In this episode of HR Heretics, Nolan Church and Kelli Dragovich interview Sally Thornton, founder of Forshay. Sally shares insights on the fractional executive placement business she's built since 2011. Thornton emphasizes that successful fractional work requires consultative skills, boundary management, and rapid trust-building rather than simply scoped part-time arrangements. If you're thinking of going fractional, this is a must-listen discussion.

*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.co

For coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/

HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.

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KEEP UP WITH SALLY, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDIN

Sally: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallythornton/

Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/

Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/

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LINK/S:

Forshay: https://forshay.com/

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(01:58) What Forge Does

(02:33) Trust Barriers in Fractional Work

(03:25) The Relational Approach

(04:36) Buyer Mindset Challenges

(06:10) Marketplaces vs. Agents

(10:00) The Adverse Selection Problem

(10:56) The Dirty Secret of Fractional

(11:45) Different Interview Approach

(13:03) Consulting Background Advantage

(13:53) Sponsors: Planful | Metaview

(16:57) The Ideal Buyer

(17:26) Early vs. Late Stage Company Challenges

(18:24) CFOs Make Better Clients

(18:59) Transparent Pricing Model

(21:41) Hourly Rate Guidelines

(22:41) W2 vs. 1099 Considerations

(23:27) The Honeymoon Phase

(24:52) Managing Client Expectations

(26:46) Beyond Filling Open Roles

(29:08) The Assessment Process

(34:29) Evolution from Interim to Fractional

(37:05) Advice for New Fractional Execs

(38:15) The Black Hole Complaint

(40:11) Career Self-Management

(42:11) Sustaining a 15-Year Business

(43:06) Wrap

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

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