Small Business Operations Consultant · San Diego, CA

I build companies
so you can
build your business.

You started your company to do the thing you're great at. I come in and build everything else — the systems, the structure, the people operations, the AI tools — so your business actually runs without you holding it together.

Work With Me See What I Do
Jenn Lien
By the numbers
30
Years in Operations
$100
Per hour · No long-term commitment required
0→11,000
Company size range
Apple · Yahoo · Airbnb · Iterable
01

Stand Up the Company

HR, payroll, compliance, IT setup, legal foundations. Everything a business needs to exist before it can grow — done right the first time.

02

Build the Infrastructure

Business systems, workflows, SOPs, and operating rhythm. The kind of structure that lets your team move without asking you every five minutes.

03

Build the Team

Hiring frameworks, job descriptions, onboarding, performance systems. From your first hire to a team that runs itself.

30
Years Experience
25
Years Building at Scale
7+
Active Clients
0→11,000
Company Size Range

"I take business owners who have no time and tell them exactly where to spend their one hour a week so they do the thing with the most impact."

I'm not here to run your meetings or fill a seat. I'm here to unlock you. Figure out what's in the way, clear it, and build the thing that lets you actually move. I've done it at companies from 0 people to 2,300 — as a fractional COO, program manager, HR director, and operations lead. I know what scale looks like before you can see it. And I build for it from day one. I also teach small business owners how to actually use AI tools to work smarter — not as a gimmick, but as a real part of how they run.

Ready to stop duct-taping it together?

Start with a free 30-minute call. We figure out if there's something worth doing — then go from there. Hands-on hours at $100/hr, 2-hour minimum.

Let's Talk
What I Do

I come in and build
what you don't have time to build.

I'm not a coach. I'm not a cheerleader. I'm the person who shows up, figures out what's broken or missing, builds the fix — and leaves you better than I found you.

Services

Built for founders and small business owners.

Whether you need HR setup, a hiring process, a business plan, AI tools that actually work for your situation, or someone to own the project nobody else has time for — I've done it before, and I'll build it for you.

Business Tutoring

You know your craft. The business part is murkier. I'll sit down with you and walk through whatever you need — what your numbers actually mean, how to think about pricing, what a real plan looks like, why your marketing isn't working. No jargon. No judgment. Just honest answers to the questions you didn't know you could ask.

Strategy Basics Business Planning Pricing & Operations 1:1 Sessions

AI & Tech Tutoring

AI isn't complicated.

#shamelessplug — I also wrote a book about this: AI for Funsies! Ridiculously Useful Things to Ask AI

It's only wrong when you're using it for the wrong things or not giving it the right information to start. I'll show you how to actually use it for your business — write better, think through decisions, build a website, automate the tedious stuff. Hands on your real problems, not a generic demo.

ChatGPT & Claude Website Building Workflow Automation 1:1 Sessions

Launch & Growth Planning

Turn a big, ambitious idea into a real, tangible thing with actual steps. Getting a business legally stood up — SoS filing, FEIN, IIPP, WPVP, contracts, and everything else that has to exist before you can operate. Go-to-market strategy, operational readiness. I've helped entrepreneurs go from "I had this idea..." to "we have a plan" — and then execute it.

Business Formation Go-to-Market Compliance Setup Growth Planning

Hiring & Onboarding

Hiring frameworks and playbooks, job descriptions, interview and assessment design and training, offer processes, background checks, and onboarding plans and programs for both employees and vendors. Simple, repeatable processes that scale.

Hiring Frameworks Job Descriptions Interview & Assessment Onboarding Programs Vendor Onboarding

HR & People Operations

I've built HR and People Ops from scratch — from hiring the first employee to running a 475-person operation. Engagement surveys, mentor programs, Performance Improvement plans, Individual Development Plans and rollout, career path architecture, and compliant offboarding. Lightweight but scalable. Simple, repeatable processes that grow with you.

HR from Scratch Performance & Development Career Path Architecture Compliant Offboarding Mentor Programs

Business Operations & Infrastructure

Create the operating rhythm, systems, and documentation that let your business run without you holding it together. Spend frameworks, vendor management, SOPs, planning cycles. Built once. Used forever.

Business Rhythm SOPs Vendor Mgmt OKR Systems

Program & Change Management

The big rollouts. The annoying projects nobody wants to own. Organizational change that has to happen and nobody has time for. I bring structure, clear communication, and accountability so the thing actually gets done.

Large Rollouts Change Mgmt Comms Strategy Project Ownership

IT & Systems Implementation

Google Workspace, Slack, payroll, file architecture, IT on/offboarding. The tools your team uses every day, set up the right way the first time so they actually get used.

Google Workspace Slack Payroll Setup IT Systems
Pricing

Start where you are.

Start Here
Free 30-min call

No commitment · Just a conversation

Where you are, where you want to go, what's in the way. We find out together.

As-Needed
$100 /hr

2-hour minimum · No ongoing commitment

Pick me up when you need me. Project pricing available — we'll work it out in the consult.

Project Work
Let's figure it out

Defined scope · Defined deliverable

Some work is a project, not an hourly engagement. We scope it in the first call and price it from there.

Figure Out Which One Fits
Who I Work With

The smaller you are when you call me, the better I can build it.

Under 10 people

This is my sweet spot. You have a real thing. Now you need the business behind it — built right the first time, so you're not undoing bad decisions when you hit 30 people.

Under 50 people

Things are starting to break. More people, more complexity, more chaos. I build the structure that absorbs growth without everything falling apart — and I'm already thinking about the compliance requirement you'll hit next year.

Up to ~1,000 people

I'm selective here. If your business exists to make money and that's the whole story, I'm probably not your person. If there's a mission behind it, a community you're accountable to, or a reason beyond the bottom line — let's talk.

How I Work

No handoff decks.
No mystery.

Here's exactly what happens when we work together — and what I need from you to make it work.

The honest version

I don't make it complicated.
You don't have time for complicated.

My job is to take the chaos out of your brain, put it into a system, and make sure that system actually runs. Whether you're a solo business owner who needs a plan, a founder trying to hire your first employee, or a growing company under 50 people that needs a fractional COO — I've been there. I build for where you're going, not just where you are.

I've built operations from 0 to 500 employees and jumped into organizations ranging from 500 to 11,000 to run business planning, HR, and everything in between. Now I do the same for small business owners in Ocean Beach, Point Loma, and across San Diego County — one-on-one, hands-on, no hype.

The Process

What actually happens.

01

We figure out what's actually broken.

Not what you think is broken. I ask the right questions, listen to what you're not saying, and get to the real issue fast. Most founders come in thinking they need one thing, and actually need something else entirely. I'll tell you which one it is.

02

I tell you exactly where to put your hour.

You don't have unlimited time. I don't pretend you do. We identify the one thing that has the highest leverage right now and we do that first. Everything else gets sequenced.

03

I build it. You stop worrying about it.

I don't hand you a framework and wish you luck. I build the actual thing — the SOP, the system, the process, the hiring flow — and make sure it works before I move on.

04

We establish the rhythm.

One-time fixes don't stick. I build operating cadences — weekly check-ins, planning rhythms, accountability structures — so the progress compounds and doesn't collapse when I'm not in the room.

05

I leave it better than I found it.

My goal is that you don't need me forever. I build things that outlast me. Every system, every process, every document I create is designed to run without me in the room. That's the standard I hold myself to.

What I need from you.

This works both ways. Here's the deal:

  • You have to actually want to do the work, not just talk about it.
  • You have to be willing to hear the honest version, even when it's uncomfortable.
  • You have to trust the process — systems take a minute to stick.
  • You have to show up for your hour. That's all I'm asking.
  • You have to have the capacity to pay for real expertise. This isn't a discount service.
See If We're a Fit
Experience

30 years of doing
the actual work.

Not advising. Not theorizing. Building, scaling, fixing, and leaving things better than I found them — as a program manager, HR director, fractional COO, and operations lead at Apple (~10k employees), Yahoo (~11k), Airbnb (~6k), Iterable, and Veritas (~8k). Now doing the same for small business owners and founders who need exactly this.

Now — Consulting
Enterprise — Where I Got My Reps
Jul 2021 – Jul 2023
Airbnb
Sr. Project Manager, Global Operations

Joined a newly formed organization to create infrastructure, processes, and documentation to solidify Business Operations offerings in support of the larger organization. Managed $13.5M in spend within 12 months. Built organizational microsites, OKR hubs, and onboarding experiences.

Business Rhythm $13.5M Spend Mgmt OKR Systems Continuous Planning Agile Roadmap Planning
Oct 2018 – Jul 2021
Iterable
Sr. Manager, HR Operations

Built the HR function from scratch during a period of explosive growth — 142 to 475+ employees in under 3 years. HRIS implementation, London subsidiary launch, SOC 2, COVID pivot to remote onboarding (90%+ satisfaction rate). Built and promoted the HR Ops team.

0→475 Employees HRIS Implementation London Subsidiary SOC 2
Nov 2016 – Oct 2018
Veritas Technologies
Principal Program Manager, Culture Programs

Built and managed culture and growth programs for a 2,300-person product org. Career Path Matrices for 25 roles, technical mentorship program for high-performing women in engineering, intern innovation program (10 pods, 40 interns), Grace Hopper Conference presence.

2,300-Person Org Career Path Matrices Mentorship Programs Slack Rollout
Jun 2012 – Jul 2015
Yahoo
Program Manager & Chief of Staff, Production Engineering

Chief of Staff for an 85-person org across 4 countries. Managed global data center consolidation (13 colos to 6 owned facilities). BCP certification, CapEx forecasting, tech refresh programs. Cross-functional program leadership at enterprise scale.

Chief of Staff Global Datacenter Migration CapEx Forecasting BCP Certification
Feb 2006 – Nov 2011
WorkforceLogic @ Yahoo
Sr. Client Services Specialist

Managed Yahoo's entire US technical and finance contingent workforce program. Reduced approved staffing suppliers from 140 to 29 while improving time-to-fill and cost outcomes. Set the gold standard for WorkforceLogic onsite accounts across LinkedIn, Adobe, Google, and others.

Contingent Workforce Vendor Reduction 140→29 Compliance
The Foundation
Feb 2002 – Feb 2005
Volt @ Apple
Assistant Program Manager

Managed Apple's contingent workforce program. Where I learned that operations done right is invisible — and operations done wrong is everyone's problem.

Apr 1995 – Mar 2001
Ocean Path, Inc.
Recruiter / Office Manager

Everything that makes a startup function. This is where the 30-year counter starts.

Core Competencies

What I can do for you.

Operations

  • Business rhythm & operating cadence
  • OKR systems & roadmap creation
  • Vendor & contingent workforce mgmt
  • Spend management & OpEx frameworks
  • SOP creation & documentation

People & HR

  • HRIS implementation & management
  • Hiring frameworks & interview design
  • Onboarding & offboarding systems
  • Compliance & EEO reporting
  • Subsidiary setup (US & international)

Programs & Systems

  • Google Workspace & Slack buildout
  • Payroll & benefits system setup
  • Change management & comms strategy
  • Cross-functional program management
  • IT on/offboarding & file architecture
Work With Me

Let's get your
business working.

I work best with companies under 50 people — ideally earlier than that. The earlier I come in, the more I can build right the first time. For larger companies up to about 1,000 people, I'm selective — mission matters. Start with a free 30-minute call. We figure out the rest from there.

How It Works

Start where you are.

Simple. Free 30-minute call first. If there's something worth doing, we figure out what that is and what it costs. Hourly at $100/hr with a 2-hour minimum, or we scope a project flat. That's it.

Start Here
Free
30-min call

No commitment · Just a conversation

The First Conversation

We sit down and figure out what's actually going on. Where you are. Where you want to go. What's in the way. Sometimes that's a co-founder issue. Sometimes it's just operational rigor. We find out together.

Most people leave with more clarity than they've had in months.

Book the Free Call
$100/hr

$100/hr · 2-hour minimum · No commitment

As-Needed Hours

Pick me up when you need me. Put me down when you don't. Good for businesses that need a sharp eye on a specific problem — a process to build, a hire to make, a system that's breaking. We scope the work, I do it.

No open-ended commitment. You know what you're getting into.

Let's Talk
Let's
scope it

For defined project work

Project Work

Some work is a project with a clear start and end — build the hiring process, set up payroll, write the SOPs, launch the onboarding program. We define the scope, agree on the deliverable, and price it flat. No open-ended hours, no surprises.

We figure out the scope in the first call.

Tell Me What You're Building
Are We a Fit?

Three things I need to know before we start.

I work best with people who are honest about where they are. That's it. You don't need a big budget or a big team — you need to be real about what's going on and willing to do something about it.

  • 1

    Do I respect you as a person?

    Non-negotiable. I work with people who are honest, direct, and decent. Ego is fine. Disrespect isn't.

  • 2

    Can you give me 30 minutes?

    That's the ask. Free. We figure out if there's something worth doing and what it is. We don't have to know anything beyond that going in.

  • 3

    Are you willing to do the work?

    I'll build the system. But you have to show up for it. If you want a partner who holds you accountable and builds alongside you — let's go.

Ocean Beach & San Diego Businesses

Can't afford it right now?

If you're a local Ocean Beach, Point Loma, or San Diego business and the numbers don't work yet — let's talk. I'm open to trade and discounts for the right fit. Email me and tell me what you've got.

Let's Figure It Out

Ready to get started?

Send me an email with a sentence or two about what's going on. I'll respond within 24 hours and we'll figure out if we're a fit.

Email Jenn Schedule a Call
Client Work

What people
actually bring me.

Every client situation is different. The through line is the same: something isn't working, isn't built yet, or isn't built right — and they need someone who can figure out which one it is and do something about it.

Recent Projects

Problems I've been called in to solve.

These are real engagements, ongoing or recently completed. Names used with permission. Every one started with a conversation about where things were and a clear-eyed look at what it would take to move them forward.

Elder Care Business

Building a business before the business exists.

The situation

She wants to build a business serving older adults but is still figuring out whether that means adult day care, live-in care, medical transportation, or something else. The idea is solid. The shape of it isn't yet.

What we did

Started with customer research. Talk to people who have recently used these services. Understand what the experience was like, what it cost, what was missing, and what they wish existed. Use that to shape the business around a real gap instead of a guess.

Next: Market sizing, competitive landscape, and a go/no-go decision on which lane to enter first.

Spiritual Counseling

Turning a practice into a business.

The situation

He knows the work he wants to do and is ready to turn it into a business. The expertise is deep. The business model, positioning, and customer experience needed to catch up.

What we did

Started with market research. Reviewed how other spiritual counselors present their services online, what they offer, how they structure the client experience, and what the range of pricing and packages looks like. Used that to define what fits his practice and what sets it apart.

Next: Building the client journey, offer structure, and an outreach plan that doesn't feel like marketing.

Yoga Studio

Making years of great content actually usable.

The situation

She had an established in-person yoga practitioner training program and years of rich content spread across individual session materials, handouts, and notes with no connective tissue between them.

What we did

Turned it into one cohesive digital practitioner manual — organized into modules with materials, reflections, and homework — so she can now offer her training virtually without losing what made the in-person experience work.

Next: Pilot the virtual format with a small cohort, collect feedback, and refine the delivery before a full launch.

Movement Studio

Building the business around a unique product.

The situation

They had a unique product and methodology and wanted the business and customer experience around it to be just as strong. The method was there. The infrastructure to deliver and grow it wasn't.

What we did

Worked across the website, product guide, customer experience, business coaching, and how all the pieces fit together and support each other. Got everything pulling in the same direction.

Next: Distribution strategy and identifying the highest-leverage channels to get the product in front of the right people.

Tech Startup

Taking a privacy-first app from idea to reality.

The situation

He had a clear vision for a privacy-first community app and the technical chops to build it. What he needed was the operational and strategic layer to turn the vision into a real product and business.

What we did

Helped turn the idea into an actionable product and business through planning, prioritization, QA, beta testing, user experience, and operations. Built the foundation so the team could ship and iterate with confidence.

Next: Beta program expansion, user feedback loops, and building the business model around the community being created.

Detailing Business

Scaling expertise into a business ecosystem.

The situation

He built a successful detailing business and has deep expertise that can become much more. The business was working. The question was what to build next and in what order.

What we did

Worked through the full range of opportunities — training, consulting, books, certification tools, facility design, and the Detail Academy — then helped determine how to structure, test, and build them without spreading too thin.

Next: Launching the first training offer as a proof of concept before building out the full academy model.

Law Firm

Building structure around a law firm ready to grow.

The situation

They built a successful legal practice with bigger ideas for what the business could become. The ambition was there. The systems, people infrastructure, and operational backbone to support growth weren't yet.

What we did

Built structure around the growth through operations, project management, hiring, onboarding, coaching, systems, and follow-through. Made the business ready for the next version of itself.

Next: Hiring plan execution, performance management systems, and a growth roadmap with clear milestones.

Sound familiar?

If any of these situations look like yours, the first step is a free 30-minute call. We figure out exactly what's going on and what to do about it.

Work With Me
Contact

Tell me what's
going on.

No pitch. No intake form that takes 20 minutes. Just tell me where you are and I'll tell you honestly whether I can help.

What to expect

I respond within 24 hours.

Send me a sentence or two about what's going on. That's enough to know if there's something worth talking about. If there is, we'll set up a call. If I'm not the right fit, I'll say so.

  • I read every message myself. No assistant, no auto-reply.
  • I'll tell you honestly if I'm not the right person for your situation.
  • The first call is free — 30 minutes. After that, we scope what makes sense.
  • Local to Ocean Beach, Point Loma, or anywhere in San Diego? I'm open to meeting in person.