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What if your job posting was designed to push the wrong people away? In this Fan Favorite episode, Cameron Herold sits down with Tod Melnyk, former second in command at Martell Media and now its CEO, to revisit one of the show’s most candid conversations on hiring and culture. Tod went from 18 years at Labatt Breweries to running the business behind Dan Martell’s brand. He shares how Martell Media hires, why culture beats experience, and how to say no to a visionary CEO. Listen now. Sponsored by: Redirect Health, one of our gold Strategic Partners, offers healthcare benefits that make health insurance optional. It is a 24-hour online primary care and RX membership that guides employees before problems happen. Learn more: redirectcoo.com Timestamped Highlights 00:00 The Polarizing Job Posting 04:33 From Labatt Breweries to Entrepreneurship 07:29 Inside Martell Media’s Interview Process 11:21 “You Had Me at the First Slide” 14:36 The Three Core Values 21:09 Hiring Gen Z for Culture Fit 25:03 The Media Engine and the Revenue Engine 28:17 Saying No to a Visionary CEO 38:13 “Show Me Your Calendar and Your Bank Account” 45:09 Advice to His Younger Self About the Guest Tod Melnyk is CEO of Martell Media and AI Venture Studio. At the time of this recording, he was second in command to Dan Martell, running the business behind Dan’s media brand and revenue. He spent 18 years at Labatt Breweries, rising from sales rep to regional director. He then invested in and built craft breweries and ran operations for a European car service business. Mentioned Resources Dan Martell Buy Back Your Time Labatt EOS Worldwide Predictive Index Starbucks HeyGen Lime Important Links Connect with Cameron: Website | LinkedIn Explore the COO Alliance – The World’s Leading Community for Seconds in Command Get Cameron’s book: Second in Command, Unleash the Power of Your COO Book Claim your FREE copy: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO Book Take his course: Invest In Your Leaders Online Course (Use promo code PODCAST10 before the end of the month for 10% off) Chat or video call with AI Cameron via Delphi

What does it take to build a global team from scratch when a pandemic hits weeks into your new job? In this episode, our co-host, Lindsay Smith, sits down with Awa Kone, Head of Finance at Caliza. Awa previously served as COO of Corridor and as global head of operations at Flutterwave. Awa shares why she never expects the fires to stop, how she works with a CEO without being a yes-woman, and what it takes to keep a culture intact across continents. Listen now. Sponsored by:Cadre AI - If you are ready to turn AI into real growth for your business rather than just more tools, visit Cadre AI, our Gold Partner, to discover how their team helps companies increase revenue, improve profitability, and implement AI that truly delivers results: https://www.cadreai.com/coo Timestamped Highlights02:44 Early Life in Ivory Coast & Actuarial Career 06:42 Joining Flutterwave During COVID 08:09 Building Remote Teams in a Pandemic 12:29 Scaling Infrastructure Without Breaking 14:30 Working With the CEO as Second in Command 17:56 Fire Prevention vs Firefighting in Operations 19:54 Different Titles, Same Core Role 25:30 Maintaining Culture Across Global Markets 29:29 Team Retreats and Face-to-Face Connection 32:48 Training and Onboarding in Startups About the GuestAwa Kone is Head of Finance at Caliza, a global operator who helps high-growth companies build the operational and financial infrastructure to scale without breaking. She previously served as COO of Corridor and spent five and a half years at Flutterwave as global head of operations, where she built and scaled teams, treasury operations, and critical infrastructure through a period of extraordinary growth. She holds an MBA from MIT Sloan, is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, and has built her career across the US, Europe, and Africa. Mentioned ResourcesFlutterwave MIT Sloan School of Management Swiss Re Milliman PwC Society of Actuaries Slack Zoom WhatsApp Invest In Your Leaders About the Co-HostLindsay Smith is an experience-driven growth strategist and former Chief Strategy Officer. She previously scaled a new region without a traditional sales team or bloated marketing budget by turning relationships, culture, and execution into revenue. She is the author of No One Needs Another Company Mug, Stop Branding, Start Experiencing, and helps leadership teams use experience as a competitive growth lever. Important LinksConnect with Cameron: Website | LinkedIn Explore the COO Alliance – The World’s Leading Community for Seconds in Command Get Cameron’s book: Second in Command, Unleash the Power of Your COO Book Take his course: Invest In Your Leaders Online Course (Use promo code PODCAST10 before the end of the month for 10% off) Chat or video call with AI Cameron via Delphi

What does it take to go from Chief of Staff to running your own business unit before turning 30? In this Fan Favorite episode, Cameron Herold sits down with Melisa Tokmak, former General Manager of Document AI at Scale AI and now founder of Netic, to revisit one of the show's most insightful conversations on building teams and leading fast. Melisa's path is rare: a tiny village in Turkey, Stanford, Facebook, then right hand to Scale's CEO. She breaks down what a chief of staff really does, how she wins over senior candidates when she is younger than most, and why doing everything yourself is the hardest habit to break. Whether you are building a team or chasing a bigger role, this conversation is a masterclass in taking the elevator. Listen now. Sponsored by:STS Capital Partners - Your expert guides on the journey to an Extraordinary Exit™. To learn more about STS Capital Partners and how they achieve maximum value by Selling to Strategics™, check out here. Timestamped Highlights 05:48 Attracting Top Talent 08:42 Leadership Development 11:20 Transitioning to Scale AI 14:40 Defining Chief of Staff 18:59 Overcoming Growth Challenges 22:33 Focusing on Priorities 26:02 Hiring and Culture 30:04 Identifying Candidates 33:33 First Principles Approach 36:40 Career Advice and Closing About the GuestMelisa Tokmak is the founder of Netic. At the time of this recording, she was General Manager of Document AI at Scale AI, where she led a team of engineers, machine learning scientists, and product, operations, sales, and marketing talent building fine-tuned models for logistics, financial services, healthcare, and government. She joined Scale two years out of college as Chief of Staff to CEO Alexandr Wang, then founded the company's government unit, whose customers included the U.S. Army, the Defense Innovation Unit, and the U.S. Air Force. Mentioned ResourcesScale AI Stanford University Meta (Facebook) 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Defense Innovation Unit Important LinksConnect with Cameron: Website | LinkedIn Explore the COO Alliance – The World's Leading Community for Seconds in Command Get Cameron's book: Second in Command, Unleash the Power of Your COO Book Claim your FREE copy: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO Book Take his course: Invest In Your Leaders Online Course (Use promo code PODCAST10 before the end of the month for 10% off) Chat or video call with AI Cameron via Delphi

What does it take to keep a brewery's supply chain running when a hurricane floods it six feet deep, four days after you start the job? In this episode, Lindsay Smith sits down with Tom O'Connell, Chief Supply Chain Officer at New Belgium Beer. Tom brings nearly 28 years in brewing, including 25 years at Anheuser-Busch where he led more than 1,400 employees across 46 locations, before joining New Belgium in 2024 to oversee brewing operations across its four US breweries. Tom breaks down what it actually means to own everything from raw materials to the last mile of delivery, how New Belgium keeps culture consistent across four very different regions, and what he learned leading the Asheville brewery through Hurricane Helene, a crisis that tested the company's people first philosophy in real time. Listen now. Sponsored by: Genius Network, an exclusive community for highly successful entrepreneurs, that connects you with top-tier leaders, strategic insights, and powerful relationships to help you grow your business faster and smarter. Learn more here. Timestamped Highlights 00:33 Meet Tom O'Connell, Chief Supply Chain Officer 02:00 How Tom Got Into Beer by Fate 02:54 25 Years at Anheuser-Busch 04:14 What the Chief Supply Chain Officer Role Covers 09:56 The Annual Leadership Retreat 12:06 Managing Culture Across Four Regions 14:42 Innovation Engine: Voodoo Ranger, RTDs, and Kirin 25:20 Hurricane Helene Hits Asheville 27:56 Crisis Leadership: People First 44:07 Rising Costs and Supply Chain Disruptions About the Guest Tom O'Connell is Chief Supply Chain Officer at New Belgium Beer, where he oversees brewing operations and supply chain strategy across the company's four US breweries. He brings nearly 28 years of brewing experience, including 25 years at Anheuser-Busch, where he rose from intern to Vice President of Brewing and Quality for North America, leading a team of more than 1,400 employees across 46 locations. He joined New Belgium in 2024 and led the Asheville brewery's recovery after Hurricane Helene flooded the facility just days into his tenure. Mentioned Resources Anheuser-Busch New Belgium Brewing Bell's Brewery About the Co-Host Lindsay Smith is an experience-driven growth strategist and former Chief Strategy Officer. She previously scaled a new region without a traditional sales team or bloated marketing budget by turning relationships, culture, and execution into revenue. She is the author of No One Needs Another Company Mug, Stop Branding, Start Experiencing, and helps leadership teams use experience as a competitive growth lever. Important Links Connect with Cameron: Website | LinkedIn Explore the COO Alliance – The World's Leading Community for Seconds in Command Get Cameron's book: Second in Command, Unleash the Power of Your COO Book Claim your FREE copy: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO Book Take his course: Invest In Your Leaders Online Course (Use promo code PODCAST10 before the end of the month for 10% off) Chat or video call with AI Cameron via Delphi

Ep. 608 - FAN FAVORITE | YPO President and COO Sean Magennis - Lead With a Servant's Heart What does it take to lead an organization of 27,600 CEOs across 135 countries while still leading with a servant's heart? In this Fan Favorite episode, Cameron Herold sits down with Sean Magennis, former International Chairman of the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) and former President and COO of YPO, now EVP at Scouting America, to revisit one of the show's most insightful conversations on peer leadership. Sean's path is rare: he bootstrapped his own business from South Africa to Canada with no debt and no laptop, then spent over two decades immersed in confidential peer groups before helping run one of the largest CEO communities in the world. They get into how YPO's confidential "Forum" model teaches CEOs to speak from experience rather than give advice, why businesses evolve through life stages the same way people do, and the exact habits that keep his partnership with YPO's CEO in sync. Listen now. Sponsored by: Redirect Health offers healthcare benefits that finally make health insurance optional: a 24-hour online primary care and RX membership that protects your business by guiding employees before problems happen. Learn more: redirectcoo.com Timestamped Highlights 00:00 YPO and the Mastermind Landscape for Entrepreneurs 02:10 Sean Magennis: From EO Forum Committee to YPO 07:15 The Volunteer Addiction: 23 Years of Peer Group Leadership 10:05 Inside YPO Today: 27,600 Members and $9 Trillion in Member Sales 13:40 The Forum: YPO's Confidential Peer Group Model for CEOs 16:20 How YPO Teaches Vulnerability and Builds Trust Among CEOs 19:00 Forum in Business: Bringing Peer Principles to the Workplace 27:00 How Businesses Evolve Through Lifecycle Stages Like Humans 36:20 Sean's Key COO Skills: Ego Management, Coaching, and Coordination 43:00 The CEO-COO Partnership and Sean's Biggest Lesson About the Guest Sean Magennis is EVP at Scouting America. At the time of this recording, he was President and COO of YPO, the global community of chief executives, where he led alongside a 27-year YPO member CEO and a board of 17 CEOs overseeing 27,600 members in 135 countries. He began his career in South Africa before moving to Canada in 1990, where he bootstrapped an organizational development and executive search business across Canada, the US, and Mexico, and served as past International Chairman of the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO). Mentioned Resources Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) Dow Limited College Pro Painters Fortune's Best Places to Work list Important Links Connect with Cameron: Website | LinkedIn Explore the COO Alliance – The World's Leading Community for Seconds in Command Get Cameron's book: Second in Command, Unleash the Power of Your COO Book Claim your FREE copy: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO Book Take his course: Invest In Your Leaders Online Course (Use promo code PODCAST10 before the end of the month for 10% off) Chat or video call with AI Cameron via Delphi

What happens when a company builds its growth strategy around reviving forgotten small towns instead of chasing the next big metro? In this episode our co-host, Lindsay Smith, sits down with Nick Murphy, COO of Optomi Professional Services, a 100% US based technology firm operating through two brands: Optomi, which delivers high-end IT staffing, and Provalus, which brings IT and business process consulting to centers of excellence in rural America. He built his career across investment banking, a decade at The Home Depot, and a senior finance role at Ibotta before joining Optomi in 2023 and being appointed COO in December 2025. Together they get into the exact criteria Provalus uses before betting on a town, how one Wall Street Journal feature turned into a wave of national press, and why Nick says his people are the closest thing his company has to inventory. Listen now. Sponsored by: Cadre AI - If you are ready to turn AI into real growth for your business rather than just more tools visit Cadre AI to discover how their team helps companies increase revenue, improve profitability, and implement AI that truly delivers results: https://www.cadreai.com/coo Timestamped Highlights 0:00 — Staying Close to the Business 0:44 — Nick Murphy Introduction 6:25 — "Business Partners First, Finance Partners Second" 10:41 — Wall Street Journal Feature 12:10 — "A Company of Firsts" 13:25 — Untapped Talent in Rural America 15:56 — Revitalizing Main Street 20:08 — Paying 100% of Benefits 29:43 — Most Exciting Career Moment 33:08 — "Executive Amnesia" and the CEO Relationship 34:15 — Challenging the CEO 40:05 — "If I'm the Bottleneck, We've Got a Busted Process" 41:50 — AI as a Growth Vector 46:16 — Childhood Dream: School Bus Driver About the Guest Nick Murphy is COO of Optomi Professional Services, where he oversees both the Optomi staffing brand and the Provalus managed services brand. He built his career across investment banking with SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, nearly a decade at The Home Depot spanning finance, merchandising, e-commerce, and marketing, and a senior finance role at Ibotta. He joined Optomi in 2023, built out FP&A, marketing, PR, and enterprise strategy, and was appointed COO in December 2025. Mentioned Resources SunTrust Robinson Humphrey The Home Depot Ibotta Wall Street Journal Fox Business News Nation Newsweek cooalliance.com/freebook About the Co-Host Lindsay Smith is an experience-driven growth strategist and former Chief Strategy Officer. She previously scaled a new region without a traditional sales team or bloated marketing budget by turning relationships, culture, and execution into revenue. She is the author of No One Needs Another Company Mug, Stop Branding, Start Experiencing, and helps leadership teams use experience as a competitive growth lever. Important Links Connect with Cameron: Website | LinkedIn Explore the COO Alliance – The World's Leading Community for Seconds in Command Get Cameron's book: Second in Command, Unleash the Power of Your COO Book Claim your FREE copy: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO Book Take his course: Invest In Your Leaders Online Course (Use promo code PODCAST10 before the end of the month for 10% off) Chat or video call with AI Cameron via Delphi

What does it take to sit at the right hand of three different CEOs, back to back, and make each partnership work? In this Fan Favorite episode, Cameron Herold sits down with Laurie Aaron, former Chief of Staff at AT&T and now founder of Arron Coaching, LLC, to revisit one of the show's most clarifying conversations on a role almost nobody truly understands. Laurie's path is rare: 30 years inside AT&T and three successive CEOs gave her a front-row seat to how the chief of staff role must reinvent itself with every leader. She breaks down what separates a chief of staff from a COO and an executive assistant, and why the best ones prevent problems the CEO never even sees. Whether you're wondering if you need a chief of staff, or wondering if you already are one, this conversation demystifies the role end to end. Listen now. Sponsored by: AMP - a practical, proven methodology that helps teams move from trying to do more with AI to achieving more because of it, replacing fragmented experimentation with real AI Operations capability. Through personalized training, strategy, and hands-on support, teams get a clear path to build momentum and embed AI into daily work. Learn more here. Timestamped Highlights 00:00 Why the Chief of Staff Role Is So Misunderstood 02:10 The Origins: From the Military to the Corporate World 04:30 What Every Effective Chief of Staff Has in Common 07:15 Chief of Staff vs. COO: Where the Roles Diverge 10:05 My Right Hand and My Left Hand: Chief of Staff vs. Executive Assistant 13:40 How Title Inflation Diluted the Role 16:20 What Chiefs of Staff Are Actually Paid 19:00 Writing Who Has Your Back? 21:30 Can Any C-Suite Leader Have a Chief of Staff? 24:15 Where the Best Chiefs of Staff Really Come From 27:00 Why You Should Look Internally First 30:10 Building the Interview Squad 33:45 How Trust Gets Built Between a CEO and Their Chief 36:20 The Handshake Meeting: Setting the Vows 39:50 Knowing When and How to Challenge a CEO 43:00 Coaching CEOs and Chiefs of Staff as a Team 45:30 Speak Yourself Into the Room: Laurie's Advice to Her Younger Self About the Guest Laurie Aaron built her expertise on the chief of staff role over 30 years at AT&T, where she served as chief of staff to three different CEOs in succession. She is now the founder and CEO of Arron Coaching, LLC, a trusted advisor and executive coach to C-Suite leaders and chiefs of staff, and the author of Who Has Your Back?: A Leader's Guide to Getting the Support You Need by the Chief of Staff You Deserve. Mentioned Resources Who Has Your Back? Hit The Ground Running AT&T The Misunderstood Role of the COO cooalliance.com/freebook Important Links Connect with Cameron: Website | LinkedIn Explore the COO Alliance – The World's Leading Community for Seconds in Command Get Cameron's book: Second in Command, Unleash the Power of Your COO Book Claim your FREE copy: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO Book Take his course: Invest In Your Leaders Online Course (Use promo code PODCAST10 before the end of the month for 10% off) Chat or video call with AI Cameron via Delphi

Most operators never learn to fight autopilot, the quiet enemy of excellence. In this episode, Lindsay Smith sits down with Mike Fedorov, COO of Applied AI Labs. With 26 years in operations and supply chain, as a former Accenture Director and Mars operations leader, Mike built his reputation staying on-site, in the detail, close to where the work breaks. He shares his philosophy that a COO's first job is to keep the lights on, and the second is to keep them on better, explaining why flat structures are replacing layers of management, how AI works best as a coordination layer, and the defining power of mentorship in his career. Sponsored by: STS Capital Partners - Your expert guides on the journey to an Extraordinary Exit™. To learn more about STS Capital Partners and how they achieve maximum value by Selling to Strategics™, complete the inquiry form here: https://stscapital.com/coo-alliance/ Timestemped Highlights 00:00 The Future of Flat Organizational Structures 01:44 What Applied AI Labs Does 02:38 The COO's Real Job: Keep the Lights On, and Better 05:11 A COO Who Watches Two Operations at Once 08:08 Scaling After Excelling: The Contractor Approach 09:18 Why Flat Structures Are Replacing Layers of Management 11:01 What Big Companies Get Right About Operations 12:45 Nimbleness vs. Routine: Autopilot as the Enemy of Excellence 16:06 How AI Actually Helps Operations: The Coordination Layer 18:44 AI as a Copilot, Not a Replacement 20:06 AI in Recruiting: What Works and What Fails 27:34 Defining Moments: The Power of Mentorship 30:52 How to Find and Structure Mentorship 38:55 What's Next for Applied AI Labs 43:55 Personal Growth: Knowing What You Don't Know About the guest Mike has 26 years of experience in operations and supply chain, as a former Accenture Director and, before that, leading operations planning and execution for Mars. He has run and turned around operations for some of the most complex and demanding companies in the world, and has saved major clients that were ready to walk. He leads engagements the way he has always worked: on-site, in the detail, close to the people who know where the work breaks. Operators trust Mike because he has done their job. Mentioned Resources Mars Accenture About the Co-Host Lindsay Smith is an experience-driven growth strategist and former Chief Strategy Officer. She previously scaled a new region without a traditional sales team or bloated marketing budget by turning relationships, culture, and execution into revenue. She is the author of No One Needs Another Company Mug, Stop Branding, Start Experiencing, and helps leadership teams use experience as a competitive growth lever. Important Links Connect with Cameron: Website | LinkedIn Explore the COO Alliance – The World’s Leading Community for Seconds in Command Get Cameron’s book: Second in Command, Unleash the Power of Your COO Book Claim your FREE copy: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO Book Take his course: Invest In Your Leaders Online Course (Use promo code PODCAST10 before the end of the month for 10% off) Chat or video call with AI Cameron via Delphi

How do you walk into a company of nearly 800 people as its first-ever president and win over the ones who wanted your job? We are bringing this one back because it keeps landing with second-in-command leaders. Cameron sits down with Sameer Kazi, the first president in ActiveCampaign's history, who joined a fast-growing company of nearly 800 people and had to earn trust from day one. Sameer traces his path from employee 200 at ExactTarget through the Salesforce acquisition, KKR, Bessemer, and running Cheetah Digital, then unpacks how he split responsibilities with the CEO, why he brings non-finance leaders close to the numbers, and how he decides with incomplete information. If you are stepping into a senior seat or scaling a business without losing its edge, this one is worth the revisit. Listen now. Sponsored by: This episode is brought to you by our Silver Sponsor, Next Level Growth. They help COOs and leadership teams build Elite Organizations through a proven, customizable framework built around the Five Obsessions of Elite Organizations. If you and your leadership team are ready to operate at the next level, take the Elite Organizations Assessment and receive a free 20-page customized report based on your answers, plus a complimentary one-hour coaching session with a Next Level Growth Partner and Business Guide to begin implementing tools that will help you build an even more elite business. Complete the assessment here to get started - nextlevelgrowth.com/cooassessment Timestamped Highlights02:35 Employee 200 at a "tiny little company" called ExactTarget 03:15 Filing an S-1 in 2008, right as the markets fell apart 03:50 Why the growth never actually slowed down 05:37 The years between Salesforce and ActiveCampaign 08:50 Walking into KKR and asking, "Barbarians at the Gate?" 10:38 The boardroom lesson from a business with declining growth 12:38 What an MBA is actually good for 13:38 Reading Salesforce's income statement before SaaS was cool 14:48 The 54% lever that only works while growth holds 15:52 Quitting his job to raise money with twins on the way 16:32 Why ActiveCampaign came looking for him 19:23 Why the role was never about empire building 21:46 Winning over the people who wanted his seat 25:11 How you know when you know enough to decide 26:24 What ActiveCampaign really does 34:47 Why every non-finance leader should learn the numbers 37:25 The advice he would give his 21-year-old self About the GuestSameer Kazi was serving as President of ActiveCampaign at the time of this recording, the first person to hold that title in the company's history, reporting to founder and CEO Jason VandeBoom. A veteran SaaS operator, he was an early executive at ExactTarget (employee 200) through its acquisition by Salesforce and ran EMEA operations from London. He later served as interim CEO of Simply Measured and CEO of Cheetah Digital, and worked alongside investors including KKR and Bessemer. He holds an MBA and describes himself as a sleeves-rolled-up, sweat-the-details operator. Sameer is now the Chief Executive Officer at Pantheon Platform. 🔗 LinkedIn Mentioned ResourcesActiveCampaignSalesforce, formerly ExactTargetSimply Measured - acquired by Sprout SocialCheetah Digital - now MarigoldKKRBessemer Venture PartnersExperianSilversmith Capital PartnersTrueCiscoZapier1-800-GOT-JUNK Important LinksConnect with Cameron: Website | LinkedInExplore the COO Alliance - The World's Leading Community for Seconds in CommandGet Cameron's book: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO BookClaim your FREE copy: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO BookTake his course: Invest In Your Leaders Online Course (Use promo code PODCAST10 before the end of the month for 10% off)Chat or video call with AI Cameron via Delphi Note: This Fan Favorite episode is a recast of one of our most impactful interviews, still packed with insights for second-in-command leaders. Whether it is your first listen or a revisit, there is timeless value inside. The Second in Command Podcast is an original production hosted by Cameron Herold. Brought to you by COO Alliance. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand. Sponsored by: This episode is brought to you by our Silver Sponsor, Next Level Growth. They help COOs and leadership teams build Elite Organizations through a proven, customizable framework built around the Five Obsessions of Elite Organizations. If you and your leadership team are ready to operate at the next level, take the Elite Organizations Assessment and receive a free 20-page customized report based on your answers, plus a complimentary one-hour coaching session with a Next Level Growth Partner and Business Guide to begin implementing tools that will help you build an even more elite business. Complete the assessment here to get started - nextlevelgrowth.com/cooassessment

What does it really take to turn a single-family ranch into a thriving, multi-stream meat company that families and top chefs trust? In this episode, Lindsay Smith sits down with Conner Hackett, General Manager of Stemple Creek Ranch, to unpack how a small California ranch grew into a multichannel meat company without ever cutting corners. Conner shares why culture and purpose matter more than technical skill, how one ranch became farmers markets, direct-to-consumer, events, and ranch stays, and what it actually takes to build a resilient local food system that keeps the dollars pointed back at the people on the ground. If you lead operations and want a real playbook for scaling with legacy and integrity intact, this conversation delivers. Listen now. Sponsored by: Genius Network - An exclusive community for highly successful entrepreneurs, connecting you with top-tier leaders, strategic insights, and powerful relationships to help you grow your business faster and smarter. Learn more: https://www.geniusnetwork.com/ Timestamped Highlights00:17 - How a fifth-generation rancher ended up leading a meat company 01:14 - Why he walked away from a finance internship at Merrill Lynch 03:14 - What it is really like to join a company whose culture is already built 04:28 - The complex work of turning whole animals into a real business 07:11 - The hidden hurdle most small producers underestimate 09:49 - Why the meat company only works if it serves the rancher first 10:52 - How Stemple Creek builds fierce loyalty one customer at a time 15:27 - What actually happens behind the booth at a world-class farmers market 24:04 - The most defining moment: getting the whole team under one roof 26:16 - Wearing every hat as GM, and the surprise he did not expect 30:01 - Why the why matters more than the technical skill set 31:52 - The weight of legacy, and the moment it flipped for him 37:50 - The direct-to-consumer bet that could define the next chapter About the GuestConner Hackett is the General Manager of Stemple Creek Ranch, a fourth-generation family ranch near Tomales, California that raises grass-fed beef and lamb and has grown into a multichannel meat company. A fifth-generation rancher himself, Conner came up in agriculture, worked in the Bay Area meat and restaurant world, and founded his own consulting business before joining Stemple Creek, where he now leads finance, marketing, and operations for the meat enterprise. 🔗 LinkedIn | Website Mentioned ResourcesIntegrate ConsultingMerrill LynchLeopold Conservation Award About the Co-HostLindsay Smith is an experience-driven growth strategist and former Chief Strategy Officer. She previously scaled a new region without a traditional sales team or bloated marketing budget by turning relationships, culture, and execution into revenue. She is the author of No One Needs Another Company Mug, Stop Branding, Start Experiencing, and helps leadership teams use experience as a competitive growth lever. 🔗 Connect with Lindsay on LinkedIn Important LinksConnect with Cameron: Website | LinkedInExplore the COO Alliance - The World's Leading Community for Seconds in CommandGet Cameron's book: Second in Command, Unleash the Power of Your COO BookClaim your FREE copy: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO BookTake his course: Invest In Your Leaders Online Course (Use promo code PODCAST10 before the end of the month for 10% off)Chat or video call with AI Cameron via Delphi The Second in Command Podcast is an original production hosted by Cameron Herold and co-hosted by Lindsay Smith. Brought to you by COO Alliance. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand. Sponsored by: Genius Network - An exclusive community for highly successful entrepreneurs, connecting you with top-tier leaders, strategic insights, and powerful relationships to help you grow your business faster and smarter. Learn more: https://www.geniusnetwork.com/

What does it take to go from astrophysics to running operations at one of the fastest-growing AI companies in the world? In this Fan Favorite episode, Cameron Herold sits down with Victoria Weller, former Chief of Staff and now Lead of Operations at ElevenLabs, to revisit one of the show’s most fascinating conversations. Victoria’s path is rare: astrophysics, space medicine, quantum encryption, and Palantir, before landing at the AI voice company reshaping how the world listens. She breaks down what a Chief of Staff really does at an early-stage startup, how she cleared SOC 2 compliance in seven weeks, and why ElevenLabs grew so fast. They also get into voice cloning, deepfake safeguards, and surprising use cases across hospitals, transit, and accessibility. Whether you want a COO seat or you are building functions from nothing, Victoria’s story is a masterclass in figuring it out fast. Listen now. Sponsored by:Redirect Health - Affordable healthcare benefits designed to make traditional insurance optional, with 24/7 access to primary care and Rx support that helps businesses reduce costs while keeping employees covered. Learn more: http://www.redirectcoo.com/ Timestamped Highlights[00:00:44] – The ElevenLabs mission, and why an EPUB can become an instant audiobook [00:02:55] – Munich to Edinburgh to Berlin to New York: a career across four countries [00:04:06] – What actually happens to an astronaut’s blood in zero gravity [00:07:54] – Lasers, quantum encryption, and the pivot toward tech [00:13:06] – Cameron asks the big ones: aliens, and are we living in a simulation? [00:19:12] – What ElevenLabs is really building, explained simply [00:20:50] – How context lets an AI voice sound genuinely sad or genuinely happy [00:28:12] – The accessibility use cases the team never saw coming [00:31:03] – Cloning a late loved one’s voice, and the compliance behind it [00:33:16] – Stopping deepfake voice scams: watermarks and the AI Speech Classifier [00:38:31] – What a Chief of Staff actually does, and why it feels like a SWAT team [00:40:32] – Does a great Chief of Staff work themselves out of a job? [00:47:07] – The advice Victoria would give her 21-year-old self About the GuestVictoria Weller is the former Chief of Staff and now the Lead of Operations at ElevenLabs, the AI voice company behind lifelike text-to-speech and voice cloning, where she owns internal operations, compliance, and hiring. She cleared the company’s SOC 2 process in seven weeks. Before ElevenLabs she was a reliability engineer at Palantir Technologies in New York and London. Her background spans astrophysics at the University of Edinburgh, space-medicine research in Berlin, and a master’s in applied physics from Columbia University. 🔗 LinkedIn | Website Resources & MentionsPalantirColumbia UniversityMax Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial PhysicsOpenAI (ChatGPT)MidjourneyThere’s An AI For ThatTED Important LinksConnect with Cameron: Website | LinkedInExplore the COO Alliance - The World’s Leading Community for Seconds in CommandGet Cameron’s book: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO BookClaim your FREE copy: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO BookTake his course: Invest In Your Leaders Online Course (Use promo code PODCAST10 before the end of the month for 10% off)Chat or video call with AI Cameron via Delphi Note: This Fan Favorite episode is a recast of one of our most impactful interviews, still packed with insights for second-in-command leaders. Whether it is your first listen or a revisit, there is timeless value inside. The Second in Command Podcast is an original production hosted by Cameron Herold. Brought to you by COO Alliance. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand. Sponsored by:Redirect Health - Affordable healthcare benefits designed to make traditional insurance optional, with 24/7 access to primary care and Rx support that helps businesses reduce costs while keeping employees covered. Learn more: http://www.redirectcoo.com/

What if the most important team you lead is not the one you actually run? In this solo episode, Cameron Herold tells the story of coaching a 400-person company that had become the best place to work in its state, then watched politics spread through the leadership team like black mold. Silos, turf wars, and finger-pointing crept in right as the company scaled. His fix starts with one shift: your leadership team is your first team, not the department you run. Cameron breaks down the exact systems he used at 1-800-GOT-JUNK to keep leaders aligned, from weekly shout-outs and a shared dashboard to a rallying cry, offsite quarters, and even a giant Monopoly board. If your leaders are protecting their own turf instead of winning together, this one is for you. Listen now. Sponsored by:Cadre AI – Helping business leaders identify the highest-impact opportunities for AI and implement strategies that drive greater efficiency, profitability, and revenue. Learn more: https://cadreai.com Timestamped Highlights[01:04] - The leadership idea Cameron spent years figuring out before sharing it[01:27] - The Florida company he grew 10x, then watched get infected[01:56] - The black mold that spreads across even the best places to work[02:34] - Why a wide receiver's most important team is not the offense[02:59] - The first team rule every 1-800-GOT-JUNK leader lived by[03:44] - The 15-second weekly habit that quietly kills silos[05:05] - The rallying cry that pulls leaders out of their own turf[05:55] - The death zone between 30 and 100 employees, and the trap inside it[07:23] - Why your best quarterly planning never happens in the office[08:07] - Why one simple dashboard beats sixty scattered metrics[09:29] - The giant Monopoly board that turned projects into a team game[11:30] - Flip your org chart upside down, and see who lands at the bottom Mentioned Resources1-800-GOT-JUNK (the company Cameron helped build and scale)BlueGrace Logistics (the Florida company in the coaching story)YPO (Young Presidents' Organization) Important LinksConnect with Cameron: Website | LinkedInExplore the COO Alliance - The World’s Leading Community for Seconds in CommandGet Cameron’s book: Second in Command, Unleash the Power of Your COO BookClaim your FREE copy: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO BookTake his course: Invest In Your Leaders Online Course (Use promo code PODCAST10 before the end of the month for 10% off)Chat or video call with AI Cameron via Delphi The Second in Command Podcast is an original production hosted by Cameron Herold. Brought to you by COO Alliance. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand. Sponsored by:Cadre AI – Helping business leaders identify the highest-impact opportunities for AI and implement strategies that drive greater efficiency, profitability, and revenue. Learn more: https://cadreai.com

Ever wonder what happens when the COO who scaled a company to $100 million realizes he was the problem? In this episode, Cameron sits down with Mike Wood, COO of Jarrett Companies, who joined a $2 million Nashville construction firm and helped grow it into seven companies doing over $100 million. They get into the machinery behind that growth: meetings from 6 to 9 a.m., five days a week, a double check on everybody in the building, and profit sharing that turns leaders into owners. Then it goes deeper. Mike opens up about learning to read at 25, the misery that followed his biggest turnaround, and the million-dollar flood where taking full ownership changed his entire team. If the noise in your head is louder than the problems on your desk, this conversation is your way out. Listen now. Sponsored by: STS Capital – A global M&A advisory firm helping entrepreneurs achieve maximum value when selling their business, with a focus on strategic buyers and life-changing exits. Learn more: https://stscapital.com Timestamped Highlights05:30 - Two million to one hundred million: why Mike had to keep replacing himself, over and over 07:38 - Meetings from 6 to 9 a.m., five days a week: the double check habit that ended repeat mistakes 13:16 - The six out of ten rule: why waiting two months on a problem employee costs you everything 15:51 - How to create safety before a hard conversation, so people can actually hear you 18:41 - The science of angry leadership: cortisol, the default mode network, and why exploding makes you dumber 23:26 - More money, happy family, great job, and the most miserable he had ever been: the fish tank moment 24:30 - Learning to read at 25: how a rare form of dyslexia wrote the negative script in Mike's head 30:28 - "This flood is my fault": the $1 million claim that became a masterclass in taking ownership 34:32 - What owners do when nobody is watching, and why every person in the building needs a double check 42:10 - Inside Learn to Love Being You: removing identities, forgiveness, and rewriting the stories that haunt us About the GuestMike Wood is the COO of Jarrett Companies, a Nashville-based commercial construction group spanning site work, paving, concrete, fire protection, and mechanical services. Since joining as an estimator and project manager, he has helped grow the business from $2 million to more than $100 million in revenue across seven companies, including a fire protection company later sold to a private equity firm. Mike is also the founder of Learn to Love Being You, a 10-week program that helps people quiet anxiety and self-doubt through the same inner work that transformed his own leadership. 🔗 LinkedIn | Website Mentioned ResourcesJason Jarrett, CEO of Jarrett CompaniesLearn to Love Being YouExtreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif BabinThe E-Myth Revisited by Michael GerberSmartsheet1-800-GOT-JUNK? Important LinksConnect with Cameron: Website | LinkedInExplore the COO Alliance - The World's Leading Community for Seconds in CommandGet Cameron's book: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO BookTake his course: Invest In Your Leaders Online Course (Use promo code PODCAST10 before the end of the month for 10% off)Chat or video call with AI Cameron via Delphi The Second in Command Podcast is an original production hosted by Cameron Herold. Brought to you by COO Alliance. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand. Sponsored by: STS Capital – A global M&A advisory firm helping entrepreneurs achieve maximum value when selling their business, with a focus on strategic buyers and life-changing exits. Learn more: https://stscapital.com

What if the smartest move you can make is to disrupt your own company before a competitor does? In this episode, Lindsay Smith sits down with John Durocher, the self-described accidental COO of Calix. John never set out to run operations. He came up through consulting and customer success, never managed a supply chain or an IT org, and that is exactly why his CEO wanted him in the seat. His mandate: question everything. John and Lindsay get into how to lead change when everyone is comfortable, build a leadership team that actually trusts each other, give feedback in the moment rather than at review season, and use AI to take drudgery off people rather than cut headcount. He also shares the directive that shaped his role: go build the company that would beat us. For any second-in-command driving transformation without breaking their people, this is a playbook. Listen now. This episode is brought to you by our Silver Sponsor, Next Level Growth. They help COOs and leadership teams build Elite Organizations through a proven, customizable framework built around the Five Obsessions of Elite Organizations. If you and your leadership team are ready to operate at the next level, take the Elite Organizations Assessment and receive a free 20-page customized report based on your answers, plus a complimentary one-hour coaching session with a Next Level Growth Partner and Business Guide to begin implementing tools that will help you build an even more elite business. Complete the assessment here to get started - nextlevelgrowth.com/cooassessment Timestamped Highlights[00:01:32] The accidental COO: how a late-night phone call rewrote John’s career[00:08:46] Why the people who succeeded longest have the hardest time changing[00:10:05] Disrupt yourself, or wait to be disrupted... the directive that built his role[00:10:59] When your CEO used to work for you: inside an unusually honest relationship[00:16:11] Why John never waits for a formal review to give hard feedback[00:18:22] The courageous conversation with his boss that became a breakthrough[00:21:03] The team reset that exposes how little colleagues really know each other[00:27:26] Seeing the seams: the bird’s eye view nobody else in the company has[00:29:28] “Staple yourself to the order form” and other ways to fix the customer experience[00:33:46] Fast isn’t always good... what moving too quickly does to an organization[00:36:08] Stop telling your boss why it won’t work. Do this instead.[00:37:25] The COO’s job is to slow down the CEO, not slam on the brakes[00:42:43] Does remote work actually work? John’s rebuttal to the water-cooler myth[00:46:41] What’s next for Calix: AI agents and the smart apartment About the GuestJohn Durocher is the Chief Operations Officer at Calix, where he leads operations across the company, from customer success and commercial operations to supply chain and IT. He joined Calix in 2023 as Chief Customer Officer and stepped into the COO role about a year ago. Before Calix, John spent 17 years at Salesforce leading customer success, where he watched the company grow from $250M to $30B in revenue. He began his career in consulting, including time at Accenture and Arthur Andersen, and describes himself as an accidental COO who treats the job like one long consulting project. 🔗 LinkedIn | Website Mentioned ResourcesSalesforce Accenture Michael Weening - President and CEO of Calix About the Co-HostLindsay Smith is an experience-driven growth strategist and former Chief Strategy Officer who scaled a new region without a traditional sales team or bloated marketing budget by turning relationships, culture, and execution into revenue. She is the author of No One Needs Another Company Mug. Stop Branding. Start Experiencing and helps leadership teams use experience as a competitive growth lever. 🔗 Connect with Lindsay on LinkedIn Important LinksConnect with Cameron: Website | LinkedInExplore the COO Alliance - The World’s Leading Community for Seconds in CommandGet Cameron’s book: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO BookTake Cameron’s leadership course: Invest In Your Leaders Online Course (Use promo code PODCAST10 before the end of the month for 10% off)Chat or video call with AI Cameron via Delphi The Second in Command Podcast is an original production hosted by Cameron Herold and co-hosted by Lindsay Smith. Brought to you by COO Alliance. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand. This episode is brought to you by our Silver Sponsor, Next Level Growth. They help COOs and leadership teams build Elite Organizations through a proven, customizable framework built around the Five Obsessions of Elite Organizations. If you and your leadership team are ready to operate at the next level, take the Elite Organizations Assessment and receive a free 20-page customized report based on your answers, plus a complimentary one-hour coaching session with a Next Level Growth Partner and Business Guide to begin implementing tools that will help you build an even more elite business. Complete the assessment here to get started - nextlevelgrowth.com/cooassessment

What is a COO actually for, and why do so many CEOs never figure it out? In this solo episode, Cameron Herold tackles a question most CEOs never answer clearly: What is the point of a COO? Working through Chapter 2 of his book Second in Command, he makes the case that there is no single template. The right COO is the one who fits the CEO. Cameron breaks down the traits that set strong seconds-in-command apart. Inward versus outward-facing roles. Translating between departments without being the expert. Finding shortcuts and building systems, the worst employee on the worst day can still run. He shares hard-won lessons from his years as COO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK, including the blowup that spread bad energy through the company for a month. Get the fit wrong, and you get a swamped firefighter. Get it right, and you get real leverage. Listen now. Timestamped Highlights [00:36] – Why there’s no single template for a great COO, only fit[02:16] – Inward or outward facing: which COO does your CEO actually need[04:52] – The role a COO almost always plays, even when nobody sees them[06:05] – Why being a chameleon beats being the smartest expert in the room[08:29] – Empowerment over rescue: the parenting rule that reframes the job[10:36] – The department feud Cameron refereed without taking over the work[11:29] – The burned-out Starbucks sign that exposes a leadership question[13:07] – The currency bet that saved $100,000 a year for every penny[14:13] – The Buffalo snowstorm test for whether a system truly works[15:20] – Strategy or tactics: the Sun Tzu line every COO should sit with[19:07] – The blowup that spread bad energy through the company for a month[19:50] – Why the best COO might be 27, not 57 Mentioned Resources Free PR by Cameron Herold and Adrian SalamunovicThe E-Myth by Michael GerberGood to Great by Jim CollinsThe Art of War by Sun TzuShopify (Harley Finkelstein, Tobias Lütke)1-800-GOT-JUNK and O2E Brands (Erik Church)Apple (Steve Jobs)Tesla (Elon Musk)Ben & Jerry’s (Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield)Starbucks (Greg Johnson)Dell (Michael Dell)Meta (Facebook) (Sheryl Sandberg) Important Links Connect with Cameron: Website | LinkedInClaim your FREE copy: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO BookExplore the COO Alliance - The World’s Leading Community for Seconds in CommandGet Cameron’s book: Second in Command, Unleash the Power of Your COO BookTake his course: Invest In Your Leaders Online Course (Use promo code PODCAST10 before the end of the month for 10% off)Chat or video call with AI Cameron via Delphi The Second in Command Podcast is an original production hosted by Cameron Herold. Brought to you by COO Alliance. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.