Your business is ready to scale.

Your operations need to catch up.

A woman in black top, blue jeans, and red shoes standing in front of a historic building, with a red purse across her shoulder, smiling at the camera.

I'm Jill Higginbottom — Fractional COO and former Nike executive with 12 years building and governing operational infrastructure at scale, including a $1 billion global supply chain portfolio.

I work with growth-stage companies that have outpaced their systems. If your team is moving fast but your operations can't keep up, that's where I come in.

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Most businesses don't fail from lack of ambition. They fail from lack of infrastructure.

You have the vision. You have the drive. But somewhere between idea and execution, things break down. Projects fall through the cracks. Your team isn't aligned. You're making the same decisions over and over because nothing is documented. Growth feels harder than it should.

That's not a you problem. That's an operations problem. And it's exactly what I fix.

I build operating systems that actually get used.

After 12 years at Nike — as Chief of Staff, Portfolio Manager and Senior Program Manager— I know what it takes to run complex, fast-moving organizations. I managed multi-million dollar strategic initiatives and coordinated teams across continents.

Now I bring that same rigor to founders and small business owners who are ready to stop running everything in their heads.

Built for founders who are done improvising.

Whether you're a solo operator drowning in reactive work or a small team that's grown faster than your processes, the answer is the same: you need an operating system that fits your business and your life.

How we can work together

  • The Ops Diagnostic

    Before you can fix what is broken, you need to know what is actually broken — and why. The Ops Diagnostic is a two-week, deep-access engagement where I audit how your company actually operates versus how you think it does. You walk away with a written Ops Diagnostic Report and a prioritized 90-Day Roadmap that tells you exactly where to focus, in what order, and why. Most clients use this as the entry point before moving into an intensive or retainer engagement.

    Deliverables: Ops Diagnostic Report, 90-Day Priority Roadmap, 60-minute debrief session

    Timeline: 2 weeks | Investment: Starting from $3,500

  • The Operating System Build

    Three months. One outcome: a company that can run without you in the weeds. I embed with your leadership team to diagnose what is breaking, design the systems that will fix it, build and install them with your team, and hand off a fully documented operating infrastructure that keeps working after I leave. You come out the other side with a functioning leadership cadence, cross-functional governance, documented workflows, and a team that knows how to use all of it.

    Deliverables: Operating cadence design, governance framework, workflow documentation, Airtable or Smartsheet dashboard build, team enablement sessions

    Timeline: 90 days | Investment: Starting from $20,000

  • The Embedded Ops Partner (Fractional COO)

    Your operations don't need a consultant. They need an operator. As your Embedded Ops Partner, I become the operational backbone of your leadership team — attending key meetings, managing cross-functional execution, building the governance systems that keep your team aligned, and ensuring your highest-priority initiatives actually get done. This is an ongoing monthly partnership, not a project. Engagements typically run 6–12 months. Capacity is limited to three clients.

    What is included: Weekly leadership rhythm, cross-functional oversight, executive reporting, async support, and active management of your operational infrastructure

    Commitment: 6-month minimum | Investment: Starting from $8,000/month

The experience behind the work

12 years. Nike Inc roles - Chief of Staff, Portfolio Manager and Senior Program Manager.

I didn't study how world-class companies operate. I built the systems inside one. The difference between Nike's operational discipline and what most small businesses run on is significant — and closeable. That gap is exactly where I work.

Book a Strategy Session · Apply to Work Together · Fractional COO · Embedded Ops Partner · Ex-Nike · $1B Portfolio ·

Book a Strategy Session · Apply to Work Together · Fractional COO · Embedded Ops Partner · Ex-Nike · $1B Portfolio ·

Ready to build something that actually runs?

The first step is a 20-minute call. You'll leave with clarity on where your operations are breaking and what to prioritize — whether we work together or not.