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The Operations Room: A Podcast for COOsAuthor: Bethany Ayers & Brandon Mensinga
We are the COO coaches to help you successfully scale in this new world where efficiency is as important as growth. Remember when valuations were 3-10x ARR and money wasnt free? We do. Each week we share our experiences and bring in scale up experts and operational leaders to help you navigate both the burning operational issues and the larger existential challenges. Beth Ayers is the former COO of Peak AI, NewVoiceMedia and Codilty and has helped raise over 200m from top funds - Softbank, Bessemer, TCV, MCC, Notion and Oxx. Brandon Mensinga is the former COO of Signal AI and Trint. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Language: en Genres: Business, Management Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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86. Season 2 Wrap Up
Episode 86
Wednesday, 12 November, 2025
It’s been a whirlwind of a season!In this special wrap-up episode, Bethany and Brandon look back on the last ten weeks of The Operations Room — the highlights, lessons, and chaos that shaped Season 2 — and share a sneak peek of what’s coming in Season 3.We reflect on:What it really feels like to step into a CEO role (and why it’s lonelier than expected).The intensity of leading through change — and learning to switch off when the buck stops with you.The balance between growth, leadership, and staying human.The power (and pain) of performance reviews done right.Why our next season will dive deep into AI, leadership, and rethinking operational strategy.Plus, we reveal our guest line-up for Season 3 — including returning favourites like Keith Wallington and Cameron Herold, and new voices exploring AI, sales, and the future of strategy.Love The Operations Room? Please support us by rating and reviewing it here.You can also share your guest suggestions — one slot left for next season!Summary00:00 – Welcome and season recap02:00 – Bethany’s first 90 days as CEO07:30 – The reality of responsibility and loneliness at the top11:50 – Brandon’s reflections on scaling a high-growth team15:40 – Lessons from performance and salary reviews20:00 – What’s coming next: AI, leadership, and puzzles vs OKRs26:00 – Behind the scenes: planning the next season28:00 – Our Substack To learn more about Beth and Brandon or to find out about sponsorship opportunities click here. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
