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

Second in Command with Cameron Herold
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  • Entrepreneurship
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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. 11h ago

    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

  2. 5d ago

    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

  3. Jul 21

    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?

  4. Jul 16

    Ep. 597 - You.com COO Alex Triplett - How To Make or Break a COO in The First 90 Days

    What if walking away from the CEO seat was the smartest career move you could make in AI right now? Cameron Herold sits down with Alex Triplett, COO of you.com, the company quietly powering web search for AI agents behind brands like Salesforce, Anthropic, and Harvey. Alex turned down the chance to be a CEO to take the second-in-command seat at a fast-moving AI startup, and he explains exactly why. They get into the operator work most leaders avoid: walking into a 135-person company, making a brutal focus call, and rebuilding the team around a single mission. Alex breaks down his first 90 days, the listening tour that validated his biggest decision, how he sells to enterprise without getting strung along, and the system that keeps him out of the minutiae. Skip this one, and you risk what most new executives do: the right idea at the wrong time, and broken trust. Listen now for the unfiltered COO playbook on focus and timing. Sponsored byGenius 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 Highlights10:16 – “Google for AI agents,” explained: the invisible layer your favorite LLM cannot work without 13:18 – You might be using you.com right now without knowing it. Here is where it hides in the AI stack 15:08 – How to tell a real enterprise deal from a buyer who is just keeping you busy 19:56 – The COO superpower hiding in plain sight, and why it gets you a seat at the C-suite table 23:08 – Chief of staff or glorified executive assistant? The title too many companies get wrong 25:24 – Three companies, one founder: how Richard runs you.com while raising $650M for a frontier lab 33:34 – 135 people on day one: the focus call that cut the team to 110, then built it back stronger 38:01 – One mission, one North Star, and the moment focus “just exploded” the company 39:23 – The first 90 days that make or break a COO: the listening tour that validated everything 47:23 – Why this COO leaves messages unread on purpose, and what it taught him about good decisions 50:09 – The one-sentence piece of advice he would give his 22-year-old self About the GuestAlex Triplett is the Chief Operating Officer of you.com, the leading web search API for AI agents, serving customers like Salesforce, Anthropic, and Harvey. An investor turned operator, Alex spent the first decade of his career in private equity before moving to the operating side. He served as Global Head of Corporate Development at ION Group, where he helped grow the business from $150 million to $3 billion in revenue, and later as CFO and COO of Appfire. He also chairs the board of the travel app Pangea and holds a degree from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia. 🔗 LinkedIn | Website Mentioned ResourcesPangeaHarveySalesforce (Agentforce)Anthropic (Claude)OpenAIGoogle GeminiPerplexityxAI (Grok)ServiceNowLovableReplitGensparkAngelListShopify 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 byGenius 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. 597 - You.com COO Alex Triplett - How To Make or Break a COO in The First 90 Days

  5. Jul 14

    Ep. 596 - What Is a COO? The 7 Types Every CEO Needs to Know

    What if the most misunderstood role in business is also the one deciding whether your company scales? In this solo episode, Cameron Herold, founder of the COO Alliance and author of Second in Command, tackles the question every growth-minded CEO eventually faces: what exactly is a COO? Drawing on Bennett and Miles’ research and his own years as second in command at 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, Cameron explains why no two COOs on the planet have the same job, and why the search for a great one starts with the CEO’s own strengths and gaps. He walks through the seven types of COO: Executor, Change Agent, Mentor, Other Half, Partner, Heir Apparent, and MVP, with stories from Shopify, Oracle, Dell, and Facebook, plus the common roles a COO plays as adult in the room, integrator, and moderator. Get this hire wrong, and the person meant to fix the chaos only adds to it. Listen now. Timestamped Highlights[00:00] – The question-asking habit that separates growing companies from stuck ones[00:52] – Why most CMOs are interchangeable, but no two COOs share the same job[01:40] – The only non-negotiable requirement for any COO[02:31] – The research that uncovered the seven main categories of COO[04:30] – When a change agent should come from outside the company[05:34] – Why changing a company’s culture is like dealing with teenagers[07:30] – The mentor move that shaped Facebook’s earliest years[08:30] – The marriage test every CEO-COO pairing has to pass[13:18] – The leadership meeting comment that earned Cameron the COO title[18:57] – The homeowner and contractor rule for splitting the what from the how[23:20] – Why the CEO, not the COO, should be the tiebreaker Mentioned ResourcesRiding Shotgun: The Role of the COO by Nate Bennett and Stephen A. MilesSecond in Command: The Misunderstood Role of the Chief Operating Officer by Nate Bennett and Stephen A. Miles (Harvard Business Review)Double Double by Cameron HeroldHigh Growth Handbook by Elad GilRocket Fuel by Gino Wickman and Mark C. WintersTraction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman 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 *Valid only for CEOs or COO/Second in Command based in the US or Canada at companies wih $2M + revenue. 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. 596 - What Is a COO? The 7 Types Every CEO Needs to Know

  6. Jul 9

    Ep. 595 - Rythmia CMO Dr. Jeff McNairy – How to Lead a Visionary Founder Without Choking the Dragon

    What does it take to keep a brilliant, unpredictable founder from burning down the very thing he built? In this episode, Cameron Herold sits down with Dr. Jeff McNairy, Chief Medical Officer and second in command at Rythmia, the only medically licensed ayahuasca facility in the world. Jeff gave up his psychology license to help build something the medical world said could not exist. He and founder Jerry Powell turned a jungle dive into a 245-person operation that has guided roughly 23,000 guests through a seven-day program. Jeff gets into the two-year fight for a medical license, the indigenous partnership, and the daily work of bridging a medical team with a shamanic one. Most of all, he explains the real job of a second-in-command to a wild founder: not running the strategy, but keeping the person steady enough to keep the company alive. Listen now. Timestamped Highlights[00:07:09] – What Rythmia actually is, and why it calls itself the only one of its kind in the world.[00:08:31] – How many guests have come through the doors, and what the week demands of you before you ever arrive.[00:10:36] – The medical reason a single “healthy” supplement can turn dangerous with ayahuasca.[00:12:42] – Where ayahuasca comes from, and the two plants that have to be combined to make it work.[00:13:56] – The three moments in life your body floods with DMT all on its own.[00:17:02] – How a rehab patient ended up becoming the founder of a company.[00:19:14] – The flaw Jeff kept seeing in Western medicine that sent him looking for something else.[00:21:10] – The addiction that nearly ended Jerry Powell before Rythmia ever existed.[00:24:37] – The decision to build something safer and cleaner than what they first found.[00:31:18] – The license Jeff knew he would have to surrender to go all in.[00:33:44] – How he convinced a conservative government to allow this on the books.[00:36:14] – The hunt for an indigenous lineage still living in the mountains.[00:40:53] – The hardest balancing act in running Rythmia today.[00:43:51] – Why the body absorbs stem cells differently after a week of ceremony.[00:44:37] – The community Jeff and Jerry are building beyond the resort walls.[00:47:37] – How to lead a visionary founder without choking the dragon.[00:51:52] – The advice Jeff would give his 21-year-old self. About the GuestDr. Jeff McNairy is a doctorate-level psychologist (Psy.D., M.P.H.) and the Chief Medical Officer and second-in-command at Rythmia, the only medically licensed ayahuasca facility in the world, located in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. He spent decades in clinical care, from training at UCLA Medical Center to running a drug and alcohol rehab in Malibu, before co-building Rythmia with founder Jerry Powell. Jeff led the two-year effort to secure Rythmia’s medical license with the Costa Rican Ministry of Health and now oversees its medical team of doctors, nurses, and a paramedic alongside the center’s shamanic team, guiding the safety and clinical side of a program that has served guests from all over the world. 🔗Website | Company Mentioned ResourcesRythmia Life Advancement Center – the medically licensed ayahuasca facility in Costa RicaMAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies), founded by Rick DoblinAgape International Spiritual Center, founded by Michael BeckwithPassagesUCLA Medical CenterBulletproof, founded by Dave AspreyJoe RoganTim Ferriss 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: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. 595 - Rythmia CMO Dr. Jeff McNairy – How to Lead a Visionary Founder Without Choking the Dragon

  7. Jul 7

    Ep. 594 - Dark Side of Scaling

    What if the parts of building a $100 million company nobody posts about are the ones you most need to hear? In this recast episode, Cameron Herold drops the highlight reel and tells the truth about scaling. The near-bankruptcy at $100 million. The $9 million fraud. The nervous breakdown on an elevator floor. The stuff entrepreneurs never post about until years later, if ever. Cameron walks through the crises that actually shaped him, why cash is oxygen, why he stopped chasing balance, and how losing his identity to a logo nearly cost him his health, his marriage, and his closest friendships. It is raw, funny, and uncomfortably honest, and it is the conversation most founders are too scared to have. Revisit it or hear it for the first time. Listen now. Timestamped Highlights[00:01:02] The crises Cameron lived through in 40 years of building companies, and why he never talks about them[00:04:06] The pizza-and-beer night that flipped 12 employees from jealous to terrified[00:05:32] How $5 million in cash drained to zero in nine weeks at 1-800-GOT-JUNK[00:07:15] The bank meeting that exposed how little they understood their own business[00:11:53] A $9 million fraud hidden inside a company everyone loved working for[00:17:00] The elevator floor, the sobbing, and the breakdown nobody saw coming[00:18:26] The doctor's test that put Cameron at a 90%-plus heart attack risk[00:20:51] The podcast invite that turned into an elaborate account takeover[00:27:24] The four words from an employee that changed how Cameron lived[00:30:46] The 17-hour-day math behind the biggest lie Cameron told himself[00:36:12] Why 60% and 57.6% are not the same thing, and what it quietly costs you[00:39:42] The grapefruit at breakfast that signaled Cameron was about to be fired[00:46:27] What a rich life actually looks like to Cameron now[01:11:00] The vacation rule Cameron will fire an employee for ignoring Mentioned ResourcesDouble Double by Cameron HeroldVivid Vision by Cameron HeroldWho Not How by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin HardyThe Gap and the Gain by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin HardyWTF?! (Willing to Fail) by Brian ScudamoreThe Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO)Dan Pink's TED talk on the science of motivation Important LinksConnect with Cameron. Website and 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.

    Ep. 594 - Dark Side of Scaling

  8. Jul 2

    Ep. 593 - Cowboy Space Corporation COO & CLO Joe Yaffe - The Leadership Secrets Powering a $2B Space Revolution

    What would you risk to build something that’s never been done, like beaming energy from orbit or launching football-field-sized data centers into space? In this raw conversation, Cameron Herold sits down with Joe Yaffe, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Legal Officer of Cowboy Space Corporation. They dig into the grit, tension, and daily chaos of scaling a $2 billion startup that’s disrupting the commercial space sector. Joe shares his path from buttoned-down law firm partner to space industry executive, revealing the secret levers behind talent acquisition, relentless execution, and leadership in a market obsessed with moonshots. Skip this episode and you may miss the playbook for outpacing ten times bigger rivals. Listen now for a rare, inside-out look at operational leadership under real pressure. This is not the usual founder hype. 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 Highlights00:47 – Why Cowboy Space Corporation had to kill its first name 04:51 – The phone call that forced a total company rebrand 08:44 – Turning sci-fi into reality with orbital energy grids 13:04 – Football-field-sized data centers…the inside story 18:27 – How a lawyer actually becomes a high-performing COO 20:59 – Why top-tier talent flocks to Cowboy despite fierce competition 27:58 – The unspoken rules for hiring (and keeping) world-class engineers 34:40 – The real cost of prioritizing in chaos as a second-in-command 49:17 – The advice Joe Yaffe would give his 21-year-old self About the GuestJoe Yaffe is the COO & CLO of Cowboy Space Corporation, a $2B commercial space startup building orbital energy grids and advanced data centers. Previously, Joe spent 31 years as an M&A and founders’ counsel at top law firms, advising Silicon Valley’s elite. Now he’s translating legal precision into operational strategy at one of the West Coast’s boldest tech companies. 🔗 LinkedIn | Website Mentioned ResourcesRobinhoodElon MuskJeff BezosSpaceXBlue OriginRocket LabStoke SpaceSkadden ArpsFenwick & WestAnthropicOpenAIJoe Polish / Genius NetworkDon’t Make Me Think (book) 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. 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. 593 - Cowboy Space Corporation COO & CLO Joe Yaffe - The Leadership Secrets Powering a $2B Space Revolution
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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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