The Distinctive Role of the COO with Sarah Guidus, CEO of Second in Command Academy

In this engaging conversation, Sarah Guidus, founder and CEO of Second in Command Academy, shares her journey from marketing director to the CEO of a million-dollar agency. Sarah discusses the crucial role of the COO (Chief Operating Officer), often known as the 'second in command,' emphasizing its importance in scaling and managing businesses. Listeners will gain insight into the various responsibilities of a COO, including project management, team leadership, and maintaining steady operations. The discussion also covers traits that embody an effective COO, from organizational skills to the ability to foresee ripple effects of decisions. Sarah provides practical advice for entrepreneurs on recognizing when it's time to hire and the essential qualities to look for in a second in command. She candidly shares her experiences and solutions to overcoming imposter syndrome and the significance of setting both tangible and emotional goals. This episode is a valuable resource for anyone looking to understand the dynamics between CEO and COO and the vital role of integrators in business growth.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:15 Sarah's Professional Journey

01:43 Understanding the COO Role

06:46 Key Traits of a Successful COO

12:33 The Yin and Yang of CEO and COO

16:43 Challenges and Solutions for COOs

23:11 Building the Second in Command Academy

28:25 Planning and Scheduling Trainings

29:03 Reflecting on Career Beginnings

29:48 Overcoming Limiting Beliefs

30:21 Creating Opportunities and Taking Action

34:33 Therapy and Coaching for Personal Growth

35:42 Goal Setting and Achieving Success

44:26 Imposter Syndrome and Professional Growth

47:21 Transitioning from COO to CEO

50:04 Advice to Younger Self and Final Thoughts

52:00 Podcast Questions and Closing Remarks

Sarah Guidas is the Founder and CEO of 2nd-In-Command Academy, a full resource for small businesses looking to either hire or invest in their Integrator. This is done through recruitment, an accessible Academy, and 1:1 containers. With 8+ years as a 2nd-In-Command at three $1M+ startups, Sarah has quadrupled another startup in its trailing 12 from year 2 to year 3 (6 months experienced 200% growth year over year, and the other 6 had an average growth of 182%), built a remote + international team from 2 to 50+ full-time employees - in less than 2 years, restructured a US department overseas resulting in a 76% decrease in salary cost, expertly prepared a 3.5-year company for acquisition + managed due diligence, and more. She then elevated from the COO to CEO role where she lead 50+ team members and gained a deep understanding of a Visionary's needs from their Integrator. This gave Sarah immense experience (and perspective) as to how important that #2 role is and what's required to not only be, but build, a high-performing 2nd-In-Command.

How to reach out to Sarah:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlguidas/Instagram: sarahguidas_2ndincommand

Spotify:  https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/smallstepsbigwinspodcast

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSmallStepsBIGWinsPodcast

Do you need to find a personal coach? ⁠⁠https://www.personalcoachfinder.com

To learn more about Sue, visit  ⁠⁠https://suesaller.com

And remember, life doesn’t get better by chance, it gets better by choice! 

Have an awesome day, friends!