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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

    May Is Your Make-or-Break Month: The Mid-Q2 Audit Every Business Owner Needs

    If you blinked and somehow it's already May, and you have no idea if you're on track to hit your goals this year, you're not alone, and you're not behind. There's one thing you need to do this week, and you need to do it fast.   In this episode, Melissa Franks unpacks why May is the most overlooked month in a founder's year, and why it's the only clean window you have to course-correct before summer slows everything down. You'll walk away with a simple, repeatable mid-Q2 audit you can run on your business in less than an hour. What you'll learn in this episode Why May is a setup month, not a coast month, and the "summer cliff" most founders never see comingThe 5 numbers every founder should be looking at right now (revenue vs. plan, gross margin trend, cash on hand, Q3 pipeline coverage, and team capacity)The 3 honest questions to ask about Q1 and Q2 so far: what worked, what broke, what you've been avoidingHow to find the one bottleneck that's actually slowing your business down (and why fixing five things means fixing nothing)Two real client stories, one that almost hit a brick wall from succeeding too fast, and one that nearly went bankrupt from flying blindThe 4 things to lock in before June so your business runs without you all summerHow to install a weekly operating rhythm that carries you past summer and into a calmer Q4Want help running this audit on your business? Book a free 30-minute Mid-Year Audit consultation with our team. Walk through your 5 numbers and pinpoint your one bottleneck before summer slips away. Visit www.melissafranks.com to grab a time. Connect with Melissa Website: www.melissafranks.comLinkedIn: Melissa FranksInstagram / TikTok: @melissafranksYouTube: Optin PodcastAbout the show The Optin Podcast is where business owners go from surviving to thriving. Hosted by Melissa Franks, founder of On Call COO — fractional COO services for founders who want to get out of the weeds, build scalable operations, and make faster decisions backed by real data.   If this episode hit home, follow the show, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share it with the founder friend who keeps saying "I'll look at the numbers later." Connect with Melissa: Watch the Episodes on Youtube Instagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks  Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

    22 min

  2. MAY 6

    Why You're Still Stuck in the Weeds (And It's Not Because You Won't Delegate)

    If you started your business for freedom and somewhere along the way it started running you instead of you running it, this episode is for you. Melissa walks through why founders really stay stuck in the weeds (it's almost never the reason you think), introduces the four-tier CEO Time Audit framework, and gives you a 7-day assignment that will change how you spend every hour of your week. Plus: a free worksheet that does the math for you.   WHAT YOU'LL LEARN The three unmistakable signs you're operating in the weeds (not just busy)Why "just delegate" is useless advice, and the five real reasons founders stay stuckHow to calculate what your hour is actually worth (and why you're hemorrhaging money you don't see)The four-tier CEO Time Audit framework: $1,000 / $100 / $25 / $10 per hour workThe three-step process to free up 10–20 hours a week: audit, categorize, reassignThe honest truth about why this exercise feels uncomfortable, and why that's the point  CEO Time Audit Ready to find out what your week actually looks like? Download the free CEO Time Audit, run the 7-day exercise, and bring the results to a free 30-minute consultation. We'll find your biggest leverage point together — no pitch, no pressure. Just one operator helping another founder figure out the next move. https://oncallcoo.myflodesk.com/ceoaudit ABOUT MELISSA Melissa Franks is the founder of On Call COO and host of the Optin Podcast. Before launching her fractional COO practice, she served as COO of a Fortune 100 financial services business, where she helped grow the company from $50M to $350M. She now works with small business founders to help them grow, scale, and actually love the life they've built — without being the hardest-working employee in their own business. Book a free consultation https://www.melissafranks.com/fractionalcooservices Connect with Melissa: Watch the Episodes on Youtube Instagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks  Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

    24 min

  3. APR 29

    Is Your Company Culture Quietly Capping Your Growth? An 8-Step Audit for Founders

    What if the culture that makes your company feel like home is the exact thing keeping the right people from ever walking through the door?   In this episode, Melissa Franks — founder of On Call COO and 25-year operator — tackles one of the most under-examined growth levers in small business: company culture. Drawing on real client work, her own corporate-turned-startup experience, and lessons from companies like Hobby Lobby and Ben & Jerry's, Melissa makes the case that the culture that got you to your first ten employees is rarely the one that will carry you to your first hundred.   You'll hear the two truths every founder has to hold in tension, why a strong culture can quietly become an exclusionary one without anyone meaning for it to, and the three reasons homogeneous cultures cost more than founders realize, in talent math, legal exposure, and slower, worse decision-making.   Then Melissa walks you through her 8-step Culture Audit, the same framework she uses with fractional COO clients, so you can honestly assess whether your culture is an asset or a ceiling, and decide exactly what to keep, evolve, or let go.   Free Download: The Culture Audit Worksheet Want to run the full 8-step audit on your own company? Download the free Culture Audit Worksheet, the same framework Melissa uses with her fractional COO clients https://oncallcoo.myflodesk.com/cultureaudit   Work With Melissa If you're not sure whether your culture is an asset or a ceiling, that's exactly the kind of thing On Call COO helps founders figure out. A culture audit is one of the first things Melissa runs when she steps in as a fractional COO. Book a free 30-minute consultation and she'll tell you honestly whether your culture is going to get you where you're going.   Book your free consultation: 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

  4. APR 22

    Your Best People Aren't Quitting the Job. They're Quitting the Way You Lead Them.

    Your best employee is still hitting their numbers. They're polite. They don't complain. And something feels off. Stop reaching for a raise. You don't have a compensation problem, you have a leadership problem. And at $3M+, it's one of the top plateau-makers in your business. In this episode: Why A-players disengage (it's never what you assume)The four real reasons, each with a named tactic: the Scope Audit, the Cover Question, the "Why" One-on-One, the Two-Year ConversationA three-question diagnostic for you, alone at your deskThe 30-day re-engagement plan — one conversation per week, no new system required  "Your best people want to stay. They're waiting to see if you can still see them."   This week: one A-player. One conversation. One action.   Book a strategy session: https://www.melissafranks.com/fractionalcooservices  More at https://www.melissafranks.com Connect with Melissa: Watch the Episodes on Youtube Instagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks  Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

    33 min

  5. APR 15

    Fire Yourself First: My Honest Q1 2026 Business Recap (From $10K Goals to $100K Months)

    What does it actually look like to grow a business from a $10K/month survival goal to a $100K month, in real time, with real numbers, and zero sugarcoating? In this episode, Melissa Franks, founder of On Call COO, pulls back the curtain on everything that happened in Q1 2026: the wins, the unexpected setbacks, the hard decisions, and the mindset shifts that are fueling the path to $3 million. This isn't a highlight reel. This is the full picture, and it might be exactly what you need to hear right now.   In this episode, you'll learn: Why Melissa set a $3 million "impossible goal" for 2026, and what that actually means in practiceThe one decision made at the end of 2025 that directly led to On Call COO's first $100K month in February 2026How to identify where YOU are the bottleneck in your own business (and what to do about it)What "firing yourself" from a role really means, and why it's the most important thing a scaling founder can doThe leading indicators Melissa watches daily that have nothing to do with revenue, and how they saved the business from a pipeline crash in MarchWhat happened when Google Ads suddenly stopped spending (and how she diagnosed and fixed it fast)Why Melissa made the intentional decision to step BACK into client fulfillment, even after retiring from itThe truth about rest, recovery, and why "hustle culture" advice can quietly kill your business growth  Ready to find your own bottleneck? If any of this resonated, and you're sitting in the owner seat wondering why it's so hard, you're not alone. Melissa and the On Call COO team offer a free consultation call to help you see the forest through the trees.  👉 Book your free consultation at https//www.melissafranks.com/fractionalcooservices   Connect with Melissa: Website: melissafranks.comLinkedIn: Melissa FranksInstagram: @melissafranksConnect with Melissa: Watch the Episodes on Youtube Instagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks  Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

    34 min

  6. APR 8

    The 5 Differences Between a $1M and $10M Business (And Why Most Founders Get Stuck)

    Most people think the difference between a $1M business and a $10M business is more leads, better marketing, or a bigger audience. It's not — not even close. The real gap between a 7-figure and an 8-figure business isn't effort. It's structure. And in this episode, Melissa Franks breaks down the five core operational differences that separate businesses that stay stuck at a million from the ones that scale to $10 million and beyond. Whether you're sitting at $500K trying to crack your first million, or you've hit $1M and can't figure out why you're still grinding — this episode is going to change how you think about running your business. In This Episode You'll Learn: Why the business model that got you to $1M is the very thing keeping you from $10MThe 5 fundamental differences between a 7-figure and 8-figure businessHow to shift from founder-driven to systems-driven — even if you're not ready to let goWhy $10M businesses don't do more, they do less, betterThe #1 reason businesses get stuck at $1M and $3M (and how to break through)The 3 honest questions every founder must ask themselves right nowWhy chaos is actually highly organized and why it will destroy your ability to scaleIf This Episode Hit Close to Home... You're not alone. Most businesses get stuck between $1M and $3M — not because the market is saturated or the product is wrong, but because the founder hasn't upgraded how they operate. That's exactly the work we do at On Call COO. Whether you need a 90-minute strategy session to get clear on your next move, or fractional COO support to help you build the systems and team structure to scale — we've got you. 👉 Book a free consultation at melissafranks.com to find out what's keeping your business from the next level. Connect with Melissa: Website: melissafranks.comLinkedIn: Melissa FranksPodcast: The Optin PodcastIf this episode was valuable, please share it with a founder you know who's ready to stop surviving and start thriving. Connect with Melissa: Watch the Episodes on Youtube Instagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks  Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

    26 min

  7. APR 1

    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

  8. 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
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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
    178
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Opt In
  • Show Website
    Opt In

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