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

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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

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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

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Most founders don’t lose momentum because of bad strategy —they lose it because finance can’t keep up.

In this episode of Fixers & Founders, Tony and Forrest sit down with Nelson Tepfer, co-founder of ProCFO Partners, to unpack what strategic finance really means for scaling businesses.

From companies waiting weeks to send invoices…to founders running multimillion-dollar operations on gut instinct…Nelson shares how financial clarity becomes a growth lever — not just a reporting function.

They dive into when to upgrade systems, why titles like “fractional CFO” can be misleading, and how aligning finance with strategy changes everything.

If you’re scaling and the numbers are getting noisy — this conversation will help you move with confidence.

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

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🎧 Shane Sloan on Operational Maturity, EOS, and Founder Therapy

In this episode of Fixers & Founders, U.S. Army veteran and EOS integrator Shane Sloan joins us to break down what actually causes businesses to stall—and how to fix it.

From serving as a Black Hawk crew chief to building operational engines inside 30–100 person companies, Shane shares the framework he uses to diagnose chaos, restore calm, and help founders finally let go.

We cover his operational maturity model, why every business must master “Get Work, Do Work, Support Work,” and how to modernize systems without over-engineering them.

If your company feels stuck in firefighting mode—or your founder still manages everything—this one’s for you.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Intro to Shane Sloan

02:20 From Military to Fractional Integrator

06:37 Signs a Business Is Running on Fumes

10:04 Get Work. Do Work. Support Work.

12:15 KISS Methodology in Tech & Ops

15:00 Breaking Out of the Stall

18:48 When to Take Work Off the Founder’s Plate

20:52 Career Myth: Working Your Way Up

22:31 Military Training & Business Leadership

23:49 Outro

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

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🎧 Grant Covault & Tyler Davis on scaling smarter—from marketing myths to financial clarity

This week on Fixers and Founders, we’re joined by fractional duo Grant Covault and Tyler Davis—co-hosts of the Next Gen Strategies podcast, and fixers of messy books, broken funnels, and bad business advice.

Grant’s a fractional CMO helping service businesses punch above their weight. Tyler’s a fractional CFO helping founders ditch the guesswork and finally understand their numbers. Together, they’re rethinking how small businesses scale—and why clarity, not complexity, is the real secret to growth.

We cover:

• What most founders get wrong about marketing & money

• The hidden red flags in your P&L

• Why growth without systems is just expensive guessing
  The rise of fractional leadership—and how it’s changing the game

If you’re tired of duct taping your business together, hit play.

🔗 Connect with Grant & Tyler

LinkedIn (Grant): https://www.linkedin.com/in/grant-covault/

LinkedIn (Tyler): https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-davis-b761b6b2/

Intro & Outro Music: “Which One Is the Jellyfish?” by Aunt Cynthia’s CabinUsed with permission under a non-exclusive license.Bandcamp: ⁠https://auntcynthiascabin.bandcamp.com⁠/Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/artist/66kb7d5jDmTkMSs1XcOXTQ?si=H_3OTdXYStClILHdYiydmwFacebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/auntcynthiascabin/Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/auntcynthiascabin/

🎧 John Wallet on Scaling Without the Chaos

In this episode of Fixers & Founders, executive leader and integrator John Wallet breaks down what it really takes to scale—without spiraling.

From sweeping floors at startups to doubling revenue at STC, John shares how to build systems that actually work, align teams around metrics that matter, and keep visionaries out of the weeds. Whether you’re wrestling wild west ops or just trying to keep up with growth, this one’s for you.

He covers:

• The difference between ops and true integration

• How to scale EOS in real life

• What early-stage teams get wrong about systems

• The scorecard strategy that actually drives action
  

• And the one meeting rhythm that keeps founders focused

Connect with John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwallet/

If you’ve ever felt like growth is outpacing your grip, don’t miss this one.

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

Used with permission under a non-exclusive license.

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🎧 Ben G Kaiser on building creative momentum without burning out

In this episode of Fixers & Founders, content strategist and creative founder Ben G Kaiser opens up about the unseen tension behind creative work—imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and the pressure to scale without losing yourself.

Ben shares what it really takes to grow a creative service company in an AI-saturated world, why simplifying systems beats stacking tools, and how embracing imperfection can actually accelerate momentum. From pruning tech stacks to reframing creativity as a repeatable craft, this conversation is a grounded look at how creators can build sustainably—without crashing.

If you’re trying to create consistently, serve clients well, and still protect your creative energy, this one hits home.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Fixers & Founders

02:05 The Reality of Imposter Syndrome

05:12 Creating for Yourself vs. Creating for Clients

08:44 Simplifying Systems to Protect Creativity

11:30 Why Less Tech Creates More Focus

14:02 Creativity in an AI World

17:40 Perfection, Imperfection, and Shipping

20:18 Turning Skill into a Scalable Brand

23:45 What Creators Need to Let Go Of

26:10 Final Reflections & Outro

🔗 Connect with Ben G Kaiser

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bengkaiser

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BenGKaiser

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

Used with permission under a non-exclusive license.

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