In this episode of Fixers & Founders, Tony and Forrest are joined by Corey Robinson, founder of Crossroads Operating Partners and a fractional COO helping early-stage companies get unstuck and scale with intention.

Corey shares his journey from corporate leadership at John Deere to buying and operating multiple businesses, and the hard realization that success can quickly turn into chaos when everything still runs through the owner.

We pull back the curtain on the real reason most businesses stall: not a lack of opportunity, but a lack of systems — and a founder who hasn’t stepped out of the middle.

In this conversation, we explore:
The Founder Bottleneck: Why growth slows when everything still depends on you.
Revenue vs. Delivery: How businesses break when sales outpace operations.
Systems That Scale: Why 70% done and repeatable beats perfect and delayed.
Clarity Breaks: How stepping away from the business drives better decisions.

If your business feels heavier than it should — or like everything still depends on you — this is a practical playbook for building the machine that actually scales.

Connect with Corey Robinson:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corey-robinson

Intro & Outro Music: “Which One Is the Jellyfish?” by Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin

Used with permission under a non-exclusive license.

Bandcamp: https://auntcynthiascabin.bandcamp.com/

Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/artist/5XoG0H2D0vY58n32W8xI2K

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auntcynthiascabin

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In this episode of Fixers & Founders, Tony and Forrest are joined by Chuck Orzechowski, CEO of the COO Forum and a self-described “recovering COO.”

Chuck shares his journey from the factory floor to the executive suite, pulling back the curtain on why the number two seat is the toughest—and most misunderstood—position in business today. We dive into the reality of the COO as the “Camp Counselor” of the organization: the fixer who carries the emotional weight of the team while bridging the gap between a visionary’s speed and a company’s capacity.

In this conversation, we explore:

• The Camp Counselor Reality: Why empathy is the most underrated skill in operations.

• Winning vs. Freedom: How to align with a Visionary’s psychology to get things done.

• The Career-Ending Pivot: A raw look at a high-stakes leadership mistake and the "Sage Advice" that followed.

• Leading from the Middle: Why it’s better to have a great question than a great answer.

  
  

If you’ve ever felt like you’re holding it all together while trying to lead through the "snow globe" of rapid change, this masterclass in execution and empathy is for you.

Connect with Chuck Orzechowski:

Email: chuck@cooforum.net

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-orzechowski

Website: https://cooforum.org

Intro & Outro Music: “Which One Is the Jellyfish?” by Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin

Used with permission under a non-exclusive license.

Bandcamp: https://auntcynthiascabin.bandcamp.com

Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/artist/5XoG0H2D0vY58n32W8xI2K

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auntcynthiascabin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auntcynthiascabin

In this episode of Fixers & Founders, Tony and Forrest sit down with Nathan Young — fractional COO, operator, and author of How to Be Second — to explore what it really means to lead from the right-hand seat.

Nathan breaks down the identity of a “Second” — not just as a role, but as a way of operating — and why the people behind the scenes are often the ones who turn vision into reality.

From navigating crisis moments where 95% of revenue disappears overnight…
to simplifying operations down to the fundamentals of get work, do work, get paid…
to redefining process as agreement, not documentation…

This conversation is a masterclass in clarity, execution, and the work behind the work.

If you’re building something that’s growing fast — but needs structure to scale — this one’s for you.

Connect with Nathan Young

Website: https://howtobesecond.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-s-young

Intro & Outro Music: “Which One Is the Jellyfish?” by Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin

Used with permission under a non-exclusive license.

Bandcamp: ⁠⁠⁠https://auntcynthiascabin.bandcamp.com⁠/⁠⁠

Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/artist/66kb7d5jDmTkMSs1XcOXTQ

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/auntcynthiascabin

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