Hiring A Chief Operating Officer For Your Next Stage Of Growth
Republished from Forbes Business Council
For years, I convinced myself that I could – and should – do it all. Like many entrepreneurs, I wore every hat in my company: strategist, operator, problem-solver, and, too often, firefighter. I thrived on vision and momentum, but I also became the bottleneck. Every decision, big or small, passed through me. Projects slowed, my team lacked clarity, and I was exhausted.
At some point, it hit me: if I kept running my business this way, I’d stall it – or worse, burn out. That’s when I realized I needed a true second-in-command. Someone who could balance my strengths with operational excellence. Someone who could lead the business forward, not just help me manage the chaos.
That’s when I hired Caitlin as our Chief Operating Officer.
Letting Go to Grow
Bringing on a COO wasn’t easy for me. Like many founders, I had built my business from the ground up. I knew every process, every client, every detail. Handing over the reins – even partially – felt risky. But I also knew I couldn’t scale if I kept everything on my shoulders.
Hiring Caitlin was my way of choosing growth over control. I had to trust that someone else could run operations better than I could, and the truth is, she does.
The Immediate Shift
The difference Caitlin made was almost immediate. She brought structure where there had been improvisation, clarity where there had been noise, and accountability where there had been drift.
Suddenly, projects moved forward without me needing to check in constantly. Our team stopped circling back to me for every answer and instead had a leader who provided direction and support. Most importantly, I finally had space to think about the future of the business instead of just surviving the day-to-day.
It wasn’t just about efficiency – it was about transformation. Caitlin allowed me to step fully into my role as visionary, while she built the operational backbone that makes our ambitions possible.
Shared Focus on Growth
One of the most powerful things about working with Caitlin is that she’s not just an operator – she’s a growth leader too. I’ve always been the one asking “What’s next?” for the business, scanning the horizon for opportunities, partnerships, and markets. Caitlin asks a different but equally important question: “How do we scale to get there?”
Both are growth-driven visions, but they cover different sides of the journey. Mine creates the destination; hers ensures we have the people, systems, and processes to reach it. This dual focus means we’re not just dreaming big – we’re building the capacity to make those dreams sustainable.
Lessons I’ve Learned n
Hiring Caitlin taught me lessons I wish I’d learned earlier in my career:
- You can’t scale alone. Vision without execution is just imagination. A second-in-command turns dreams into reality.
- The right partner fills your blind spots. I didn’t need another “me.” I needed someone who thrived where I struggled.
- Authority matters. For a COO to succeed, they need more than responsibility – they need the power to make decisions.
- Communication is everything. Caitlin and I meet regularly to stay aligned, and that rhythm keeps us moving as one.
These lessons weren’t just about hiring a COO, they were about becoming a better leader myself.
The Payoff
Looking back, bringing Caitlin into the role of COO has been one of the most important decisions I’ve ever made. It gave our team stability, it gave our company scalability, and it gave me back the ability to focus on leading instead of micromanaging.
More than that, it proved something every entrepreneur needs to hear: leadership is not about doing everything yourself. It’s about building the right partnerships, trusting others with real responsibility, and creating a structure that outlasts you.
For me, Caitlin is that partnership. She is the second-in-command who ensures the business doesn’t just run, but thrives. And because of her, I can finally lead the company with the clarity and focus it deserves.
