What if scaling a business didn't have to rely on constant heroics and carrying everything yourself?
Founders hire you to get themselves out of the day-to-day and avoid burnout, but...Â
Scaling isn't sustainable if the chaos just transfers from their plate to yours (or if you're the one who burns out instead).
That's why you need a proven system for scaling that ensures nothing depends on any single person, including you, and where every facet of the business is intentionally architected to scale simply and sustainably.
Unlike most certification programs, we don't only teach you how to be great at operations... because you already are.
We give you a complete ecosystem for scaling and leading a small-to-mid-sized business alongside or on behalf of the founder.
We certify you in the Lean Scaling System and show you how to simplify and scale your own services as you do the same for your clients.
We show you how to become the SOL of the business.
What exactly is a SOL?
SOL = Strategy & Operations Leader
A Strategy and Operations Leader (SOL) is a strategic thinking partner to the founder who acts as the bridge between their vision and measurable results. They drive sustainable scaling by aligning 3 core pillars - Operational Excellence, Scalable Growth, and Sustainable Success.
SOLs are uniquely skilled at extracting the founder from the day to day and strategically leading and scaling the business.Â
We specialize in certifying 2Â critical types of SOLs:
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External consultants, fractionals, agency owners, and strategic advisors who partner with SMBs
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Internal COOs and right-hand leaders who work full-time within a business
What the Certification Focuses On
You will learn the Lean Scaling System (LSS) and how to apply it to the businesses you partner with or work in. LSS includes the 9 interconnected engines that propel the business forward, aligned to 3 core pillars:
SUSTAINABLE SUCCESS
Extract the founder from daily operations and lead a high-performing team who thinks like owners with planning cadences that bring vision and goals to reality without burning everyone out.
OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE
Simplify, streamline, systematize, and stabilize how the business runs and grows, scaling profit, impact, and results without adding unnecessary expenses or complexity.
SCALABLE GROWTH
Turn how the business attracts, nurtures, and converts leads into a repeatable growth engine that delivers an exceptional client experience, better retention, and repeat referrals.
In addition, those on the Fractional / Consultant path will learn the Chief Strategy and Operating Officer (CSOO) service model for scaling their own service offerings and will be licensed to use the Lean Scaling System with clients.
Meet the Founder, Crista Grasso, a scaling strategist, operations alchemist, & creator of the Lean Scaling System™.
With over 30 years of experience in strategy and operations, Crista has supported thousands of businesses to scale more sustainably, profitably, and with less complexity.
She’s known for helping founders get out of the day-to-day operations and for helping experienced operators become the strategic partner every founder wants and every small to mid-sized business needs.
Crista has built multiple 7-figure businesses of her own and has spent decades advising fast-growing small businesses and Fortune 500 companies alike.
She knows firsthand what it takes to evolve from a high-performing doer to a trusted advisor and right-hand leader responsible for the success and scale of the business.
Her work at Strategic Ops Institute is rooted in real-world experience and designed for those who lead the work and shape the future of a business from the inside out.
READ CRISTA'S STORY
JOIN THE
Ready to become the strategic force small businesses can't imagine scaling without (even in a noisy, AI-obsessed market)?
Great, we've got just the thing!
SOL Collective is THEÂ private community for seasoned founders, fractionals, consultants, and leaders centered on the three core capabilities that help you stand out and simplify how you scale your own business and your clients' - strategic leadership, AI enablement, and signature positioning.
Are you ready for the future of operations?
As market shifts and the rapid expansion of AI capabilities continue to reshape small to mid-sized businesses, the expectations for operational roles and advisors are changing.
We break down what’s changed, what’s coming, and what to do now to stay in-demand and indispensable inside the Future of Operations eBook.
What Fractionals, Consultants, Advisors, and Operational Leaders Need to Be Ready For
BECOME A STRATEGIC OPS INSIDER
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