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

Ep. 580 - Rapid SOS President & COO José Mejia - Why Every COO Needs a Merlin-Style Leadership Edge

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

Second in Command with Cameron Herold

Business, Management, Careers, Entrepreneurship

4.9 • 224 Ratings

🗓️ 19 May 2026

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What if the best leaders are the least visible?

In this episode, José Mejia pulls back the curtain on how a Venezuelan teen with just $120 became a transformational COO, unpacking what it really means to be the “Merlin” behind the CEO. This intimate conversation unlocks how true leaders create common ground, give permission to execute, and wield vulnerability as a superpower, especially in high-stakes, purpose-driven companies like Rapid SOS.

If you think AI will automate your edge, think again. José Mejia shows why the human element, experiences, handwritten notes, and emotional role modeling, drive outcomes tech never will. Miss this episode, and you keep searching for culture and leadership hacks, while the real magic quietly passes you by. Push play now for insights you won’t find anywhere else.

This episode is sponsored by our Silver Sponsor, STS Capital Partners: Your expert guides on the journey to an Extraordinary Exit™.

To learn more about STS Capital Partners and how they achieve maximum value by Selling to Strategics™, complete the inquiry form here: https://stscapital.com/coo-alliance/

Timestamped Highlights

00:33 – The unlikely airport arrival that rewired Jose’s confidence for life

06:24 – The “self-directed team” principle that built a 40-year inner circle

09:16 – Why leaders must channel Merlin, not the King, to win with teams

11:18 – The brutal difference purpose makes when lives are on the line

13:23 – What true CEO-COO alignment REALLY looks like behind closed doors

16:44 – Underground, Battleground, Common Ground: The language that kills or creates culture

20:12 – How AI quietly transforms operator decisions in real emergencies

31:05 – The unspoken burden of leading a company where mistakes can cost lives

About the Guest

José Mejia is the President and COO of Rapid SOS, leading a team of 500+ to save lives at scale. With a career spanning IBM, Lucent, and high-growth startups, Jose has built self-directed teams and organizational cultures admired worldwide. His “Merlin” approach to leadership is redefining how rapid-growth companies scale with heart.

🔗 LinkedIn | Website

Mentioned Resources


About the Co-Host

Lindsay Smith is an experience-driven growth strategist and former Chief Strategy Officer who scaled a new region without a traditional sales team or bloated marketing budget by turning relationships, culture, and execution into revenue. She is the author of No One Needs Another Company Mug. Stop Branding. Start Experiencing and helps leadership teams use experience as a competitive growth lever.

🔗 Connect with Lindsay on LinkedIn

Important Links


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

This episode is sponsored by our Silver Sponsor, STS Capital Partners: Your expert guides on the journey to an Extraordinary Exit™.

To learn more about STS Capital Partners and how they achieve maximum value by Selling to Strategics™, complete the inquiry form here: https://stscapital.com/coo-alliance/

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

And when you read the employee handbook, on the one side, you say, well, I want you to go see the Pope and call me afterwards. I want you to be like an owner. I want you to be like a Merlin. And then you look at the employee handbook. And the employee handbook is like, okay, you are that. We're here. And, you know, we kind of distrust you. So, you know, so I have AI check every one of those. And basically the simple question is, does it sound like us?

0:24.6

Is it us?

0:29.6

Welcome to the Second in Command podcast, produced by the COO Alliance

0:33.6

and brought to you by its founder, Cameron Harold.

0:36.6

In the Second in Command podcast, we talked to top COOs who share the insights, strategies,

0:43.3

and tactics that made them the chiefs behind the chief.

0:47.3

And now, here's your co-host, experienced-driven growth strategist, former chief strategy officer,

0:53.3

and author of No One Needs

0:55.0

Another Company Mug, Lindsay Smith.

0:59.0

Hello and welcome to today's episode of the Second in Command.

1:03.0

I'm Lindsay Smith, and I am so honored to have our guest with us today, Jose Mejah.

1:08.0

He is the president and CEO of RapidSOS, which drives the world leading AI safety platform,

1:14.5

connecting 500 million-plus devices to 911. Growing up in rural Venezuela, receiving a bachelor

1:21.3

from University of Michigan and Industrial Engineering, an MBA from Duke Fuqua, and an honorary doctorate from Arizona State,

1:29.6

he has launched Bay Networks, Arriba, Grandada, and scaled lucence global operations to over 80,000

1:35.9

employees in 70 countries. With 48 MNAs worth 30 billion, and as a founder of Unimos.org,

1:43.1

which has served over 30,000 kids, Jose blends operational

1:47.9

mastery with purpose-driven culture. Recently, he achieved 174% ARR growth while championing ethical

1:56.3

AI in public safety through harmony. He is also an Ellis Island medal recipient,

2:02.5

and we are honored to have him in our show today.

2:06.2

Well, Jose, thank you so much for joining us here on the Second and Command today.

2:11.2

Thank you.

...

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