- Ops & Other Opinions
- Posts
- Nearly every business is a mess
Nearly every business is a mess
And it's almost, always totally fixable
Mary Alice Duff
September 01, 2025
Hey reader,
Real quick before today’s long read: some news!
I’ve been speaking with many aspiring, new, and future fractional operators lately. And let me tell you — they’re brilliant at getting shit done, but when it comes to running their own business (the marketing, selling, positioning part)… that’s where things stall out.
So I’m building something I wish I’d had 15 years ago when I first started consulting and again 4 years ago when I went all-in on the fractional operator path.
I’m calling it an Ops Clinic for Future Fractionals. One small group, 8 weeks, a space to get unstuck, build momentum, and treat your fractional work like the real business it is. And we’re kicking things off Monday, October 6.
👉 You can read more in my recent LinkedIn post.
👉 Or check out the super slick “sales page” here. (Spoiler: it’s a Google Doc. Because you’re an operator — you don’t need fluff.)
Got questions? Please don’t hesitate to reach out! Happy to chat.
Onward,
Mary Alice
Table of Contents
The Messy Org Archetypes (and How to Fix Them)
Humans—we’re a bit of a mess, aren’t we?
We come to work carrying years of experience, baggage, sometimes trauma, definitely biases, and plenty of bad habits. And we don’t leave that neatly at the door. We bring it all into the workplace.
Which means small businesses, startups, nonprofits, even big corporations—they’re all dysfunctional by nature. Not because people don’t care, but because humans are running them.
Without intention—without purposefully designing for function—dysfunction will thrive.
I’ve been working with founders 1:1 for the past four years, and before that, I was my own messy founder. And let me tell you: I dragged a lot of my own stuff into my business. Chief among them? A massive scarcity mindset that kept me saying yes to everything, playing small, and quietly sabotaging the growth I wanted.
Here’s the thing: your organization isn’t broken. But it might be stuck. And the mess you’re feeling? It’s not unique.
Over time, I’ve seen the same seven messy patterns show up again and again. I call them the Messy Org Archetypes.
Each one has strengths. Each one has weaknesses. And each one has a way through—if you know what you’re looking at.
Let’s break them down.