Understanding the CEO-COO communication gap

Cameron Herold July 16, 2023

• Why a COO asking questions feels like conflict — but isn't
• Entrepreneurial CEOs and COOs have opposite cognitive wiring
• Adapt communication style, not personality, to supercharge the relationship

How to find, hire, and partner with the right second-in-command

Cameron Herold July 10, 2023

• Great COOs aren't job hunting — you have to poach them.
• The integrator tiebreaker model breaks down past 50 employees.
• Define yourself first; your gaps become the COO job spec.

How to convince resistant leaders that organizational evolution is necessary

Cameron Herold July 5, 2023

• 30 years of experience is often five years repeated with no growth
• Private lunches with blunt data points beat direct confrontation
• A tech-savvy junior hire can outperform a stagnant veteran leader

Embracing Output Over Hours | A Paradigm Shift for COOs

Cameron Herold July 2, 2023

Getting kicked out of a community forced real personal growth

Cameron Herold June 28, 2023

• Alcohol dependency masked marriage pain and caused public misconduct
• Six years of incremental limits led to 48 days fully sober
• Removing bad actors denies growth to everyone — including victims

Building a strong COO-CEO relationship in the first 90 days

Cameron Herold June 11, 2023

• Observe for 30 days — write everything down, change nothing.
• Small, visible wins in month three build lasting credibility.
• CEO trust grows through genuine friendship, not just alignment.

How COOs and founders can scale faster by outsourcing everything except genius

Cameron Herold June 7, 2023

• A one-sentence mission statement cannot align a growing team.
• Delegate by hourly rate, not by gut feel or personality profile.
• Training your managers multiplies faster than training yourself.

Building a personal brand as a COO: from operator to thought leader

Cameron Herold May 31, 2023

• Brand equity inside a company can outvalue financial equity.
• Charge three times your target rate — only 30% of consultant time is billable.
• AI filters will expose personal brands built on borrowed content.

How many direct reports a COO or CEO should have

Cameron Herold May 28, 2023

• 11 direct reports as COO leaves no time to grow anyone
• CEOs cap at five; COOs cap at seven or eight
• Homogeneous teams are the exception — identical roles allow more reports

How COOs should integrate people after acquisitions

Cameron Herold May 21, 2023

• Lead with values and trust — never systems — when acquiring companies
• A three-year brand migration keeps legacy employees from feeling erased
• Informal off-sites build more real trust than structured team sessions

Eight time management strategies for executives and COOs

Cameron Herold May 17, 2023

• Block only 60% of your calendar — protect the rest deliberately
• 9:30–11:30 AM is prime people time; afternoons are for admin
• If you don't have an executive assistant, you are one

Vivid Vision, the COO role, and the secret formula for business growth

Cameron Herold May 14, 2023

• A 4-page written future-state description outperforms any mission statement
• Focus × Faith × Effort multiplied: 98% each gives 94% success odds
• Send your Vivid Vision to candidates before you agree to interview them

Using a vivid vision to set goals and overcome obstacles

Cameron Herold May 10, 2023

• Write a 3-year vivid vision before worrying about how to achieve it.
• Expect obstacles — anticipating them strips their power to derail you.
• Fundamentals beat hacks: apply what you know before seeking the next tip.

How MN Custom Homes uses a Vivid Vision to align their team

Cameron Herold May 7, 2023

• A Vivid Vision is a dated, detailed picture of your company's future
• Sharing it publicly turns stakeholders into active participants
• Tech adoption and community impact treated as core business commitments

Five traits of successful entrepreneurs and how to scale with freedom

Cameron Herold May 3, 2023

• Scheduling personal time first forces the business to fit around your life.
• Delegating everything outside your unique ability is what unlocks real scale.
• A vivid vision replaces vague mission statements with a buildable three-year picture.