Interview – Sarena Diamond

Amanda: I’m your host and fractional CMO, Amanda Nizzere. Today’s guest is Sarena Diamond, CEO and founder of Diamond Solutions Group. Sarena is a global transformation executive and executive consultant who helps business leaders turn bold visions into reality after three decades in corporate leadership roles at companies like Accenture, IBM, and Pepsi. She launched her own firm to empower others through change. Her story, The Power Of, is featured in the international bestseller Becoming an Unstoppable Woman Entrepreneur. Sarena is also a dynamic speaker, devoted mom, and a passionate community leader. Without further ado, let’s jump into our discussion with Sarena.

Amanda: Hi Sarena. Welcome to Female Fractionals. I’m so excited you’re here.

Sarena: Thank you, Amanda. I’m really happy to be here.

Amanda: I love to start every episode by learning about your journey and what brought you to the fractional space. Could you give us a brief overview?

Sarena: Sure. Like many, I was a corporate transformation person. I started my career at Accenture, did some time at Pepsi, and the second half of my career was at IBM. I’d been doing business transformation for more than three decades. When the IBM/Kyndryl spin-off happened, I decided I was going to focus on transformation and change management exclusively. I did a very short stint at one more company and then went out on my own—and I have never looked back. Three and a half years later, I’ll never go back to corporate. I’ve loved every minute—the “bads” being learning opportunities, the goods being opportunities to celebrate.

Amanda: That’s great. Congratulations on the success. Before we hit record, we started to talk about how you’ve grown the business over the last three and a half years. Everyone wants growth—it’s a hot topic in fractional circles—and you’ve taken a very intentional approach to business development. Can you talk about that?

Sarena: Early on, I’ll admit I didn’t know what I was doing. People talked about networking. I was in a bunch of circles and joined the Chief network, but I thought I’d find work through my extensive IBM colleague network. Everyone cheered me on, but nobody was opening their Rolodex and saying, “Here’s a client.”

I had a really impactful conversation with someone I now refer to as a coach. I was listing all the different opportunities I was trying to chase—“I could do this, or I could do that”—and she asked, “Why do you keep saying or? Why not and?” That changed me on the spot. My career had been linear; suddenly I realized it didn’t have to be.

I tried some wild things—like reaching out to hiring managers on LinkedIn about permanent roles and suggesting interim leadership while they searched. I haven’t landed a gig that way, but it opened doors.

The most impactful shift: I stumbled upon talent sourcers. My favorite is Catalant. They connect experts like me to clients who want a different approach to consulting. If business development isn’t your thing, find people who do BD on your behalf. About 80% of my work over three and a half years has come through talent sourcers like Catalant. Everyone says fix your SEO and blog so people find you—but realistically, they’re probably not Googling you. Making sure your name, offering, and value are readily findable through the right channels matters more.

Amanda: Can you talk about how you’re leveraging LinkedIn? You’ve built a strong presence—both your own brand and meaningful engagement with others. LinkedIn gets a bad rap, but it can be powerful for fractionals.

Sarena: I joined LinkedIn in 2008. From then until fall 2024, it was basically a résumé repository and a place to cheer friends’ job news. Then I was inspired by Melissa Cohen—she turned her career during COVID and is now a LinkedIn/personal branding expert helping fractionals and solopreneurs. She was speaking at the Success Champions Badass Business Summit. I went—and it changed everything.

I was suddenly in a room of people whose existence is about being authentically visible—no fakery, no AI fluff, no “pitch slapping” (my least favorite). They’re intentional about showing up to build relationships and have conversations that could lead to business. That’s the whole point: relationships.

Now I post every day at 8:00 a.m. ET. I spend about 90 minutes each morning crafting a post. Sometimes I write ahead; I keep a mosaic of Post-its with ideas. About 80% of my content is business tips and leadership guidance—giving away what I know. I can’t serve everyone, but I can help a lot by sharing. The other ~20%—usually Thursdays—is personal reflection. Those posts often get the most interaction because people want to see the person. In fractional roles, people are hiring you.

A story: a CEO client asked if I knew a CFO in Europe. I did. I emailed an intro and linked her LinkedIn. He replied almost immediately: “She’s not very active on LinkedIn.” People say CEOs aren’t on LinkedIn. Think again. They may not post daily, but they’re there doing business. That lack of presence can be a lost opportunity. You don’t have to post daily, but you do have to be consistent—because it’s an extension of your brand.

Amanda: A lot has changed in the last three to five years. What’s your perspective on the “fractional” movement—and how do you distinguish fractional vs. interim when selling?

Sarena: I don’t burden clients with terminology. If they ask for part-time support—maybe due to stakeholder time or budget—that’s fractional. I define it this way: fractional is part-time for as long as you need me; interim is full-time for a short time. I’ve done both.

When I first joined Fractionals United, I was among the early members. Now there are tens of thousands. The growth is exciting—it means many of us have expertise we’re willing to bring directly to clients without W-2 walls. I’m an organizational change expert—not a coach. Clients get years of pattern recognition. Two days a week of my time can drive as much or more outcome than a full-time hire—and it’s more economical.

Amanda: Let’s talk about managing multiple clients. How many is your max, and how do you manage time?

Sarena: I learned the hard way. My first engagement was a daily rate, full-time. Then a retainer opportunity (no more than ~50 hours/month) came along. I found myself juggling both and realized I needed a different model. Catalant helped me shift to outcome-based pricing. Price the scope and outcomes, not the hours. It shouldn’t matter how long it takes.

Don’t underestimate the value of 30 years of experience—I can see the path quickly. Fixed price protects clients when I need to research a new industry. Hourly feels misaligned: I never stop thinking about client challenges—ideas hit me on a morning run; am I clocking that? I prefer fixed/outcome-based.

Right now I have four active clients—more than usual. Because we’re outcome-based, I can time-box deliverables (e.g., “Saturday is for Client A”). That flexibility would feel guilt-inducing if I billed hourly.

Amanda: Pricing strategy is always tricky at the start. Many underbid their first project, then learn to price for value. It’s freeing and opens up so much.

Sarena: Exactly.

Amanda: Before rapid fire, three and a half years in—what are your key lessons for someone just starting?

Sarena: Biggest lesson: don’t go it alone. Most solopreneurs have heavy DIY DNA. Pause. Learn from people who’ve gone before you—the easy way, not the hard way. Book virtual coffees. I average about 10 a week. Ask: Who’s great at pricing? Business development? If you don’t know, search LinkedIn. (Spoiler: Erin Halper talks a lot about pricing for solopreneurs.) Share what you learn, too. Our superpower is creating a network of fractional power—changing the world one engagement at a time. The intelligence won’t stay locked in corporate walls—it’ll permeate through independent experts.

Amanda: I’ve found the fractional community generous—even when we might be “competing.” People reviewed proposals with me early on. It’s refreshing after corporate.

Sarena: Totally agree.

Amanda: Rapid fire! One word or one sentence (we’ll try!). Most unusual place you’ve taken a client call?

Sarena: A tree swing in the Florida Keys.

Amanda: Best investment you’ve made in yourself?

Sarena: Hands down—forming my LLC and incorporating as a business.

Amanda: Early bird or night owl?

Sarena: Early bird, all day.

Amanda: Favorite way to celebrate a win?

Sarena: Buying something for my house that I’ll see every day.

Amanda: If your career were a movie title?

Sarena: Becoming Unstoppable.

Amanda: Most embarrassing song on your playlist?

Sarena: Not one song—the whole thing: Tony Bennett’s Playground album from my kids’ childhood. He sings with Kermit the Frog!

Amanda: Finally, if you could master any skill?

Sarena: I would pay real money to learn to whistle loudly with my fingers. I’ve tried my whole life!

Amanda: I want that one too! You can draw any crowd with that skill.

Sarena: Exactly. Superpowers? Flying? Nope—I just want to whistle.

Amanda: That might be my favorite answer to date. If people want to reach out, how can they do it? I’ll link in the notes.

Sarena: Like everyone, I have a website and email, but the best way is LinkedIn. I’m the only Sarena Diamond on LinkedIn—S-A-R-E-E-N-A. That’s how my mom intended it.

Amanda: Fantastic. Thank you so much—such a great discussion. It’s been a while since we first scheduled it, but it was worth the wait. Thank you for being such a wonderful part of the fractional community. I look forward to talking again in another three to five years when Diamond Solutions Group is still thriving.

Sarena: Thanks so much.

Amanda: As always, please remember to follow, comment, and share. And don’t forget to head over to femalefractionals.com for a full transcript of the show and links to everything we talked about. Thanks for listening.

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