Second in Command: The Chief Behind the Chief with Cameron Herold Ep. 562 - Freshpet COO Nicki Baty - Why Bold Change Is a COO’s Superpower (Now, Not Later)
Ever felt like you’re carrying the weight of growth, but struggling to shift your company from band-aids to real, sustainable breakthroughs?
Meet Nicki Baty, COO at Freshpet, who’s rewriting the playbook for second-in-command leadership inside a rocketship culture. In this revealing conversation, Nicki Baty opens up to host Sivana Brewer about pioneering a COO role from scratch, installing trust (in teams and at home), and building a business fueled by missionary drive, not mercenaries.
Explore how to turn constant change into your secret weapon, earn buy-in when the North Star keeps moving, and design a culture that scales with speed without chaos.
You can’t afford to run on autopilot or yesterday's wins. Discover the steps that separate successful COOs from those stuck in a cycle of busyness. Listen now for exclusive insights you can’t afford to miss. The next wave of growth is already here, and this episode holds the edge.
Timestamped Highlights
[00:00] - The one guarantee for every COO—how to win when change is constant
[03:41] - Missionaries vs. mercenaries: Why purpose-driven teams deliver differently
[07:40] - Moving a family across continents for growth—what business leaders really learn
[12:11] - “Making room in the boat”: Building trust, networks, and resilient teams on the fly
[19:12] - Nicki reveals how to plan post-onboarding in a brand new leadership role
[23:35] - Finding your “most valuable pet parent” and reshaping the company around them
[28:35] - The surprising power of Freshpet's pioneering spirit—and what big companies still get dead wrong
[37:13] - The real difference between strategic priorities and tactical noise (and how most teams get stuck)
About the Guest
Nicki Baty is the Chief Operating Officer at Freshpet, a company redefining the pet nutrition industry with its human-grade, refrigerated pet food. Formerly President and General Manager of Hill’s Pet Nutrition US (Colgate-Palmolive), Nicki’s career has spanned the globe—from the UK and Europe to Asia and the Americas. She is recognized for her track record in scaling organizations, her passionate belief in purpose-driven work, and her relentless focus on building trust and sustainable growth in fast-moving environments.
Mentioned Resources
- Colgate-Palmolive
- Unilever
- Hill’s Pet Nutrition
- Walmart
- Target
- 10X Is Better Than 2X
- Bryan Johnson (longevity/biohacking)
- Wellness Daddy
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.