OKAY, SO THIS IS TECHNICALLY AN ABOUT SHARLIN PAGE...

An honest conversation about business, operations, getting sh*t done, and Sharlin the person behind it all.

You know that part of a podcast where you skip the polished introduction and get into the actual conversation?

This is that bit.

No corporate bio. No third-person spiel about how many years of experience I have.

Just a few questions I get asked a lot, and my honest answers.

So lets get straight into it...

Prefer to listen? Hear some of my story on the podcast.

Q: Let’s start with the obvious one...

What do you actually do?

A: Ha! I get asked this ALL the time.

I call myself a Business Build & Delivery Partner.

Which is really a less corporate way of saying I work across operations, systems, strategy and delivery to help business owners turn all those ideas, plans and half-finished projects into something that actually works.

Technically, in industry terms, I’m an Operations Consultant, Operations Manager or Fractional COO.

But I’ve learned that those titles don’t always help.

Say “Fractional COO” to a small business owner and you can almost see them thinking, That sounds expensive... and I’m not entirely sure what it means.

And that’s exactly the problem.

Operations shouldn’t only be something big companies get to have.

Q: Okay... so what does that actually look like?

A: Honestly? It depends on what your business needs.

I’m a generalist, and I actually see that as one of my biggest strengths.

One day, I might be looking at your strategy and helping you work out what needs to happen over the next six months.

The next, I’m untangling a process that’s taking three hours when it should take thirty minutes.

I could be building systems, organising projects, looking at the numbers, creating workflows, supporting marketing, coordinating people, fixing something that’s gone sideways, or simply asking: “Why are we doing it like this?”

My background spans finance, project management, systems, planning, strategy and creative work, so I’m comfortable moving between the big picture and the tiny details.

And sometimes, I’m simply the person making sure the thing you said was going to happen...actually happens.

Q: Okay... so what does that actually look like?

A: Honestly? It depends on what your business needs.

I’m a generalist, and I actually see that as one of my biggest strengths.

One day, I might be looking at your strategy and helping you work out what needs to happen over the next six months.

The next, I’m untangling a process that’s taking three hours when it should take thirty minutes.

I could be building systems, organising projects, looking at the numbers, creating workflows, supporting marketing, coordinating people, fixing something that’s gone sideways, or simply asking: “Why are we doing it like this?”

My background spans finance, project management, systems, planning, strategy and creative work, so I’m comfortable moving between the big picture and the tiny details.

And sometimes, I’m simply the person making sure the thing you said was going to happen...actually happens.

Q: So you're basically the person who gets sh*t done?

A: 😂 Pretty much.

But there's a little more to it than that.

Getting sh*t done isn't about filling your calendar with more tasks.

It's about making the business easier to run. And then there's my personal favourite:Problem-solving.

Give me a knotty problem and I'm probably going to want to untangle it.

That's essentially what good operations does: remove friction between where the business is now and where you're trying to take it.

Q: So you're basically the person who gets sh*t done?

A: 😂 Pretty much.

But there's a little more to it than that.

Getting sh*t done isn't about filling your calendar with more tasks.

It's about making the business easier to run. And then there's my personal favourite:Problem-solving.

Give me a knotty problem and I'm probably going to want to untangle it.

That's essentially what good operations does: remove friction between where the business is now and where you're trying to take it.

Q: Who do you tend to work with?

A: These days, I’m drawn to community leaders, educators, visionaries and purpose-led founders who are building something that goes beyond making money.

Whether you’re educating, creating opportunities, supporting communities or simply have a bloody good idea that deserves to grow, it’s never really been about the industry for me.

It’s about the person behind it. When what you’re building genuinely means something to you, helping you bring it to life means something to me too.

Q: You spent a long time in corporate before this, didn't you?

A: I spent more than two decades in the corporate world, predominantly in finance and project management at a senior level.

On paper, I had a successful career, but the stress of work and life eventually caught up with me. I developed ulcerative colitis, became seriously ill and ended up in intensive care.

While I was going through all of that, the question from work was, “When are you coming back?” That changed everything.

I realised I was ultimately another number, and after years of delivering, fixing and making things happen for everyone else, it was time to put myself first.

Q: So, is that what made you start your own business?

A: It was definitely the catalyst.

I’d spent more than 20 years building skills in finance, project management, planning, systems, problem-solving and delivery, and I realised those skills didn’t have to stay in the corporate world. Why couldn’t I use them to help smaller organisations and founders who might never have an operations team behind them?

So that’s what I did. And it gave me something I’d been missing for a long time: fulfilment.

No two days are the same, I get to work with brilliant people and, most importantly, I get to see the difference my work makes.

That matters to me. A lot.

Q: What have been the biggest highlights along the way?

A: I’ve received multiple awards and had some incredible “how did I end up here?” moments.

A big one was receiving my Small Business Sunday award and meeting Theo Paphitis from Dragons’ Den, recognising my work supporting underrepresented businesses. Another was becoming Chair of the Board of Advisors for Lyrici Arts.

But the biggest highlight? Knowing my work matters. Watching someone come to me with an idea and helping turn it into something real, sometimes bigger than they imagined.

“Bloody hell... I helped do that.”

That’s pretty hard to beat.

Q: Enough business. What are you like outside of work?

A: 😂 My friends would say I’m the class clown, a people person and very family-orientated. I love a laugh and try not to take life too seriously. They also used to call me Posh Spice, probably because I like things looking good (including myself..lol) and done properly.

I’m the unofficial agony aunt and fixer too. Give me a problem and I’m already looking for the solution. And planning? There’s always a plan. Some call it excessive. I call it operations.

Q: Last one. What should someone know before working with you?

A: I’m not here to make your business more corporate. Quite the opposite. I want your business to work better for you.

I’m all about making things clearer, simpler, more organised and easier to deliver, without unnecessary systems or processes. Sometimes that means strategy, sometimes systems or project delivery, and sometimes you just need another brain in the room to say, “Right. Here’s what we’re going to do.”

Got something brilliant in your head...

but need help actually building it?

Sometimes you need someone who can step into the business,

understand the vision, spot what's getting in the way and help you move it forward.

That's where I come in.

Got something brilliant in your head...

but need help actually building it?