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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. 1D AGO

    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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. FEB 4

    Do Politics Belong in Business? Why Values Can’t Stay Private

    Do politics belong in business or is that the wrong question entirely? In this episode of The Opt-In Podcast, Melissa Franks reframes the conversation away from parties, candidates, and debate, and toward what actually matters: values, integrity, and alignment. As political and social issues increasingly collide with the workplace, many business owners believe staying silent is the safest move. But silence isn’t neutral. When businesses claim strong values internally while avoiding public alignment, they create an authenticity gap that erodes trust with employees, customers, and the market. Melissa breaks down why values can’t stay private, how performative neutrality damages brands, and what thoughtful, values-led leadership actually looks like. This episode offers practical filters to help leaders decide when to speak, when to wait, and how to respond without falling into reactive or performative activism. This isn’t about being political. It’s about being credible. The goal isn’t to be liked, it’s to be aligned, authentic, and real. Connect with Melissa: Watch the Episodes on Youtube Instagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

    32 min

  6. JAN 28

    New Year, New Distractions: Why Reinvention Is Killing Execution

    January has a way of convincing business owners that something is wrong. You come back from a break, look at your business with fresh eyes, and suddenly everything feels off. The offers feel stale. The strategy feels tired. The urge to change everything kicks in. But here’s the truth most people don’t want to hear: Your business probably isn’t broken. Your focus is. In this episode, Melissa breaks down why “new year, new you” energy is one of the most dangerous mindsets in business, and how it pulls leaders away from the very work that actually drives revenue and stability. Instead of doing the boring, proven, money-making activities, January often becomes a month of distraction: Reworking offers that are already profitableChasing new marketing strategies instead of fixing conversionHiring too soon to relieve pressureOvercomplicating strategy instead of executing consistentlyMelissa walks through the most common distractions she sees business owners fall into at the start of the year, and what strong operators focus on instead. You’ll learn: Why reinvention is often a signal of discomfort, not strategyThe difference between emotional fatigue and operational problemsWhat to audit before you change your offers, marketing, or teamHow to refocus on the unsexy work that actually moves the business forwardWhat disciplined execution really looks like in Q1If you’re feeling the urge to shake everything up right now, this episode will help you slow down, get grounded, and make decisions from data, not January energy. Because growth doesn’t come from starting over. It comes from focusing on what already works and doing it better.   We have a new way to connect to other business owners and get timely hot takes on current events and business trends. Join us over on Substack today. https://oncallcoo.substack.com/subscribe?params=%5Bobject%20Object%5D Connect with Melissa: Watch the Episodes on Youtube Instagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

    36 min

  7. JAN 21

    Your Business Isn’t Failing — It’s Growing Up (Why Instability Is a Signal, Not a Problem)

    If your business feels harder right now, even though nothing is technically “wrong”, this episode is for you. In this week’s episode of The Opt-In Podcast, Melissa breaks down why instability is often a sign of growth, not failure. As businesses mature, the systems, decisions, and leadership style that once worked stop being sufficient and that transition can feel uncomfortable, confusing, and even alarming. This episode reframes instability as a signal, not a setback, and explains what mature businesses do differently when things start to feel less predictable. In this episode, we cover: Why founders mistake instability for failureWhat actually causes businesses to feel chaotic as they growHow the founder’s role must evolve at each stageWhy stability is built, not feltThe difference between effort and real progressIf your revenue is solid, your team is capable, but clarity feels harder to come by, you’re not doing anything wrong. You’re likely standing at a transition point—and how you respond now matters.   Join the On Call COO Substack Weekly insight, perspective, and practical guidance for founders navigating growth. 👉 https://oncallcoo.substack.com/subscribe?params=%5Bobject%20Object%5D Book a Free Consultation with On Call COO Get clarity on what’s actually happening in your business—and what to do next. 👉 https://www.melissafranks.com/fractionalcooservices Connect with Melissa: Watch the Episodes on Youtube Instagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

    22 min

  8. JAN 14

    Why Q1 Falls Apart (Even With a Good Plan)

    If January already feels heavier than you expected, it’s not because you didn’t plan well, it’s because most plans break once execution begins. Every year, founders enter January with clear goals, only to find themselves back in the weeds, making rapid-fire decisions while their teams wait for direction. This episode breaks down why that happens and what January is really revealing about your business. In this conversation, I cover: Why high-level plans fail without operational structureHow founders unintentionally become the bottleneckThe role alignment, ownership, and feedback play in executionWhat to fix now so Q1 doesn’t quietly slip awayThis isn’t about working harder or scaling faster, it’s about building a business that can execute with clarity, consistency, and less dependence on any one person. If your business has traction but execution feels heavy, this episode will help you see what needs to change next.   If you want to talk through the challenges, schedule a free consultation today: https://www.melissafranks.com/fractionalcooservices Connect with Melissa: Watch the Episodes on Youtube Instagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

    35 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
    168
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Opt In
  • Show Website
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