Ep. 496 - Stephanie Meyer - The Unexpected Link Between Well-Being and Unstoppable Professional Growth

Second in Command: The Chief Behind the Chief with Cameron Herold

Second in Command with Cameron Herold

Entrepreneurship, Business, Management, Careers

4.5 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 29 July 2025

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In today's episode of the Second in Command podcast, co-host Sivana Brewer is joined by Stephanie Meyer, RN, MS-FNP, NEA-BC, the Executive Vice President, Chief Nursing Executive, and Chief Operating Officer for Inpatient Operations at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, Missouri.

In this engaging and heartfelt episode, Sivana and Stephanie explore how our personal and professional lives are deeply intertwined, and how intentional living can dramatically shift the way we experience success, leadership, and well-being. Through vulnerable storytelling and practical reflection, the conversation weaves through themes of boundaries, energy management, and showing up authentically in every space we occupy.

You'll be taken on a journey that challenges the constant pursuit of productivity and perfection. Instead, the discussion invites a reimagining of how we define value and contribution—at work, at home, and in our communities. From navigating high-stakes industries to creating grounded, values-based households, you'll gain powerful insights into the importance of presence, purpose, and self-trust.

Whether it’s shaping the future of a critical industry or raising the next generation, the episode will leave you with a sense of hope, possibility, and a call to lead with intentionality.

If you've enjoyed this episode of the Second in Command podcast, be sure to leave a review and subscribe today!

Enjoy!

In This Episode You'll Learn:

Stephanie's responsibilities at Children's Mercy, which include managing about 6000 people, focusing on people management, strategy, and organizational development.

The importance of being visible and understanding the employees' perspectives, even if it requires scheduling and maneuvering.

Why understanding the reasons employees come to work and ensuring they feel part of something bigger than themselves is vital.

The role of the Center for Well-being at Children's Mercy, which provides non-judgmental support and therapy to employees.

The value of adequate sleep, reading before bed, and setting boundaries to avoid burnout.

And much more...

Guest Bio:

Stephanie Meyer, RN, MS-FNP, NEA-BC, is the Executive Vice President, Chief Nursing Executive, and Chief Operating Officer for Inpatient Operations at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, Missouri. With over two decades of service at the hospital, Stephanie has risen through the ranks from staff nurse to senior leadership, earning widespread respect for her collaborative approach and unwavering focus on patient-centered care. She holds both undergraduate and graduate nursing degrees from the University of Kansas and shares her expertise as adjunct faculty at local colleges and a sought-after national speaker on healthcare leadership. Recognized with the 2021 Excellence in Leadership Award by the Missouri Organization of Nurse Leaders, Stephanie is a champion of innovation, accountability, and the transformative power of nursing in pediatric care.

Resources:

Connect with Stephanie: Website | LinkedIn

Connect with Cameron: Website | LinkedIn

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Transcript

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0:00.0	I think it's an interesting concept and seems so simple, but we forget, right? Well, everybody comes to work. You need to come to do your job. This is why we're all here. Right. What happened this morning at home that all of a sudden they may be showing up differently today? Because nobody comes to work to host somebody else. Despite what we all think, if you've hired the right people, 99.9% of people come to work to do a good job. Nobody wants to be on a B team, right? I'm like, how many of you want to be on a mediocre team? Everybody's like, not me. Right. So we're trying to hire the A team, right? All of us, trying to hire the best there are in the industry. Let's find the right conglomerate of people to make this happen. And so they all come to work to do a good job. And within their story, if it's that morning, if it's last week, if it's two years ago, affects the way they show up to work.
0:49.5	Welcome to the Second in Command podcast, produced by the COO Alliance and brought to you by its founder, Cameron Harold.
0:57.0	In the Second in Command podcast, we talked to top COOs who share the insights, strategies, and tactics that made them the chief behind the chief.
1:06.0	And now here's your co-host, former COO of a multi-eight-figure remote company and alumni member of the COO Alliance, Savannah Brewer.
1:17.9	Today's guest is Steph Meyer.
1:20.2	She is the CEO of Children's Mercy, Kansas City, where she's responsible for over 3,000 nurses.
1:26.4	And she's been in healthcare for nearly 28 years.
1:29.7	And I've got to say, this is one of my most energizing, impactful conversations that I've had
1:37.2	get on this podcast.
1:38.6	I highly recommend listening because there are a lot of episodes we've done on tactical
1:43.4	operations, strategy, systems,
1:47.1	and this episode is very, very focused on leadership, heart, communication, and people.
1:54.8	We go into so many different types of topics around communicating succinctly and consistently
2:00.0	with large teams. why emotion is so
2:04.1	critical in leadership and the core beliefs that Steph brings into the culture at Children's
2:11.2	Mercy.
2:12.1	We talk about common mistakes that leaders make when they're dealing with people who are
2:16.3	struggling outside of work and in work,
2:20.2	and really how to approach those moments with heart and empathy and compassion,
2:25.5	and being able to instill that same level and heart and intention into middle management
2:32.5	so that it trickles down all the way from the top. So if you are
2:35.8	ready to elevate how you lead with heart and compassion for people and really empowering your
	...

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