Second in Command: The Chief Behind the Chief with Cameron Herold

Second in Command with Cameron Herold
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Welcome to the “Second in Command” Podcast hosted by Cameron Herold, brought to you by the COO Alliance, where top-level COOs share their insights, tactics, and strategies that made them the Chief Behind the Chief. Cameron Herold founded the COO Alliance with one simple goal in mind: to provide COOs with the same professional development and growth opportunities CEOs have enjoyed for many years. COO Alliance is the world's leading network for the Second in Command. Cameron Herold is a top business consultant, best-selling author, and speaker. He’s the mastermind behind hundreds of companies’ exponential growth and he’s touched thousands of businesses indirectly through his work.

  1. 6 days ago

    Ep. 605 - Applied AI Labs COO Mike Fedorov - Autopilot Is the Enemy of Excellence

    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

    Ep. 605 - Applied AI Labs COO Mike Fedorov - Autopilot Is the Enemy of Excellence

  2. 25 Aug

    Ep. 604 - FAN FAVORITE | Former ActiveCampaign President Sameer Kazi - The Financial Skill Most Leaders Skip

    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

    Ep. 604 - FAN FAVORITE | Former ActiveCampaign President Sameer Kazi - The Financial Skill Most Leaders Skip

  3. 18 Aug

    Ep. 603 - Stemple Creek Ranch GM Conner Hackett - How to Turn One Product Into Five Revenue Streams

    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/

    Ep. 603 - Stemple Creek Ranch GM Conner Hackett - How to Turn One Product Into Five Revenue Streams

  4. 11 Aug

    Ep. 602 - FAN FAVORITE | ElevenLabs Lead of Operations Victoria Weller – Why Great Operators Never Wait for the Answer

    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/

    Ep. 602 - FAN FAVORITE | ElevenLabs Lead of Operations Victoria Weller – Why Great Operators Never Wait for the Answer

  5. 4 Aug

    Ep. 601 - Your First Team

    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

    Ep. 601 - Your First Team

  6. 28 Jul

    Ep. 600 - Jarrett Companies COO Mike Wood - The $1M Mistake That Made His Team Stronger

    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

    Ep. 600 - Jarrett Companies COO Mike Wood - The $1M Mistake That Made His Team Stronger

  7. 23 Jul

    Ep. 599 - Calix COO John Durocher - Why Your Best People May Be in the Wrong Seat

    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

    Ep. 599 - Calix COO John Durocher - Why Your Best People May Be in the Wrong Seat

  8. 21 Jul

    Ep. 598 - What's the point of a COO?

    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.

    Ep. 598 - What's the point of a COO?
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Welcome to the “Second in Command” Podcast hosted by Cameron Herold, brought to you by the COO Alliance, where top-level COOs share their insights, tactics, and strategies that made them the Chief Behind the Chief. Cameron Herold founded the COO Alliance with one simple goal in mind: to provide COOs with the same professional development and growth opportunities CEOs have enjoyed for many years. COO Alliance is the world's leading network for the Second in Command. Cameron Herold is a top business consultant, best-selling author, and speaker. He’s the mastermind behind hundreds of companies’ exponential growth and he’s touched thousands of businesses indirectly through his work.

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