When cash is hard to come by and experts with insights are plenty, Aaron Younessi, owner/operator of Fr-Action Sales Management, makes a case that startups should be leaning into part-time hiring as part of their strategy to scale.
Younessi has worked in the CPG food and beverage industry for more than two decades, helping grow brands including Hella Cocktail Co., IWON Organics, Buff Bake, STEAZ, VOSS and more.
In 2022, he started Fr-Action Sales Management as “a placeholder for something I wanted to pursue.” But that placeholder has evolved into a platform he believes brings the necessary perspective and flexibility for modern CPG businesses to thrive in today’s marketplace.
Nearly 145,000 individuals across all industries now have “fractional” in their LinkedIn title, per a recent Axios report, up from 2,000 in 2022. Younsessi believes that signals “this isn’t just a trend. It’s how smart brands build.”
BevNET assistant managing editor Adrianne DeLuca recently chatted with Aaron about how startups can prime themselves for growth through part-time perspectives. Here’s the Q&A, edited slightly for clarity:
How have you seen hiring norms shift during your career in CPG? What has driven that shift?
Aaron: When I started in CPG, the goal was always to build a full-time internal team. Sales team. Ops team. Marketing team. Everyone under one roof. But that model doesn’t match the realities of growing a modern CPG brand. Budgets are tighter, opportunities in stores are more limited, decisions are more centralized.
The competition is fierce, and every category is saturated, and brands need specialized expertise sooner than ever. That’s where the shift happened. Founders realized they could bring in senior-level talent on a part-time basis to avoid over-hiring too early. And those senior-level players realized they can build a moat to protect themselves from the too frequent “search for a new opportunity.”
It’s not about cutting corners for the founder or not believing in the brand by the potential hire. It’s about deploying resources smarter. Speed and precision matter, and fractional employment fills that gap.
What should an early-stage brand keep in mind when hiring a fractional professional?
Aaron: Hire someone who treats your business like their own. That mindset matters more than anything. They should be a brand advocate, not a retailer gatekeeper. You want someone who will roll up their sleeves, who’s aligned with your goals, and who isn’t just clocking hours.
Look for the three Cs: Chemistry, Collaboration and Communication. And the great thing is you don’t wait until you’re overwhelmed to bring someone in. Fractional works best when it’s proactive, not reactive.
What is the unique advantage of having part-time team members working outside of your organization?
Aaron: Perspective. A fractional professional who works across brands sees more of the playing field. We recognize patterns and trends faster. We see what’s working in adjacent categories. We learn what retailers are prioritizing. That outside perspective helps brands avoid blind spots and brings fresh ideas that internal teams often miss. You’re not just getting hands on deck. You’re getting intel that can give you an edge.
I’ve also been able to look back on my own decisions and actions as a direct employee, and there is a certain psychology that comes into the employer-employee relationship that doesn’t allow for 100% objective communication. If you rely solely on one income you are only going to challenge the decisions of your employer so far, and sometimes, in the best interest of the brand you have to go farther.
Why is this type of hiring strategy beyond a business just having limited resources to support full-time staff?
Aaron: It forces you to focus. A fractional hire doesn’t come in to fill space. They come in to solve problems. Whether it’s building a sales plan, tightening up your margins, or getting buyer meetings on the calendar, their role is centered around outcomes.
In my experience, most brands don’t need five full-time people early on. They need one or two people doing the right work at the right time. That’s where fractional shines. It’s that sweet spot between investing in the c-suite executive with a proven track record that is still going to be held to the same long drawn-out sales cycle that we all are on or saving with the hire that is too green to help you avoid those mistakes that can cost your company more than just lost revenue.
As the saying goes, “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” How do you think that saying applies to the world of running a CPG business?
Aaron: I love that! I’ve never heard the second part of that saying, and it is so true. CPG is not a single-skill game. You need someone(s) who can connect the dots between sales, marketing, ops and finance. Especially early on. The best fractional professionals bring range and know how the pieces fit together. You don’t need someone who only knows one narrow vertical. You need someone who’s been in the trenches, understands the bigger picture and can adapt quickly as the business evolves.
I’m also a firm believer that to fill those gaps sometimes you do need an expert in the specific field, which makes fractional partnerships even more valuable. Imagine, you can hire one full-time expert for one segment of your business, or you can hire three or four fractional experts in different segments to have a holistic approach and support across all departments of your company. The fractional network allows for quicker implementation because fractional sales know fractional marketers and operators and vice versa.
It’s a supportive network where everyone is working to answer the same question: “How can I help my brand succeed?”
Should business owners/operators be concerned about conflicts of interest when it comes to growth strategies, innovation, etc., when utilizing fractional professionals?
Aaron: Transparency is key. I always disclose who I’m working with and make sure there’s no direct competitive overlap. If the brand is concerned about direct competition, they should be asking that question too.
That said, I find most founders are more concerned about exclusivity than they need to be. The value of having someone who brings learnings from across the industry often outweighs the risk. Still, if you’re ever unsure, just have the conversation early. Put it in writing. Be clear about boundaries.
Good fractional professionals will always respect the trust you place in them. Each category of fractional representation might be different too. I would personally see great value in hiring a fractional operations team for my protein bar company that is already running with another protein bar company. Most contracts, like mine, have non-disclosure clauses that should protect everyone from details that should not be shared.
What are some roles or areas of a business you would caution against using a fractional hire?
If you need someone physically present every day or managing a high-touch internal team, that might not be a fit for fractional. Certain roles in manufacturing might require someone full-time onsite.
Same goes for early-stage brand founders trying to outsource too much too soon. If you haven’t figured out your voice or product-market fit, don’t delegate it. Own that part until you have clarity. Then fractional talent can help you scale it.
Fractional partnerships should be built to support founders and help them grow to a level of success where they are comfortable making that full-time hire. I tell all my brands, “You should graduate from our partnership at some point.” That revenue or age might be different for each brand, but the reality is, eventually there is value in a full-time hire.