Good work deserves
to get done.
Practical operations and project support for small businesses and nonprofits.
I help owners and nonprofit leaders untangle day-to-day operations, build processes their teams can use, and move important projects across the finish line.
Sound familiar?
Everything runs through you. You've built something great, but you're still the person everyone needs for every decision.
Your team has outgrown its processes. What worked when you were smaller is starting to cause more headaches than it solves.
The ideas are there. The follow-through isn't. You've got a plan, but nobody has the time or bandwidth to own the execution.
How I Can Help:
Systems & Operations
When everything runs through you or your team has outgrown its processes, everyday work gets harder than it needs to be. I help untangle what’s happening and put practical systems, clearer responsibilities, and better ways of working in place.
Project Planning & Execution
You have something important to get done, but you need someone to own the work. Whether you already have a plan or we need to build one together, I can organize the moving pieces, coordinate the people involved, and lead the project through completion.
Fractional Leadership
You need an experienced partner to help lead operations on an ongoing basis. I work alongside you and your team part-time to set priorities, guide decisions, and keep the day-to-day work connected to your bigger goals.
How I Work:
I like a good plan. I like actually getting it done even more.
We’ll start with what you need to accomplish and what’s getting in the way. Then we’ll agree on the priorities, what I’ll own, and what success looks like.
From there, I get to work alongside you and your team—building systems, leading a project, or providing ongoing operational leadership.
Experience:
I've led operations, strategy, and execution for 15+ years across agencies, media companies, and nonprofits. Here's some of what that's looked like:
Got sales, creative, technical, and client-facing teams speaking the same language instead of working against each other
Built and mentored teams at every level, from interns to senior account managers, across more than one organization
Built the systems behind the scenes, the ones that streamline fulfillment and let an organization grow without just getting busier
Worked comfortably with executives and donors one day, community partners and frontline staff the next, and translated between all of them
Co-founded Mountain Strong, raising over $1.5M (and counting) for long-term Hurricane Helene recovery in Yancey and Mitchell County
I’m especially drawn to working with small and mid-sized teams, particularly nonprofits, where the work matters and getting it right matters even more. If this resonates, find me on LinkedIn.
"Hiring you is like hiring 2.5 people.
I’ve never met someone more productive.”
"If you’re looking for someone reliable, creative, efficient, and genuinely invested in your business succeeding, I cannot recommend Vienna Waits enough.”
"Laney is amazing. I am not exaggerating when I say that she can do it all and do it all simultaneously somehow."
"Working with Laney at Vienna Waits made the business side of comedy feel so much easier."