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

Ep. 515 - FAN FAVORITE - Erik Church – How To Scale A $100M Brand Into A $365M Powerhouse

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

Second in Command with Cameron Herold

Business, Entrepreneurship, Careers, Management

4.9 • 225 Ratings

🗓️ 2 October 2025

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This Fan Favorite episode is a recast of one of our most impactful interviews, still packed with insights for second-in-command leaders. Whether it’s your first listen or a revisit, there’s timeless value inside.

What does it take to scale a $100M company into a $365M powerhouse and beyond?

In this episode, Cameron Herold sits down with longtime friend Erik Church, President & COO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK? and the O2E Brands portfolio. Together, they reflect on 30 years of leadership lessons, from fraternity houses and College Pro Painters to running one of the most recognized franchise brands in North America.

Erik reveals how he uses the Painted Picture (now Vivid Vision) process to align his teams, why saying “no” is often the most important leadership move, and how 101 Life Goals have become a cultural cornerstone at O2E. He also shares the realities of working with a high-profile visionary founder, balancing bold, sometimes “crazy” ideas with operational discipline.

If you’re a second-in-command navigating rapid growth, culture challenges, or a visionary CEO, this episode delivers actionable insights from one of the most seasoned COOs in the franchise world.

Timestamped Highlights

  • [00:01:00] – Erik’s journey from EF Education to leading 1-800-GOT-JUNK?
  • [00:05:00] – How Painted Pictures (Vivid Vision) align teams across multiple brands
  • [00:07:22] – Why great leadership is more about saying no than yes
  • [00:09:19] – Lessons on culture from fraternity days, the military, and EF Education
  • [00:13:41] – Navigating life as the COO “behind the brand” of a visionary founder
  • [00:15:29] – Succession planning: why no one can advance until they replace themselves
  • [00:19:19] – How Erik and Brian carve out alignment time and balance ideas vs. execution
  • [00:21:00] – The power of 101 Life Goals in culture and recruitment
  • [00:28:00] – Balancing big, bold founder ideas with scalability and replication
  • [00:39:34] – Leading through constant change and technology transformation
  • [00:42:19] – What Brian saw in Erik—and how their partnership works
  • [00:46:22] – Erik’s biggest contribution to O2E Brands’ growth


About the Guest

Erik Church is the President & COO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK? and the O2E Brands family (WOW 1 DAY PAINTING, You Move Me, Shack Shine). Since joining in 2011, he has helped scale the company from $100M to over $365M in revenue, focusing on culture, operational excellence, and leadership development. Previously, he served as President of EF Education Canada and held senior leadership roles across EF’s global businesses. Erik is also an avid outdoorsman, traveler, and motorcycle enthusiast.

🔗 Website | LinkedIn

Resources & Mentions


Important Links


The Second in Command Podcast is an original production hosted by Cameron Herold. Brought to you by COO Alliance. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hey there, just a quick note before we dive in. This is actually one of our older episodes,

0:04.3

but we're bringing it back because it's one of the most downloaded ones we've ever

0:07.6

released. Clearly it struck a chord with a lot of listeners and I know there's so much value

0:12.2

packed inside. So whether you're hearing it for the first time or revisiting it, enjoy this fan favorite.

0:17.7

If I look back, I had way too much command and control in my world. And so one of

0:23.3

things I did learn at the fraternity was how to work with your peers and how to get buy in.

0:30.2

And how to use your ears more than your mouth. And again, get the common sense of purpose and then how

0:36.1

to lead people to that right area.

0:38.5

And then holding people to a standard that they want to be held to and not letting them slip.

0:48.3

Welcome to the Second in Command podcast, produced by the C.O Alliance and brought to you by its founder, Cameron Harold. In the Second in Command podcast, produced by the C.O. Alliance and brought to you by its founder, Cameron Harold.

0:56.8

In the second in command podcast, we talk to top COOs who share the insights, strategies, and tactics

1:03.4

that made them the chief behind the chief. And now, here's your host, Cameron Harold.

1:12.9

Today we're talking with Eric Church, and Eric and I have actually been friends for 30 years.

1:18.5

Eric is the current C.O. for 1-800 Got Junk.

1:22.8

We actually joined 1-800 Got Junk in November of 2011.

1:26.8

Amazingly, not only have we been friends for the last

1:29.2

30 years, but I was also the C.O. for 1,800 Got Junk leaving there around 10 years ago. As the

1:35.0

C.O, Eric's responsibility is to translate the 1,800 Junk vision into strategic and operational

1:40.5

plans that are realistic and capable of delivering positive growth results

1:44.8

for the company.

1:46.2

Prior to arriving at the junction, Eric led EF Education Canada, which is the largest privately

1:51.1

held education company in the world, where he was able to more than double the company's

...

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