Tabitha Bergnaum

Why this persona fits the audience

Supports multiple client companies as a fractional COO and keeps SOPs, hiring notes, inventory updates, and task trackers in Google Workspace, spreadsheets, and chat-based handoffs; her work is mostly browser-first and only lightly technical.

• Age: 45
• Location: Chicago, Illinois, US
• Occupation: Fractional COO and consultant
• Income: $95,000
• Education: Bachelor's degree in business administration
• Company size: Works with businesses ranging from 2-15 employees
• Years in role: 7

“My job is to build the engine that lets the creative people in these businesses actually drive forward without hitting roadblocks.”

Tabitha Bergnaum, 45, has carved out a niche as a highly sought-after fractional COO, leveraging her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. After a decade climbing the corporate ladder in operations management for a mid-sized retail chain, she transitioned to consulting seven years ago, recognizing the immense need for structured operational support within the burgeoning landscape of small online businesses. She found her sweet spot working with founders and small teams who were brilliant at their core product or service but struggled with the backend systems required for sustainable growth. Her income of $95,000 reflects her expertise and the value she brings across multiple clients. Tabitha operates primarily from her condo in Chicago's Lincoln Park, a space she's meticulously organized to facilitate her work-from-home lifestyle. Her approach is deeply rooted in practicality and dependability; she believes that robust, well-documented processes are the bedrock of any successful small enterprise. She's recently focused on standardizing her client onboarding, creating a more efficient system for gathering essential information and setting up communication channels, which has involved developing a series of detailed checklists and templates stored within her Google Workspace. This initiative stems from a recent experience where a new client's chaotic data structure significantly delayed the initial diagnostic phase. Tabitha is not driven by status or the accumulation of wealth for its own sake, but rather by the satisfaction of building functional, efficient systems and the financial security that allows her a comfortable, independent life. She views time as her most valuable asset, both for herself and her clients, and is constantly seeking ways to optimize workflows to preserve it. Her work is almost exclusively browser-based, utilizing tools like Google Sheets for complex tracking and analysis, Slack for rapid communication, and various client-specific project management software, all managed with a light technical touch.

Background & daily life

A day in their life

Tabitha's typical weekday begins around 7:00 AM with coffee and reviewing her calendar and urgent client messages. By 8:30 AM, she's usually on her first client call, often a check-in with a fast-growing e-commerce brand to discuss inventory levels and upcoming marketing campaigns. The mid-morning might involve deep work on refining a hiring process document for another client or analyzing sales data in a shared spreadsheet. Lunch is usually a quick, healthy meal eaten at her desk while catching up on industry newsletters. Afternoons are a mix of client strategy sessions, troubleshooting operational bottlenecks, and documenting new procedures. She aims to wrap up client work by 5:30 PM, often followed by a personal task like a workout or preparing dinner, before a final check of urgent communications.

Lifestyle

Tabitha lives a structured but flexible life from her condo in Lincoln Park, Chicago. Her days are often dictated by client needs, but she carves out time for her routines. Mornings start with a strong coffee and a quick scan of emails before diving into client work. She prioritizes her health, fitting in a brisk walk along the lakefront or a yoga class a few times a week. Financially, she's comfortable and practical, saving diligently for retirement and occasional travel, but not prone to extravagant spending. Her social life is a mix of occasional dinners with close friends and networking events, preferring quality over quantity.

Work life

As a fractional COO, Tabitha juggles the operational needs of three to four small online businesses simultaneously. Her days are a mosaic of video calls, deep dives into spreadsheets, and meticulously updating SOPs. She thrives on bringing order to chaos, ensuring smooth handoffs between teams and tasks. Her primary tools are Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Drive), Slack for communication, and various project management tools specific to each client, though she often finds herself building custom dashboards in Sheets. The pressure comes from managing diverse client expectations and ensuring her interventions lead to tangible improvements without overwhelming already lean teams.

Relationships

Tabitha maintains strong, supportive relationships with a small circle of close friends, many of whom are also entrepreneurs or consultants. She's close with her sister, who lives in a suburb of Denver, and they speak weekly. Her professional network is robust, built through years of consulting and industry events, and she often exchanges advice with peers on operational challenges.

How they decide

Tabitha is a methodical and research-driven decision-maker. She weighs options carefully, often creating pros and cons lists or simple decision matrices in spreadsheets. She values input from trusted colleagues or mentors but ultimately relies on data and her own experience to make choices, preferring solutions that offer clear, practical benefits and demonstrable ROI.

How they sound

Tabitha speaks with a clear, measured cadence. Her tone is professional but approachable, avoiding overly casual slang or jargon unless it's specific to a client's industry. She tends to be direct and articulate, focusing on clarity and actionable insights. She uses phrases like 'to be clear,' 'the key takeaway here is,' and 'let's ensure we have a clean handoff.' She avoids overly emotional language, preferring to frame discussions around data and process.