You're not getting a job in January.
You're not getting one in February either.
So maybe stop scrolling and start deciding.
Let's Be Honest About Why You're Here
It's the week before Christmas. Most people have checked out. But you're still on LinkedIn.
You're not "catching up on industry news." You're not "networking." You're looking for an answer you haven't found yet.
Maybe you're between roles. 100+ applications. Ghosted by recruiters half your age. Wondering if the market will magically fix itself in the new year.
It won't.
Maybe you're employed but you know it's ending. The reorg is coming. The severance package is being drafted somewhere. You're going through the motions while quietly panicking about what January actually looks like.
Maybe you have clients but you're working 80 hours a week and calling it "freedom." You're not free. You're self-employed and drowning. The holidays aren't rest—they're just a pause before the grind restarts.
Different situations. Same lie you're telling yourself:
"I'll figure it out in January."
No You Won't
January will come with the same inbox, the same broken strategy, and the same magical thinking that got you here.
You'll send more applications into the void. You'll "leverage your network" and get coffee meetings that go nowhere. You'll take another client at the wrong rate because you're scared to say no. You'll tell yourself that this month will be different.
It won't be.
The job market won't suddenly want 52-year-old VPs. The recruiters won't suddenly call back. The scope creep won't fix itself because you wished really hard over the holidays.
The only thing that changes is whether you have a system or not.
Why I Came Back to Fix This
Quick background: I founded Chief Outsiders in 2009 and introduced "Fractional CMO" to the market. The system we built has placed thousands of executives at $10K-$25K/month retainers.
I went on to build other companies. Invest in others. Wasn't planning to come back to this space.
But execs kept reaching out. Asking for help. And I saw what was broken:
- Placement firms taking 30-40% of your revenue forever for making an introduction
- Career coaches selling motivation without systems—"believe in yourself" doesn't pay the mortgage
- Executives spinning in circles, blaming themselves for a game that's rigged against them
So I came back to fix it.
The Truth About Your Situation
If you're a corporate refugee with no clients:
The W2 path is rigged against you. This isn't pessimism—it's data.
78% of workers 40-65 have experienced age discrimination. Workers 50+ spend 50% longer unemployed. Only 10% of displaced executives over 50 find comparable roles within 12 months.
The job boards aren't broken. They're working exactly as designed. Just not for you.
Fractional executive work bypasses all of it.
No HR filters. No ATS algorithms. No 28-year-old recruiters deciding you're "overqualified." Just founder-to-founder conversations where your 20 years of experience is the product, not a liability.
There's a systematic process to land your first fractional client in 90 days. Not networking. Not hoping. Not "putting yourself out there." A system.
If you already have clients but you're drowning:
You don't have a demand problem. You have a scope problem and a pricing problem.
I helped a fractional CFO named David before The ReTern even existed. He was making $432K a year. Sounds great—except he was working 100+ hours a week, responding to emails at midnight, and hadn't picked up his kids from school in six months.
Six months later: Half the hours. Fewer clients. More revenue. His wife noticed within the first month.
The domino was scope control. Everything else fell from there.
There's a system for that too. Different problem than landing your first client. Same principle: right activities, clear boundaries, systems over hustle.
The Window You're Wasting
The two weeks between Christmas and New Year's is the most underrated strategic planning time of the year.
No meetings. No fires. No one expecting anything from you.
Just space to think. To decide. To stop lying to yourself about January.
Most people will waste it. They'll binge Netflix, scroll LinkedIn, and tell themselves they'll "hit the ground running" on January 2nd.
They won't.
The executives who actually change their situation? They use this window.
They get clear on what they want. They diagnose what's actually blocking them. They find the system and start executing before everyone else is still recovering from New Year's Eve.
December is when you decide. January is when you act.
But you can't act on magical thinking. You need a plan.
Here's What I'm Offering
I have a few slots open between now and January 3rd.
30 minutes. No pitch. Just diagnosis.
- Where you are
- What's actually blocking you
- Whether there's a fit
If there's not a fit, I'll tell you. I'd rather spend 30 minutes being honest than waste both our time.
But if you've been waiting for the "right time" to figure this out—stop waiting. There isn't one.
The right time is when you stop scrolling and start deciding.
Two Paths
Voyage 1: You're trying to land your first fractional client.
Take the Launch Assessment before we talk. 19 questions. 7 minutes. Shows exactly where you're blocked.
Voyage 2: You have clients but you're drowning.
Take the Scale Assessment. 24 questions. 10 minutes. Different problem. Different solution.
Or just book the call and we'll figure it out together.
You're not getting a job in January.
But you could have a client by March.
The only question is whether you're going to keep scrolling—or start deciding.
Comment "CALL" or DM me and I'll send the link.
The work is serious. The life doesn't have to be.
Kirk Coburn created the Fractional CMO category in 2009 and has helped place 2,000+ executives in fractional roles at $10K-$25K/month. He writes about the systematic path from corporate refugee to thriving fractional executive.
