Welcome to Episode 126 of the Built on Purpose Podcast, brought to you by Y Scouts.
In this insightful episode of the Built On Purpose podcast, Max Hansen sits down with Cameron Herold, globally recognized as the “CEO Whisperer”, to explore what truly makes a great second-in-command.
Cameron, known for helping scale 1-800-GOT-JUNK from $2M to $106M in six years, shares his wisdom on hiring and integrating a COO, the common pitfalls CEOs face, and how to scale without losing cultural DNA.
From Vivid Visions to AI disruption and sober leadership trends, this conversation delivers invaluable takeaways for any founder looking to build a world-class leadership team and business.
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💡 Timestamps:
00:00 – Welcome & Guest Introduction
01:25 – Building a Cage vs. Building a Company
04:00 – Rich’s Entrepreneurial Journey & Hands-On Beginnings
06:40 – Tactics vs. Strategy in Business
12:00 – Are You Building a Business or Just a Promotion?
13:20 – Why Funnels Fail Before They Launch
18:00 – Chasing Phantom Profits and Overbuilding Funnels
24:00 – Ethical Line Between Persuasion and Exploitation
29:00 – Thoughts on Hustle Culture & Work-Life Alignment
36:30 – Leveraging AI for Personal and Professional Growth
42:00 – Devices Rich Uses to Capture and Train His AI
45:00 – Privacy & Data—Rich’s Real Talk on Surveillance
53:00 – Deep Personal Benefits of AI-Aware Coaching
59:45 – The Four Phases of the Zenith AI Program
1:06:30 – Custom Execution Systems with AI
1:13:50 – Business AI and the Next Big Shift
1:15:00 – AI as Legacy & Coaching Replacement
1:17:30 – What Ends Human Coaching? AI Knowing You Better
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💡 What You’ll Learn:
- A great COO is the perfect complement to the CEO, with the ideal match being unique to each company.
- Unlike other functional heads (e.g., marketing, finance), a COO must align with the CEO’s specific traits, the company’s size, and industry.
- Signs it’s time to hire a COO include lacking time to grow your team, missed opportunities, and a desire to focus on your strengths.
- Hiring a COO can free up your time and energy, allowing you to focus on high-impact areas and enjoy a better work-life balance.
- Hiring a COO is a way to solve the problem of not having enough time, aligning with the principle of “Who Not How?”
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🔥 Memorable Quotes:
- “The COO’s job is to be the leash to the entrepreneurial dragon—but not choke the dragon.” – Cameron Herold
- “If you’re not willing to fire someone over a core value violation, it’s not a core value.” – Cameron Herold
- “AI won’t replace you. But someone using AI will.” – Cameron Herold
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🔗 Resources:
Connect with Cameron Herold
- COO Alliance – Join the leading network for second-in-command executives: https://cooalliance.com
- Second in Command Podcast – Hear behind-the-scenes insights from top COOs: https://cooalliance.com/podcast
Books by Cameron Herold:
- The Second in Command
- Vivid Vision
- Double Double
- Meetings Suck
- Free PR – Available on Amazon or CameronHerold.com
- Invest in Your Leaders – Leadership development course: https://investinyourleaders.com
- Newsletter & Resources: https://cameronherold.com
- Follow Cameron on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronherold
YScouts Company Links:
- Website: https://yscouts.com/
- About Us: https://yscouts.com/about-us/
- Process Demo: https://yscouts.com/resources/
- Meet the Team: https://yscouts.com/meet-the-team/
- Free Book “Hiring on Purpose”: https://yscouts.com/hiring-on-purpose/
- Built on Purpose Podcast: https://yscouts.com/podcast/
- Blog: https://yscouts.com/blog/
- Contact: https://yscouts.com/contact/
Max Hansen (Y Scouts Founder):
- Profile: https://yscouts.com/max-hansen/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxhansen
- Forbes HR Council: https://councils.forbes.com/profile/Max-Hansen-CEO-Y-Scouts/9d4bcbb0-c76f-41b5-aafd-ba0e0e30fdf0
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mhansen44/
YScouts Social Media & Channels:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/y-scouts
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/yscouts/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/Yscouts/
- X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/YScouts
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🎧 Listen the full episode on YouTube:
Link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLVr7lVZtq8
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Y Scouts is a leadership search firm that finds purpose-aligned and performance-proven leaders to help organizations achieve their missions faster. Ready to supercharge your leadership search and get the right person in your organization? Contact Y Scouts.
