𝙁𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧/𝘾𝙊𝙊 & 𝘾𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙩 𝘾𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝 for professional service firms (accounting, marketing, law & ones running on EOS) | GovCon Business Development

Constantly responding to the demands of others and never getting to what’s on your plate?

Imagine how it would feel if you could:

- Stop jumping from fire to fire.
- Keep your top talent with proven employee-retention strategies.
- Strengthen your relationship with your CEO/Founder.
- Work directly with a coach & successful COOs who’ve faced the same issues, and overcame them.

Think back to last year, are you still fighting the same fires you were then, teetering on the edge of burnout, and did you just miss earning your full bonus yet again?

Perhaps you think if you just work harder or read another business book, you’ll have the answers. 

The truth is, you are already working harder than you should, and more theory isn’t going to cut it. 

So here’s an alternate way.

❌ Skip trying to figure out how to apply generic advice to your situation. 

✅ Instead, get real-time help with your specific challenges from me and other COOs.

And learn strategies to communicate with your Founder/CEO so your ideas are heard & you get the info you need.

Now, The COO Club is not just coaching on “leadership” you’ve seen before.

We work live on YOUR stuff at every session so you are equipped to:

Integrate proven tactics to improve operations & stop losing $50,000+ every year in hidden costs (because everyone knows who is doing what & why).

Keep your best people (saving you at least $75,000+ per mid-level employee you keep).

Wow your current CEO – or - land your next COO position.

To put you in the picture, I’ve been helping companies & divisions execute effectively for 25+ years. A few results I’m proud of...helping:

- A small business double in size & helping grow a division by 400%.
- A COO turn a former star employee on the brink of termination around.
- A leadership team improve productivity by 20% (no more duplication of effort or fumbled handoffs & actually getting to the important work).
   - We clarified their roles and defined how they would work together.

Now, I imagine you have a couple of questions about The COO Club...what do I get, is it for me, etc.

DM me "RELIEF" and I'll send you the details that will answer them.

Coaching helps you create the future you want to have.

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I help COOs build high-performing teams, turn overwhelm into outcomes, and strengthen their COO-CEO relationship—so you can buy back time & stop wasting 11+ weeks of payroll. | Vistage Speaker

When there is tension at the top, 

Your team feels it, too.

Because lack of alignment with your CEO leads to:
• Conflicting instructions.
• Miscommunications.
• Double work.

And it happens all the time.

Because to every interaction you and your CEO bring 
Not only strengths, experiences, and ideas,  
But also biases, blind spots, and baggage.  

When you recognize this and look for common ground,
You create alignment for yourselves & the company. 

As a result, things begin to flow.  
You are able to get everyone on the same page.  
And people understand what’s expected of them and step up.  

Best of all, you are able to reclaim your calendar.  

True, getting in sync isn’t an immediate quick fix for everything.  

But it’s as close to a magic wand as you can get.

Some years test everything.

Your plans.
Your people.
Your patience.

A COO in my peer group just had that kind of year.

I’d tell you more, but the details are confidential.

Let’s just say that calling it “especially challenging” is an understatement. 

It was the kind of year that often causes people to throw up their hands and quit, 
with no notice, no job offer in the wings,
Because they just can’t take another day.

But they didn’t do that.

They stuck with it, 
Did what they could, 
And kept things running.

According to them:

The support they got from the group and me wasn’t just helpful.
It was 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 to getting through it.

Not because they didn’t know their job.
They've got the skills, and a lengthy list of accomplishments to back them up.

But when the pressure is high, you need a place where you can:

• Think clearly.
• Get real input.
• Make the next call with confidence.

When you’re living one of these years, 

You don’t need people pointing out the weight you are carrying,
Or more theory to sort through,

You need a room full of people who’ve:

• Been there, 
• Have your back, 
• And will help you carry the weight.

And when you can use your painful experiences to help others get through them, 
Or avoid them all together, 
It makes those hard times valuable.

Remember, talented & supported beats talented & alone any day.

One of the most common reasons why you're experiencing disconnects with your CEO...

You're sharing information the way you like to get it,
Not the way they hear it.

That's just one of the things we talked about yesterday in my Aligning Operations for Growth: The CEO-COO Dynamic session at the ABC Regional Summit.

---
Hi 👋 I'm Diane. I help COOs decode their CEO, create a competitive advantage with the staff they have, and reclaim weeks and weeks of payroll lost to inefficiencies and miscommunications. 

P.S.
Thanks Brittany Chaapel for inviting me to present, making me feel so welcome, and for being my room monitor.

Thanks Robert Stoneking for your support and the video clip.

Thanks Tom Shelton for introducing me to Brittany and ABC.

Congratulations to all 4 chapters on such a successful Summit!
ABC Greater Baltimore (Associated Builders and Contractors Greater Baltimore) 
ABC Virginia Chapter 
ABC Chesapeake Shores Chapter 
Associated Builders and Contractors of Metro Washington

𝗠𝘆𝘁𝗵: Coaching is just for new COOs struggling to find their way.

𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁: Coaching helps every COO expand what's possible for themselves and the company. 

For seasoned COOs it's even more valuable in many ways because you've been carrying it all on your own for far too long.

---
Hi 👋 I'm Diane. Curious but not ready to have a conversation? I get it. That's why I started my newsletter. 

It gives you strategies you can use immediately and a feel for what working with me is like. See my Featured section for details.

Mindset matters, especially for COOs.

Because you set the tone for the company.

Not just in how you show up, but in how you see your team.

Because people show up the way you expect them to.

And when roles aren't clear, people make more mistakes.

So that's what you expect.

You begin to question their intentions and their capabilities.

They feel that and start questioning themselves.

Before you know it, they are living down to your expectations.

Instead of living up to their full potential.

Morale, productivity, and trust erode.

While miscommunications, mistakes, and your stress level increase.

This is just one of the reasons mindset and role clarity are critical. 

Here's a little bit of my conversation about this with Jen Hamilton on her Fractional COOs to the Rescue podcast.

----
p.s. I'm curious, what mindset shift has helped you be a better COO.

The silent killer that creeps up on every growing business?

Frustration.

Here’s how it usually goes.

You feel like you aren’t being heard or understood.

Wires get crossed and a report isn’t done on time.

You and your CEO get into a heated debate during a staff meeting.

Staff members start taking sides.

At first, you ignore the symptoms and write it off as something minor.

But the more you ignore it, the bigger it grows.

Suddenly, your best people are leaving, productivity tanks, and tens of thousands of dollars in hidden costs are eating away at your profits.

It happens every day.

A COO recently shared this perfect example with me.

Issues have been brewing because she and the CEO disagree on how to handle a toxic team member. 

The person is a high performer and liked by some...but at least 5 staff great people have left because of him.

The CEO had a conversation with him and said he would improve.

But he hasn’t.

Staff members keep complaining. 

And productivity is down as they try and replace people who have left.

The COO is frustrated with her CEO for not seeing what she does. 

Employees can tell that they aren't in sync because they feel heard when they complain but nothing is being done.

Letting the toxic employee go will be disruptive while they recruit and train his replacement.

But even more so is the unplanned loss of multiple staff members.

And the cost to replace him is multiplied every time someone leaves.

Unlike fine wine, frustration doesn't age well.

The longer it goes unchecked, the more damage this silent killer will do.

Don’t let it sneak in and kill your profits.

Ack! The quarter is almost over and...

Your list is longer now than when you started. 
Your team isn't fully where they need to be.
And your CEO just dropped anther new idea in your lap.

Not a fun feeling. 
I know it well, too.

Which is exactly why I’m hosting the virtual "Finish Q1 Strong" COO Club Open House.

So you and other high-performing COOs, just like yourself, can:

• Take a step back.
• Refine your plan.
• Break through those annoying bottlenecks.

When? 
March 11 from 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm EST 

Where?
On Zoom.

Bring challenges and opportunities.
Leave with insights and strategies.

This isn't a theoretical presentation.

We’ll work real situations in real time and you'll walk away with tools and tactics you can use immediately.

There will also be plenty of opportunities for Q&A.  

Pop in as your schedule allows or stay the whole time.  

Just remember, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗢𝗢 𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗢𝗢 𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯. 

By attending you agree to keep what you see and hear confidential.

Here's to you beating Q1, instead of the other way around. 

------ 
P.S. The COO Club is a safe place to work through challenges and opportunities with a coach and peers who get you (instead of people whose eyes glaze over when you start getting into details).


https://lnkd.in/eT4e2hzb

Financial clarity on why cash feels tight - and the real solutions.

Who doesn't want that?! 

My good friend and fantastic CFO, Sara Bryson, is covering this topic next week.

COOs, since you are executing the vision, this Summit will have strategies and insights for you, too.

CFO for business owners who want control, clarity, and f#ck you money.

I'm speaking at this event for 6 and 7 figure business owners!

The "Scale Beyond the Founder" Summit.
📅 March 3-5, 2026 | Live Virtual Event | 100% Free
Experts who've personally broken through the growth ceiling are coming together to share:

✅ The internal patterns keeping you founder-dependent (and how to rewire them)
✅ Operational systems that let your business run without your constant oversight
✅ Leadership frameworks for transitioning from operator to CEO
✅ AI and automation strategies accessible to non-technical founders
✅ Team-building blueprints that create ownership instead of management headaches
✅ Financial clarity on why cash feels tight - and the real solutions
✅ Visibility and positioning strategies that attract growth without constant hustle

Sign up today!
https://lnkd.in/evWHMhYq

Important info for #GovCons about how contract data is now shared and what to do with it.

Federal Sales Guide/Senior Executive who Builds Customized Winning Federal Sales Action Plans for Contractors through her ‘Three-Step Program.’ Over 10,000 people, fellow consultants and 350 companies trained and winning

March 5, 2026-A toast to a week without FPDS-Federal Procurement Data System after decades of feeding the beginner federal contractor with the Easy Search tool.

You made it so easy to type in a company name and have access to every transaction they had tied to every version of their name back to the early 1990s if they have been around that long. Herman Miller furniture was always my go-to example featuring over 61,000 transactions. 

You could click on an agency and see every contact they sold to over the past thirty years. You could see their sole source $65M 10 year BPA with the FAA and how they justified it as ‘only one source’ (as a manufacturer of Herman Miller furniture) and that  the contract is finally coming to and end and potentially open for recompete. 

It was easy to find trends in FPDS for beginners.

But now, it’s SAM Contract Search capability which is okay and you can see each transaction like you did in FPDS and save searches there to check in now and then. You can even download up to 5k transactions, which you couldn’t do in FPDS. The attributes/fields they chose for the downloadable spreadsheet are not the best, but yes, the basics are there for a quick peek.

Ahhhh, but then there’s the back-end, power-packed SAM Ad Hoc Report which the experts use to perform deep dive analyses….. THAT is the tool which gives a data analyst every option to customize the data, pull up to 150,000 transactions at a time, and perform custom data dips serving it up in a story board order that any normal human being can understand.

If YOU miss FPDS-don’t despair, I’ve got you.

I can train you and a buddy live-hands-on for four hours building your report and showing you how to slice and dice the data for your company so you can see exactly who buys what you sell and who are the big winners in your business for teaming purposes.

$2,500.00 

The truth will set you free! 

Sam Ad Hoc custom hands on live training. You’ll never miss FPDS again.

Book yours today.

Eileen Kent  


📸Steve Mitchell

If you’ve ever been curious about podcasting, Anja Lordanić has got you!

Between her podcast and newsletter you have an all access backstage pass. And when you are ready she’s got done with you and done for you packages.

I was a guest on her first podcast so I know first-hand how fantastic she is.

Podcasting Mentor | Helping solopreneurs launch and get high-quality clients with their podcasts 🚀 | Host of Say Yes to Podcasting🎙

Nobody cares when someone launches a new podcast.

Unless it was created specifically with you in mind.

And my new show, Say Yes to Podcasting, aims to serve solopreneurs wanting to launch profitable podcasts.

Are you one of those?

If so, welcome. 🙌🏽

What exactly are you in for when you start listening to Say Yes to Podcasting?

1. Today, for launch day, you’re getting FOUR audio episodes at once.

2. From now on, you’ll get a new episode every Tuesday, and each one will help you with at least one thing you could do to get closer to making your audio podcast a reality.

The tips, strategies, Dos and Don’ts, new ideas and perspectives, behind-the-scenes stuff — all of that will be shared through the lens of someone who’s been there before and made most of the mistakes in the proverbial podcasting book, someone who’s a solopreneur just like you, and someone who deeply values spending quality time with her family every single day.
 
Meaning, if you tune in, you’ll feel 1) understood, and 2) motivated to take action.

🙏🏽 Speaking of taking action, I need a bit of your help with getting Say Yes to Podcasting on the charts TODAY:

- Firstly, click the link in the comments below.

- Secondly, follow the show on Apple Podcasts.
 
- Finally, send me a screenshot of that in the DMs right here on LinkedIn.

“Ok, cool, congrats, but what’s in it for me?”

For the next 24 hours only, if you follow the show and send me proof (a screenshot), you’ll have a chance to win one of two prizes:

🎁 Podcast Roadmap Call (Value: $197) – You get to ask me anything about your future podcast for 60 minutes.

🎁 Audio Technica ATR2100x-USB Microphone (Value: $100) – The exact same microphone I use for recording.

Did I get you to care about me launching a new podcast? 😉

See you there!

𝟳+ 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻.

Is another way to look at it.

That's what losing 1 hour per day to lack of clarity is costing you.

Talking about this with a COO yesterday reminded me of this post from a while back.

Clarity and alignment at the top aren't nice to have.

They are essential.

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 $𝟭𝟮,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝘁𝗼 $𝟭𝟱,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲/𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 due to miscommunications, according to recent studies.

And the tone you and your CEO set influences that number.

When it’s bad, employees lose focus, disengage, and take sides.

All of which increases how much you are losing.

When it’s good, your team goes all out for you, and those costs go down.

Which improves morale as well as your bottom line.

It’s your call.

Choose wisely.

The biggest challenge with all the free federal contracts data is still what to look at and how to interpret it. 

That’s where Eileen Kent comes in. 

Her training helps you zero in on exactly what matters to you. 

But she goes you one better than that. 

Because it’s customized you walk away with the exact data you need and a plan.

Saving you from analysis paralysis and focusing you on agencies and opportunities where you have the best shot of winning. 

#govcon #SAM #FPDS

taplio

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