The Operations Room: A Podcast for COO’s

It’s been a whirlwind of a season!

In this special wrap-up episode, Bethany and Brandon look back on the last ten weeks of The Operations Room — the highlights, lessons, and chaos that shaped Season 2 — and share a sneak peek of what’s coming in Season 3.

We reflect on:

• What it really feels like to step into a CEO role (and why it’s lonelier than expected).
• The intensity of leading through change — and learning to switch off when the buck stops with you.
• The balance between growth, leadership, and staying human.
• The power (and pain) of performance reviews done right.
• Why our next season will dive deep into AI, leadership, and rethinking operational strategy.

Plus, we reveal our guest line-up for Season 3 — including returning favourites like Keith Wallington and Cameron Herold, and new voices exploring AI, sales, and the future of strategy.

Love The Operations Room? Please support us by rating and reviewing it here.

You can also share your guest suggestions — one slot left for next season!

Summary

00:00 – Welcome and season recap

02:00 – Bethany’s first 90 days as CEO

07:30 – The reality of responsibility and loneliness at the top

11:50 – Brandon’s reflections on scaling a high-growth team

15:40 – Lessons from performance and salary reviews

20:00 – What’s coming next: AI, leadership, and puzzles vs OKRs

26:00 – Behind the scenes: planning the next season

28:00 – Our Substack

To learn more about Beth and Brandon or to find out about sponsorship opportunities click here.

In this episode we discuss: AI employees. We are joined by Matt Lhoumeau, Cofounder & CEO at Concord

Love The Operations Room? Please support us by rating and reviewing it here.

We chat about the following with Matt Lhoumeau: 

1. How do you balance the need for structure with the chaos of fast-growing operations?
2. What happens when marketing becomes a true conversation rather than a one-way message?
3. Why are standards and expectations so critical to building trust in a growing team?
4. How can leaders create clarity without stifling creativity?
5. What’s the real difference between being busy and being effective?

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattlhoumeau/
• https://www.concord.app/
• https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0lMWln0

Matt Lhoumeau is the CEO and co-founder of Concord, the leading provider of AI-powered Agreement Intelligence solutions. With over a decade of experience transforming how businesses manage contracts, Matt helps operations leaders unlock strategic value from their agreements and turn contracts from cost centers into profit drivers.

To learn more about Beth and Brandon or to find out about sponsorship opportunities click here. 

04:05 – AI tools and operational leadership.

08:05 – The power of systems thinking in AI bots

12:01 – Using AI to challenge you

15:16 – AI-first mantra

19:40 – Legal department AI substitutes

22:36 – Being a systems owner

24:30 – ChatGPT as a therapist

27:37 – Using AI to evolve and be durable

31:34 – How tools and frameworks are used over time.

34:58 – The balance between AI and human intervention

35:19 – Evolving with AI

37:05 – The right inputs

In this episode we discuss: What scale up founders go through. We are joined by Jonny Burch, Designer turned Founder. 

Love The Operations Room? Please support us by rating and reviewing it here.

We chat about the following with Jonny Burch: 

• How can rethinking the office itself completely change how people connect, collaborate, and feel part of a company?
• What happens when leaders stop managing people — and start designing environments where people can do their best work?
• Is your company culture something you say — or something you can feel when you walk through the door?
• What’s the real cost of ignoring the “unwritten rules” that shape how your team communicates and collaborates?
• How do you balance flexibility, belonging, and performance when your team is spread across screens and cities?

• Https://linkedin.com/in/jonnyburch
• Https://jonnyburch.com
• hackweeks.com
• toy.studio
• foundupnorth.com

Jonny Burch is a designer and exited founder exploring AI through a product lens. He scaled Deliveroo’s consumer design team and went on to found Progression, a platform focused on skills, personal development, and career growth. After raising over $6M from US and UK investors and successfully exiting in 2024, he's now taking time to reflect, supporting teams with AI adoption at hackweeks.com as well as incubating future products under his personal software practice toy.studio. 

To learn more about Beth and Brandon or to find out about sponsorship opportunities click here. 

06:30 – Maximizing time as a CEO

08:30 – Office culture and space design

10:30 – The CEO Roundtable Retreat

17:00 – Building trust as a COO and CEO

19:30 – Force multipliers and structure

21:00 – Why growth makes CEOs feel disconnected

22:30 – The SaaS Flywheel and diagnosing business health

26:30 – Delegation done right

27:30 – Becoming the CEO

30:00 – The emotional weight of leadership

31:45 – How leadership changes your brain

32:30 – The paradox of influence and isolation

33:30 – Knowing your limits

34:30 – Lessons for leaders

36:00 – Final reflections

In this episode we discuss: How storytelling can get you what you want. We are joined by David Pullan, author, speaker, coach, and gold miner.

Love The Operations Room? Please support us by rating and reviewing it here.

• We chat about the following with David Pullan: 
• How can leaders use storytelling to make their ideas unforgettable?
• What makes a message stick in people’s minds long after the meeting ends?
• Why do leaders often overlook the importance of how they communicate, not just what they say?
• How can storytelling build trust and psychological safety within teams?
• What practical steps can leaders take to transform everyday communication into moments of influence?

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-pullan-4b0619a/
• www.thestoryspotters.com

David Pullan and his wife and business partner, Sarah Jane McKechnie, first met in a rehearsal room over thirty years ago and have been collaborating ever since. From acting alongside Shirley MacLaine, performing for Henry Kissinger, and filming in the former Yugoslavia (with Robert Downey Jr dancing on the table), to cooking a chicken live on stage, their careers have been defined by spotting, shaping and sharing stories in unexpected ways.

Together, through their company The Story Spotters, they draw on their backgrounds as performers, coaches, scriptwriters and hypnotherapists to help clients master the communication moments that matter. Their book, The DNA of Engagement, offers a story-based approach to building trust and influencing change in today’s noisy corporate world.

To learn more about Beth and Brandon or to find out about sponsorship opportunities click here. 

00:14:40 – Why stories matter more than facts

00:17:37 – Meeting people where they are

00:20:23 – How stories help ideas stick

00:23:04 – A leader’s process for shaping communication

00:28:27 – Common mistakes leaders make with storytelling

00:31:07 – Switching gears: the role of vulnerability

00:36:26 – How authenticity shapes perception

00:39:13 – Balancing emotion and logic in leadership stories

00:42:03 – Why psychological safety is essential

In this episode we discuss: Resilience in Organisations. We are joined by Aušrinė Keršanskaitė, Co-founder of Operations Nation.

Love The Operations Room? Please support us by rating and reviewing it here.

We chat about the following with Aušrinė Keršanskaitė: 

1. How can leaders tell the difference between true resilience and simply powering through burnout?
2. When is “just-enough process” better than perfect systems in a growing company?
3. Which of the five types of resilience—optimistic, stoic, pragmatic, active, or existential—do you rely on most at work?
4. What happens when imposter syndrome hits even the most experienced operations leaders—and how can you use it to grow?
5. Why might learning to walk away from the wrong role or battle be the most resilient decision of all?

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/ausrine
• www.operationsnation.com

Aušrinė Keršanskaitė is a seasoned operations leader, community builder, and connector at heart. With over a decade of hands-on experience guiding startups from scrappy pre-seed beginnings to thriving Series B stages, she knows firsthand what it takes to build strong foundations and empower people along the way.

For the past five years, Aušrinė has been the driving force behind Operations Nation, a community-powered knowledge hub that connects and empowers hundreds of operations leaders around the world. Operations Nation offers a safe, supportive space for ops professionals to share advice and “ops war stories,” helping each other survive, grow, and thrive in their careers.

A firm believer that operations is the backbone of every great company, Aušrinė combines her operational expertise with a deep passion for bringing people together and building community wherever she goes.

To learn more about Beth and Brandon or to find out about sponsorship opportunities click here. 

05:00 — Balancing speed versus sustainability in scaling operations

11:00 — Timing back-office investments and compliance readiness

15:00 — Re-orgs, structural resilience, and organizational adaptability

17:00 — Introduction to the Five Types of Resilience framework

21:00 — Deep dive into each resilience type with personal stories

28:30 — Imposter syndrome and trusting your gut as a leader

33:00 — Redefining success and boundaries in operations roles

37:00 — Shared vulnerability and leadership resilience

39:30 — Final takeaway: putting your own oxygen mask on first

In this episode we discuss: The intentional organization. We are joined by Mathias Meyer, The Startup CTO Coach, and Sara Hicks, Product Leader and Founder.

Love The Operations Room? Please support us by rating and reviewing it here.

We chat about the following: 

• How should leadership roles evolve as a company shifts from startup to scale-up?
• What’s the real cost of not shipping products regularly, beyond just revenue impact?
• How can meeting culture be reshaped to truly drive collaboration and outcomes?
• Where’s the balance between a CEO’s product vision and a COO’s operational priorities?
• How do you hire quickly for growth without compromising cultural fit?

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/themathiasmeyer/
• https://intentionalorganization.com
• https://intentionalorganization.com/book
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/saralouhicks/

Mathias Meyer is an executive coach, repeat startup founder, and writer based in Berlin. A former CEO and CTO, he has grown multiple remote teams to successful exits, including Scalarium (Amazon), Travis CI (Idera), and Reaction Commerce (Intuit). Today, through The Intentional Organization, he coaches and advises leaders navigating the challenges of scaling their businesses and themselves. Outside of work, Mathias enjoys nature, cultivating his vegetable garden, and fermenting produce.

Sara Hicks is a seasoned product leader and founder, having held senior roles at Yahoo!, Etsy, and Media Temple before launching her own company, Reaction Commerce, where she served as CEO until its acquisition by Mailchimp (later Intuit). Now based in Los Angeles, she partners with Mathias at The Intentional Organization, supporting founders and executives through coaching, mentoring, and facilitation.

To learn more about Beth and Brandon or to find out about sponsorship opportunities click here. 

00:05:58 – Leadership in growth

00:08:21 – Shipping momentum

00:10:57 – Fixing meeting culture

00:14:47 – Scaling challenges

00:18:12 – Product alignment

00:24:30 – CEO/COO dynamics

00:31:05 – Trust as a leadership asset

00:37:40 – Vision vs. operations

00:41:15 – Hiring for fit

00:44:50 – Final reflections 

In this episode we discuss: Navigating through an uncertain world. We are joined by Jillian Reilly, Author, Global change facilitator,  Keynote speaker, and International aid veteran. 

Love The Operations Room? Please support us by rating and reviewing it here.

• We chat about the following with Jillian Reilly: 
• What does it really take to be an effective facilitator of change within an organisation?
• How can operators lead confidently in uncertainty without overpromising outcomes?
• When should leaders rely on intuition over data—and how do they build that instinct?
• Can resilience be intentionally developed, or is it only forged through hardship?
• How do you balance empathy with accountability when leading teams through tough transitions?

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillianreilly/
• https://jillreilly.substack.com/
• www.tenpermissions.com

Jillian Reilly is a founder, writer, keynote speaker, and consultant with 30 years’ experience in social, organisational, and personal change across Africa, Asia, and Central Europe. She helps people navigate change and accelerate growth, and is the author of The Ten Permissions (forthcoming), which challenges outdated approaches to adult life in the 21st century. Her memoir, Shame: Confessions of an Aid Worker in Africa, reflects on her early career in international development. Jillian’s work has been featured in the Washington Post, Newsweek, and the LA Times, and her TEDx talk Vain Aid offers insights from the aid industry. She also created the Courageous Conversations podcast, funded by the Ford Foundation, spotlighting African activists.  

To learn more about Beth and Brandon or to find out about sponsorship opportunities click here. 

00:06:10 – Becoming a change facilitator

00:08:43 – Leading in uncertainty

00:10:46 – Trusting intuition

00:14:19 – Navigating profound change

00:18:29 – Leading without a grand vision

00:22:40 – Building resilience

00:28:15 – Reframing setbacks

00:35:50 – Holding onto purpose

00:42:10 – Empathy vs. accountability

00:44:05 – Final reflections

In this episode we discuss: From red flags to green lights, making legal work for your scale-up. We are joined by Helen Goldberg, Co-Founder & COO, Fractional General Counsel, Startup & Scaleup Adviser, and Mentor.

Love The Operations Room? Please support us by rating and reviewing it here.

We chat about the following with Helen Goldberg: 

• How can founders avoid becoming the bottleneck when every decision passes through them?
• What should drive hiring decisions—current skill gaps or future strategic needs?
• How is the evolving role of marketing reshaping sales strategy and growth?
• Can AI truly transform legal and operational processes without compromising quality?
• What’s the most effective way to empower sales teams to take ownership of results?

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-goldberg-1339801/
• www.legaledge.co.uk

Helen is COO at LegalEdge, working with CEO Donna to deliver fractional in-house counsel services for scaling companies. She focuses on using the right people, processes, and technology to simplify legal work, integrate it into operations, and ensure lean, scalable solutions. Passionate about avoiding “over-lawyering,” Helen champions pragmatic, commercial legal strategies that help clients prioritise what matters, manage risk, and close deals faster.

To learn more about Beth and Brandon or to find out about sponsorship opportunities click here. 

00:03:41 – Founder decision bottleneck

00:08:24 – Smarter hiring

00:09:07 – Marketing’s new role

00:13:56 – AI in legal operations

00:15:25 – Scaling the team

00:16:49 – Sales team empowerment

00:17:10 – Contract management rules

00:17:31 – Quarter-end readiness

00:43:37 – Startup legal essentials

00:43:45 – Scale-up legal strategy

In this episode, we discuss: The pitfalls on the path to exit. We are joined by Dirk Sahlmer, Head of Origination at saas.group.

Love The Operations Room? Please support us by rating and reviewing it here.

We chat about the following with Dirk Sahlmer: 

• How should leaders balance ambitious growth metrics with the realities of current team capacity?
• When does leadership involvement cross the line into micromanagement—and how can you avoid it?
• Can offshoring and distributed teams truly maintain a unified culture and performance standard?
• What does a “bootstrap future” look like, and is it a viable model for scaling sustainably?
• How can a central operations team best support rapid growth without slowing innovation?

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/dirksahlmer/
• https://www.saas.wtf

Dirk Sahlmer is the Head of Origination at saas.group, a serial acquirer of small, capital-efficient SaaS companies. Known for his insightful LinkedIn posts and newsletter articles on SaaS industry trends and M&A topics, he is a respected voice in the SaaS community.

To learn more about Beth and Brandon or to find out about sponsorship opportunities click here. 

00:07:06 – Measuring progress towards the future vision

00:10:30 – Leadership decisions in action

00:13:13 – Workforce shifts and offshoring

00:17:57 – The “bootstrap future”

00:20:49 – Building a central operations team

00:22:59 – Avoiding micromanagement

In this episode we discuss: How does AI change the approach to professional development?  We are joined by Anna Tavis, Clinical Professor and Chair of the Human Capital Management Department at NYU’s School of Professional Studies. 

Love The Operations Room? Please support us by rating and reviewing it here.

We chat about the following with Anna Tavis: 

• If career growth is no longer about climbing the ladder, how should we redefine success in professional development?
• Are our current learning systems truly preparing people for real work, or are they just ticking boxes outside the flow of everyday tasks?
• Could AI-powered coaching finally make professional development as personalised and responsive as a sports coach with their athletes?
• What happens to the manager’s role when AI takes over much of the supervision—does it free them to become genuine mentors?
• How do we ensure AI-driven development tools enhance equity and well-being, rather than deepen existing gaps?

• linkedin.com/in/annatavis
• https://www.sps.nyu.edu/homepage/academics/divisions-and-departments/division-of-programs-in-business/human-capital-management/coaching-and-technology-summit.html
• https://www.amazon.com/Humans-Work-Practice-Creating-Workplace/dp/1398604232
• https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Coaching-Revolution-Employee-Development/dp/1398612510

Dr. Anna Tavis is Clinical Professor and Chair of the Human Capital Management Department at NYU’s School of Professional Studies. Recognised on the Thinkers50 Radar (2020) and among the Top 100 Global Influencers in People Analytics (2023, 2024), she co-authored Humans at Work (2022) and The Digital Coaching Revolution (2024).

Her global career spans business, consulting, and academia, including senior roles at Motorola, Nokia, United Technologies, and AIG Investments, as well as faculty positions at Columbia University, Williams College, and Fairfield University.

Her Harvard Business Review articles, “HR Goes Agile” and “The Performance Management Revolution,” co-authored with Dr. Peter Cappelli, have been featured in HBR’s Must Reads, Definitive Management Ideas of the Year, and Agile: The Insights You Need.

To learn more about Beth and Brandon or to find out about sponsorship opportunities click here. 

00:13:29 – Defining professional development

00:15:21 – Why traditional tools fall short

00:18:30 – AI-driven coaching in action

00:25:04 – Rethinking career growth

00:30:24 – Responsible AI rollout