The COO Solution Podcast

Welcome back to The COO Solution Podcast. In this episode, host Derek Fredrickson sits down with client Will Viner , founder of Viner Disability Law in Denver, Colorado, and a client of The COO Solution. Will has spent his career helping people navigate Social Security disability claims, representing thousands of clients and building a successful law practice since 2012. But behind that success wa...

Welcome back to The COO Solution Podcast. In this episode, host Derek Fredrickson breaks down one of the most misunderstood leadership roles in a scaling business: the Chief Operating Officer. After 16 years in the COO seat, both in-house and fractional, Derek has learned that the role has two equally important halves. Most founders hire for execution but overlook the strategic thought partnership...

Scaling a business takes more than a great strategy. It requires the right leadership partnership, clear priorities, and an operating structure that turns ideas into consistent results. In this episode of The COO Solution Podcast, Derek Fredrickson sits down with Verne Harnish, founder of Scaling Up and author of Scaling Up and Mastering the Rockefeller Habits , to explore what makes companies sca...

Building a successful business isn't just about having talented people. It's about putting the right people in the right seats, setting clear expectations, and building a leadership team that can operate without the founder constantly stepping in. In this episode of The COO Solution Podcast, Derek Fredrickson sits down with Megan Piper, Expert EOS Implementer, who has facilitated more than...

Welcome back to The COO Solution Podcast. In this episode, host Derek Fredrickson shares hard-earned leadership lessons that have fundamentally changed how he builds and leads his business. Rather than teaching frameworks or strategies, Derek reflects on the beliefs that shaped his early years as a founder and the moments that forced him to rethink them. From realizing he was unintentionally becom...

Welcome back to The COO Solution Podcast. In this episode, host Derek Fredrickson sits down with entrepreneur, marketer, and Genius Network founder Joe Polish to explore one deceptively simple question that has shaped Joe's life, business, and philosophy for decades: "What's in it for them?" Long before Joe built one of the world's most respected entrepreneurial communities,...

Welcome back to The COO Solution Podcast. In this episode, host Derek Fredrickson sits down with client Larry G. Dix II, founder of Apex, a multimillion-dollar company he built from the ground up. Larry started working in a lumberyard as a teenager. Today, he is an entrepreneur, bestselling author, podcast host, rancher, real estate investor, marathon runner, and mentor. But this conversation is a...

Welcome back to The COO Solution Podcast. In this episode, host Derek Fredrickson explores the connection between operational strength and business value. Most founders think valuation starts with revenue, profit, and financial performance. But buyers also want to know whether the business can continue performing without the founder. Derek explains how systems, team structure, accountability, lead...

Welcome back to The COO Solution Podcast. In this episode, host Derek Fredrickson sits down with Blake Erickson, co-founder of Scaling.com and co-author of The Science of Scaling, to challenge one of the most common beliefs about business growth: that more leads, more effort, and more hustle are the answer. Blake explains why growth and scale aren't the same and why businesses that want exponentia...

Welcome back to The COO Solution Podcast. In this episode, host Derek Fredrickson shares one of his most personal conversations yet as he opens up about a leadership challenge he is navigating in real time. As The COO Solution continues to grow, Derek found himself confronting a reality many founders eventually face. The business was succeeding, demand was increasing, and yet his calendar revealed...

Welcome back to The COO Solution Podcast. In this episode, host Derek Fredrickson sits down with one of The COO Solution's clients, Jason Barnard, founder and CEO of Kalicube, to discuss what happens when a successful entrepreneur finally stops running a business outside their natural strengths. After building three profitable businesses over more than three decades, Jason realized that while he c...

Welcome back to The COO Solution Podcast. In this episode, host Derek Fredrickson explores a question every founder eventually faces once growth alone no longer feels like enough: What do you want your business to stand for? As businesses mature, revenue, profit, and milestones begin to lose their ability to provide lasting fulfillment. Founders often discover that what they are truly building ext...

Welcome back to The COO Solution Podcast . In this episode, host Derek Fredrickson sits down with Samantha Prestidge, founder of a US-based virtual assistant agency, to explore one of the biggest challenges founders face as their businesses grow: delegation. Most business owners know they need help. What they often do not know is what to delegate, who to hire, or how to create support that actuall...

Welcome back to The COO Solution Podcast. In this episode, host Derek Fredrickson explores one of the most important yet least discussed transitions in business ownership: the shift from operator to owner. Many founders spend years building systems, hiring great people, and creating operational structure so the business can run without their constant involvement. But when that moment finally arriv...

Welcome back to The COO Solution Podcast. In this episode, host Derek Fredrickson sits down with Adam Wolf, founder of Wolf Retirement Navigation, for an honest conversation about what happens when a growing business reaches the point where operational support is no longer optional. Adam shares how years of wearing every hat in the business eventually led to frustration, overwhelm, and the realiza...

Welcome back to The COO Solution Podcast . In this episode, host Derek Fredrickson dives into a topic that quietly affects far more founders than most people realize: imposter syndrome. The most capable founders are often the ones carrying the most self-doubt. They question whether they are qualified, experienced, or truly capable of leading at the level their business now demands. Meanwhile, the...

Welcome back to The COO Solution Podcast. In this episode, host Derek Fredrickson sits down with Cameron Herold, founder of the COO Alliance, author of Second in Command, and one of the most recognized voices in the world of operational leadership, to unpack what the second-in-command role really looks like at scale. Cameron shares his journey from being a COO inside high-growth companies like 1-8...

Welcome back to The COO Solution Podcast . In this episode, host Derek Fredrickson dives into one of the most overlooked but critical challenges in scaling a business: maintaining company culture. As companies grow, hire, and expand into new markets, something subtle often begins to shift. The energy changes. The team feels less connected. The values that once defined the business become less visi...

Welcome back to The COO Solution Podcast . In this episode, host Derek Fredrickson sits down with Danielle Levy, a fractional COO at The COO Solution, to pull back the curtain on what operational leadership really looks like behind the scenes. This conversation offers a rare inside perspective into the day-to-day role of a COO, how they partner with founders, and the real impact they have not just...

Welcome back to The COO Solution Podcast . In this episode, host Derek Fredrickson breaks down one of the most consequential leadership decisions a founder will make: hiring the right second-in-command. Many founders reach a point where the business is growing, revenue is increasing, and the team is expanding, but operational pressure is growing even faster. From the outside, everything looks succ...

Welcome back to The COO Solution Podcast. In this episode, host Derek Fredrickson sits down with LinkedIn strategist, PR expert, and founder of Good Girls Get Rich, Karen Yankovich, to unpack what it really means to build a thought leader brand in today’s digital world. If you’ve ever wondered how some entrepreneurs consistently attract high-level opportunities, media features, partnerships, and p...

Welcome back to The COO Solution Podcast . In this solo episode, host Derek Fredrickson tackles one of the most overlooked yet critical leadership skills founders must develop as their businesses grow: learning to say no. If you’ve ever felt stretched thin, constantly saying yes to new requests, ideas, meetings, or client demands—even when something in you knew it wasn’t the right call—this episod...

Welcome back to The COO Solution Podcast. In this episode, Derek Fredrickson sits down with master coach, speaker, and creator of The Art of Being Unmessable With, Josselyne Herman-Saccio, for a powerful conversation about leadership, burnout, and how to stop running your business from reaction and survival. With over 35 years of experience coaching leaders, entrepreneurs, and change-makers around...

Welcome back to The COO Solution Podcast ! In this solo episode, host Derek Fredrickson breaks down one of the most overlooked drivers of sustainable growth: streamlined business operations. If your business is growing but still feels chaotic, unpredictable, or overly dependent on you, this episode will connect the dots. Derek explains why most founders aren’t stuck because of a lack of effort or...

Welcome back to The COO Solution Podcast ! In this episode, host Derek Fredrickson sits down with Ally Machate, publishing strategist, bestselling author, and founder of The Writer’s Ally, to unpack one of the biggest myths in entrepreneurship: that every business owner should write a book. With over 25 years in the publishing industry, including experience at Simon & Schuster, Ally brings a g...