What if the reason your business feels stuck has nothing to do with your strategy, and everything to do with who's missing from your team? In this episode, Sean sits down with Derek Fredrickson, a seasoned operator who spent fifteen years as a COO before building a company that delivers fractional COO support at scale. Derek breaks down exactly when a fractional COO makes sense for your business, why that sweet spot sits between one million and twenty-five million in annual revenue, and what founders get wrong when they think they need an executive but actually just need better operational support. You'll also hear how Derek's own experience of hitting the ceiling as a solo fractional operator led him to build a team model that now serves twenty to twenty-five companies at once, and why understanding how you're wired as either a visionary or an operator can change everything about how you grow.

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📈 WORK WITH SEAN

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▶ Executive Visibility: https://welivetobuild.com/services

▶ Thought Leadership: https://sparkvox.io

▶ Brand Visibility: https://www.welivetobuild.com/sponsorship

▶ Inquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com

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🕐 CHAPTERS

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00:00 - CEO vs COO: Which Role Is Harder?

00:48 - Why Derek Built a Business Around COOs

02:36 - The Right Revenue Stage for Fractional Help

04:01 - Signs You're Too Deep in the Weeds

05:56 - Start With a VA, Not a COO

09:05 - Founder-Led Sales as Product Research

24:20 - AI Adoption Depends on the Client's Appetite

29:00 - Data Without Accountability Is Just Numbers

35:32 - Know How You're Wired