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

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

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

Used with permission under a non-exclusive license.

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

Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/artist/66kb7d5jDmTkMSs1XcOXTQ?si=H_3OTdXYStClILHdYiydmw⁠⁠

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

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

🎧 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

Used with permission under a non-exclusive license.

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

Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/artist/66kb7d5jDmTkMSs1XcOXTQ?si=H_3OTdXYStClILHdYiydmw⁠

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

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