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

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/cooTimestamped Highlights02:44 Early Life in Ivory Coast & Actuarial Career06:42 Joining Flutterwave During COVID08:09 Building Remote Teams in a Pandemic12:29 Scaling Infrastructure Without Breaking14:30 Working With the CEO as Second in Command17:56 Fire Prevention vs Firefighting in Operations19:54 Different Titles, Same Core Role25:30 Maintaining Culture Across Global Markets29:29 Team Retreats and Face-to-Face Connection32:48 Training and Onboarding in StartupsAbout the GuestAwa 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 ResourcesFlutterwaveMIT Sloan School of ManagementSwiss ReMillimanPwCSociety of ActuariesSlackZoomWhatsAppInvest In Your LeadersAbout the Co-HostLindsay 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 LinksConnect with Cameron: Website | LinkedInExplore the COO Alliance – The World’s Leading Community for Seconds in CommandGet Cameron’s book: Second in Command, Unleash the Power of Your COO BookTake 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

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 Highlights05:48 Attracting Top Talent08:42 Leadership Development11:20 Transitioning to Scale AI14:40 Defining Chief of Staff18:59 Overcoming Growth Challenges22:33 Focusing on Priorities26:02 Hiring and Culture30:04 Identifying Candidates33:33 First Principles Approach36:40 Career Advice and ClosingAbout the GuestMelisa 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 ResourcesScale AIStanford UniversityMeta (Facebook)1-800-GOT-JUNK?Defense Innovation UnitImportant LinksConnect with Cameron: Website | LinkedInExplore the COO Alliance – The World's Leading Community for Seconds in CommandGet Cameron's book: Second in Command, Unleash the Power of Your COO BookClaim your FREE copy: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO BookTake 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

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 Highlights00:33 Meet Tom O'Connell, Chief Supply Chain Officer02:00 How Tom Got Into Beer by Fate02:54 25 Years at Anheuser-Busch04:14 What the Chief Supply Chain Officer Role Covers09:56 The Annual Leadership Retreat12:06 Managing Culture Across Four Regions14:42 Innovation Engine: Voodoo Ranger, RTDs, and Kirin25:20 Hurricane Helene Hits Asheville27:56 Crisis Leadership: People First44:07 Rising Costs and Supply Chain Disruptions About the GuestTom 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 ResourcesAnheuser-BuschNew Belgium BrewingBell's BreweryAbout the Co-HostLindsay 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 LinksConnect with Cameron: Website | LinkedInExplore the COO Alliance – The World's Leading Community for Seconds in CommandGet Cameron's book: Second in Command, Unleash the Power of Your COO BookClaim your FREE copy: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO BookTake 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

Ep. 608 - FAN FAVORITE | YPO President and COO Sean Magennis - Lead With a Servant's HeartWhat 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.comTimestamped Highlights00:00 YPO and the Mastermind Landscape for Entrepreneurs02:10 Sean Magennis: From EO Forum Committee to YPO07:15 The Volunteer Addiction: 23 Years of Peer Group Leadership10:05 Inside YPO Today: 27,600 Members and $9 Trillion in Member Sales13:40 The Forum: YPO's Confidential Peer Group Model for CEOs16:20 How YPO Teaches Vulnerability and Builds Trust Among CEOs19:00 Forum in Business: Bringing Peer Principles to the Workplace27:00 How Businesses Evolve Through Lifecycle Stages Like Humans36:20 Sean's Key COO Skills: Ego Management, Coaching, and Coordination43:00 The CEO-COO Partnership and Sean's Biggest LessonAbout the GuestSean 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 ResourcesEntrepreneurs' Organization (EO)Dow LimitedCollege Pro PaintersFortune's Best Places to Work listImportant LinksConnect with Cameron: Website | LinkedInExplore the COO Alliance – The World's Leading Community for Seconds in CommandGet Cameron's book: Second in Command, Unleash the Power of Your COO BookClaim your FREE copy: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO BookTake 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

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/cooTimestamped Highlights0:00 — Staying Close to the Business0:44 — Nick Murphy Introduction6:25 — "Business Partners First, Finance Partners Second"10:41 — Wall Street Journal Feature12:10 — "A Company of Firsts"13:25 — Untapped Talent in Rural America15:56 — Revitalizing Main Street20:08 — Paying 100% of Benefits29:43 — Most Exciting Career Moment33:08 — "Executive Amnesia" and the CEO Relationship34:15 — Challenging the CEO40:05 — "If I'm the Bottleneck, We've Got a Busted Process"41:50 — AI as a Growth Vector46:16 — Childhood Dream: School Bus DriverAbout the GuestNick 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 ResourcesSunTrust Robinson Humphrey The Home Depot IbottaWall Street JournalFox BusinessNews NationNewsweek cooalliance.com/freebookAbout the Co-HostLindsay 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 LinksConnect with Cameron: Website | LinkedInExplore the COO Alliance – The World's Leading Community for Seconds in CommandGet Cameron's book: Second in Command, Unleash the Power of Your COO BookClaim your FREE copy: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO BookTake 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