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

What if you could transform a team of rookies into high-performing, loyal leaders and stay sane in the process?
This episode delivers an unfiltered look inside the mind of Richard Comitz, Chief Operating Officer of American Corporate Partners, a West Point PhD and retired Army Lieutenant Colonel now leading one of America’s most mission-driven nonprofits. He sits down with Narrator to unpack the proven discipline, radical transparency, and mentorship strategies he honed in combat and now deploys to scale an 80-person organization serving over 5,000 mentorships nationwide.
Want to dodge burnout, ignite next-gen talent, and finally get your CEO partnerships working for—not against—you? Listen now. Skip it, and you risk getting buried by the next Ops crisis. This is an urgent, inside-access episode you won’t find anywhere else.

Timestamped Highlights
[00:00] – The leadership power move that made junior staff instantly trust Richard Comitz
[00:04:12] – Why a PhD, combat zones, and organic chemistry are COO superpowers (and how higher ed nearly cost him)
[00:08:48] – How to “inherit” a role from a founder without clashing or caving
[00:13:05] – The secret architecture behind training 60+ brand-new hires (and spotting future all-stars fast)
[00:15:53] – Shocking truths of what actually works to fight young-employee burnout and what never does
[00:19:30] – Hidden mentorship hacks that win powerful partners in Fortune 500s
[00:23:16] – Does military “figure it out” energy work with Gen Z? The raw reality from the field
[00:37:26] – Navigating founder-CEO rigidity and pitching bold new ideas (without ending up fired)

About the Guest
Richard Comitz is the Chief Operating Officer of American Corporate Partners (ACP), a powerhouse nonprofit connecting U.S. veterans and military spouses with Fortune 500 mentors for next-level careers. A retired Army Lieutenant Colonel, West Point organic chemistry instructor, and experienced higher education COO, Comitz is celebrated for turning disciplined military leadership into explosive organizational growth in both the public and nonprofit sectors.
🔗 LinkedIn | Website

Mentioned Resources
Peter Attia (podcast, health and nutrition)
Andrew Huberman (Huberman Lab, neuroscience podcast)
Jocko Podcast by Jocko Willink (Extreme Ownership, Navy SEAL leadership lessons)
Joe Rogan Experience (podcast)
Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink (book)

What if the difference between scaling up and burning out comes down to just one overlooked decision you make today?
In this exclusive Second in Command episode, Cameron Herold sits down with Jon McNeill, former President of Tesla and COO of Lyft, and current CEO and Co-Founder of DVx Ventures, for a bold, eye-opening deep dive into the raw realities of being second in command at companies that redefine entire industries.
You’ll hear battle-tested lessons on navigating visionary founders, eliminating organizational bloat, and building operating systems that drive exponential growth, plus what most leaders get dead wrong about innovation, hiring, and execution at scale.
If you crave real-world playbooks and not more recycled platitudes, hit play now. Miss this conversation and risk falling into the same chaos that sinks even the greatest companies. Listen today to steal field-proven COO frameworks you won’t hear anywhere else before your competition does.
Timestamped Highlights
[00:03:16] – The $108 million mistake: why Jon McNeill turned down Uber and Tesla before they became giants
[00:07:22] – From Bain to boardrooms: how Cameron Herold went from $1.8B to $20B in 30 months
[00:14:49] – What it really feels like to drop into Tesla’s leadership team—no roadmap, only chaos
[00:17:04] – The pivotal moment Cameron Herold broke the rules at Tesla and why Elon Musk said “You’ll fit right in”
[00:21:09] – The “Big Thing” meeting—the deceptively simple method Cameron Herold stole from Facebook’s top minds
[00:26:43] – How to push back (and win) with the world’s most demanding CEO
[00:36:11] – The ruthless self-topgrading system that kept Tesla lean—could you survive it?
[00:47:11] – Tesla’s “Algorithm” revealed: the counterintuitive systems any leader can steal

About the Guest
Jon McNeill is the former President of Tesla and COO of Lyft, a renowned serial entrepreneur, and current CEO and Co-founder of DVx Ventures. Recognized for multiplying company valuations and pioneering operational mastery at the world’s most innovative companies, Jon now empowers founders and operators to scale with speed and discipline. His latest book, The Algorithm, reveals the operating system behind Tesla’s success and is quickly becoming a must-read for growth-focused leaders.
🔗 LinkedIn | Website

Mentioned Resources
Tesla
Lyft
Bain & Company
Bain Capital

Ever wonder why some COOs scale businesses to legendary heights while others get swallowed by chaos and politics?
If you’re craving clarity, confidence, and uncommon edge in your second-in-command role, this Fan Favorite episode is your wake-up call. Cameron Herold sits down with Matt MacInnis, COO of Rippling and co-founder of Inkling, for a raw, actionable conversation about the real challenges behind hyper-growth, hiring, trust, and culture. They dig into what makes the COO role so “special,” how to build a game-changing flywheel, and why patience, precision, and authenticity are the ultimate power moves.
The pain of “going it alone” is real. Tune in to learn how to avoid disaster, dodge politics, and harness proven tactics you won’t find in any business book. Don’t wait until burnout bites. Listen now for fiercely exclusive COO insights, bold truths, and systems that will let you scale smarter, not harder.

Timestamped Highlights
[00:02:22] – The hidden pain in HR, IT, and how Rippling breaks the “original sin” of bad data
[00:05:55] – Why Matt almost walked away—then got schooled by Parker’s contrarian “rocket ship” logic
[00:08:30] – The untold power of preexisting trust between CEO and COO—and what happens if you hire without it
[00:12:49] – Topgrading secrets: Why most executive hiring fails and how to get it right (even when everyone says they’re an “A player”)
[00:15:44] – Copilot dynamics: How Matt and Parker run the company with surprisingly little contact (and why it works)
[00:19:18] – Should you debate the CEO in front of the team? The cathartic, risky art of public disagreement
[00:23:13] – Inside Rippling’s flywheel advantage—what Salesforce, Facebook, and Brex did differently and why you can too
[00:31:04] – Killing bureaucracy and politics: The simple rule for hiring and process that most leaders ignore
[00:39:29] – The brutal, proven formula for layoffs: What Sequoia teaches (and how to survive the “survivor’s guilt”)

About the Guest
Matt MacInnis is the Chief Operating Officer of Rippling, a revolutionary all-in-one HR and IT platform transforming how businesses scale and manage people. Matt was also the co-founder and CEO of Inkling, a mobile learning platform that raised over $100M before its acquisition. With deep roots at Apple and a Harvard engineering degree, Matt blends big-company brilliance with entrepreneurial firepower. He’s known for breaking boring business norms and igniting hyper-growth, all while refusing to tolerate politics, inefficiency, or shallow executive hiring.
🔗 LinkedIn | Website

Mentioned Resources
Inkling
Apple
Harvard
Parker Conrad (Rippling CEO)
ADP

Feeling the pressure to scale but terrified of losing your best people, or watching team morale dissolve as your business grows?
This episode, guest host Sivana Brewer gets real with Isaac Tobelen, current CMO at Springs Rejuvenation and seasoned COO, on the inside challenges of recruiting, retaining, and motivating talent in rapid-growth settings. Isaac shares proven systems for hiring culture-aligned operators, the brutal mistakes that cost him top performers, and how “Innovation Day” became a surprising game-changer for agency culture.
If you want actionable tactics to build a resilient team and avoid silent exits, listen now, not later. Your next big hire, retention strategy, or culture upgrade may hinge on these lessons. Tune in for exclusive, hard-won insights that most COOs only learn the hard way.

Timestamped Highlights
[00:00] – The “quiet risk” that nearly cratered Isaac’s agency and why losing one key player can trigger a domino effect
[03:08] – Rewiring direct response marketing for an unexpected industry and scaling it to $1.2M/month
[08:59] – Why competitors keep stealing Isaac’s ads, but can’t touch his team’s execution
[11:08] – The secret overlap of visionary CEO and practical COO—why it worked for Isaac and Ashton
[13:49] – How teaching people “how to think” crushed micromanagement and burnout
[15:02] – The counterintuitive hiring process that filters for real values (not just resume skills)
[24:29] – Unconventional interview tactics, homework, and the non-negotiables that reveal true fit
[32:00] – “Innovation Day” revealed – How letting teams fail forward built trust and inspired breakthrough creativity
[38:11] – Isaac’s 2 biggest mistakes: concentrated risk and a disastrous acquisition—what he’d do differently
[52:44] – Is AI really changing everything? Isaac’s blunt take on what’s hype, what actually matters, and why talent must upskill now

About the Guest

Isaac Tobelen is the Chief Marketing Officer at Springs Rejuvenation, a leader in stem cell and exosome therapy. Previously, he was COO at Hemon Media, where he scaled the agency to $500K/month in 18 months, managed $36M+ ad budgets, and built high-performing teams from scratch. Isaac is known for his systems thinking, rapid operational scale, and real-world people development.
🔗 LinkedIn | Website

Mentioned Resources
Frank Kern (Mass Control)
ClickUp
Asana
Jim Collins (“flywheel” concept)
EOS – Entrepreneurial Operating System

About the Co-Host
Sivana Brewer is a Fractional COO for Remote Teams and former COO at...

Ever wondered how legendary operations leaders onboard 800 seasonal hires for world-class performance in just 30 minutes? What if your biggest edge wasn’t tech, but radical clarity, proven systems, and the courage to democratize what most companies hide?
In this revealing conversation, guest host Sivana Brewer sits down with Tom Root, Managing Partner at Zingerman’s Mail Order and a driving force behind its remarkable open-book management culture. Tom isn’t just running a $24M operation; he’s helping to architect the Zingerman’s way, a playbook that turns consensus, culture, and scientific thinking into a market advantage.
Dive in to discover how Tom’s team hires 800 people for the holidays, keeps SOPs thrillingly relevant, leverages just-in-time knowledge systems, and makes “lean” truly work. If you crave real answers on scaling without chaos or losing culture, THIS episode is your exclusive playbook to operational victory. Listen now to avoid another year of stalled growth, outdated systems, and disconnected teams.

Timestamped Highlights
[00:00] – Why “democratization” is a double-edged sword for accountability
[03:07] – Zingerman’s wild origin: Russian anarchists, consensus, no classic CEO—and their bold growth vision
[06:37] – Why illustrated food (not photos) is marketing magic…and why it works
[13:27] – The single ops lever for onboarding 800 people in 30 minutes (no, it’s not superstar managers)
[17:28] – Secrets behind just-in-time knowledge, digital twins, and how training is dead
[23:15] – “Tim’s Law”: What happens when only one person “knows everything” and how to fix it
[28:41] – Radical SOP audits, the core mistake most leaders make (and how Tom solved it)
[31:39] – How open-book management paid off $300K debt and kept Zingerman’s profitable every year since
[42:09] – Scientific thinking vs. the “tools” trap, and why organizations resist outsid

About the Guest
Tom Root is Managing Partner at Zingerman’s Mail Order, part of the legendary Zingerman’s Community of Businesses in Michigan. He’s recognized for championing open book management, building empowered teams, and pioneering proven operational systems that help Zingerman’s scale their beloved brand while keeping culture alive. Tom’s unique perspective joins hands-on leadership with a background in tech, manufacturing, and continuous improvement.
🔗 LinkedIn | Website

Mentioned Resources
Zingerman’s Community of Businesses
Open Book Management
Lean Manufacturing / Toyota Kata
Google Sites (for internal wikis)