We were lucky to catch up with Kate Lingoni recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kate, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

BonBon Strategic wasn’t built from a textbook business plan—it came from real frustration. I saw too many brilliant business owners stuck in the weeds, drowning in day-to-day tasks, and unable to step into the role they were meant to play: leading their company forward. That’s where we come in.

Our “mission,” if you want to call it that, is simple: to untangle the operational mess so business owners can focus on strategy, growth, and—frankly—having a life outside of work. Because what’s the point of building a successful business if you’re too buried in it to enjoy the success?

I started BonBon Strategic because I saw a gap. There were coaches offering high-level business strategy, and there were consultants specializing in isolated process improvements—but very few partners who could bridge the gap between vision and execution. That’s what we do. We take the big, messy, overwhelming problems and turn them into streamlined systems, clear priorities, and sustainable processes.

It’s meaningful to me because I’ve been in the trenches. I know what it’s like to feel responsible for everything, to carry the weight of a business on your shoulders, to work late nights trying to “just get through this one busy season.” But that’s not sustainable, and it’s definitely not freedom. My goal is to help business owners build companies that work for them, not the other way around.

So, while we may not have a traditional mission statement, what we do matters: we give founders back their time, their sanity, and the ability to grow without burning out. And that’s a mission I’ll stand behind any day.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Who I Am & How BonBon Strategic Came to Be

I didn’t set out to become a Fractional COO. I didn’t come from corporate, I don’t have an MBA, and I never worked my way up through traditional operations roles. My background is actually in science—data, systems, and analysis—which, in hindsight, is probably why I’m so damn good at seeing inefficiencies and fixing broken processes.

I started BonBon Strategic because I saw business owners—smart, capable people—drowning in the day-to-day chaos of running their companies. They were stuck in an endless loop of putting out fires, managing team drama, and handling back-end operations instead of focusing on growth, leadership, and the work they actually love.

I knew there had to be a better way, so I built one.

What BonBon Strategic Does

At its core, BonBon Strategic is about making businesses run better—so founders and CEOs can actually run their business instead of it running them. We step in as a Fractional COO, bringing strategy, structure, and execution to companies that are scaling but struggling to keep up.

Our work starts with a deep-dive Business Assessment, where we analyze everything—systems, processes, team roles, bottlenecks, inefficiencies—and give founders a clear plan to streamline their operations. Then, if they need ongoing support, we step in as an embedded partner to fix the gaps and keep things running smoothly.

Think of us as the translator between vision and execution—we take high-level strategy and turn it into real, tangible results.

What Sets Us Apart

We bridge the gap between strategy and implementation.

A lot of business coaches will tell you what to do, but they won’t do it for you. Consultants will optimize one part of your business but ignore the bigger picture. We do both. We see the whole business and make sure the entire operation is aligned, efficient, and sustainable.

We don’t sell theory—we solve real problems.

Every business owner we work with has something keeping them up at night:
– “My team isn’t operating efficiently, and I don’t know where the breakdown is.”
– “We’ve hit a growth ceiling, and I don’t know how to scale without breaking things.”
– “I’m spending all my time in operations, and I hate it.”

We don’t hand over a generic roadmap and wish you luck. We roll up our sleeves and fix the problem.

We help founders get their time (and sanity) back.

Business success shouldn’t come at the cost of your personal life. If you’ve built a company but you’re working 70-hour weeks, answering Slack messages at 10PM, and constantly putting out fires, you don’t own a business—you own a job. Our job is to help you step back, delegate with confidence, and build a business that doesn’t need you in every single decision.

What I’m Most Proud Of

Honestly? It’s not about the revenue we’ve helped generate or the number of businesses we’ve worked with. It’s about the people behind those businesses—the founders, the CEOs, the leaders who are burnt out, buried in the weeds, and questioning if they even want to keep doing this.

I’m proud that BonBon Strategic doesn’t just make businesses more efficient—it gives business owners relief. Real, tangible relief that changes the way they work in their business and think about their life.

It’s that moment when a founder finally gets to take a vacation without checking their email every five minutes. When a business owner realizes they can step away for a few days and the company won’t fall apart. When they stop grinding just to stay afloat and start strategizing to scale with clarity and confidence.

We don’t just fix broken systems—we change the way people experience their own business. And that’s what makes this work worth it.

What I Want People to Know

The biggest misconception about improving operations is that it’s about doing more—more systems, more processes, more meetings, more tools. But it’s actually the opposite. It’s about doing less of what doesn’t matter, so you can focus on what does.

At BonBon Strategic, we’re not here to drown you in more to-do lists or overwhelm you with complicated systems. We strip away the unnecessary, simplify what’s essential, and create clarity so that you can run your business without it running you.

It’s about alignment—making sure the way you work supports the life you actually want to live. If you’re constantly putting out fires, stuck in the weeds, or feel like you’re carrying the weight of your business alone, that’s a sign that your operations aren’t serving you. That’s where we step in.

I want people to know that you don’t have to hustle harder to get ahead. You just have to clear the path—and that’s exactly what we help you do.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

BonBon Strategic wasn’t my first business—it was my pivot. I started out in marketing, running a business called Say What Marketing, and while I was good at it, I quickly realized I didn’t love it. What I did love was helping my clients untangle their operations, clean up their backend systems, and create structure so they could actually execute their marketing plans effectively.

The real lightbulb moment happened when I found myself naturally gravitating toward fixing the way my clients worked, not just what they were putting out into the world. I was helping them streamline their processes, get clearer on priorities, and actually free up their time instead of just adding more tasks to their plate.

So, I shut down Say What Marketing and built BonBon Strategic from the ground up—this time, focusing entirely on operations and strategic growth. It was a risky move, but one that felt completely aligned. And looking back, I realize that pivoting wasn’t just about changing what I offered—it was about stepping into my zone of genius and doing work that felt both effortless and energizing.

Sometimes, the pivot isn’t a failure—it’s just a course correction.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The biggest lesson I had to unlearn? That I had to do everything myself.

Like most business owners, I started out believing that if I just worked harder, put in more hours, and took control of everything, I could force my business into success. But the reality? That mindset is a one-way ticket to burnout.

It wasn’t until I started hiring and delegating that I realized holding on too tightly was actually holding me back. I had to unlearn my instinct to micromanage, to equate busyness with progress, and to assume that no one else could do things as well as I could.

Now, I coach my clients through this same struggle all the time. Letting go is hard—but if you don’t, you’ll always be the bottleneck in your own business. The shift from doing everything to leading everything is what allows a business to truly scale.

And the irony? The more I let go, the more I grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bonbonstrategic.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katelingoni

Image Credits

Green dress headshot – Ian McLaren, mustard blouse – Sophie Berard