When we launched Aspiring Ops back in January, we weren’t really sure what to expect. I had never hosted a podcast before, heck, I had never been on a podcast. We didn’t have a list of guests booked in advance, nor did we have a clue what the right structure was for maximizing our show’s exposure. We were focused on bringing to light the stories and experience of Ops Leaders from different companies with unique backgrounds.
From our personal experience, we knew there were a lack of resources dedicated to aspiring Strategy and Ops Leaders. Like so many, my co-founder and I had experienced firsthand what it was like to try to scale yourself professionally alongside a company doubling every year.
In Season One of Aspiring Ops, we were joined by seven incredible guests who shared their personal stories and provided practical steps we can all take to help scale our companies and ourselves as operations leaders.
We know you might not have time to binge seven straight episodes, so for the season finale, we wanted to bring together a collection of the best quotes, advice, and stories we heard from Season One.
On this episode of Aspiring Ops, I am joined by a special guest, my co-founder, Abby Parker, as we take a look back on our favorite moments from Season One.
🎬 0:00-1:39 Wrapping Up Season 1 of Aspiring Ops
👋 1:39-3:44 Meet Elate Co-Founder/COO, Abby Parker!
💭 3:44-5:01 The Inspiration behind Aspiring Ops
⚡ 5:01-7:03 Abby’s highlights: The Uniqueness of the Path to Becoming An Ops Leader
🗣 7:03-10:22 What made each guest and episode so unique
⛰ 10:22-11:40 Build a rock-solid foundation and remove friction
⚫ 11:40-12:50 “Being willing to ask the question: What is the dot on the wall?”
👥 12:50-13:36 Leaning into Operations at a B2B companies
🌳 13:36-15:03 How a successful Ops leader continues to grow
📖 15:03-16:29 Defining a Strategy and Operations leader can be difficult
🙇♀️ 16:29-18:30 How the role of CEO evolves with the support of the Chief of Staff
❗18:30-20:35 The current state of Strategy and Ops
🥅 20:35-22:01 Why Ops can sometimes be considered a “catch-all”
🌊 22:01-23:15 Allowing your company to be versatile and nimble
📈 23:15-24:55 Spend more time strategizing and less time reacting
👀 24:55-31:25 What we’re looking forward to in season 2
Our Takeaway
In case you missed it, we’re coming back for Season Two!
Season One was an absolute joy to make, and far exceeded any expectations we had when we launched this series. But that was just the beginning. From the incredible guests to the heartfelt support from our audience, we can’t thank each of you enough for the opportunity to be a part of building this community with you.
As we look ahead to Season Two, our team can’t wait to share what we have in store. With even more guests, ranging from the earliest stage startups to those that have reached unicorn status, we are excited for the opportunity to share the stories of world-class Strategy & Operations Leaders.
Interested in joining us for an episode of Aspiring Ops? Feel free to reach out at aspiringops@goelate.com.
Interested in learning more about Elate? Request a sneak peek today.
In case you missed it, check out the episodes from Season 1:
Listen: Calendly's CFO, Russell Lester
Listen: Chief of Staff at Terminus, Sydney Cummings
Listen: Eric Smith, Head of Business Design at High Alpha
Listen: Emad ElShawa, Chief of Staff at Fundbox
Listen: John Cozad, SVP of Operations at Gravy
Listen: Brynn Michelich, Chief of Staff at Jellyvision
Listen: Chelsey Krisay, Chief of Staff at Trainual
