Tim Fruge

Independent Operations Advisor

Independent | Austin, Texas

• Advise and implement operating improvements for owner-led companies across client-service design, frontline leadership, staffing, handoffs, scheduling, quality control, and performance tracking.
• Use AI-assisted research, analysis, and documentation to turn owner priorities into implementation plans, manager tools, and operating systems that reduce founder dependency.

Founder & Operator

Nine Rivers Consulting / PrepareToday | Austin, Texas

• Developed and launched PrepareToday in June 2022, building the DTC ecommerce retailer from zero to approximately $2.8M in recorded first-year order value across more than 6,000 orders.
• Held full P&L ownership across revenue, pricing, COGS, purchasing, operating expenses, marketing spend, cash flow, margins, and profitability.
• Built supplier and direct-shipping relationships and led assortment, merchandising, pricing, purchasing, customer service, payment processing, and order operations.

Strategic Operations and Special Projects

Ready Alliance Group / My Patriot Supply | Salt Lake City and regional sites

• Led Kansas City and Columbus fulfillment-center launches, adding approximately 62,000 square feet, enabling two-day contiguous-U.S. delivery coverage, and replacing a higher-cost 3PL model.
• Coordinated site evaluation, leases, founding-manager recruitment and training, layouts, racking, shipping stations, IT, staffing vendors, and launch readiness.
• Evaluated a proposed proprietary supplement line and InstaFire's proprietary manufacturing process through supplier, formulation, equipment, and operating research.

Director of Operations

Confidential, Privately Held Ecommerce & Media Company | Austin, Texas

Promoted through operations and fulfillment roles as the company grew from approximately seven employees and $2M in annual revenue to roughly 80 employees and $80M, supporting approximately 750,000 annual orders and 2,000 SKUs.

• Led seven department managers across ecommerce, purchasing, fulfillment, customer service, IT, graphics, and accounting support, with final people authority across business operations.
• Built a proprietary portfolio from zero to approximately 90% of company revenue and directed commercialization of more than 250 products.
• Managed approximately 40–50 active supplement SKUs across 10–12 manufacturers and co-packers, including sourcing, negotiation, formulations, testing, labels, packaging, production, freight, and launch readiness.
• Owned P&L, revenue, gross margin, CAC, LTV, and CM3 across ecommerce and business operations within an approximately $80M company.
• Led implementation of Magento, NetSuite, SubscribePro workflows, fraud prevention, reporting, and a 32,000-square-foot fulfillment facility.

Founder & Operator

TK Commerce and Related Ventures | Concurrent ventures

• Held full P&L ownership for TK Commerce across revenue, purchasing, operating expenses, cash flow, margins, and profitability.
• Built and operated ecommerce ventures and delivered contracted warehouse, fulfillment, and procurement services.