Ep. 557 - ACP COO Richard Comitz - How to Lead By Example in the Nonprofit World
Second in Command: The Chief Behind the Chief with Cameron Herold
Second in Command with Cameron Herold
4.9 • 224 Ratings
🗓️ 26 February 2026
⏱️ 45 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
What if you could transform a team of rookies into high-performing, loyal leaders and stay sane in the process?
This episode delivers an unfiltered look inside the mind of Richard Comitz, Chief Operating Officer of American Corporate Partners, a West Point PhD and retired Army Lieutenant Colonel now leading one of America’s most mission-driven nonprofits. He sits down with Narrator to unpack the proven discipline, radical transparency, and mentorship strategies he honed in combat and now deploys to scale an 80-person organization serving over 5,000 mentorships nationwide.
Want to dodge burnout, ignite next-gen talent, and finally get your CEO partnerships working for—not against—you? Listen now. Skip it, and you risk getting buried by the next Ops crisis. This is an urgent, inside-access episode you won’t find anywhere else.
Timestamped Highlights
[00:00] – The leadership power move that made junior staff instantly trust Richard Comitz
[00:04:12] – Why a PhD, combat zones, and organic chemistry are COO superpowers (and how higher ed nearly cost him)
[00:08:48] – How to “inherit” a role from a founder without clashing or caving
[00:13:05] – The secret architecture behind training 60+ brand-new hires (and spotting future all-stars fast)
[00:15:53] – Shocking truths of what actually works to fight young-employee burnout and what never does
[00:19:30] – Hidden mentorship hacks that win powerful partners in Fortune 500s
[00:23:16] – Does military “figure it out” energy work with Gen Z? The raw reality from the field
[00:37:26] – Navigating founder-CEO rigidity and pitching bold new ideas (without ending up fired)
About the Guest
Richard Comitz is the Chief Operating Officer of American Corporate Partners (ACP), a powerhouse nonprofit connecting U.S. veterans and military spouses with Fortune 500 mentors for next-level careers. A retired Army Lieutenant Colonel, West Point organic chemistry instructor, and experienced higher education COO, Comitz is celebrated for turning disciplined military leadership into explosive organizational growth in both the public and nonprofit sectors.
Mentioned Resources
- Peter Attia (podcast, health and nutrition)
- Andrew Huberman (Huberman Lab, neuroscience podcast)
- Jocko Podcast by Jocko Willink (Extreme Ownership, Navy SEAL leadership lessons)
- Joe Rogan Experience (podcast)
- Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink (book)
- West Point (U.S. Military Academy)
About the Co-Host
Sivana Brewer is a Fractional COO for Remote Teams and former COO at Closers.io, where she helped scale the company to multiple eight figures and built over 500+ sales teams in just 2.5 years. She specializes in leadership development, remote operations, and systems that empower teams to grow sustainably.
🔗 Connect with Sivana on LinkedIn
Important Links
- Connect with Cameron: Website | LinkedIn
- Explore the COO Alliance - The World’s Leading Community for Seconds in Command
- Get Cameron’s book: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO Book
- Take his course: Invest In Your Leaders Online Course (Use promo code PODCAST10 before the end of the month for 10% off)
- Chat or video call with AI Cameron via Delphi
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 | One of the most important things you do is lead by example. |
| 0:02.6 | So I know what their job is. |
| 0:05.6 | I know how to do their job. |
| 0:07.6 | I know what it takes to do their job. |
| 0:09.5 | And so I also can call BS, if you will, if they want to try to tell me that, you know, |
| 0:15.6 | they don't have time or they can't, right? |
| 0:16.8 | I can, I can, you know, work through that mentally with them and help them come to the right conclusion. |
| 0:23.3 | But I think being able, you know, if I am working with someone and they literally, I can tell they don't have time to do something, I'm like, well, I'll just do it, right? |
| 0:31.7 | Or I'll take that from you for this moment. |
| 0:39.4 | Welcome to the Second in Command podcast, produced by the COO Alliance and brought to you by |
| 0:45.3 | its founder, Cameron Harold. |
| 0:47.5 | In the Second in Command podcast, we talked to top COOs who share the insights, strategies, |
| 0:53.1 | and tactics that made them the chief behind the |
| 0:55.6 | chief. And now here's your co-host, former COO of a multi-eight-figure remote company and alumni |
| 1:02.1 | member of the COO Alliance, Savannah Brewer. |
| 1:16.5 | Our guest today is American Corporate Partners' Chief Operating Officer Richard Comitz. |
| 1:21.4 | Richard is a retired Army lieutenant colonel who brings decades of leadership experience from commanding units in Iraq to teaching organic chemistry at West Point to his role at ACP. At ACP, he oversees |
| 1:29.7 | corporate relations, outreach, and communications, helping thousands of veterans, transitioning |
| 1:34.2 | service members, and their spouses prepare for meaningful civilian careers. In our conversation, |
| 1:40.1 | Richard shares how the discipline and leadership skills he gained in the military continue to shape the way he leads himself and his teams, |
| 1:46.7 | why he's passionate about investing in the next generation of leaders, |
| 1:49.8 | and how he builds a strong partnership with a fast-paced, founder-driven CEO. |
... |
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