Opt In

Hosted by Melissa Franks

Business CareersInterviews guests

Website RSS feed

Episodes

182

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

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

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 10, 202626 min

Step Away With Confidence: How I Planned My Business Break (And Secured a Six-Figure Renewal While I Was Gone)

What does it actually take to leave your business for a week, without it falling apart?In this episode of The Opt-in Podcast, Melissa Franks shares the exact six-month plan she built to step away from On Call COO during one of the most personally demanding weeks of her life. Recorded in real time, Melissa walks through every decision, every near-miss, and every mindset shift that made it possible to unplug and come back stronger.Spoiler: while she was out, they secured a six-figure client renewal. If you've ever pushed off a vacation because you're afraid the business won't survive without you, this episode is your permission slip, and your playbook.What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhy you need to put the date on the calendar first, before you have a planThe "what if I disappeared tomorrow?" exercise that reveals every business vulnerabilityHow to do a ruthless calendar audit and what Melissa cut 3 months out (including a trade show)The F1-style practice run strategy: how to test your team while you're still there to catch mistakesWhy you should notify clients and partners two months in advance, and exactly what to sayHow to engineer project milestones so delivery deadlines don't land during your absenceThe gradual pullback method: how to stop doing work and start coaching your team in the final weeksWhat "checking in" can look like without derailing your rest (Melissa's actual approach)Why asking your team for help before you cancel the vacation is always the right move Resources & LinksBook a free consultation with Melissa:www.melissafranks.comLearn about On Call COO Services:www.melissafranks.comConnect with Melissa on LinkedIn:linkedin.com/in/melissafranksSubscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with the business owner in your life who hasn't taken a real vacation in years.Connect with Melissa:Watch the Episodes on YoutubeInstagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

June 3, 202628 min

The AI Reality Check: What Small Business Owners Need to Know Before Going All In

Everyone is talking about AI, but is the hype matching reality in your small business? This week, Melissa Franks is pulling back the curtain on what AI actually is, where it can genuinely move the needle, and where blind trust in it could cost you everything.As a technologist who's been building automation systems since before most AI tools existed, Melissa brings something most AI conversations are missing: lived experience and historical context. She was building bots, automation layers, and intelligent systems long before ChatGPT had a user interface, and that perspective changes everything about how she sees today's AI boom.In this episode, you'll learn:Why AI isn't actually new, and what that means for how you use itThe "lipstick on a pig" truth about the tools everyone is obsessing over (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot)Why using AI in areas where you lack expertise is genuinely dangerous, and could push your business toward bankruptcyThe two best use cases for AI in a small business right nowWhy hiring an "AI architect" without the right pedigree is one of the most expensive mistakes you can makeHow to prompt AI correctly so it actually gives you useful, accurate outputWhy 70% of current AI platforms will disappear, and what that means for your tech stackThe biggest takeaway: AI is a powerful tool in the hands of someone who already knows what they're doing. In the hands of someone using it to replace expertise they don't have, it's a liability.This episode is equal parts how-to guide and cautionary tale — and it's a conversation every small business owner needs to have right now.Feeling like you need a real conversation about AI in your business? On Call COO is actively booking AI strategy consultations. Whether you're just getting started or already knee-deep in tools you don't fully trust, let's talk. Book your free consultation — link in show notes.🔗 Book a free consultation with On Call COOConnect with Melissa: Website: melissafranks.comLinkedIn: Melissa FranksInstagram: @youroncallcooConnect with Melissa:Watch the Episodes on YoutubeInstagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

May 27, 202624 min

Stop Working From the Beach: 5 Counterintuitive Tips to Actually Take a Vacation This Summer

Last summer, I watched a business owner sit on a beach in Hawaii with her face buried in her phone at 8pm because her team needed her to approve a $200 refund. That's not a vacation. That's working in a different time zone with a worse Wi-Fi connection. If you're already pre-stressing about how the next 12 weeks are going to go, this episode is for you. We're skipping the usual advice — no out-of-office templates, no SOP documentation, no "fortify your business" generalities. Instead, I'm walking through the 5 unusual moves I help my fractional COO clients make every year so they can actually unplug — and most founders have never heard any of them. In this episode, you'll learn:Why running a "Ghost Week" in stealth (without telling your team) is the only honest test of whether your business can run without you — and the surprise story of a "stealth leader" one client discovered hiding in plain sightHow to bank pre-decisions instead of writing more SOPs — and why the Ritz-Carlton $200 rule is the model your business is missing.The one reverse delegation question to ask each of your direct reports before you leave — and what their answers will reveal about the bottlenecks you didn't know existed.Why you should book the non-refundable trip BEFORE your business is ready (and how this "burn the boats" approach forces the hires, fires, and decisions you've been procrastinating for years)The return strategy almost no one talks about: why coming back on a Thursday instead of a Monday — and blocking your first three days — is the difference between a vacation that sticks and one that disappears the moment you walk back in The thread running through all five: every one of these shifts the question from "how do I prevent problems while I'm gone?" to "what does my business reveal about itself when I'm not there?" That second question is the one that builds a business you can step away from — not just this summer, but for the rest of the time you own it. ABOUT THE HOSTMelissa Franks is the founder of On Call COO, a fractional COO services firm that helps founders get out of the weeds, operate more efficiently, and build businesses that can run without them. She is not a coach. She is not a consultant. She is an operator who loves running businesses, and she helps founders do the same.Learn more: https://www.melissafranks.com/fractionalcooservicesConnect with Melissa:Watch the Episodes on YoutubeInstagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

May 20, 202630 min

The Hire That Breaks Most Six-Figure Businesses

Your first hire was probably fine. It's hire #2 where founders go off the rails — and it's quietly costing them years of growth. In this episode of the Optin Podcast, Melissa Franks unpacks the most common (and most expensive) hiring mistake she sees founders make: hiring another doer when what they actually need is an integrator. If your team has grown, your revenue is up, but you're MORE buried than you were before — this episode names exactly why, and shows you the way out. You'll learn:Why hire #2 is the trap (and how to tell if you've already fallen into it)The three roles every business needs — and the one founders almost always skipA simple framework for who to hire next at $500K, $1M, and $2M in revenueThe calendar audit you can do this week to know — with zero guessing — what kind of hire your business actually needsWhy a fractional COO often pays for themselves in 60-90 days at the right stageThe mindset shift that gets founders out of the bottleneck for good This is the episode for any founder who's said the words "I just need another set of hands" lately. Spoiler: you don't. You need something better. If this episode hits close to home, Melissa is offering a free consultation to walk through the calendar exercise with you — no pitch, no pressure, just clarity on your next right hire. Book at melissafranks.com. Resources & LinksBook a free consultation with Melissa → https://www.melissafranks.comLearn more about On Call COO fractional services → https://www.melissafranks.comConnect with Melissa:Watch the Episodes on YoutubeInstagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

May 13, 202621 min

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 episodeWhy 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 MelissaWebsite: www.melissafranks.comLinkedIn: Melissa FranksInstagram / TikTok: @melissafranksYouTube: Optin PodcastAbout the showThe 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 YoutubeInstagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

May 6, 202624 min

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 LEARNThe 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 AuditReady 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/ceoauditABOUT MELISSAMelissa 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/fractionalcooservicesConnect with Melissa:Watch the Episodes on YoutubeInstagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

April 29, 202629 min

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 WorksheetWant 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 clientshttps://oncallcoo.myflodesk.com/cultureaudit Work With MelissaIf 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/fractionalcooservicesConnect with Melissa:Watch the Episodes on YoutubeInstagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

April 22, 202632 min

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.comConnect with Melissa:Watch the Episodes on YoutubeInstagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

April 15, 202633 min

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 YoutubeInstagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

April 8, 202626 min

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 YoutubeInstagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks Schedule a call: melissafranks.com