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

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Oct 2026

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Welcome to the “Second in Command” Podcast hosted by Cameron Herold, brought to you by the COO Alliance, where top-level COOs share their insights, tactics, and strategies that made them the Chief Behind the Chief. Cameron Herold founded the COO Alliance with one simple goal in mind: to provide COOs with the same professional development and growth opportunities CEOs have enjoyed for many years. COO Alliance is the world's leading network for the Second in Command. Cameron Herold is a top business consultant, best-selling author, and speaker. He’s the mastermind behind hundreds of companies’ exponential growth and he’s touched thousands of businesses indirectly through his work.

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October 20, 202647 min

Ep. 612 | Fan Favorite | Martell Media CEO Tod Melnyk - You Had Me at the First Slide

What if your job posting was designed to push the wrong people away? In this Fan Favorite episode, Cameron Herold sits down with Tod Melnyk, former second in command at Martell Media and now its CEO, to revisit one of the show’s most candid conversations on hiring and culture. Tod went from 18 years at Labatt Breweries to running the business behind Dan Martell’s brand. He shares how Martell Media hires, why culture beats experience, and how to say no to a visionary CEO. Listen now. Sponsored by: Redirect Health, one of our gold Strategic Partners, offers healthcare benefits that make health insurance optional. It is a 24-hour online primary care and RX membership that guides employees before problems happen. Learn more: redirectcoo.com Timestamped Highlights 00:00 The Polarizing Job Posting 04:33 From Labatt Breweries to Entrepreneurship 07:29 Inside Martell Media’s Interview Process 11:21 “You Had Me at the First Slide” 14:36 The Three Core Values 21:09 Hiring Gen Z for Culture Fit 25:03 The Media Engine and the Revenue Engine 28:17 Saying No to a Visionary CEO 38:13 “Show Me Your Calendar and Your Bank Account” 45:09 Advice to His Younger Self About the Guest Tod Melnyk is CEO of Martell Media and AI Venture Studio. At the time of this recording, he was second in command to Dan Martell, running the business behind Dan’s media brand and revenue. He spent 18 years at Labatt Breweries, rising from sales rep to regional director. He then invested in and built craft breweries and ran operations for a European car service business. Mentioned Resources Dan Martell Buy Back Your Time Labatt EOS Worldwide Predictive Index Starbucks HeyGen Lime 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

October 13, 202645 min

Ep. 611 - Caliza Head of Finance Awa Kone - Make Sure Success Does Not Become Failure

What does it take to build a global team from scratch when a pandemic hits weeks into your new job? In this episode, our co-host, Lindsay Smith, sits down with Awa Kone , Head of Finance at Caliza. Awa previously served as COO of Corridor and as global head of operations at Flutterwave. Awa shares why she never expects the fires to stop, how she works with a CEO without being a yes-woman, and what it takes to keep a culture intact across continents. 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, our Gold Partner, 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 02:44 Early Life in Ivory Coast & Actuarial Career 06:42 Joining Flutterwave During COVID 08:09 Building Remote Teams in a Pandemic 12:29 Scaling Infrastructure Without Breaking 14:30 Working With the CEO as Second in Command 17:56 Fire Prevention vs Firefighting in Operations 19:54 Different Titles, Same Core Role 25:30 Maintaining Culture Across Global Markets 29:29 Team Retreats and Face-to-Face Connection 32:48 Training and Onboarding in Startups About the Guest Awa Kone is Head of Finance at Caliza, a global operator who helps high-growth companies build the operational and financial infrastructure to scale without breaking. She previously served as COO of Corridor and spent five and a half years at Flutterwave as global head of operations, where she built and scaled teams, treasury operations, and critical infrastructure through a period of extraordinary growth. She holds an MBA from MIT Sloan, is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, and has built her career across the US, Europe, and Africa. Mentioned Resources Flutterwave MIT Sloan School of Management Swiss Re Milliman PwC Society of Actuaries Slack Zoom WhatsApp Invest In Your Leaders 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 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

October 6, 202645 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, 202655 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, 202646 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, 202652 min

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, 202640 min

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, 202652 min

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, 202644 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, 202638 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/