Northlight Advisory Services · How We Work With You
Fractional COO and AI advisory, and how we work together
You are the founder or CEO of a small Canadian organisation, and too much of it still runs through you. I work inside the business with you. I help you sort the decisions from the noise, get the plan out of your head and onto the page, and take some of the work off your plate. Then I work through it with you until it is real.
Northlight Advisory Services is a Halifax, Nova Scotia fractional COO and AI adoption advisory practice for Canadian small businesses, founded by Elizabeth Lemoine. Engagements begin with a free 30-minute Coffee Chat. They run either as Embedded Advisory, about 20 hours a month inside your company with a monthly status update, or as On-Call Advisory, up to 5 hours a month of one-to-one access. Both are delivered remotely.
How it works
How does working together start?
It starts with a free 30-minute Coffee Chat. If it feels like a fit, a second conversation leads to a plan we agree on, and the work begins at about 20 hours a month.
This works in three steps, and the order matters, because each one earns the trust the next one needs. You'll know where we're going before we start; we can change the route along the way, as long as we agree on the destination.
A 30-minute Coffee Chat, free
It goes where you need it to. You don't need the tidy version. Bring it as it is, post-its and all; I'm not asking for the one you'd give your board, just the accurate one. We talk about what's actually stuck, and why. I'll take notes, or record the call if you agree, so I can map it all out afterward.
A plan we agree on
If it feels like a fit, we book a second, longer conversation where you tell me what's on your plate: the concerns, the issues, whatever is keeping the list from shrinking. I come back with a plan, and we work through it together until we agree on what “done” looks like. Nothing starts until you're satisfied.
The work, starting at about 20 hours a month
I work inside your company, with you, your team, or both, whatever the work calls for. Each month you get a status update, and if the work needs more hours, they're available.
Prefer lighter, one-to-one access? On-Call Advisory follows the same first two steps. Not sure this is you? See who I help.
Two ways to work together
What are the ways to work together?
There are two. Embedded Advisory is about 20 hours a month, with me working inside your company on strategy, operations and AI adoption. On-Call Advisory is up to 5 hours a month of one-to-one access, for decisions. Both start with a free 30-minute Coffee Chat.
Embedded Advisory · about 20 hours a month
Inside your company, with a monthly status update
The work usually sits in one or more of three areas: strategy and decision clarity, operations and structure, and AI adoption and governance. It is shaped to your situation, and we agree on what done means before anything starts, so nobody has to argue later about whether it counts as a win.
Canadian regulation is part of the picture from the start, including PIPEDA and Quebec Law 25. I bring 10+ years of director-level operations experience, with 300+ initiatives across 115+ countries, and I stay invested in what you are building.
On-Call Advisory · up to 5 hours a month
One-to-one access, whenever you want a second opinion
You bring me the decision before it ships: the pricing call, the hire, the bet, the contract terms. We pressure-test it together, from outside your own head, and you still decide. It is a flat monthly rate for up to five hours, and if a month needs more, more time is available.
It follows the same first two steps as everything else: a free Coffee Chat, then a longer conversation where you tell me where things stand and we agree how we will work.
How It Compares
| Northlight Advisory | Full-time hire | General consultant | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost model | Fractional: pay for scope | C$150K–$220K+ all-in | Project fee; no outcome guarantee |
| Canadian AI & privacy context | Core to every engagement | Varies | Rarely addressed |
| Outcome accountability | One named person, end-to-end | Yes: full-time cost | Deliverable only |
Want to see how I work on my own tools? Read the case studies.
Credentials
Who will I be working with?
I'm Elizabeth Lemoine, with 10+ years of director-level operations experience and 300+ initiatives across 115+ countries. Here are my credentials, and where you can check my work history.
- Google Project Management
- IBM Generative AI Specializations
- Anthropic Claude
- Cloud Computing Law (University of Pennsylvania)
- Project Management Institute member
- CAPM candidate
Named one of Canada's Best Fractional COO Services by Digital Reference 2026.
Check my work history
Policies
How do support and cancellation work?
Support is available Monday to Friday, Atlantic Time, with a response within one business day. Cancellation terms are set out in your agreement before work begins.
Support Hours
Monday to Friday, Atlantic Time
Response within one business day. Reach us at [email protected].
Advisory Engagements
Agreed in writing
Cancellation terms are set out in your agreement before work begins.
Common Questions
Last updated October 2026 · Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada