What 2025 taught me about the role of COO and its blind spots

Hello,

I hope you're well.

First of all, I wish you a very happy 2026, both professionally and personally.

In this newsletter, I want to share an honest review of my 2025.
What worked.
What didn't work so well.
And most importantly, how I'm approaching the future.

If I had to summarize 2025 in one sentence, it would be this:

2025 was not a perfect year. But it was profoundly formative.

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What 2025 taught me (unfiltered)

I've learned several things this year.

In terms of figures, everything is looking good for 2025:

• A turnover 2.5 times higher than in 2024: a little over €245,000 in revenue
• 62% profit margin after my salary was paid (I made some investment mistakes by taking too many 1:1 training courses/coaching sessions - a mistake I won't make again in 2026 by being very selective)
• 14 clients supported, primarily through long-term, engaging, and structuring assignments.
• A 12-month customer LTV.
• A highly profitable, stable activity that is sustainable over time.

And yet.

First, I understood that the role of COO becomes risky when it remains too long in execution.

Even with real decision-making power and strong listening from the CEO, it is easy to slip into a posture where you do a lot... but you are no longer really in charge.

I also realized that my true value as COO is not in optimizations, financial analysis, setting up tools, recruitment, or even in the processes put in place.

It lies in my ability to read an organization, to understand and support the team, to sense what's holding things back, to ask the right questions at the right time, to choose my battles, to create clarity for CEOs. In other words, everything that AI cannot (yet) do.

And I said “no” more this year by ending three collaborations between September and November. It scared me, but it also freed me from a significant and silent mental burden that I had been carrying for too many weeks.

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What 2025 also allowed me, on a personal level

This year, I stayed the course that means a great deal to me.

• Continue to invest in one property per year with my spouse, with a very clear long-term vision: to achieve true financial freedom within 10 to 15 years, by building a portfolio of buildings, one asset after another.
• I also managed to preserve what was essential: my time with my family and with myself.
  • 5 hours minimum per day with my children and picking them up from daycare every day.
  • 3 sports sessions per week since March 2025, a bet practically kept.

These have become indicators of the health of my business.

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What I failed to achieve by 2025

2025 was not a “perfect” year.

Far from it.

On a personal note

• I set myself the goal of losing 10 kg after 2 pregnancies in 3 years.
  I lost 7... then gained back 4.
  Result: at the beginning of 2026, I am pretty much where I started.
• I wanted to read a book a month.
  I read… 2 over the year. Not really for lack of desire, but for lack of real mental space and discipline.

On the professional side

• I wanted to develop this newsletter rigorously.
  A resounding failure with irregular publications, no real editorial line, no clear strategy.
• I had set myself the goal of two discovery calls per month, with an active return to LinkedIn since August.
  In reality, I'm only getting one call every six weeks.
  The conclusion: my LinkedIn strategy isn't paying off yet. I feel my tone and approach aren't quite right.
• I wanted to guide 5 OBMs towards a COO role as part of my mentoring program. I only managed to mentor 3 of them this year.

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2026: Less illusions, more structure

In 2026, I am not looking to “make more” revenue.

I want to achieve "better" by reaching €250k in revenue: building an asset that is partially decoupled from my time, with a 75% profit margin.

My objective is clear: to build an ecosystem of offerings less dependent on my time commitment.

In concrete terms:

• This year I invested in Flavie Prévost's Incubateur+ to structure the development of my media outlet. I think this will be my only investment in terms of support.
• Marketing priority for:
  • improve this newsletter with a real editorial line;
  • optimize my LinkedIn content by being more relevant and highlighting my client successes more;
  • maybe a podcast (you never know!);
  • A more patient, more thoughtful, less opportunistic marketing approach.
• Develop OBM → COO mentoring as a standalone offering, first in 1:1 and then in group coaching.
• Continue to support my clients as Fractional COO.

I'm no longer seeking growth at all costs. I'm seeking "my" consistency, to establish a business activity over the long term, and more mental space.

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Brief

2025 reminded me of one essential thing:

A business can function very well, be very profitable… while costing too much to the person who runs it.

My job, as a COO, isn't just about growing a business.
It's about ensuring it remains sustainable for the person who built it, about bringing more freedom and less mental burden to the CEOs I support.

And now, just as much for myself.

That's all for today, cheers!

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Aurélie
Fractional, COO

PS: If you'd like to learn more about my OBM → COO mentorship, you can find it here: link

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