Ep. 582 - FAN FAVORITE | Somewhere COO Benjamin Surman – How Top COOs Slash Headcount and Boost Profits

What if cutting half your team could be the secret to explosive growth?

In this Fan Favorite episode,Cameron Herold sits down with Benjamin Surman, COO of Somewhere (formerly Support Shepherd), a company that rocketed from $1M to $25M and is still hungry for more. The conversation tackles the real-world, often-unspoken operational questions: When do you fire instead of hire? Where’s the hidden margin in automation? Why are so many leaders clinging to headcount when systems could do the job faster, cheaper, and with less chaos?

If you’re addicted to the idea that bigger is always better, this episode will shake your assumptions. Miss it and risk drowning in legacy thinking while your competitors eat your lunch. Listen now for the strategic edge you won’t hear anywhere else.

Timestamped Highlights

• 00:48 – The real reason behind a bold global rebrand
• 02:29 – How one contractor quietly took the reins as COO
• 08:54 – Why bootstrapping (not VC money) set the right culture
• 11:00 – The micro-influencer lever that brings 4,000 referral partners
• 13:25 – What no one tells you about hiring in Latin America
• 17:41 – The $3M decision: Slashing 120 employees with zero regrets
• 20:13 – Behind the curtain of an automated sales pipeline
• 25:37 – The COO playbook for uncovering invisible inefficiencies

About the Guest

Benjamin Surman is the Chief Operating Officer of Somewhere, a hyper-growth headhunting agency revolutionizing global talent acquisition. With a relentless focus on automation and operational excellence, Benjamin Surman has scaled the business from $1M to over $25M in just three years.

🔗 LinkedIn | Website

Mentioned Resources

• My First Million Podcast
• Sean Puri, Sam Parr, Nick Huber
• HubSpot
• Recruit CRM
• Michael Gerber – The E Myth Revisited

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

Note: 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.

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.