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The Right-Hand Roadmap

The Right-Hand Roadmap

De : Megan Long
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 The Right-Hand Roadmap is the only podcast for Seconds-In-Command of founder-led companies. I’m your host Megan Long, an award-winning executive & entrepreneur, pro athlete, and owner of Second First. Together we explore the unique world of being a #2 Leader in entrepreneurial companies. This is the place where we dive into the challenges, opportunities, and strategies that can help you excel in your role.

Our mission is clear: to transform the relationships between entrepreneurs and, you, their Second-In-Command. We’ll cover a wide range of topics, from navigating your relationship with the founder to mastering the role through best practice knowledge, tools, and insights you need to thrive in your position.

But this podcast isn’t just about learning; it’s also about being part of a community. This role is lonely and often misunderstood - together we’re stronger and supported in ways we can’t find within our companies or at home.

If you’re ready to embark on a journey of growth, l...© 2023 Economie Management Management et direction
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    • #60: The One Common Trait of High-Growth 7 & 8-Figure Companies

      #60: The One Common Trait of High-Growth 7 & 8-Figure Companies
      Feb 26 2026
      The Business Case for Investing in Your Integrator

      For years, Megan Long told entrepreneurs that hiring a Second-In-Command wasn't a revenue-generating role, that it was a long game with slow ROI, and not to expect immediate financial benefits to the business. She was wrong.

      New data from Second First's quarterly benchmarking reveals that companies investing in their operators and integrators are seeing an average of 28% revenue growth year over year, with a median growth of 10% and 25% reporting significant improvements in strategic alignment with their founder.

      While she's not claiming causation, the correlation between investing in Seconds-In-Command and high growth is impossible to ignore. Together you'll break down the four reasons why Megan thinks this is true.

      You'll hear all about:

      00:29 - Introduction: The exciting data on what high-growth businesses (30%+ YoY) have in common 00:58 - The big reveal: Companies that invest in their second-in-command are growing significantly 01:27 - Important disclaimer: Not claiming causation, but the correlation is hard to ignore 01:33 - The actual numbers from Second First's quarterly benchmarking data 01:43 - Member company results: 28% average revenue growth, 10% median growth year over year 02:24 - Additional finding: 25% reported significant improvement in strategic alignment with their entrepreneur 02:43 - Why investment in operators has real business impact beyond just the programs themselves 02:59 - Megan's confession: "I used to get this so wrong" - the revenue-generating role misconception 03:28 - Why it's important for second-in-commands to know there's data backing up self-investment 03:53 - Reason #1: Leadership Alignment - How peer communities help operators align better with founders 04:38 - Things feel less personal, communication improves, and operators stop guessing what CEOs want 04:59 - The expensive friction that happens when CEO and COO are even slightly misaligned 05:23 - When alignment improves, speed and traction pick up (actual dollar value) 05:28 - Reason #2: Exposure to Better Ways of Doing Things - Why this is Megan's favorite 05:50 - Real hot seat example: Member manually entering data into separate systems 07:04 - Why smart people miss obvious inefficiencies: being "snow blind" to inherited processes 07:57 - The power of eight operators from non-competing industries questioning your normal 08:33 - A great peer group forces you to ask: "Is this actually the best way?" 08:45 - Reason #3: Confirmation - Second-in-command decisions live in gray areas 09:06 - When you operate in a vacuum, self-doubt and second-guessing creep in 09:22 - The incredible value of hearing "Yes, we would approach it the same way" 10:11 - Real example: 200%+ annualized turnover and trusting your gut that something's wrong 11:01 - How confidence creates a ripple effect: faster decisions, better leadership 11:08 - Reason #4: Reducing Risk of Entrepreneur Burnout - The opposite scenario without investment 11:39 - Growth ceiling when entrepreneur becomes the answer to every question 12:05 - Study findings: Weak partnerships lead to early exits; strong partnerships keep founders committed 12:19 - The shift: From "I don't know what to do" to "Here are three solutions from my peer group" 12:57 - When entrepreneurs start saying "Go ask your peer group" - that's a resourced operator 13:30 - Breaking the "selfish" narrative around investing in yourself as an executive 14:00 - Proven ROI on business growth by investing in your second-in-command role 14:22 - Final message: You deserve the same investment your CEO gets, and you deserve people who get it

      Rate, review & follow on Apple Podcasts

      Click Here to Listen! OR WATCH ON YOUTUBE

      If you haven't already done so, follow the podcast to make sure you never miss a value-packed episode.

      Links mentioned in the episode:

        • Second First Membership
        • Second First One-on-One Coaching
        • Second First on Instagram
        • Second First on LinkedIn
        • Megan Long on LinkedIn
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      15 min
    • #59: What It's Really Like Doing Business with You

      #59: What It's Really Like Doing Business with You
      Feb 12 2026
      Walk Your Buyer's Journey: Finding the Friction Points Killing Your Customer Experience When was the last time you actually experienced what it's like to be a customer of your own company? Most operators and Seconds-In-Command are so deep in the weeds of delivery that they've never walked the buyer's journey from first contact to final goodbye, which means customer experience issues go unnoticed until they become complaints. The exercise is simple but revealing: map out every single step from that first phone call or website visit all the way through fulfillment, including timelines between steps and who the customer interacts with at each point. Together you'll cover a case studio of a company that discovered two major friction points through this process. The businesses winning right now aren't always the ones with the best product or pricing - they're the ones making it easy and pleasant to work with. You'll hear all about: 00:29 - Introduction: Walking the buyer's journey - what does it actually look like to do business with you 01:02 - The reality check: It's rare that you have firsthand experience being a customer of your own company 01:14 - Why minor problems go unnoticed until they become customer complaints 01:26 - The exercise: Start mapping from the very first phone call, email, or website visit 01:47 - How to map it: Take a blank piece of paper and document every single step, no matter how small 02:15 - Include timelines between steps and who in your company interacts with the buyer at each point 02:37 - Map all the way to the last touch: fulfillment, project close-out, or the final goodbye 02:45 - Two key things to analyze: How many people are they interacting with? Where are the significant time gaps? 03:16 - Critical insight: Buyer's remorse sets in as soon as payment is processed 03:37 - Real example: Landscaping company case study reveals two major issues 03:50 - Issue #1: Admin takes initial info, then client waits a week or more for the design team to contact them 04:14 - Issue #2: Multiple waiting periods create a roller coaster of excitement and frustration 04:57 - The harsh truth: Silence and time kill deals 05:17 - How gaps create anxiety even for clients who stick around 05:23 - The coffee shop analogy: Two long lines might look like success, but customers are actually frustrated 06:03 - Important caveat: Not every gap is bad - custom work takes time, but are you managing expectations? 06:19 - Your homework: Walk the buyer's journey yourself or have a team member act as an internal secret shopper 07:00 - Level up move: Ask a recent customer to walk you through their experience (15 minutes of insight) 07:17 - Fall retreat preview and the four CSat questions discussed at the last event 08:05 - Question #1: Who owns customer satisfaction? (If everyone owns it, no one owns it) 08:33 - Question #2: What decisions in the past year impacted CSat most (positive or negative)? 08:43 - Question #3: What complaints led to the most significant operations changes? 08:53 - Question #4: What opportunities exist in your buyer's journey to improve customer experience? Rate, review & follow on Apple Podcasts Click Here to Listen! OR WATCH ON YOUTUBE If you haven't already done so, follow the podcast to make sure you never miss a value-packed episode. Links mentioned in the episode: Second First MembershipSecond First One-on-One CoachingSecond First on InstagramSecond First on LinkedInMegan Long on LinkedIn
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      10 min
    • #58: Stop Wasting Money on AI Tools: Why Operators Need Skepticism in Their Tech Stack

      #58: Stop Wasting Money on AI Tools: Why Operators Need Skepticism in Their Tech Stack
      Feb 5 2026
      The Operator's Guide to AI Tool Selection (Before Your CEO Buys Another One) Your entrepreneur is excited about another AI tool, but before you add it to your tech stack, you need to know this: MIT research shows that 95% of AI investments have produced zero returns at the company level. The Salesforce disaster is the perfect case study: they laid off 4,000 employees to pivot to AI (after promising it wouldn't impact jobs), then had to pivot back when the large language models proved unreliable and experienced drift. As operators and Seconds-In-Command, you're fielding these AI tool requests constantly, but most SMBs aren't ready for agentic AI or even vibe-coded applications that pose serious security risks (60% of businesses shut down after a cyber attack). In this episode, host Megan Long covers some basic frameworks and points of skepticism to be aware of before adopting any AI tool - agentic or vide-coded. Beyond ROI concerns, there are real ethical considerations. Being intentional about AI tool selection isn't just about avoiding wasted budget; it's about building efficiencies responsibly without compromising security or causing harm. You'll hear all about: 00:29 - Introduction: The plethora of AI tools promising the world and how operators are fielding these from excited CEOs 00:59 - Origin story: Second First Mastermind quarterly cohort meetings and how vendor selection became a hot topic 01:49 - The 6 critical questions to ask before purchasing any software or tool (pull up your notes app!) 02:57 - The overwhelming answer: Yes, we've all wasted significant time and money on failed software purchases 03:14 - The AI reality check: MIT research shows 95% of AI investments have produced zero returns 03:36 - The nuance: Individuals find personal efficiencies, but company-level P&L shows no benefits 03:45 - Surprising finding: Most AI investments go to Sales & Marketing instead of Operations 03:59 - Salesforce case study: Laid off 4,000 employees for AI, then had to pivot back when it failed 04:40 - Vibe coding concerns: Security and compliance risks when beginners code their own apps 05:18 - The scary stat: 60% of businesses shut down following a cyber attack 05:43 - What is agentic AI and why it sounds so promising (systems that act autonomously on your behalf) 06:14 - Why most SMBs aren't ready: Clean your house before inviting the AI guest over 06:52 - Four guidelines for selecting AI tools: Start low-cost, tie to value creation, plan to scale, use KYA framework 08:11 - The Know Your Agent (KYA) framework: Capability, behaviors, decision tracing, abuse prevention, sandboxes, and human overrides 09:15 - Soapbox moment: Using AI ethically and understanding why people are anti-AI 09:50 - The creative industry impact: Animation directors, musicians, and the elimination of royalties 10:27 - Other ethical concerns: Deepfakes, surveillance, misinformation, environmental harm in rural communities Rate, review & follow on Apple Podcasts Click Here to Listen! OR WATCH ON YOUTUBE If you haven't already done so, follow the podcast to make sure you never miss a value-packed episode. Links mentioned in the episode: Second First MembershipSecond First One-on-One CoachingSecond First on InstagramSecond First on LinkedInMegan Long on LinkedIn
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      11 min
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