Fractional COO vs. Operational Intelligence: What Agencies Actually Need , With Kristen Kelly

About this Episode In this episode of the Agency Profit Podcast, Marcel is joined by returning guest and Parakeeto team member Kristen Kelly to demystify a common crossroads for growing agencies: hiring a fractional COO versus building operational intelligence. They dig into the million-dollar revenue inflection point, where founders often feel the pressure to “fix ops” without knowing exactly what that means—or who to hire. Marcel and Kristen break down what a fractional COO really does (spoiler: it depends), why operational intelligence is often the better starting point, and how clarity around metrics, modeling, and decision-making can be a total unlock. Whether you’re tired of gut-based decisions, drowning in messy data, or wondering what role to hire next, this episode is packed with practical insight and hard-won perspective to help you grow with confidence.