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Melissa Franks
  • 4.5 (8)
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Do I have to be friends with my co workers to get ahead? Should I take the promotion even if I hate the job? Is my salary big enough or am I getting screwed? Do I have to choose between having a family and having a career? I've been laid off now what do I do? I'm Melissa Franks, and I've spent the last 25 years building my corporate career and a family to along the way, there have been bumps and bruises and some epic going down in flames of glory moments. My journey up the corporate ladder found me forging new ground without a safety net. Through my real life stories, experiences, and special guests on the show, I take the mystery out of how to succeed in the corporate world. I'm going to spill all the tea about how decisions are really made, how to tell who the hidden influencers are, and how to realize your full potential while enjoying the process at the same time. Each week, we will dive into a topic where I will share the good, the bad, and the ugly of my experiences and what we can all learn from them. You will walk away each week with a clear set of next steps to take action and improve your circumstances. We are going to speak frankly and freely about when it's time to opt in or to opt out. Opt In is a place where you can come to get practical, actionable advice to propel your career and your life in the direction you want. Work with me: www.melissafranks.com/offers

  1. 3D AGO

    Strategy vs. Execution: Why Most Businesses Are Solving the Wrong Problem

    “I think we need a new strategy.” If your business feels stuck, this is probably the sentence you’ve said, or thought, recently. Maybe your revenue isn’t where you want it to be, the team feels busy but progress is inconsistent, you’re working harder… but not seeing better results.   So the instinct is to change direction. New plan. New ideas. New strategy. But in most cases, that’s not the real problem. The issue isn’t strategy, it’s execution. In this episode, Melissa breaks down one of the most common (and costly) mistakes growing businesses make: confusing strategy with execution—and constantly trying to fix the wrong one. Because when you don’t know the difference, you end up: Changing direction too oftenAbandoning what could have workedKeeping your team in a constant state of resetCreating more complexity instead of progressAnd over time, that confusion slows growth more than anything else. In this episode: What strategy actually is (and what it is not)Why goals, ideas, and tactics are often mistaken for strategyWhat execution really looks like inside a growing businessThe difference between a strategy problem and an execution problemThe 3 most common breakdowns that stall growthWhy founders default to changing strategy instead of fixing executionHow lack of ownership and accountability kills momentumA simple framework to diagnose where your business is actually stuckWhy consistent execution beats constant reinvention every timeKey Takeaways Strategy is about clear choices and focus—not just goals or ideasExecution is about turning those choices into consistent actionMost businesses don’t fail from lack of ideas—they fail from lack of follow-throughIf you’re constantly changing direction, you may be solving the wrong problemA simple strategy, well executed, will outperform a complex strategy that never gets implementedWork With Melissa If your business has a clear vision but struggles with execution, your operating model may be the issue, not your strategy. Learn more about how On Call COO helps businesses scale through operational clarity and execution: www.melissafranks.com Follow & Share If this episode resonated, make sure to follow the podcast and share it with another founder who might be solving the wrong problem right now. Because growth doesn’t come from better ideas. It comes from better execution. Connect with Melissa: Watch the Episodes on Youtube Instagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks  Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

    28 min

  2. MAR 25

    Why Your Business Feels Harder Than It Should (And How Smart Operators Fix It)

    Are you working harder in your business, but seeing worse results? Many founders right now are experiencing slower sales cycles, unpredictable revenue, exhausted teams, and strategies that suddenly aren’t working the way they used to. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. In this episode, Melissa Franks explains why business feels harder right now and the operational shifts smart companies are making to stabilize revenue and grow again. The reality is that the market has changed—but many businesses are still operating the way they did during high-growth years. Melissa breaks down what’s actually happening behind the scenes and how to reset your business so it runs with clarity, focus, and efficiency. If your business feels chaotic, overly complex, or stuck, this episode will help you identify the real problem and give you a framework to move forward.   What You'll Learn Why buyer behavior has changed and how it affects your salesThe hidden operational problems created during high-growth periodsWhy many founders are still operating with outdated strategiesThe three operational shifts successful businesses are making right nowThe four key metrics every founder should track beyond just revenueHow simplifying your business can increase both revenue and profit  Work with Melissa and her team If you feel stuck in the weeds of your business and need help improving operations, strategy, or team performance, you can schedule a free consultation with Melissa Franks and the OnCall COO team. visit C https://www.melissafranks.com/fractionalcooservices Connect with Melissa: Watch the Episodes on Youtube Instagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks  Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

    30 min

  3. MAR 18

    Your Team Isn’t Slow. Your Decision Bottleneck Is the Problem

    Many founders believe their team simply moves slower than they would. They say things like: “Everything takes longer than it should.”“My team needs too much direction.”“In the end I just do it myself.”But in most growing businesses, the real issue isn’t effort, capability, or urgency. It’s a decision bottleneck the founder accidentally created. When every decision needs approval, review, or confirmation, execution slows across the entire organization. Teams begin waiting for permission instead of moving forward, managers stop managing, and initiative disappears. In this episode, Melissa breaks down how founders unknowingly create decision dependencies inside their companies and why that structure quietly limits growth. She also explains how to redesign decision flow so teams can move faster without sacrificing quality or accountability. Why founders often believe their team is “slow”How approval habits create decision dependency across teamsThe behavioral conditioning that causes employees to wait for permissionWhat happens to managers when every decision escalates to the founderWhy decision bottlenecks create exhaustion and decision fatigueThe role of decision ownership in growing organizationsHow to define decision rights so teams can execute fasterWhy imperfect decisions are necessary for organizational speedWhen escalation should actually happen in a businessGrowing companies require decision velocity. When every decision flows through one person, execution slows, initiative disappears, and the business becomes dependent on the founder’s availability. Scaling requires designing clear decision ownership so leaders can lead and teams can move forward without constant approval. Work With Melissa If your company is growing but execution feels slow or chaotic, your operating structure may need to evolve. Learn more about working with On Call COO: www.melissafranks.com/fractionalcooservices Connect with Melissa: Watch the Episodes on Youtube Instagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks  Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

    30 min

  4. MAR 11

    Give to Gain: Why the Real Power Move in Leadership Is Multiplication

    What if the fastest way to grow your income, influence, and impact is to stop focusing on yourself? In this International Women’s Day special episode of The Opt-In Podcast, executive leader and Fractional COO Melissa Franks shares a powerful leadership shift that applies to women in business, corporate executives, founders, and growth-stage CEOs worldwide. After 25+ years scaling businesses, from Fortune 100 financial services companies to founder-led startups, Melissa reveals what separates stagnant leaders from exponentially compounding ones: They stop accumulating. They start multiplying. This episode explores the “Give to Gain” leadership model and how mentorship, visible thought leadership, and strategic collaboration drive sustainable growth in today’s marketplace. Whether you're leading a corporate team in New York, building a founder-led company in California, scaling a startup across the U.S., or growing a global business, this conversation will challenge how you think about power, visibility, and long-term success. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: ✔ Why mentorship is not charity — it’s succession planning ✔ How to stop being the bottleneck in your organization ✔ Why visible thought leadership is service (not ego) ✔ How to share expertise without sounding self-promotional ✔ Why collaboration compounds growth faster than competition ✔ How to build sustainable leadership without burnout ✔ The difference between accumulation leadership and multiplication leadership   If This Episode Resonated Follow the podcast and leave a review. Share this episode with a woman leader in your network Because the real power move in leadership isn’t accumulation. It’s multiplication. Connect with Melissa: Watch the Episodes on Youtube Instagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks  Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

    37 min

  5. MAR 4

    Letting Managers Manage: How to Cascade Feedback Without Losing Control

    As your business grows, your role changes. When it was just you, giving feedback directly was fast and effective. Once managers are in place, skip-level feedback creates confusion, erodes trust, and slows execution, even when your intentions are good. In this episode, Melissa breaks down why bypassing managers undermines performance and how to cascade feedback without losing control. This isn’t about stepping back from leadership. It’s about evolving how communication flows so managers can actually manage and your organization can mature. You’ll learn: The hidden costs of skip-level feedbackWhy performance issues are often operating model problemsHow confused priorities and trust erosion happenWhat cascading feedback should look likeThe key questions owners must start askingWhat to stop doing immediately as your team growsWhen feedback flows through the right layer: Visibility improvesAccountability is clearDecision-making gets strongerIf you don’t trust your managers to manage, the structure is cosmetic, not functional. Listen in to learn how to lead at scale without creating chaos.   If you want help setting up an organizational design that can function with independence, let's talk it through. Book a call at https://www.melissafranks.com/fractionalcooservices Connect with Melissa: Watch the Episodes on Youtube Instagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks  Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

    28 min

  6. FEB 25

    You Don’t Need More Discipline — You Need Better Systems in Your Business

    Most business owners don’t lack discipline. They’re drowning in responsibility. In this episode, Melissa Franks challenges the idea that success comes from more hustle, grit, or motivation. If your business only moves forward when you’re “on,” that’s not a discipline problem, it’s a design flaw. You’ll learn: Why discipline and motivation are finite resourcesHow decision fatigue is quietly draining your leadership capacityThe real reason your team can’t move without you3 signs you’re relying on willpower instead of systemsWhy you should build one system at a time (and never automate what you haven’t fixed)Melissa shares real examples from client businesses where removing the owner as the bottleneck unlocked growth, restored timelines, and reduced exhaustion, without anyone “trying harder.” Sustainable success isn’t built on discipline. It’s built on design.   Work With On Call COO If you’re ready to stop white-knuckling your business, book a free consultation with OnCall COO. Melissa and her team help founders move out of fight-or-flight mode and into steady, scalable growth through practical systems and operational leadership. Book a call: https://www.melissafranks.com/fractionalcooservices  Connect with Melissa: Watch the Episodes on Youtube Instagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks  Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

    32 min

  7. FEB 18

    The Hidden Cost of Revenue-Only Goals

    Most business owners set revenue goals every year, very few define how their business will actually support them. In this episode of The Opt-In Podcast, Melissa Franks explains why revenue-only goals are one of the most common ways small businesses create chaos. Teams hustle harder instead of smarter. Marketing and operations fall out of sync. Margins shrink. Leaders become bottlenecks. Revenue isn’t the problem. Incomplete goals are. Melissa breaks down why revenue is an outcome, not a plan, and introduces the operational targets that keep growth sustainable. You’ll learn how to set clear capacity limits, delivery constraints, margin requirements, and guardrails that help your team make better decisions without constant oversight. If your business feels reactive, overwhelmed, or harder to run as revenue grows, this episode will help you understand why, and how to fix it.   Revenue is a result. Operations are the strategy.   If you are struggling to identify your operational targets, book a call today with On Call COO, we can help you figure out what the biggest priorities are any how to measure success.  https//www.melissafranks.com/fractionalcooservices Connect with Melissa: Watch the Episodes on Youtube Instagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks  Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

    32 min

  8. FEB 11

    Managing Up: The Skill Every Growing Team Must Learn

    As teams grow, the way work gets done has to change. What worked in a small, scrappy business starts to break once multiple layers, managers, and priorities appear. Employees feel overwhelmed, managers lose visibility, and execution slows down, not because people aren’t capable, but because communication hasn’t evolved. In this episode, Melissa speaks directly to employees and middle managers about a critical skill growing teams must learn: managing up. Managing up isn’t pushback or resistance. It’s a communication framework that helps teams clarify priorities, manage capacity, and deliver better results without burnout. You’ll learn why “just do what you’re asked” stops working, how to synthesize feedback and requests, and a practical managing up framework you can use immediately. This episode sets the foundation for next week’s conversation on what owners and leaders must change so managing up actually works.   If you're business is growing and you are ready for some outside input, schedule a call with us at https://www.melissafranks.com/fractionalcooservices Connect with Melissa: Watch the Episodes on Youtube Instagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks  Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

    31 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Do I have to be friends with my co workers to get ahead? Should I take the promotion even if I hate the job? Is my salary big enough or am I getting screwed? Do I have to choose between having a family and having a career? I've been laid off now what do I do? I'm Melissa Franks, and I've spent the last 25 years building my corporate career and a family to along the way, there have been bumps and bruises and some epic going down in flames of glory moments. My journey up the corporate ladder found me forging new ground without a safety net. Through my real life stories, experiences, and special guests on the show, I take the mystery out of how to succeed in the corporate world. I'm going to spill all the tea about how decisions are really made, how to tell who the hidden influencers are, and how to realize your full potential while enjoying the process at the same time. Each week, we will dive into a topic where I will share the good, the bad, and the ugly of my experiences and what we can all learn from them. You will walk away each week with a clear set of next steps to take action and improve your circumstances. We are going to speak frankly and freely about when it's time to opt in or to opt out. Opt In is a place where you can come to get practical, actionable advice to propel your career and your life in the direction you want. Work with me: www.melissafranks.com/offers

Information

  • Creator
    Melissa Franks
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    172
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Opt In
  • Show Website
    Opt In

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