But weren’t you supposed to be a CEO, a creator, and a visionary? Since when were you supposed to manage a business and a team AND master the craft of sharing your vision with the world?

Are you dreaming of kicking your business operations into high gear, tackling your projects like a boss, and rallying your team like a pro, but you lack the time and energy to do it all on your own?

Pro tip: hiring a fractional Digital Business Manager might be just what you need.

Hi, I’m Ioana Stepanov, and I “Marie Kondo” businesses for a living.

With 15+ years in business development and a drive to forge meaningful connections, I founded Free the Digital to live a remarkable life, aiming to collaborate with creative minds globally to realize their visions.

After leaving a corporate role in 2019, I ventured into entrepreneurship, evolving from a Virtual Assistant to Digital Strategist & Business Manager and in 2021 I created The Free Team. Together, we focus on growing purpose-driven brands through strategic business management, project and launch management and operations optimization.

Based in Prague but a global wanderer, I balance my worklife with tropical beach reads, CrossFit sweats, cat encounters, and music festivals, all in pursuit of a life worth celebrating.

Read on to find out how my team and I support creative business owners ready to grow by managing their operations, launching their projects and/or coordinating their teams under the umbrella term of Digital Business Management.

Digital Business Management

Optimize, plan & enjoy

Digital Business Managers (DBM) / Chief Operations Managers (COO) / Project Managers support business owners and entrepreneurs manage remote teams, plan digital projects or launches, set up the behind-the-scenes systems and manage operations.

A DBM manages everything, anything and anyone necessary for a business and team to grow and thrive. My rule of thumb and promise to you is that I work with a maximum of three clients at a time in order to ensure maximum efficiency and quality support for this high-level, highly personalized job.

What’s included: strategy and planning sessions, project management, team management, operations management, tech systems setup, process optimization.

The three pillars of Digital Business Management:

People who worked with me said…

“A huge shoutout goes to Ioana – she not only suggested we use Dubsado, but also took care of all the tricky setup stuff. Now, managing projects feels like a breeze, and we’re able to do more without running ourselves ragged.”

Services provided: Brand Strategy, Visual Brand Identity, Dubsado (CRM) set-up and automation, Graphic Design, Project Management, Social Media Management, Content Writing.

I’m Ramona Macovei, the mind behind Nunta La Mare, a bespoke beach wedding planning service on Romania’s coast. Embarking on this path in 2010, I pioneered the concept of beach weddings in Romania.

However, by late 2022, it became clear that our brand required a transformation. Prior to joining forces with Free the Digital, it seemed our brand’s identity required rejuvenation, and our website didn’t fully showcase our rich history or true capabilities.

What I loved most about working with Free the Digital was their unparalleled commitment to understanding and elevating our brand’s essence. It was not just their skill set that impressed me; it was their genuine enthusiasm for our vision and their innovative strategies that infused our digital presence with vibrancy and energy.

From the outset, they engaged deeply with our mission, asking insightful questions and proposing creative solutions that aligned perfectly with our goals. Their team didn’t just work for us; they worked with us, becoming an extension of our brand and breathing new life into every aspect of our digital footprint.

This dynamic partnership revitalized our online identity, making it more reflective of who we are and what we stand for, and ultimately, redefining our connection with our audience.

The makeover we did with our brand and website wasn’t just for looks; it was a smart play that really hit home with our crowd, making what we offer not just cooler but easier to get into.

This win is all thanks to Free the Digital’s awesome planning, out-of-the-box thinking, and spot-on delivery. They nailed turning what we’re all about into something digital that just clicks with people.

Adding to the tangible benefits we’ve experienced, one of the game-changers for our planning process was implementing Dubsado, thanks to Free the Digital’s recommendation. This tool transformed how we manage our projects, streamlining our workflows and communication in ways we didn’t even know were possible.

The automation of routine tasks and the centralized client information system have not only increased our efficiency but have also significantly reduced the manual workload. This efficiency has given me more breathing room to focus on creativity and personalization of our services, rather than getting overwhelmed by administrative tasks.

Our brand finally feels like it’s a true reflection of what we’re all about, giving us some much-needed space to breathe, focus on self-care, and spend time with family, without feeling like we’re letting the business side slide. A huge shoutout goes to Ioana from Free the Digital for this – she was a superstar in setting up Dubsado for us.

Bringing Dubsado into the mix has been a game-changer for how we tackle our planning and projects. It’s made things a whole lot easier, cutting down on the grunt work and keeping everything we need in one neat place.

The best part? It’s given us the chance to focus more on what we love doing, thanks to all the time it saves us from dealing with paperwork and scheduling headaches.

Ioana really knocked it out of the park. She not only suggested we use Dubsado but also took care of all the tricky setup stuff, making it super user-friendly for us. Now, managing projects feels like a breeze, and we’re able to do more without running ourselves ragged.

It’s been awesome for business, sure, but the kicker is how much more downtime we have. It’s pretty sweet to see how the right tools, mixed with some smart advice, can really make life and work a whole lot better.

A cool surprise was how the team didn’t just tackle problems as they came but actually turned them into chances to do something new and creative. Their advice and can-do attitude really helped us step into new areas with a bunch of confidence.

If you’re thinking about teaming up with Free the Digital, here’s my take: Empower your brand with a team that understands your vision, that gets what you’re about and has the know-how to make it shine, even more than you might expect. You will find all of these working with Free The Digital awesome team.

My experience with Free the Digital wasn’t just about hitting targets; it felt more like a journey to uncover what our brand really could be. I’m super thankful for their energy, passion, dedication & commitment, and everything we’ve managed to do together, both the stuff you can measure and the stuff you can’t.

Thank you Ioana & all the awesome people from your team 🤩

But wait, there’s more…

1, 2, 3 – easy!

Trust the process.

Here’s how it works:

Here’s my toolkit:

Here’s my toolkit: