


    Sessions are used to answer any outstanding questions from the Lecture Recording and collaboratively review Assignments, which are the building blocks for your Fractional Leadership Consultancy.

  • 1.5 Hour Recorded Lectures (6) - 9 Hours Total

    At Your Own Convenience During the Week

    Watch the Lecture portion of the course asynchronously during the week - whenever you have time to do so :)!


    The Lectures introduce and explain core concepts, as well as provide guidance on completing the Assignment for the week which will be collaboratively reviewed/discussed.

  • 3 Hours of Weekly Homework Assignments (6) - 18 Hours Total

    6 Assignments Total (Begin in Week 2)

    Assignments in Weeks 2-7 are designed to provide you with what is necessary to successfully launch your Fractional Leadership consultancy:


    1) HGC Statement, 2) HN Statement, 3) OCVP Statement, 4) ICGTM Plan, 5) WOV Plan, 6) GS Plan and 7) 3-Year Fractional Leadership Strategy

  • 45-Minute 1:1 Cohort Get-To-Knows (5) - 3.75 Hours Total

    At Your Own Convenience During the Week

    From Weeks 2-6, you'll be paired with a current or previous Cohort member for an informal, get-to-know meeting.


    Deepening relationships with fellow (or former) Cohort members is consistently rated as one of the best value-adds of the whole course - these meetings make it easy!

  • 5.5 Hours (Approximately) of Weekly of Time Commitment - 42 Hours Total

    Optimal Mix of Sessions & Own-Time Work

    Other than the 1.5-hour Sessions from 9am-10:30am MT (GMT +7) on the same day/time each week, Lecture Recordings and Homework Assignments can be viewed/completed whenever is convenient for you.

Learning is better with cohorts

Learning is better with cohorts

Active hands-on learning

This course builds on live workshops and hands-on projects

Interactive and project-based

You’ll be interacting with other learners through breakout rooms and project teams

Learn with a cohort of peers

Join a community of like-minded people who want to learn and grow alongside you