Transcript:
00:07
Derek Fredrickson
Hey, everybody, it’s Derek Frederickson here from The COO Solution and the COO Solution podcast. And welcome to a very exciting episode with a very special guest. We have one of our own with us today, our own fractional COO as part of the COO team at The COO Solution, Danielle Levy. Welcome, Danielle. Great to have you to the show.
00:33
Danielle Levy
Thank you for having me, Derek. It’s great to be here.
00:36
Derek Fredrickson
Yeah, it’s great to have you. We are doing things a bit differently today. We are what I like to say, pulling back the curtain a bit about what goes on on the inside of The COO Solution from the perspective of a fractional COO. So Danielle has been a member of the team. Gosh, when did you start with this, Danielle? Was it last May, but eight to nine?
00:57
Danielle Levy
It was up in a year.
00:59
Derek Fredrickson
Wow. Wow. Feels like longer than that. It also feels like we’ve just kind of got started, but yeah. So Danielle’s been a part of the team for about a year, and we’re going to talk a little bit about what it’s like to be a fractional COO here at the COO Solution. The type of work that we do with our clients, how we help founders scale their businesses, what does it really look like in the day to day from the COO perspective. And so Danielle’s been grateful to share a bit about what it’s like behind the scenes. And so we’re gonna dive into some of that and also for founders and CEOs to understand a little bit more about how we do what we do here at the COO Solution.
01:33
Derek Fredrickson
I often talk about, at the COO Solution, we focus just as much on what a founder needs to do to grow and scale their company, in addition to how they need to be doing what they need to do to grow and scale the company. So I think we’ll be able to share some great insights and examples on what that is like. So, Danielle, to kick us off, you’ve been doing fractional COO work for quite some time. You’re very familiar with EOS. You’ve done your kind of integrator training. You’re a strategic operator. How did you get started? Like, where in your journey did you say, okay, the fractional COO lane is for me, that’s where I have my sweet spot. How did that come to be for you and your kind of professional path?
02:12
Danielle Levy
Yeah. you know, when I tell my story, people often say, really? Is that how it all came together? But this is the way that it was. I had come after a graduate school a little bit later in life. I had already had my kids, and I had a birthday, and I had a friend who had gotten laid off. And I said, I’m gonna go on this trip that came to be 101 different ways. It just sort of fell together. And I went on this trip and I found myself in a wonderful situation. And it was raining, and I met some folks. We sort of passed the weekend together. And I came back and I didn’t think twice about it. And what I didn’t realize, I had met two people. And I’m an introvert.
02:56
Danielle Levy
So the fact that I went on this trip was a big deal for me. I had met two key people that would change the trajectory of my career. One was the person who was a virtual assistant at that time, which I didn’t know what that was, who would introduce me to my first client. And two was an entrepreneur specialist who was working behind the scenes for one of the biggest influencers in the market at that time. I just said they were these lovely ladies, and I didn’t think twice about it. And between the two of them, they said, you need to go down this path. And I had my first client handed to me. And then this entrepreneur specialist says, I think you should go take the certification. This sounds like what you are.
03:38
Danielle Levy
And I was just looking to validate myself and understand kind of what I was doing, and sort of picked up a title at that point as a result of that coincidental introduction to these two people. And several years later,the pandemic struck, and there were a lot of people jumping into the online space and trying to figure out how to stand up businesses. And that was a very busy time for me. But I didn’t quite feel in place with what everybody else was doing because there were a lot of people that were all of a sudden trying to stand up businesses. And I would say, well, this doesn’t make sense. This is how you do it. And there was sort of a wave of clients that I was sort of You know, trying to figure out what my footing was again.
04:24
Danielle Levy
And the market continued to evolve, and eventually those new founders sort of slipped away. And that’s sort of when I feel like I knew this is what I wanted to do, because I had traveled this road of being an entrepreneur and working with small businesses and large businesses and had a really cool background in agencies. And the market sort of leveled out, and I was looking for that blend of entrepreneurial spirit and sound business sense and people that wanted to connect with other people and make change in a less traditional way. And so it all sort of just came together for me. Really, I would say in the last five or so years, it’s been a very long career that has gotten me here.
05:09
Derek Fredrickson
Yeah. That’s amazing. (Danielle: Yeah) Just to hear how the divine timing of things worked out and interesting ways there along your journey.
05:16
Danielle Levy
Yeah. It is crazy.
05:17
Derek Fredrickson
So I’d love to ask this question, I ask this of every single COO, whether they work with us right now. We have a team. We’ve onboarded two new COOs this week. So I think we have a team of 12 now COOs here at the COO Solution. In your words, in your own way, how do you describe what a COO does? Like if you could kind of characterize it into just Danielle’s. Here’s what your philosophy and what a COO does, whether it’s day to day, whether it’s with the founder, with the team, like, what does that look like for you in terms of the definition?
05:51
Danielle Levy
We’re professional problem solvers. And I think it is as simple as that. I think, you know, we try to meet all types of professional levels of people where they’re at. We’ve got an eye like, it’s almost like we can see the playbook before it’s unfolded in uhm in the words mainly not spoken. You and I were in a conversation yesterday. We both walked away with the same message. There was never an exchange between you and I.
06:26
Derek Fredrickson
That’s right but we knew.
06:26
Danielle Levy
But we both knew what was happening. And we were ahead of the conversations. And so I think it’s this intuition of what is the problem that needs to be solved. I am a huge advocate of of Dan Sullivan’s of who, not how. I’m sure you read it. (Derek: Yup yup) And it’s always figuring out who’s our next super who. What is the problem that we’re trying to solve in peeling back all of the emotion that generally comes with it. There is a lot
06:56
Derek Fredrickson
I love that. Yeah, for sure. I mean in this line of work we get in it, we get in to the like the hood of the business and see all the good, the bad, the ugly and no judgment. But we get a really clear view of what’s working and what’s not working and being able to. I love the kind of professional problem solving. It could be problem solving at a strategic level like helping the founder develop more of the vision and it could be problem solving in the day to day execution with different people and projects and processes. To take that question a step further, like, how do you balance like the strategy to the execution? Right. Because part of what we do as COOs here at the COO solution is that we are that strategic, trusted thought partner to the founder.
07:40
Derek Fredrickson
Or that, you know, second in command to help run the business for them. So we can capture the strategy, we can capture the plan, but then we also can roll up our sleeves and get to work in some of the nitty gritty with the people and the plans day to day. Like, how do you balance the two from the strategy and the vision to the execution and the tactics?
07:58
Danielle Levy
Yeah. You know, I would say the underlying measure for me of success in any task or any project is the confidence of the person or the team doing it. And we come in as fractional, which means we have a limited amount of hours and we need to demonstrate the return on the investment in what we do in that limited amount of hours. So, you know, my job, I feel like, is to be designing and strategizing as much as possible. But oftentimes team members at any level in the organization need to be shown what’s step one, what’s step two, what’s step three? Maybe they need to check in at step 10 to move things forward.
08:51
Danielle Levy
And so it’s just enough doing to get the ball rolling so that then I can go back to that strategic spot and say, what’s the next thing that has to get done?
09:01
Derek Fredrickson
I love that. And then in the same conversation, if you will, one of the things that I always say to a potential client and also to a potential team member is that one of our values, we have core values here at the COO Solution. And one of those core values is based on trust. Establishing trust with the founder, establishing trust with the team, establishing trust in our methodology and our framework of how we do what we do. And part of that is instilling a, I call it a loving culture of accountability. Right. Ensuring we’ve got the right people in the right seats with the right responsibilities so that they can be held accountable. Not in the sense of like a babysitter, like, did you do this? Did you do that? We want self accountability.
09:38
Derek Fredrickson
But in a client relationship, how do you establish trust, especially with the founder in the beginning? And how do you establish cascade and establish accountability and kind of cascade that into the team so they feel like they’re being supported, like it’s a win for them and the work that we’re doing as well?
09:55
Danielle Levy
You know, I would say that I like my style to be direct but kind. And I am not afraid to sort of show my true colors. And I will often say to clients, and I don’t know if this is just an audio recording or there will be video, but I have a wrinkle that comes out right here. Derek, I’m sure you have seen it many many times. You’re kind, you’ve never said anything about it but.
10:21
Derek Fredrickson
I would never say anything.
10:23
Danielle Levy
No no no. But I call that my thinking face. And you know that I am locked in and 100%, but it’s a real nasty scowl. Right. And so, you know, I’m not afraid to say like when I introduce myself to a team, like I’m direct but kind. I will always ask if you see this scowl just to sort of poke fun at myself, to keep the levity of the situation.
10:47
Derek Fredrickson
Levity. Yeah.
10:49
Danielle Levy
And to let people know that I take this seriously. But we’re all human and we are trying to do this together. And so, you know, I do try to find out a little bit more about people than maybe the average person I know having been there. For a working mom, the difference of a deadline between 5pm close of business and 8am the next business day is significant. (Derek: Yeah) That is significant and that can be life changing. And so to find out what is driving people, it’s also what is communication style, how do they receive that information? You know, it can be very nerve wracking for a COO to know where everything is in the business and then all of a sudden you’re giving it to someone else and are they doing it the same way that you would do it?
11:35
Danielle Levy
And what does that feedback loop look like? Some COOs like, you know, two or three times a week, just 15 minute check in. Some like the status report, some, you know, want you to be able to show up in slack in a certain way. It’s amazing the small amount of effort on my part to show up in those ways. If I just understand what they are, that can make for the difference of a seamless transition into a team than not.
12:04
Derek Fredrickson
Yeah, I love that. How do you want to put you on the spot here? No right or wrong answer. How do you define so and full disclosure. Right. So you do fractional COO work as part of the COO solution. I often say you as well as everybody else on my team, you have one foot in tcs, you have one foot out of tcs, you have your own fractional COO clients. So in either scenario, when you’re doing the CEO role, how do you define success? Like, what is the feeling that you have that makes it feel like the work that you’re doing is making a difference, that it’s a successful client relationship?
12:39
Derek Fredrickson
And then on the flip side, what are some of the signs when you sense that things are slightly getting off track or things are going in a different direction, that’s not going to lead to a path of success?
12:52
Danielle Levy
I think it comes down to what you mentioned earlier. Trust. I think those patterns of trust show up in all different ways. I think it’s saying, hey, here’s the direction that I want to go. Here are the milestones. Are you good with it? Yes or no? If I make a mistake, we all make mistakes. It’s how that’s perceived. And sort of you hear that come back in different ways from the CEOs that we work with. It’s progress in the core initiatives. You know that we have those clients. Like, why are we still talking about this? Right.
13:41
Derek Fredrickson
Without naming names.
13:43
Danielle Levy
No, no names. And I think for me, it is very evident when there is an alignment of core values and when there’s not.
13:52
Derek Fredrickson
Okay, got it. I know recently you had an example, without getting into specifics with a client, where something took place, a moment that clearly meant a lot to you. Can you talk a little bit about what that experience was or what that moment was and what it meant to you? Because I think it kind of embodies in a specific, real example of what the impact is of what you do and how you do it.
14:15
Danielle Levy
I think I know the example that you’re talking about, if not of course, correct me here. So I’m working with a client that, there’s a lot going on and the founder is a visionary of sorts and bounces around a lot in the business. And this person’s job is to go out and sell the business and is very much in the media and doing all of things that need to be done. And I had a very junior member of the team. I set up one on ones with all members of the team or different departments. And to every meeting, I come forward. I always have an agenda. It’s always the same agenda. We keep tabs of the dates so that they can track what’s been discussed.
15:01
Danielle Levy
And it keeps me organized because throughout the week, different things come up that I want to talk to them about. And I came to this meeting and there was bright pink writing, all in the document., You know, that magenta color, you know, looking at this like, okay, she’s been in here. What’s going on? And went through the list, and it was a really long list. This is a key team member. And she started crying. At first, I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. And I’ve been doing this a long time, Derek. I just felt, this is why I do my job. And she was crying because she said, I bring stabilization to her job. She knows exactly what she has to do. There are deadlines, there are clear next steps. And to me, it was so simple.
15:52
Danielle Levy
It was a simple document that kept me organized. Messy bullets everywhere. And this powerhouse of a team member, I mean, she holds the business together, was like, this is the clarity that I need. And it was really really profound. And it wasn’t the loudest person in the business, and it wasn’t the COO, but it was the person that holds the business together and just needed someone to work with her, to be able to exhale and say, I know why I do what I do and how I’m gonna get there.
16:24
Derek Fredrickson
Yeah, I love that example.I mean,. that’s a huge, I would say, indirect benefit of the way we do what we do. Because the direct benefit is, yes, like I said, it’s with the founder on the growth and the scale and the optimization of where they want to be in five, 10 years, if they want to exit, or everyone, whatever that might be. But sometimes it’s in the impact to the team. Right, because when we work with the founder, they have their vision, their filter, their lens of how they see the business, which is sometimes very different than those that are on the boots, on the ground, day to day. That’s actually doing a lot of the operational work.
16:57
Derek Fredrickson
And so when we can lift them up and allow them to feel more supported, more clear on what their roles are, what their responsibilities are so they could do a better job, they feel like they are more empowered. It kind of. I know it sounds cliche, but it’s like a rising tide lifts all boats, and you need that in the team structure. It’s not about just uplifting the founder to be more the visionary. We do that, but it’s also like uplifting the team. So everything’s kind of, you know, it’s a system that’s followed by all. And they feel really empowered in the work that you’re doing, because you see them and you value them, and you know what they’re experiencing.
17:29
Danielle Levy
Yeah. And the way that you just described it, Derek, is. I mean, definitely they are an uplifter to the team. But I almost feel like the way that I hear that from you is that it’s an emotional component, which it is. But the multiplier effect in terms of the work and the confidence and the way that, to use your word, cascades across the team is enormous. That’s what you need when you have that buy in of here is the mission. Here’s what we are all growing towards by the folks with the boots on the ground. That’s when the CEO is going to see the effects of the work that’s being done.
18:11
Derek Fredrickson
Yeah, yeah. It goes in both sides. So. Okay, wonderful. So let’s shift gears a little bit. Let’s talk about. Let’s talk about the COO solution. So no, but in all seriousness, so I don’t even remember how we got connected or how we got introduced to each other. That’s not as important. But when I probably did reach out and I said, hey, Danielle, would you like to have a conversation? And we had several to get to know each other. And I think establishing trust in the very beginning was of the utmost importance and ensuring that you have the experience and the skill set and the expertise to do the work and to do it well. It’s your zone of genius. What attracted you to the idea of doing fractional COO work to supplement what you’re doing outside of TCS but under the umbrella of what we do here?
18:56
Derek Fredrickson
What was that initial? Huh? I’d like to have a conversation with Derek, understand more about the model and like, what interests you about that in the beginning.
19:03
Danielle Levy
Sure. So I’m going to take your question back, Derek, for everyone listening. Derek loves when I go rogue. I often tease him.
19:10
Derek Fredrickson
I was waiting for you to do that. I’m trying to tee it up. I’m like, wait, when are you going rogue? When are you going.
19:15
Danielle Levy
Yes, I always do. But I recall exactly how we were introduced and I think it’s an important part of this conversation. So the way that we were introduced was I was working on an outside client with one of the OBMs.
19:28
Derek Fredrickson
Oh, yes, I remember.
19:29
Danielle Levy
Is on the team and I had googled her and her picture came up on your website and I asked her, because then I started getting ad targeted by you and who is this guy? And you know, it’s this guy in France. And she just said, he is the most lovely person and he is so smart and his values are so clear. Danielle, I have to make an introduction and this was someone that I really enjoyed working with, who knew me. So for her to have already set the stage and saying, Danielle, you have to know this person. Because it’s not uncommon just in the circles to say, oh, this isn’t the best client. I don’t know where this business is going.. And when she was talking about you in this business, it was like she just lit up about it.
20:21
Danielle Levy
So I knew that I needed. And I was just so grateful when you messaged me like, oh my gosh, Derek wants to talk to me. I can’t wait.
20:27
Derek Fredrickson
Come on, come on.
20:29
Danielle Levy
No, no. One of my values is that I want to work with great people.
20:34
Derek Fredrickson
Yeah.
20:35
Danielle Levy
And so for someone that I trusted very much to have said that set the stage for me of, oh, I need to learn more. What I have come to understand in my career is sort of this two tier approach between having, in your case, or founder or a lead strategist plus someone like myself, you know, being the COO more day to day is actually a really powerful way for me to work.
21:04
Derek Fredrickson
Okay.
21:05
Danielle Levy
I have done that with other organizations that I don’t think are as structurally sound or as developed, you know, as your organization. And I very much like that. I like that model. And I’ll give you the example. We had a client, it was my first client with you, and we weren’t in alignment with the client. And I have never felt so seen. And you know, when it’s a one on one relationship with the COO, you start to sometimes question like, am I crazy? Is this the way that it kind of fell out? Like, are we really having this conversation right now? How can you not see what I’ve been trying to do? And it’s kind of get in your head about it.
21:52
Danielle Levy
And what I love about working with your group is the level of trust not only that you, but your entire executive office brings to the team and the way that you set us up with our systems and tools. But there’s a sounding there. You were incredibly helpful in sort of getting me through that journey. And there were times that we had very direct conversations. And even when you were sort of doing more fact finding, I never felt judged or questioned. And then there was a specific. I can’t recall what brought it to be, but there was a group of us getting together and we brought an example and to have it was like a mini mastermind.
22:36
Derek Fredrickson
Yeah, I remember that.
22:37
Danielle Levy
And it was amazing because oftentimes when you bring a group of individuals together, you don’t feel like people are totally invested or people are coming at it with different levels of experience. And it was so profound. And for me to have that sense of community and leveling up, you know, a drop of a slack message, I need to talk about this, or I hopped on a call last week with a newer member of the team because she said, this is what I’m seeing. Right. That’s invaluable to me. How is that not making for a more joyful experience for me, but also leveling up my skills. And that is really important to me. (Derek: Yeah) I know. I just went off your question
23:16
Derek Fredrickson
No, I really appreciate that. No, this is what I want our audience to hear, whether they’re a COO or a CEO. I think it embodies how we do what we do, not just in the practical nuts and bolts, but in the values based, driven methodology, if we want to call it that, or a mindset. I mean, I always say this again in the very beginning to a potential client or a potential team member. We are not a matchmaking service. We are not a placement agency where I’m like, Danielle, client client, Danielle, go and do what you would do as if it was your own client, knowing that you could do it extraordinarily well. It’s your zone of genius. It’s your sweet spot. You’re gifted at running other people’s companies, but this is a strategic partnership.
23:57
Derek Fredrickson
It’s a collaborative engagement with you, the COO, the client and myself. And that also includes how we do what we do behind the scenes. There is a methodology, there is a framework, there is a proven approach on how we deliver the work to the client. But at the end of the day, you are that boots on the ground, day to day COO. And there are times when it’s tough. There’s a lot that goes on. There’s a lot of problems, a lot of issues to be solved, a lot of projects that need to be initiated. And sometimes I think this happened organically. And I think that example you shared was a great model of that. Yeah, we share resources and examples and templates like, have you done this? Have you done that?
24:36
Derek Fredrickson
And we are constantly sharing as a team to uplevel everybody’s role as a COO and the work that we do with our clients. But I think there’s also this, like, empathetic side because there’s an element that is a motive and it’s a mindset and being able to feel like, I got your back, not just in the aspect of the team, but also for me, it’s a value like listen. I always say, I know our solution works. Bless you. (Danielle: Thank you) Perfect timing. That’s staying in the recording. I know our solution works and it’s a solution that’s not for everybody. But it’s the solution that works because of what you described. Because we bring everything to the table.
25:16
Derek Fredrickson
Not just the ability to get it done, but my involvement, your involvement, the collective of COOs that may not be working with the client directly but have examples and experience. And so it really does up level the way that we do what we do. And it’s a huge part of I think how we’ve experienced growth and the results that we’ve had with our clients.
25:38
Danielle Levy
Yup. Derek, if I could add onto that the dynamic that I’ve had the last couple of weeks I think is the perfect one. Working with you on a couple of clients right now. And one has taken the more sort of traditional business route, made some pretty hardcore business decisions. And the initiatives that I have are very clear and very focused in what I need to do and juxtaposition to that. We have a client that one of her executives is in a massive personal crisis and multi tier multiple personal crisis. And this was absolutely detrimental to the business. And we paused everything and went in direct problem solving mode. And yes there is a framework but there was a lot of human that was happening on that team.
26:30
Danielle Levy
And you know me, Derek, I have a hard and fast like cell phones are personal devices and they’re business hours and we try to be flexible. It was all hands on deck. What do you need for me to do? When do you need to talk? Like we were in it so with the CEO because it was humans, the impact of humans driving key business initiatives and we could not step away from that. And we had a strategy session that was scheduled for. I don’t even know what day it was yesterday, the day before. They all sort of blend together and we knew within two minutes of being on that call. We are not going to go through this presentation like focused on the issue at hand and we scheduled a follow up and that is just how we do it.
27:15
Danielle Levy
And we care about these businesses.
27:17
Derek Fredrickson
Yeah.
27:18
Danielle Levy
As much as the owners do.
27:19
Derek Fredrickson
I love that. And you’re right on so many levels. Nothing is linear. Entrepreneurship is never a straightforward path. There’s no such thing as permanence. There’s always pivots. There’s always misdirection in a good way. Sometimes in a not so good way. And part of that is brought up by having a COO and our model step in because it gets to the core of what needs to happen. They’re looking for change and we bring the change. And sometimes to initiate change, there’s a ripple effect. And I don’t mean that in the case of, like I say this often, we don’t come into a business to shake the tree of the business to get things to fall, but we start asking questions about the tree and the branches and the leaves and how it’s structured and how it’s growing.
27:59
Derek Fredrickson
And that can bring stuff to the table. And you’re right, there’s that human element which is really important as a COO, because we’re not that transactional hire. We’re just not another member of the team. We are a significant leadership change in the organization. We need to meet the founder, where they are as they’re going through and stepping into that change as well, which might be foreign to them. It might be scary because it’s gonna change what’s been in place for a long long time. In this example . If there’s somebody’s watching this who’s a fractional COO, maybe I’ve had a conversation with them, maybe they found this online. Who’s thinking about, they’re in what I call your before, right. They were Pre Derek, Pre TCs, and they’re thinking about taking the next step to explore partnering with us as a COO in the COO solution.
28:48
Derek Fredrickson
What would you like them to know? What would you want them to know about working inside tcs and what it really is about?
28:58
Danielle Levy
It is about bringing your heart in your head every day and being able to compartmentalize that. And if you can do that , I would say don’t wait. Do it now. It is profoundly changed the way that I work and the way that I enjoy my job and the way that I show up with my clients in the best possible way. It is not for the weak and the weary.
29:28
Derek Fredrickson
Yes, I know. I don’t want them to get the impression that we have challenging clients. We have amazing clients with challenging situations. But I, you know, me, I’m a very positive mind, just a positive minded person. So I’ll say they’re not challenges, they’re opportunities just to reframe. But , you know, we step in and, there’s stuff to get done. And I think it’s great that you said it’s not for the faint of heart. It could be outside on how they do. Right. There are some that subscribe to the consultant model. That’s cool. Right. There are some that do more of like the hands on, like, I don’t want to characterize them as babysitters, but they’re like, you know, checkers, if you will. Like. We are not consultants. We are not babysitters.
30:07
Derek Fredrickson
We are strategic operators with an execution mindset in terms of what needs to happen. And I love what you said earlier about professional problem solvers. I think that characterizes us quite well and how we do that.
30:19
Danielle Levy
Yeah. I think, Derek, also, people are excited when they show up. So it’s also that level of energy of let’s get it done. Right. I just want to emphasize that we have fantastic clients and they’re ready for change.
30:32
Derek Fredrickson
Yeah.
30:32
Danielle Levy
And they’re ready to go.
30:34
Derek Fredrickson
Yeah. Yep. Exactly. On the flip side, what would you say if there’s a founder, CEO who’s watching this saying and I’m wondering if I need a Danielle, if I need a fractional COO, what would you say are one or two things from the business perspective or from the founder’s perspective? That is the awareness that says, yes, take the next step, explore. What would you say to that founder who’s maybe struggling with, I’m wondering if I need this type of support now in my business.
31:02
Danielle Levy
so asking the questions and saying, you know, having a conversation with Derek where, you know, you’re just figuring out like you’re self diagnosing and you’re picking up the symptoms is a conversation, it is not a commitment. but if I were that COO and I was self reflecting, you know, is it still fun? Is this the reason you got into business for yourself? Is the business running you? Are you asking like, what’s next
31:33
Danielle Levy
Are you seeing yourself not doing things because there you think they’re the things that you don’t know how to do. Just look for sort of the symptoms around you and if you’re feeling like you’re not having that momentum that you had in the earlier part of the journey, just have a conversation.
31:53
Derek Fredrickson
I love that. I think if I could just add on to that. I think for the founders that are watching or listening, it’s the awareness. When you have the awareness, when the question enters your mind, I wonder if I need to think about. That’s the awareness. That’s the, divine download. The same, like, yes, explore, see what the next step might be. Because otherwise, if there’s so much into the day to day, if they’re operationally struggling and they know that they want to scale, you know, they know that they want to grow. It’s hard to kind of lift themselves out without having a conversation because they’re just like, well, I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing. Like, I’ll get to that 5 million from 3 million. Eventually it’s going to be more hours and more hard work.
32:36
Derek Fredrickson
There is a different solution, there is a different path that I think allows them to get there. And when they have that awareness, it just take the next step. So I think that sums it up perfectly. Well, this was fun. Is there anything else, Danielle, that you haven’t shared? Speaking to the COO, speaking to the CEO, anything else that you wanted to share about your journey, your work, how we do things, anything else that we did? And this is another opportunity for you to go rogue in whatever direction you want?
33:06
Danielle Levy
You know what? I don’t think so. You know, I’m not one to hold back, Derek, It’s amazing for me to see all the different types of clients that you work with or that we work with. We’ve had physical products, we’ve had services, we’ve had animals, we’ve had humans, we’ve had, you know, high stakes, professional like. And at the end of the day, the problem solving can be incredibly complicated or the number of times we’ve heard from COOs. You mean you can do that? (Derek: Yeah, yeah.) Yeah, that’s easy, right? It’s not as complicated as people think. If they just show up as themselves and with the trust and the integrity. And I hope that people, whether they’re CEOs or COOs, just sort of hear this and say, yeah, these sound like my people.
34:08
Danielle Levy
And these are the people that are changing the world in a really really positive way that allows these companies to make their impact.
34:17
Derek Fredrickson
Yeah. Perfect. Beautiful said. Thank you. Thank you so much, Danielle.
34:22
Danielle Levy
Thank you for having me.
34:24
Derek Fredrickson
So if you’re watching this, listening to this, and you’re a CEO and say, I wonder if now is the night, the right time to think about bringing on a fractional COO. You can go to the coosolution.com, book a call with me, we’ll have a conversation, as Danielle said, an open and honest conversation about where you are, where you want to go, and if our model can help you get to that goal, great. If you’re a COO, that’s thinking about doing fractional COO work with our COO solution company. You can go to the website as well. The coosolution.com I feel like I’m on, like rinse and repeat here with the COO, TCS, COO solution. And at the bottom there’s a button there that’s called join our team.
34:59
Derek Fredrickson
And you can find out more about potentially joining our team here along with Danielle and some amazing amazing other COOs here as part of our company. So thank you, Danielle, really appreciated our conversation today and thank you everybody for watching. We’ll see you next time on a future episode. Take care.
