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

Second in Command with Cameron Herold

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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Tuesday · 44 min
Ep. 610 - FAN FAVORITE | Scale AI General Manager Melisa Tokmak - I Don't Want a Ladder, I Want an Elevator
What does it take to go from Chief of Staff to running your own business unit before turning 30? In this Fan Favorite episode, Cameron Herold sits down with Melisa Tokmak, former General Manager of Document AI at Scale AI and now founder of Netic, to revisit one of the show's most insightful conversations on building teams and leading fast. Melisa's path is rare: a tiny village in Turkey, Stanford, Facebook, then right hand to Scale's CEO. She breaks down what a chief of staff really does, how she wins over senior candidates when she is younger than most, and why doing everything yourself is the hardest habit to break. Whether you are building a team or chasing a bigger role, this conversation is a masterclass in taking the elevator. Listen now. 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™, check out here. Timestamped Highlights 05:48 Attracting Top Talent 08:42 Leadership Development 11:20 Transitioning to Scale AI 14:40 Defining Chief of Staff 18:59 Overcoming Growth Challenges 22:33 Focusing on Priorities 26:02 Hiring and Culture 30:04 Identifying Candidates 33:33 First Principles Approach 36:40 Career Advice and Closing About the Guest Melisa Tokmak is the founder of Netic. At the time of this recording, she was General Manager of Document AI at Scale AI, where she led a team of engineers, machine learning scientists, and product, operations, sales, and marketing talent building fine-tuned models for logistics, financial services, healthcare, and government. She joined Scale two years out of college as Chief of Staff to CEO Alexandr Wang, then founded the company's government unit, whose customers included the U.S. Army, the Defense Innovation Unit, and the U.S. Air Force. Mentioned Resources Scale AI Stanford University Meta (Facebook) 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Defense Innovation Unit 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
September 29 · 54 min
Ep. 609 - New Belgium Beer Chief Supply Chain Officer Tom O'Connell - We're a Human Powered Business
What does it take to keep a brewery's supply chain running when a hurricane floods it six feet deep, four days after you start the job? In this episode, Lindsay Smith sits down with Tom O'Connell, Chief Supply Chain Officer at New Belgium Beer. Tom brings nearly 28 years in brewing, including 25 years at Anheuser-Busch where he led more than 1,400 employees across 46 locations, before joining New Belgium in 2024 to oversee brewing operations across its four US breweries. Tom breaks down what it actually means to own everything from raw materials to the last mile of delivery, how New Belgium keeps culture consistent across four very different regions, and what he learned leading the Asheville brewery through Hurricane Helene, a crisis that tested the company's people first philosophy in real time. Listen now. Sponsored by: Genius Network, an exclusive community for highly successful entrepreneurs, that connects you with top-tier leaders, strategic insights, and powerful relationships to help you grow your business faster and smarter. Learn more here. Timestamped Highlights 00:33 Meet Tom O'Connell, Chief Supply Chain Officer 02:00 How Tom Got Into Beer by Fate 02:54 25 Years at Anheuser-Busch 04:14 What the Chief Supply Chain Officer Role Covers 09:56 The Annual Leadership Retreat 12:06 Managing Culture Across Four Regions 14:42 Innovation Engine: Voodoo Ranger, RTDs, and Kirin 25:20 Hurricane Helene Hits Asheville 27:56 Crisis Leadership: People First 44:07 Rising Costs and Supply Chain Disruptions About the Guest Tom O'Connell is Chief Supply Chain Officer at New Belgium Beer, where he oversees brewing operations and supply chain strategy across the company's four US breweries. He brings nearly 28 years of brewing experience, including 25 years at Anheuser-Busch, where he rose from intern to Vice President of Brewing and Quality for North America, leading a team of more than 1,400 employees across 46 locations. He joined New Belgium in 2024 and led the Asheville brewery's recovery after Hurricane Helene flooded the facility just days into his tenure. Mentioned Resources Anheuser-Busch New Belgium Brewing Bell's Brewery 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
September 22 · 46 min
Ep. 608 - FAN FAVORITE | YPO President and COO Sean Magennis - Lead With a Servant's Heart
Ep. 608 - FAN FAVORITE | YPO President and COO Sean Magennis - Lead With a Servant's Heart What does it take to lead an organization of 27,600 CEOs across 135 countries while still leading with a servant's heart? In this Fan Favorite episode, Cameron Herold sits down with Sean Magennis, former International Chairman of the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) and former President and COO of YPO, now EVP at Scouting America, to revisit one of the show's most insightful conversations on peer leadership. Sean's path is rare: he bootstrapped his own business from South Africa to Canada with no debt and no laptop, then spent over two decades immersed in confidential peer groups before helping run one of the largest CEO communities in the world. They get into how YPO's confidential "Forum" model teaches CEOs to speak from experience rather than give advice, why businesses evolve through life stages the same way people do, and the exact habits that keep his partnership with YPO's CEO in sync. Listen now. Sponsored by: Redirect Health offers healthcare benefits that finally make health insurance optional: a 24-hour online primary care and RX membership that protects your business by guiding employees before problems happen. Learn more: redirectcoo.com Timestamped Highlights 00:00 YPO and the Mastermind Landscape for Entrepreneurs 02:10 Sean Magennis: From EO Forum Committee to YPO 07:15 The Volunteer Addiction: 23 Years of Peer Group Leadership 10:05 Inside YPO Today: 27,600 Members and $9 Trillion in Member Sales 13:40 The Forum: YPO's Confidential Peer Group Model for CEOs 16:20 How YPO Teaches Vulnerability and Builds Trust Among CEOs 19:00 Forum in Business: Bringing Peer Principles to the Workplace 27:00 How Businesses Evolve Through Lifecycle Stages Like Humans 36:20 Sean's Key COO Skills: Ego Management, Coaching, and Coordination 43:00 The CEO-COO Partnership and Sean's Biggest Lesson About the Guest Sean Magennis is EVP at Scouting America. At the time of this recording, he was President and COO of YPO, the global community of chief executives, where he led alongside a 27-year YPO member CEO and a board of 17 CEOs overseeing 27,600 members in 135 countries. He began his career in South Africa before moving to Canada in 1990, where he bootstrapped an organizational development and executive search business across Canada, the US, and Mexico, and served as past International Chairman of the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO). Mentioned Resources Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) Dow Limited College Pro Painters Fortune's Best Places to Work list 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
September 15 · 51 min· Video
Ep. 607 - Optomi Professional Services COO Nick Murphy - Our People Are Our Inventory
What happens when a company builds its growth strategy around reviving forgotten small towns instead of chasing the next big metro? In this episode our co-host, Lindsay Smith, sits down with Nick Murphy, COO of Optomi Professional Services, a 100% US based technology firm operating through two brands: Optomi, which delivers high-end IT staffing, and Provalus, which brings IT and business process consulting to centers of excellence in rural America. He built his career across investment banking, a decade at The Home Depot, and a senior finance role at Ibotta before joining Optomi in 2023 and being appointed COO in December 2025. Together they get into the exact criteria Provalus uses before betting on a town, how one Wall Street Journal feature turned into a wave of national press, and why Nick says his people are the closest thing his company has to inventory. Listen now. Sponsored by: Cadre AI - If you are ready to turn AI into real growth for your business rather than just more tools visit Cadre AI to discover how their team helps companies increase revenue, improve profitability, and implement AI that truly delivers results: https://www.cadreai.com/coo Timestamped Highlights 0:00 — Staying Close to the Business 0:44 — Nick Murphy Introduction 6:25 — "Business Partners First, Finance Partners Second" 10:41 — Wall Street Journal Feature 12:10 — "A Company of Firsts" 13:25 — Untapped Talent in Rural America 15:56 — Revitalizing Main Street 20:08 — Paying 100% of Benefits 29:43 — Most Exciting Career Moment 33:08 — "Executive Amnesia" and the CEO Relationship 34:15 — Challenging the CEO 40:05 — "If I'm the Bottleneck, We've Got a Busted Process" 41:50 — AI as a Growth Vector 46:16 — Childhood Dream: School Bus Driver About the Guest Nick Murphy is COO of Optomi Professional Services, where he oversees both the Optomi staffing brand and the Provalus managed services brand. He built his career across investment banking with SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, nearly a decade at The Home Depot spanning finance, merchandising, e-commerce, and marketing, and a senior finance role at Ibotta. He joined Optomi in 2023, built out FP&A, marketing, PR, and enterprise strategy, and was appointed COO in December 2025. Mentioned Resources SunTrust Robinson Humphrey The Home Depot Ibotta Wall Street Journal Fox Business News Nation Newsweek cooalliance.com/freebook 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
September 8 · 39 min· Video
Ep. 606 - Arron Coaching Founder Laurie Aaron - Speak Yourself Into the Room
What does it take to sit at the right hand of three different CEOs, back to back, and make each partnership work? In this Fan Favorite episode, Cameron Herold sits down with Laurie Aaron, former Chief of Staff at AT&T and now founder of Arron Coaching, LLC, to revisit one of the show's most clarifying conversations on a role almost nobody truly understands. Laurie's path is rare: 30 years inside AT&T and three successive CEOs gave her a front-row seat to how the chief of staff role must reinvent itself with every leader. She breaks down what separates a chief of staff from a COO and an executive assistant, and why the best ones prevent problems the CEO never even sees. Whether you're wondering if you need a chief of staff, or wondering if you already are one, this conversation demystifies the role end to end. Listen now. Sponsored by: AMP - a practical, proven methodology that helps teams move from trying to do more with AI to achieving more because of it, replacing fragmented experimentation with real AI Operations capability. Through personalized training, strategy, and hands-on support, teams get a clear path to build momentum and embed AI into daily work. Learn more here. Timestamped Highlights 00:00 Why the Chief of Staff Role Is So Misunderstood 02:10 The Origins: From the Military to the Corporate World 04:30 What Every Effective Chief of Staff Has in Common 07:15 Chief of Staff vs. COO: Where the Roles Diverge 10:05 My Right Hand and My Left Hand: Chief of Staff vs. Executive Assistant 13:40 How Title Inflation Diluted the Role 16:20 What Chiefs of Staff Are Actually Paid 19:00 Writing Who Has Your Back? 21:30 Can Any C-Suite Leader Have a Chief of Staff? 24:15 Where the Best Chiefs of Staff Really Come From 27:00 Why You Should Look Internally First 30:10 Building the Interview Squad 33:45 How Trust Gets Built Between a CEO and Their Chief 36:20 The Handshake Meeting: Setting the Vows 39:50 Knowing When and How to Challenge a CEO 43:00 Coaching CEOs and Chiefs of Staff as a Team 45:30 Speak Yourself Into the Room: Laurie's Advice to Her Younger Self About the Guest Laurie Aaron built her expertise on the chief of staff role over 30 years at AT&T, where she served as chief of staff to three different CEOs in succession. She is now the founder and CEO of Arron Coaching, LLC, a trusted advisor and executive coach to C-Suite leaders and chiefs of staff, and the author of Who Has Your Back?: A Leader's Guide to Getting the Support You Need by the Chief of Staff You Deserve. Mentioned Resources Who Has Your Back? Hit The Ground Running AT&T The Misunderstood Role of the COO cooalliance.com/freebook 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
September 1 · 17 min· Video
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
August 25 · 43 min
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 Highlights 02:35 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 Guest Sameer 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 Resources ActiveCampaign Salesforce, formerly ExactTarget Simply Measured - acquired by Sprout Social Cheetah Digital - now Marigold KKR Bessemer Venture Partners Experian Silversmith Capital Partners True Cisco Zapier 1-800-GOT-JUNK 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 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
August 18 · 38 min
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 Highlights 00:17 - 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 Guest Conner 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 Resources Integrate Consulting Merrill Lynch Leopold Conservation Award 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. 🔗 Connect with Lindsay on LinkedIn 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 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/
August 11 · 49 min
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 Guest Victoria 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 & Mentions Palantir Columbia University Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics OpenAI (ChatGPT) Midjourney There’s An AI For That TED 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 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/
August 4 · 16 min
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 Resources 1-800-GOT-JUNK (the company Cameron helped build and scale) BlueGrace Logistics (the Florida company in the coaching story) YPO (Young Presidents' Organization) 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 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
July 28 · 45 min
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 Highlights 05:30 - 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 Guest Mike 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 Resources Jason Jarrett, CEO of Jarrett Companies Learn to Love Being You Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber Smartsheet 1-800-GOT-JUNK? 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 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 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
July 23 · 50 min
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 Guest John 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 Resources Salesforce Accenture Michael Weening - President and CEO of Calix About the Co-Host Lindsay 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 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 Take 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
July 21 · 38 min
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 Salamunovic The E-Myth by Michael Gerber Good to Great by Jim Collins The Art of War by Sun Tzu Shopify (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 | LinkedIn Claim your FREE copy: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO Book 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 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 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.
July 16 · 46 min
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 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 Highlights 10:16 – “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 Guest Alex 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 Resources Pangea Harvey Salesforce (Agentforce) Anthropic (Claude) OpenAI Google Gemini Perplexity xAI (Grok) ServiceNow Lovable Replit Genspark AngelList Shopify 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 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 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 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/
July 14 · 32 min
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 Resources Riding Shotgun: The Role of the COO by Nate Bennett and Stephen A. Miles Second in Command: The Misunderstood Role of the Chief Operating Officer by Nate Bennett and Stephen A. Miles (Harvard Business Review) Double Double by Cameron Herold High Growth Handbook by Elad Gil Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman 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 *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.
July 9 · 51 min
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 Guest Dr. 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 Resources Rythmia Life Advancement Center – the medically licensed ayahuasca facility in Costa Rica MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies), founded by Rick Doblin Agape International Spiritual Center, founded by Michael Beckwith Passages UCLA Medical Center Bulletproof, founded by Dave Asprey Joe Rogan Tim Ferriss 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 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 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/
July 7 · 25 min
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 Resources Double Double by Cameron Herold Vivid Vision by Cameron Herold Who Not How by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy The Gap and the Gain by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy WTF?! (Willing to Fail) by Brian Scudamore The Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) Dan Pink's TED talk on the science of motivation Important Links Connect with Cameron. Website and 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 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 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.
July 2 · 50 min· Video
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 Highlights 00:47 – 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 Guest Joe 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 Resources Robinhood Elon Musk Jeff Bezos SpaceX Blue Origin Rocket Lab Stoke Space Skadden Arps Fenwick & West Anthropic OpenAI Joe Polish / Genius Network Don’t Make Me Think (book) 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 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 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
June 30 · 1 hr 14 min
Ep. 592 - Your Employees Can’t Read Your Mind: The Vision Gap
Are you really wired to scale, or just bracing for endless chaos? Cameron Herold, the relentless "Business Growth Guru," rips open the playbook on what actually drives proven, sustainable hypergrowth in today's world. With stories from building global brands like 1-800-GOT-JUNK and years in the trenches with top COOs, Cameron refuses to let leaders settle for mediocrity. He dives brutally deep into the operational and psychological traps choking your ambitions, then hands you a clear, actionable path out. Miss this episode, and you risk falling behind a tidal wave of companies finally nailing what you keep saying is “impossible.” Listen now if you’re done with excuses and ready for the real, unfiltered edge on systems, talent, and culture. Nobody else is mapping the way out of the chaos like this. Timestamped Highlights 00:59 – The poll that instantly exposes entrepreneurial wiring 03:14 – The $100M leap: inside systems that really scale 09:04 – The Vivid Vision rewiring that most leaders get wrong 17:12 – Why your vision should repel, not just attract 22:01 – The underused firing muscle that speeds up growth 25:57 – The “A Player” myth that’s costing you millions 39:01 – Brutal truth: why you’re investing all your energy in the wrong people 51:01 – Delegation, coaching, AI… why you won’t survive unless you develop these now Mentioned Resources College Pro Painters Boyd Autobody & Glass EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) “Good to Great” by Jim Collins The Secret (movie) Simon Sinek (Start With Why) 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 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 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.
June 25 · 49 min
Ep. 591 - Twentyeight Health COO Mara Castro - How To Avoid These Deadly Traps in Operations Success
How do you actually scale without losing yourself or your team in the chaos? In this conversation, Sivana Brewer sits down with Mara Castro, COO at Twentyeight Health and former Warby Parker trailblazer, to dissect what it takes to build, lead, and sustain high-performing teams in brutally demanding, mission-driven environments. Expect raw takes on leadership, the dangerous myth of “just do more,” and what it really means to earn trust as a COO. If you’ve ever wondered why some leaders quietly burn out while others keep their team charging ahead, you cannot afford to miss this episode. Hear exclusive, battle-tested insights you won’t find in any COO playbook. Don’t settle for “what everyone does” and listen now before these lessons become your competitors’ next unfair advantage. 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 Highlights 00:22 – The unexpected journey from nonprofit roots to COO 02:37 – Why a career break fueled a powerhouse comeback 05:34 – The untold value of prior relationships for landing big roles 09:14 – Networking for introverts: How authentic connections really win 10:15 – The counterintuitive 90-day blueprint every new COO must follow 13:06 – The art of KPI clarity and not getting sucked into the weeds 17:50 – The hidden trap of too much complexity in health tech 33:23 – Why guiding, not micromanaging, unlocks leadership at scale 39:30 – The radical power of raising the white flag early About the Guest Mara Castro is the COO at Twentyeight Health, where she leads product, engineering, clinical operations, and pharmacy for a fast-scaling women’s telehealth platform. Previously, the first employee at Warby Parker, she helped build and scale one of the most celebrated brands in DTC history, before driving expansion at Evolve in hospitality tech. Her results-driven, human-focused approach makes her a standout leader in growth and transformation. 🔗 LinkedIn | Website Mentioned Resources Warby Parker Evolve Dale Carnegie – "How to Win Friends and Influence People" Lean Six Sigma – DMAIC framework Slack Netflix About the Co-Host Sivana Brewer is a Fractional COO for Remote Teams and former COO at Closers.io, where she helped scale the company to multiple eight figures and built over 500+ sales teams in just 2.5 years. She specializes in leadership development, remote operations, and systems that empower teams to grow sustainably. 🔗 Connect with Sivana on LinkedIn 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 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 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 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/

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