What if you could transform a team of rookies into high-performing, loyal leaders and stay sane in the process?

This episode delivers an unfiltered look inside the mind of Richard Comitz, Chief Operating Officer of American Corporate Partners, a West Point PhD and retired Army Lieutenant Colonel now leading one of America’s most mission-driven nonprofits. He sits down with Narrator to unpack the proven discipline, radical transparency, and mentorship strategies he honed in combat and now deploys to scale an 80-person organization serving over 5,000 mentorships nationwide.

Want to dodge burnout, ignite next-gen talent, and finally get your CEO partnerships working for—not against—you? Listen now. Skip it, and you risk getting buried by the next Ops crisis. This is an urgent, inside-access episode you won’t find anywhere else.

[00:00] – The leadership power move that made junior staff instantly trust Richard Comitz

[00:04:12] – Why a PhD, combat zones, and organic chemistry are COO superpowers (and how higher ed nearly cost him)

[00:08:48] – How to “inherit” a role from a founder without clashing or caving

[00:13:05] – The secret architecture behind training 60+ brand-new hires (and spotting future all-stars fast)

[00:15:53] – Shocking truths of what actually works to fight young-employee burnout and what never does

[00:19:30] – Hidden mentorship hacks that win powerful partners in Fortune 500s

[00:23:16] – Does military “figure it out” energy work with Gen Z? The raw reality from the field

[00:37:26] – Navigating founder-CEO rigidity and pitching bold new ideas (without ending up fired)

Richard Comitz is the Chief Operating Officer of American Corporate Partners (ACP), a powerhouse nonprofit connecting U.S. veterans and military spouses with Fortune 500 mentors for next-level careers. A retired Army Lieutenant Colonel, West Point organic chemistry instructor, and experienced higher education COO, Comitz is celebrated for turning disciplined military leadership into explosive organizational growth in both the public and nonprofit sectors.

🔗 LinkedIn | Website

1. Peter Attia (podcast, health and nutrition)
2. Andrew Huberman (Huberman Lab, neuroscience podcast)
3. Jocko Podcast by Jocko Willink (Extreme Ownership, Navy SEAL leadership lessons)
4. Joe Rogan Experience (podcast)
5. Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink (book)

What if the difference between scaling up and burning out comes down to just one overlooked decision you make today?

In this exclusive Second in Command episode, Cameron Herold sits down with Jon McNeill, former President of Tesla and COO of Lyft, and current CEO and Co-Founder of DVx Ventures, for a bold, eye-opening deep dive into the raw realities of being second in command at companies that redefine entire industries.

You’ll hear battle-tested lessons on navigating visionary founders, eliminating organizational bloat, and building operating systems that drive exponential growth, plus what most leaders get dead wrong about innovation, hiring, and execution at scale.

If you crave real-world playbooks and not more recycled platitudes, hit play now. Miss this conversation and risk falling into the same chaos that sinks even the greatest companies. Listen today to steal field-proven COO frameworks you won’t hear anywhere else before your competition does.

[00:03:16] – The $108 million mistake: why Jon McNeill turned down Uber and Tesla before they became giants

[00:07:22] – From Bain to boardrooms: how Cameron Herold went from $1.8B to $20B in 30 months

[00:14:49] – What it really feels like to drop into Tesla’s leadership team—no roadmap, only chaos

[00:17:04] – The pivotal moment Cameron Herold broke the rules at Tesla and why Elon Musk said “You’ll fit right in”

[00:21:09] – The “Big Thing” meeting—the deceptively simple method Cameron Herold stole from Facebook’s top minds

[00:26:43] – How to push back (and win) with the world’s most demanding CEO

[00:36:11] – The ruthless self-topgrading system that kept Tesla lean—could you survive it?

[00:47:11] – Tesla’s “Algorithm” revealed: the counterintuitive systems any leader can steal

Jon McNeill is the former President of Tesla and COO of Lyft, a renowned serial entrepreneur, and current CEO and Co-founder of DVx Ventures. Recognized for multiplying company valuations and pioneering operational mastery at the world’s most innovative companies, Jon now empowers founders and operators to scale with speed and discipline. His latest book, The Algorithm, reveals the operating system behind Tesla’s success and is quickly becoming a must-read for growth-focused leaders.

🔗 LinkedIn | Website

1. Tesla
2. Lyft
3. Bain & Company
4. Bain Capital

Ever wonder why some COOs scale businesses to legendary heights while others get swallowed by chaos and politics?

If you’re craving clarity, confidence, and uncommon edge in your second-in-command role, this Fan Favorite episode is your wake-up call. Cameron Herold sits down with Matt MacInnis, COO of Rippling and co-founder of Inkling, for a raw, actionable conversation about the real challenges behind hyper-growth, hiring, trust, and culture. They dig into what makes the COO role so “special,” how to build a game-changing flywheel, and why patience, precision, and authenticity are the ultimate power moves.

The pain of “going it alone” is real. Tune in to learn how to avoid disaster, dodge politics, and harness proven tactics you won’t find in any business book. Don’t wait until burnout bites. Listen now for fiercely exclusive COO insights, bold truths, and systems that will let you scale smarter, not harder.

[00:02:22] – The hidden pain in HR, IT, and how Rippling breaks the “original sin” of bad data

[00:05:55] – Why Matt almost walked away—then got schooled by Parker’s contrarian “rocket ship” logic

[00:08:30] – The untold power of preexisting trust between CEO and COO—and what happens if you hire without it

[00:12:49] – Topgrading secrets: Why most executive hiring fails and how to get it right (even when everyone says they’re an “A player”)

[00:15:44] – Copilot dynamics: How Matt and Parker run the company with surprisingly little contact (and why it works)

[00:19:18] – Should you debate the CEO in front of the team? The cathartic, risky art of public disagreement

[00:23:13] – Inside Rippling’s flywheel advantage—what Salesforce, Facebook, and Brex did differently and why you can too

[00:31:04] – Killing bureaucracy and politics: The simple rule for hiring and process that most leaders ignore

[00:39:29] – The brutal, proven formula for layoffs: What Sequoia teaches (and how to survive the “survivor’s guilt”)

Matt MacInnis is the Chief Operating Officer of Rippling, a revolutionary all-in-one HR and IT platform transforming how businesses scale and manage people. Matt was also the co-founder and CEO of Inkling, a mobile learning platform that raised over $100M before its acquisition. With deep roots at Apple and a Harvard engineering degree, Matt blends big-company brilliance with entrepreneurial firepower. He’s known for breaking boring business norms and igniting hyper-growth, all while refusing to tolerate politics, inefficiency, or shallow executive hiring.

🔗 LinkedIn | Website

1. Inkling
2. Apple
3. Harvard
4. Parker Conrad (Rippling CEO)
5. ADP