The Operator’s Seat Podcast

In this episode of The Operator Seat Podcast, Landon and Sabrina tackle a common leadership challenge: determining whether missed deadlines and overloaded team members point to a capacity problem or an accountability problem. They discuss how leaders can identify the root cause before rushing to hire additional staff, the importance of asking better questions, and why clear expectations and processes matter more than assumptions.

The conversation dives into practical strategies for diagnosing operational bottlenecks, using KPIs and performance metrics effectively, separating feelings from facts when making leadership decisions, and creating accountability without becoming overly rigid. Whether you lead a small team, manage a department, or are looking to improve your own productivity, this episode offers valuable insights that can help you make smarter operational decisions.

For Questions and Stories Email: [email protected]

How do you build a leadership team that takes ownership without becoming dependent on you for every decision?

In this episode of The Operator’s Seat, Sabrina and Landon tackle a leadership challenge that many business owners, managers, and team leaders face: creating true accountability and self-agency within a team while avoiding the trap of becoming the default problem solver.

They discuss the balance between providing support and creating dependency, why delegation is often harder than it looks, and how leaders can shift from solving every problem themselves to developing people who can solve problems independently. Along the way, they share real-world examples from their own experiences, lessons learned from leadership coaching, and practical insights on communication, feedback, delegation, and team development.

Whether you're a business owner, operations leader, manager, or aspiring leader, this conversation will help you rethink what effective leadership looks like and how to empower your team to grow.

For Questions and Stories Email: [email protected]

This conversation dives into team structure, specialization, hiring strategies, company culture, leadership growth, and why trying to copy another successful business can actually hold your organization back. They share real-world lessons from building and scaling their own team, including the importance of putting people in the right roles, creating opportunities for growth, and making hiring decisions based on your unique business needs.

Whether you're a business owner, operator, manager, or team leader, this episode is packed with practical insights you can apply immediately.

Landon and Sabrina pull back the curtain on the world of operations, discussing how they divide responsibilities, manage teams, oversee projects, solve problems, handle hiring, finances, HR, and everything in between. They share why operations is often misunderstood, why operators wear so many hats, and how their roles evolve as a company grows.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, founder, manager, or aspiring operator, this conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to keep a business running smoothly.

For Questions and Stories Email: [email protected]

In this episode of The Operator Seat, Sabrina and Landon tackle one of the most requested topics from listeners: the real struggles of operations leadership.

From balancing company culture with accountability to navigating rapid growth, process changes, hiring decisions, and the emotional weight of leadership, they share honest lessons learned from leading teams through challenging seasons. They discuss why leadership can feel lonely, how to build a culture where employees bring solutions instead of problems, and what it takes to create scalable processes that grow with your business.

Whether you're an operations professional, team leader, business owner, or someone aspiring to move into leadership, this episode offers practical insights and encouragement for navigating the challenges that come with helping organizations grow.

For Questions and Stories Email: [email protected]

In this episode of The Operator Seat, Sabrina and Landon tackle one of the most important questions growing businesses face: How do you hire the right people? From identifying culture fit and evaluating soft skills to conducting effective interviews and handling difficult hiring decisions, they share their real-world experiences building and leading teams.

The conversation explores the role of personality assessments like the Enneagram in hiring, why technical skills aren't always the most important factor, and the interview questions they use to uncover authenticity, emotional intelligence, and growth potential. They also discuss common hiring red flags, onboarding strategies, giving direct feedback, and what to do when a new hire isn't the right fit.

Whether you're hiring your first employee or scaling a growing organization, this episode is packed with practical insights to help you build a stronger team, create a healthier culture, and make better hiring decisions.

In this episode, hosts Landon and Sabrina dive into one of the most-requested topics from listeners: how to build a balanced team culture — especially when times are hard or your firm is growing.

They break down why culture matters more than ever in today's workplace, and how understanding the Enneagram has completely changed the way they lead, communicate, and hold their team accountable. From the "Reformer" to the "Peacemaker," Landon and Sabrina walk through all nine Enneagram numbers, sharing real examples from their own team, families, and personal growth journeys.

You'll learn:
✅ Why balancing care and accountability is the key to great culture
✅ A quick breakdown of all 9 Enneagram numbers and their core traits
✅ How different personality types respond under stress vs. when healthy
✅ Practical ways to use the Enneagram with your team (including a fun desk-plaque idea!)
✅ Why leadership and culture start with self-awareness

Whether you're leading a team, growing a business, or just want to understand yourself and the people around you better, this episode is packed with practical insight you can start using today. 

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💬 Got a question you want us to answer on the show? Drop it in the comments!
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#Enneagram #TeamCulture #Leadership #WorkplaceCulture #SoftSkills #BusinessGrowth #ThePodcastName

What makes the relationship between a founder and an operator successful?

In this episode, Sabrina and Landon dive into one of the most important dynamics in any growing business: the partnership between visionary founders and the leaders who help turn those visions into reality. They discuss trust, communication, leadership from the second chair, navigating disagreements, building credibility, understanding different perspectives, and how passion and purpose fuel long-term success.

They also answer a listener question about the differences between a leadership mindset and a business-owner mindset, sharing practical insights from their own experiences working alongside founders and leading teams.

In this episode:

How operators and founders can work together effectively
Building trust and earning responsibility
Why communication is more complicated than it seems
The importance of forethought and leadership presence
Managing perception in the workplace
Passion vs. purpose in leadership
Understanding the pressures business owners face
How to navigate disagreements without damaging relationships

If you're a business owner, COO, operations leader, manager, or aspiring leader, this episode offers practical lessons for building stronger teams and healthier organizations.

👍 Like, subscribe, and leave a comment with your questions for future episodes!

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#Leadership #Operations #BusinessGrowth #COO #Entrepreneurship #TeamLeadership #BusinessOwner #TheOperatorsSeat #ProfessionalDevelopment #LeadershipPodcast

Welcome to the very first episode of The Operator's Seat Podcast! In this episode, hosts Landon and Sabrina introduce themselves, share their unique journeys into operations leadership, and discuss why operations is often the most overlooked—but most critical—part of any successful business.

From Disney operations and banking to building and scaling financial services firms, they share lessons learned from years of leading teams, creating processes, solving problems, and navigating the challenges of leadership. The conversation dives into what operations really looks like behind the scenes, why leadership can be a lonely place, the balance between people and processes, and how strong operations can make or break a growing company.

Whether you're a business owner, manager, team leader, entrepreneur, or simply someone interested in how organizations run effectively, this episode offers practical insights and honest conversations from two operators who are in the trenches every day.

In this episode:

How Landon and Sabrina got started in operations
Lessons learned from Disney, banking, and wealth management
Why leadership is about more than managing people
The importance of processes, projects, and people
Common mistakes growing businesses make
Why they replaced the word "change" with "evolve"
What listeners can expect from future episodes

Have a leadership question, operations challenge, or business story you'd like us to discuss? We'd love to hear from you! Be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and send us your questions for future episodes. Email us At [email protected]

#Operations #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #Management #SmallBusiness #FinancialServices #BusinessOperations #LeadershipDevelopment #TheOperatorsSeat