Restoring Leadership Capacity During a High-Growth Rebrand
45 Years of Expertise.
One Overwhelmed Leader.
For more than 45 years, Koltiv (formerly ACS) has helped organizations transform their relationship with technology through enterprise-level IT expertise paired with hometown service.
As the company entered a major rebrand and growth phase, the demands on internal marketing leadership increased rapidly. Execution, coordination, systems management, and strategic direction all began funneling through a single leader trying to keep everything moving.
With budget limitations preventing a full-time hire, leadership faced a choice: continue operating at an unsustainable pace—or find a more flexible way to scale execution. That's when Koltiv partnered with GSD Co.
One Leader. Every Task.
Koltiv had ambitious goals following its rebrand. But behind the scenes, one marketing leader was carrying responsibility for nearly every aspect of execution while also trying to lead strategically.
“I was trying to manage the entire marketing engine on my own. We had just gone through a massive rebrand with ambitious goals to scale, and it all sat on my shoulders.”
“I was completely overwhelmed and no longer showing up as the leader I needed to be. Instead of doing a few things well, I was doing everything with mediocrity.”
The core issue
It wasn't just a capacity problem — it was a leadership bandwidth problem. When execution consumes all available hours, strategic thinking disappears entirely.
Match the Right Expertise to the Right Problem
Instead of simply filling a role, GSD Co focused on identifying the operational gaps behind the problem. Through a highly intentional matching process, GSD Co uncovered needs that extended beyond entry-level coordination.
Koltiv originally expected to bring on someone early in their career. Instead, GSD Co matched them with Gretchen — a contractor with nearly 10 years of aligned experience. That alignment changed both the economics and effectiveness of the engagement immediately.
“What immediately stood out was the matching process. The questions they asked were incredibly intentional and they identified skill gaps I didn't even know I had.”
“I went in thinking I needed someone early in their career, and GSD Co matched me with Gretchen, a contractor with nearly 10 years of perfectly aligned experience.”
“Because she wasn't an employee, I didn't have to pull her into administrative meetings and day-to-day internal noise. Every hour was focused on execution.”
Moving Fast. From Week One.
The impact was felt almost immediately. Within weeks, projects were moving faster, systems became more organized, and execution no longer required constant oversight.
“Two weeks in, I was watching Gretchen fly through tasks in monday.com with minimal direction, and I had my first real sigh of relief that this partnership was giving me way more value than I could have ever imagined.”
The key shift
Leadership regained margin. Instead of spending every day buried in tasks, Koltiv's marketing leadership was able to refocus on strategic planning, systems, and organizational growth.
10–20 Hours a Week Returned to Leadership
By partnering with GSD Co, Koltiv reclaimed an estimated 10–20 hours per week of leadership capacity while significantly improving operational consistency and execution quality.
What once felt reactive and unsustainable became structured, scalable, and manageable.
“Now I have the margin back in my day to think strategically, build systems, and actually help our organization grow.”
Before & After GSD Co
Before GSD Co
After GSD Co
What This Case Study Proves
Senior-Level Execution Without Full-Time Overhead
Koltiv gained experienced operational support without the cost and complexity of hiring prematurely.
Better Matching Creates Better Outcomes
The intentional matching process uncovered skill gaps and aligned the organization with the right level of expertise from the beginning.
Fractional Support Can Restore Leadership Capacity
By removing operational bottlenecks, leadership regained the ability to focus on strategic growth and systems development.
Flexible Scaling Protects Organizations During Growth
Instead of rushing into a full-time hire, Koltiv was able to scale support at the right pace while maintaining operational momentum.
I was trying to manage the entire marketing engine on my own. We had just gone through a massive rebrand with ambitious goals to scale, and it all sat on my shoulders. I was doing everything myself, working nonstop, and I eventually hit a wall. I presented the case to leadership to hire a full-time marketing coordinator, but I couldn't get the budget approved. I was completely overwhelmed and no longer showing up as the leader I needed to be. Instead of doing a few things well, I was doing everything with mediocrity.
That's when I found GSD Co. What immediately stood out was the matching process. The questions they asked were incredibly intentional and they identified skill gaps I didn't even know I had. I went in thinking I needed someone early in their career, and GSD Co matched me with Gretchen, a contractor with nearly 10 years of perfectly aligned experience. Because of her expertise, we only needed 30 hours a month, and the output rivaled what I would have gotten from a full-time entry-level hire. And because she wasn't an employee, I didn't have to pull her into administrative meetings and day-to-day internal noise. Every hour was focused on execution.
Two weeks in, I was watching Gretchen fly through tasks in monday.com with minimal direction, and I had my first real sigh of relief that this partnership was giving me way more value than I could have ever imagined. Now I have the margin back in my day to think strategically, build systems, and actually help our organization grow. We have a quick weekly touchpoint, we hold each other accountable, and she functions like a true member of our team—with all the benefits of that relationship, and none of the overhead.
GSD didn't just solve my capacity problem. They gave me my leadership back. (And I'm so grateful)
Caitlin Tiemeyer
Director of Marketing and Brand · Koltiv
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