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Second in Command: The Chief Behind the Chief

Ep. 380 - Storyblok VP of Operations, Lydia Kothmeier

Second in Command: The Chief Behind the Chief

Second in Command with Cameron Herold

Entrepreneurship, Business, Management, Careers

4.5 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 7 May 2024

⏱️ 39 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In today's episode of the Second in Command podcast, Cameron is joined by Lydia Kothmeier, the VP of Operations at Storyblok, discussing the company's journey from eight to 230 employees in four years. Despite the challenges of global expansion, remote work, and cultural differences in business practices, Storyblok has thrived. Lydia emphasizes the importance of clear communication, documentation, and building a strong team culture, especially in a fully remote setting.

Lydia shares her strategies for managing a rapidly growing team, including limiting direct reports to eight people to ensure effective leadership. She emphasizes the value of feedback loops and giving team members autonomy to solve problems, believing that micromanaging stifles growth. Lydia also discusses the personal growth she has experienced, from learning new skills like information security to managing the complexities of a global business.

In managing work-life balance, Lydia stresses the importance of disconnecting from work and spending time outdoors or engaging in sports. She also reflects on her early career, advising her younger self to delegate tasks earlier and accept that decisions must often be made with imperfect information. Overall, this episode provides valuable insights into scaling a company, managing remote teams, and personal growth as a leader.

Enjoy!


In This Episode You'll Learn:

  • Why Storyblok leveraged an accelerator program in London to network with VCs and experts, and the importance of building a strong support network and utilizing resources for remote team success. (10:41)
  • The challenges of navigating different tax laws and regulations across various countries, emphasizing the need for a solid finance team and trusted partners when expanding globally. (13:06)
  • The importance of adaptability and self-management skills in a rapidly growing company. (18:37)
  • The value of feedback loops in helping team members grow, showcasing how micromanaging can hinder development, encouraging leaders to trust their teams and give them space to innovate. (28:39)
  • Lydia's approach to maintaining work-life balance, the importance of disconnecting from work and engaging in activities outside of the office to recharge and stay healthy. (30:05)
  • And much more...


Resources:

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Transcript

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0:00.0

I'm Cameron Herald, the founder of the Second Command Podcast.

0:03.0

Really quick, before we jump into today's episode,

0:05.0

you need to know about two important ways that we can help you and your company grow.

0:09.0

Number one, check out the COO Alliance.

0:12.0

It's for C.O.

0:13.4

Presidents, BP Ops, or whoever is your company's second in command to the

0:17.2

CEO. The C.O. Alliance is the world's leading community for the

0:21.1

second in command command and it gives

0:22.8

COOs the tools and connections to grow themselves and the company.

0:27.2

Head over to C.O.Aliance.com to learn more about our members and the

0:30.8

results, the program, and our 10X guarantee.

0:34.0

If you qualify for membership, you can set up a complimentary call with our team to discuss if it's right for you.

0:39.0

I'll tell you about number two in a bit,

0:41.0

but first, let's start this week's episode.

0:43.2

I think what was the biggest challenge was taking decisions where you don't know

0:49.7

the outcome and you might see the outcome only three years later if it was the right decision or not.

0:55.2

So dealing with that pressure and especially I want to do everything in the best way I can and

1:02.1

deliver the best quality.

1:04.4

That's something that you have to deal with and taking clear decisions and then

1:09.4

live with them. Welcome to the Second in Command Podcast, produced by the COO Alliance and brought to

1:21.6

its founder Cameron Herald. In the second in command

1:24.9

podcast we talked to top coos who share the insights, strategies and tactics that

...

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