The systems you trust most might be the ones silently draining revenue.

In this Special Ops episode, Emma Rainville sits down with Tiago and Richard from Shockwave to expose the hidden risks inside "working" automations. From forgotten CRM tags to catastrophic failures on revenue-critical days like New Year's Eve, this conversation breaks down the high-stakes consequences of automation neglect. You'll learn exactly how often to audit backend systems, how to prioritize checks based on revenue impact, and why every automation needs a timestamp and owner.

We cover:

- Why the butterfly effect in automation is real—and dangerous

- The difference between a functioning system and a profitable one

- SOPs vs. revenue-connected automations: how to audit each

- The $500K+ mistake from a five-year-old CRM automation

- Why your quarterly launch could trigger a total system collapse

Timestamps:

(0:00) Welcome + intro to automation breakdowns

(0:40) Why automations fail silently over time

(1:25) The legacy CRM horror story

(2:45) How often you should audit automations

(3:50) The butterfly effect in backend systems

(5:10) Real-world breakdown: New Year’s Eve automation disaster

(6:20) SOPs vs. dollar-backed flows: audit timelines

(7:10) Free SOP download for your next system audit

CTA: Download the free automation audit SOP from Richard inside the Visionary Vault. No opt-in BS. Just plug, edit, deploy.

Explore Free Resources inside the Visionary Vault:

https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault

Get in Touch with Emma Rainville:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguru

Get in Touch with Richard:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-parkin-55621ba9/

Get in Touch with Tiago:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiago-sanguinetti/

Retention isn't just about keeping customers—it's about removing every reason they'd ever want to leave.

In this episode of Special Ops, Emma Rainville is joined by Shockwave’s retention tactician Tiago Richard to deliver a hard-hitting, operations-first breakdown on subscription retention. Whether you're scaling supplements, masterminds, SaaS tools or monthly memberships, this episode offers direct strategies that tackle both active and passive retention—and explains why refund prevention starts before your customer asks for one.

Tiago walks through critical churn points (month 1, 3, 6, 12), refund psychology, how to align CS with retention KPIs, and what elite operators do to pre-convince their subscribers to stay. You'll also hear granular plays around pricing posture, incentive timing, and the community effect of visible cancellations.

We cover:

• The difference between active vs. passive retention—and where each one fails 
• Shockwave’s best practices for refund prevention that don’t involve discounting 
• Tactical incentives at key churn markers (month 1, 3, 6, 12) 
• Mastermind vs. supplement retention frameworks 
• Why “usage” is the biggest predictor of churn—and how to design around it 
• What makes annual subscription ops fundamentally different from monthly

Timestamps:

• (0:00) Introduction: retention starts after the sale
• (2:03) Active vs. passive retention—defined
• (5:30) Retaining masterminds vs. supplements
• (7:55) Milestone drop-offs: designing incentive triggers
• (9:15) Passive retention via community psychology
• (12:20) What to do when someone says “I want a refund”
• (14:40) Retention by habit-forming: 21-day logic
• (15:20) Why annual retention takes proactive ops
• (16:17) Outro & retention playbook drop

Sign up for the Visionary Vault to get Richard’s Retention Best Practices PDF and our operational retention checklist: https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault

Explore Free Resources inside the Visionary Vault: https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault

Get in Touch with Emma Rainville:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguru

Get in Touch with Richard:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-parkin-55621ba9/

Get in Touch with Tiago:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiago-sanguinetti/

Viral isn’t the goal. Revenue is. Keenya Kelly joins Emma to show how introverts and experts alike are turning 30-second videos into 6-figure funnels.

This week on Special Ops, Emma Rainville sits down with TikTok strategist Keenya Kelly to unpack how short-form video can drive real revenue — even if you’re introverted, niche, or selling something “boring.” Keenya walks through the algorithm rules most brands break, the psychology behind what actually makes people buy, and the path from zero visibility to a $3M business.

Whether you're a coach, consultant, or ecommerce seller, this episode drills into what it takes to monetize video content without losing your brand voice (or your sanity). No fluff, no dancing required — just tactical insights from someone who's turned views into bank.

We cover:

• How Keenya’s first viral video reignited a 2-year-old book 
• The surprising TikTok features most service businesses ignore
• Why introverts actually outperform on video 
• The one mistake tanking your reel engagement 
• What makes a reel viral — and what makes it convert

Timestamps:

• (0:00) Welcome + Keenya Kelly intro
• (1:30) Teaching TikTok for business in 2020
• (3:15) Going viral with a book video
• (4:50) From shame to strategy: posting TikToks to Facebook
• (6:20) Why video marketing outpaced her design agency
• (8:00) From dance trends to profit stacks
• (10:05) Building a course on monetizing video
• (12:00) Teaching introverts to go viral
• (13:30) Platform rules you're breaking
• (15:10) Algorithm psychology & engagement tactics
• (17:30) Final tips for getting started

Explore Free Resources inside the Visionary Vault: https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault

Get in Touch with Emma Rainville:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguru

Get in Touch with Keenya Kelly:

Website: https://www.keenyakelly.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/keenyakelly

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keenyakelly/ 

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keenyakelly 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keenyakelly/ 

In this tactical, no-fluff episode of Special Ops, Emma Rainville is joined in San Diego by Tiago and Richard from the Shockwave team to unpack the underestimated art of managing up. If your operator isn't pushing back, they're not doing the job. This episode exposes the accountability vacuum at the top—and what COOs, integrators, and operators must do to fix it.

Together, the team walks through real-world scenarios of managing high-profile visionary founders, the emotional cost of operational leadership, and why structure must exist even above the CEO. If your founder won’t face reality, this is your playbook for holding the line.

We cover:

• The difference between managing up and managing down
• Why operator silence signals a dangerous founder dynamic
• How to frame accountability as pro-founder, not adversarial
• Real systems for upward management and strategic delegation
• The emotional toll of leadership when no one's managing the top
• 
  

Timestamps:

• (0:00) Why your operator should say no to you
• (1:24) Managing up: what it really means
• (3:47) Real stories from the Shockwave trenches
• (6:02) The silent weight founders carry (and don’t admit)
• (9:11) Holding your CEO accountable without ego
• (12:42) The operator's final role: structure above all
• 
  

🔥 Want the playbook?

Download Tiago’s PDF: How to Manage Anyone (Even a Emma Rainville) — it’s free inside the Visionary Vault.

Explore Free Resources inside the Visionary Vault:

https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault

Get in Touch with Emma Rainville:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguru

Get in Touch with Richard:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-parkin-55621ba9/

Get in Touch with Tiago:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiago-sanguinetti/ 

What does it really take to run high-performance global ops? This episode takes you inside the war room of Shockwave Solutions’ daily execution machine.

In this tactical edition of Inside the Ops Room, Richard and Tiago break down the real rhythms and routines that keep the Shockwave engine moving. With a team stretched from Mauritius to Argentina to the Philippines, coordination isn’t optional, it’s mission-critical.

From time zone alignment to scorecard culture, and the weekly cadence that holds it all together, they share the actual frameworks behind seamless team operations. Whether you're scaling a startup or running a mature ecom brand, this episode will upgrade your remote team management playbook.. fast!

We cover:

• How to align distributed teams across 6+ time zones
• Daily ops face-to-face and why the agenda never moves
• The Monday “Ops” meeting vs Thursday “Breaker”
• Building and maintaining a high-leverage KPI scorecard
• Why templating tasks (in ClickUp) is the difference between chaos and clarity
• Reading “everything” as an operations leader
• Signs your systems are sending signals and how to catch them

Timestamps:

• (0:00) Managing ops across Mauritius, Argentina, Philippines
• (1:40) Global team routines that actually work
• (3:15) The morning F2F: alignment in 10 minutes or less
• (5:40) Why the Monday Ops call kicks off the week
• (7:15) The Thursday “Breaker” — working on the business
• (9:05) Scorecard cadence: KPIs that mean something
• (11:20) Templating tasks & SOPs: ClickUp playbook
• (12:40) Read everything: why ops needs total context
• (14:00) Interpreting “signals” inside your ops machine

Download Richard & Tiago’s full checklist — including their top 25 tools for ops excellence — free inside the Visionary Vault.

Explore Free Resources inside the Visionary Vault:

https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault

Get in Touch with Emma Rainville:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguru

Get in Touch with Richard:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-parkin-55621ba9/

Get in Touch with Tiago:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiago-sanguinetti/ 

In today’s special takeover episode, Richard and Tiago from the Shockwave team dissect one of the most misunderstood frameworks in operations: what to automate, what to delegate, and what to kill. This is more than productivity talk — it’s a precision lens on reclaiming founder time and removing bottlenecks.

From live examples of client workflows to a decision checklist every ops leader should keep handy, they reveal how automation can silently rob insight, how delegation can scale teams, and when “just stop doing it” is the smartest move. You’ll walk away with a tactical playbook to audit your systems and free up your brainpower for what actually moves the business.

• The exact criteria to decide what tasks to automate
• Why some automation kills visibility and hurts decision-making
• When to delegate (and how to avoid founder bottlenecks)
• Why “kill” might be the most overlooked ops strategy
• A step-by-step method to audit your task list

• (0:00) Welcome from Emma + Meet Richard and Tiago
• (1:40) When automation removes important visibility
• (4:05) The 3-question test for automation decisions
• (6:12) Tasks that should never be automated
• (7:40) Delegation: how to think about production-level relief
• (9:15) Founder context-switching and what to kill first
• (11:00) Final criteria for killing vs delegating

Download the free Automation vs Delegation Decision Framework inside the Visionary Vault — only at: https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault

Explore Free Resources inside the Visionary Vault:

https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault

Get in Touch with Emma Rainville:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguru

Get in Touch with Richard:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-parkin-55621ba9/

Get in Touch with Tiago:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiago-sanguinetti/ 

Facebook’s ad engine just changed forever. If your campaigns are underperforming and your marketing strategy is still relying on lookalikes or interest targeting, you’re already behind.

In this episode, Emma Rainville sits down with Facebook & Google Ads strategist Richard Parkin to break down Meta’s rollout of the Andromeda AI model, a tectonic shift in how Facebook algorithm delivers and optimizes ads. Richard unpacks what Advantage+, open targeting, and AI-first delivery really mean for your bottom line and how to pivot your online advertising strategy before your ROAS crashes.

We cover:

- Why lookalikes and interest targeting are officially dead 

- How Meta’s “open targeting” model is outperforming manual setups

- Real results from a niche client shifting to AI-led delivery 

- What Meta ads really gain from sunsetting old tools

- How to test your own campaigns safely without risking profitability 

Timestamps:

(0:00) Intro: Facebook chaos and AI rumors

(1:05) What is Andromeda? Why marketers are panicking

(2:12) Why interest and lookalike targeting no longer work

(3:20) The pivot to open targeting and Advantage+

(4:30) Are conversions really better with AI delivery?

(5:45) Niche case study: open targeting beats lookalikes

(7:00) Is Meta intentionally sabotaging old tools?

(8:10) What NOT to trust in Meta’s creative suggestions

(9:22) How to safely test AI campaigns without losing money

(10:15) Final take: what operators must shift now

Sign up to the Visionary Vault for access to Richard’s full ebook on Andromeda, Facebook ad targeting playbooks, and tactical traffic SOPs:

https://www.specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault

Explore Free Resources inside the Visionary Vault:

https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault

Get in Touch with Emma Rainville:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguru

Get in Touch with Richard:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-parkin-55621ba9/

Even the most polished events are logistical warfare. In this Special Ops deep dive, Emma Rainville and Richard Parkin break down the unseen mechanics of event execution—from budgeting to showflow to sponsor integrity.

This episode was recorded live during Perry Belcher’s Growth Hacking Live in San Diego, where Emma and Richard pulled back the curtain on real-world event operations. They share a battle-tested budget template, reveal what vendors won’t tell you, and explain exactly how to price sponsorship tiers so both you and your exhibitors win.

Emma also drops a free downloadable: *“How to Work With Event Coordinators”—*a must-have if you’re tired of last-minute chaos or unclear roles. Whether you’re planning your first event or looking to scale a live experience profitably, this episode is your blueprint.

• The budgeting framework that prevents financial bleed (8 months out)
• What to include in your event planning checklist—and what to skip
• Why event sponsorship tiers fail when mispriced
• The run of show template that keeps your day one from derailing
• How to vet sponsors without compromising your audience
• The true cost of poor event planning decisions (in lost trust, not just dollars)

• (0:00) Intro + why events always look easier than they are
• (1:22) Richard’s 20-hour flight to San Diego
• (2:45) The #1 budgeting mistake event hosts make
• (4:01) What belongs in your budget before booking speakers
• (6:13) How to think about monetizing the event itself
• (7:22) Event purpose: fulfillment vs. pitching vs. brand
• (9:03) What to know before selling sponsorships or exhibitor booths
• (11:01) What your run-of-show doc needs—and how to test it
• (13:44) How Richard triages marketing chaos 24 hours before doors open

👉 Sign up for the Visionary Vault to access:

• Richard’s 9,000‑point Event Planning Checklist PDF
• Emma’s Event Coordinator Role Guide
• The complete budgeting template Excel sheet for live events

Explore Free Resources inside the Visionary Vault:

https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault

Get in Touch with Emma Rainville:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguru

Get in Touch with Richard:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-parkin-55621ba9/

What if the very thing you’re proud of—your speed—was destroying your team, your creativity, and your profits?

In this episode, Emma Rainville sits down with Tiago from her Shockwave team to unpack how “fast thinking” creates operational fires, burns out talent, and blocks deep, creative work. They don’t just diagnose the problem — they break down a system for slowing down and reducing noise across your business. From caffeine-fueled chaos to founder triggers, this one’s a masterclass in creating mental space and operational clarity without losing momentum.

You’ll walk away with frameworks to manage team bandwidth, protect creativity, and pause before launching the next firestorm initiative.

We cover:

- Why visionary entrepreneurs unconsciously create operational chaos

- The three biggest triggers that derail founders into urgency loops

- Tiago’s framework for reducing team noise and regaining clarity

- How deep work actually protects revenue and morale

- What “slowing down” really looks like in a high-speed company

Episode Timestamps:

(0:00) Intro and what today’s about

(2:05) Speed culture and the hidden cost of fast thinking

(4:20) How operations gets hijacked by reactionary leadership

(7:55) Tiago’s 7 Nespresso story and body-mind speed connection

(10:00) The coffee trap and ADHD clarity myths

(11:30) Why letting creativity breathe is essential

(13:00) The Shockwave framework for slowing down

(15:10) Identifying visionary triggers that sabotage thinking

(17:00) Emma’s #1 operational red flag that makes everything stop

Sign up to the Visionary Vault for Tiago’s eBook “How to Slow Down & Reduce Noise” and get instant access to the tactical resources mentioned in this episode: https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault

Explore Free Resources inside the Visionary Vault:

https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault

Get in Touch with Emma Rainville:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguru

Get in Touch with Tiago:

Email: [email protected]

When your operations fall apart, it isn't because your team failed, it's because you failed to onboard them right.

In this episode, Emma Rainville sits down in person with Shockwave COO Tiago Sanguinetti to expose the high-leverage onboarding tactics that multiply team performance. Recorded live at Growth Hacking Live in San Diego, this conversation breaks down exactly how remote companies can accelerate output, prevent turnover, and eliminate first-week confusion with a system that’s operationally elite — not just HR-safe.

Tiago shares the onboarding protocol he built inside Shockwave to transform new hires into high-performing operators within days. From creating SOP-led playbooks to assigning day-one tasks for culture fit, this is your tactical framework for onboarding remote contractors, full-time hires, and even creatives like designers — no excuses.

• The onboarding multiplier effect — why it’s the most neglected ROI lever
• How to structure a remote onboarding call that actually builds context
• The #1 blindspot that sabotages new hires (and how to fix it)
• Why SOPs are the “star of the show” — and what to include in them
• Meeting cadences that build trust, loyalty, and accountability from week one

• (0:00) Live from Growth Hacking Live — intro to Tiago
• (2:00) What actually multiplies a hire’s value
• (3:12) The role of context, history, and culture in onboarding
• (5:45) Digital halls: how to show people around remotely
• (8:10) The critical SOPs and resource access checklist
• (10:20) Assigning responsibility for access and expectations
• (12:00) How to sequence onboarding across departments
• (13:25) Why early rapport prevents long-term churn
• (15:30) The “Multiplier” mindset shift for every manager

👉 Grab Tiago’s exact Onboarding Checklist inside the Visionary Vault — free access at:

https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault

Explore Free Resources inside the Visionary Vault:

https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault

Get in Touch with Emma Rainville:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguru

Get in touch with Tiago:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiago-sanguinetti/