Nice to meet you
Hi, I'm Erin
I'm basically a hundred jobs in a trenchcoat: operations manager, automation specialist, AI integration partner, web developer, and the person who actually reads the fine print.
Which is a fun way of saying I build the operational systems that let founders and executives stop running their business from their inbox and actually focus on growing it.
Since 2016, I've worked behind the scenes for leadership teams across healthcare, financial services, federal contracting, nonprofits, and tech startups. My background includes five years in HR (where I learned to systematize everything) and inside sales before that (where I learned to work with all kinds of people). Somewhere along the way, I taught myself to code and started building the tools and automations I couldn't find off the shelf.
Give me two systems that don't communicate and I'll find the bridge and build it. Give me a messy, manual process and I'll turn it into something that runs itself. That's kind of my jam.
Part ops nerd, part detective
I don't love chaos. I hunt it down.
The job all those trenchcoat roles answer to is detective. When I step into a business, I don't start with the org chart or the software. I start where your customer starts. I fill out your form, I book the call, I wait for the email that's supposed to come next (and clock exactly how long it takes to show up, if it shows up at all). I follow the trail until I find the exact spot where things quietly fall apart.
People assume someone who does this must love a good mess. I don't. A tangled backend doesn't light me up because it's fun, it lights me up because I already know how good it's going to feel once it's gone. Give me the scattered clues (the lead that sat three days, the tool nobody opens, the task you've done by hand a hundred times) and I'll show you the through-line you couldn't see from the inside. Then I build the fix. Simple as that.
Hours a week clients get back
Automated workflows built
Platforms connected
Years of operations experience
Certifications & Training
Certified in the platforms my clients actually run on. And when it comes to AI, I didn't pick the highlights. I finished Anthropic's entire published course catalog, every course, plus Google's AI Essentials program. Most of it inside two months, because this is the part of the job I'd be doing anyway.
Platform Certifications
Asana Certified Pro
Project management buildouts
Asana Ambassador
Community recognition
HubSpot Inbound Marketing
Inbound strategy & execution
HubSpot Sales Software
Sales Hub configuration
HubSpot CRM
CRM setup & pipeline design
Completed Coursework
Course completion certificates from Anthropic Academy and Google. Every one links to the certificate itself.
Claude 101
Anthropic certified (May 2026)
Claude Code 101
Anthropic certified (May 2026)
Claude Cowork
Anthropic certified (May 2026)
AI Fluency for Small Businesses
Anthropic & PayPal (May 2026)
Teaching the AI Fluency Framework
Anthropic Academy (May 2026)
AI Fluency: Framework & Foundations
Anthropic Academy (July 2026)
AI Fluency for nonprofits
Anthropic & GivingTuesday (July 2026)
Introduction to agent skills
Anthropic Academy (July 2026)
Introduction to subagents
Anthropic Academy (July 2026)
Introduction to Model Context Protocol
Anthropic Academy (July 2026)
Claude Code in Action
Anthropic Academy (July 2026)
Google AI Essentials
Google via Coursera, 5-course program (July 2026)
Google AI Professional Certificate
In progress (2026)
Always learning
New certs added as I earn them
How I Work
Ownership, not task-taking
I take responsibility for outcomes, not just checking things off a list. If something needs doing, it gets done. You should never have to follow up or micromanage. That defeats the entire purpose of having support.
Technical fluency (with AI baked in)
I'm not just organizing your calendar. I'm building Zapier workflows, configuring your CRM, integrating AI into the workflows that should have it, and troubleshooting the rest. I speak the language. I build the solutions. And in 2026, that means knowing where AI earns its keep and where it doesn't.
Calm under pressure
High-stakes environments are where I do my best work. I simplify complexity instead of adding to it. No drama, no panic. Just steady execution when things get busy.
Discretion is non-negotiable
You'll share sensitive information with me. Financial data, personnel issues, strategic plans. I treat all of it like a vault. Trust is earned, and I take that seriously.
Why The Coastal Collaborative?
The name reflects how I work: collaborative partnership with the calm, clarity, and perspective that comes from stepping back and seeing the whole picture.
This is not about checking boxes. It's about building operational systems and processes that let you focus on what actually drives your business forward.
Most operations consultants specialize in one thing. I cover four: your operations manager, your automation specialist, your AI integration partner, and your web developer. All in one partnership.
You bring the big idea. I build the fifty steps that make it real.
Meet the Team
Kelly Pollard
Operations Support Specialist
Kelly brings structure and follow-through to every client engagement. From inbox management and calendar coordination to project tracking and documentation, she is the person making sure nothing gets missed. Kelly works directly with our clients to keep day-to-day operations running smoothly so founders can focus on the work that actually moves the needle.