Turn operational chaos into calm

Growing businesses hit a wall: bottlenecks pop up, timelines slip, and status feels like guesswork.We provide part-time, senior-level project and program management to help small- to medium-sized businesses in Chicagoland get more done without adding headcount.

project management

Get your critical initiatives
across the finish line with
less stress and more confidence

Who this is for:

  • You're managing a big change (system implementation, office move, process update) and need someone to own the details

  • You have an important initiative that keeps getting delayed because daily operations take priority

  • You're not clear on who's doing what or when things are due

  • You know you need structure but don't have time to create it

What you get:

  • Setup and structure: Define scope, timeline and project plan

  • Project leadership: Check-ins, risk logs and status updates

  • Delivery support: Milestone tracking and deadline management, accountability for deliverables, go-live coordination and hypercare support

What it drives:

  • Increase likelihood of finishing on time and within scope

  • Have clear ownership and accountability throughout

  • Stay visible to leadership without constant check-ins

  • Get the work done with reduced disruption to your team

program management

Turn Multiple Projects
Into One Strategic Win

Who this is for:

  • You're managing a complex initiative with several related workstreams (opening a new location, launching a new service line, overhauling operations across departments) and you need someone to orchestrate it

  • Individual projects are progressing but the overall vision isn't coming together

  • Projects keep bumping into each other - competing for the same people, budget, or resources

What you get:

  • Program architecture: Integrated roadmap showing how projects connect, dependencies and sequencing across workstreams, resource plan, decision governance structure

  • Cross-project coordination: Regular sync meetings across project leads, consolidated status reporting, risk and issue escalation process

  • Program oversight: Portfolio dashboard showing program health, milestone tracking across all workstreams, benefit realization monitoring, stakeholder communication cadence

What it drives:

  • Deliver the full strategic outcome, not just individual pieces

  • Move faster because dependencies are managed proactively

  • Use resources efficiently across all workstreams

  • Give leadership one clear view of progress and risks

portfolio management

Stop Juggling. Start Deciding.

Who this is for:

  • You have several unrelated projects running at the same time and need help deciding what to prioritize

  • Leadership wants visibility across all initiatives but tracking is scattered

  • Projects get approved without considering if you have the people or budget to deliver

  • Your team is spread too thin and everything feels urgent

What you get:

  • Portfolio structure and visibility: Centralized portfolio view of all initiatives, prioritization framework tied to business goals, capacity and demand planning, portfolio health dashboard

  • Intake and governance: Project intake and approval process, monthly portfolio review cadence, resource capacity planning, budget tracking across portfolio

  • Strategic alignment: Quarterly portfolio planning, business case templates and evaluation criteria, performance metrics and reporting, portfolio optimization recommendations

What it drives:

  • Align project investments with strategic priorities

  • Give leadership confidence that resources go to the right work

  • Prevent team burnout from overcommitment

  • Show clear ROI on project spending

  • Create predictable delivery rhythms

Case Studies

Retail Company - Program Management - Critical System Upgrade

The Situation:A business-critical software system was about to hit end-of-life, meaning the vendor would stop supporting it entirely. The team had four big workstreams (data migration, new reports, system connections, and training) but nobody was connecting the dots. Teams were working in silos, people didn't know who was in charge of what, and the attitude was "there's no way we're making this deadline." Missing it would mean the whole system went dark.What I Did:I stepped in to get everyone organized and moving in the same direction in just a few weeks. I clarified who owned what, set up a clear meeting rhythm so teams actually talked to each other, mapped out what needed to happen when, and made sure leadership knew exactly where we were stuck so they could help. Most importantly, I shifted the team's mindset from "we can't" to "here's how we will."What Happened:Within two months, we went from a failing project to one that was on track. The team started owning their work, leadership could see what was happening and jump in to help when needed, and we launched on time (avoiding what would have been a disaster for the business).Why This Matters for Your Business:When you have a critical project at risk (a big system change, a new location opening, a major process overhaul) you need someone who can step in, cut through the chaos, and get your team moving. That's exactly what fractional program management delivers: experienced leadership when you need it most, without hiring someone full-time.

About

Katie Zborowski
Founder, Principal Consultant

With 10 years of enterprise project and program management experience at Uber, Kraft Heinz, and Ulta Beauty, plus a Master's in Project Management and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, I know how big companies run projects - and how to strip away the bloat.I'm based in Long Grove, IL, and enjoy exploring our wonderful area with my husband and daughter.

Contact

Book a free discovery call to see how you can have fewer surprises, happier teams, and real capacity unlocked.