Special Ops with Emma Rainville

• What happens when there’s no one left to manage the founder?

  In this tactical, no-fluff episode of Special Ops, Emma Rainville is joined in San Diego by Tiago and Richard from the Shockwave team to unpack the underestimated art of managing up. If your operator isn't pushing back, they're not doing the job. This episode exposes the accountability vacuum at the top—and what COOs, integrators, and operators must do to fix it.Together, the team walks through real-world scenarios of managing high-profile visionary founders, the emotional cost of operational leadership, and why structure must exist even above the CEO. If your founder won’t face reality, this is your playbook for holding the line.We cover:The difference between managing up and managing downWhy operator silence signals a dangerous founder dynamicHow to frame accountability as pro-founder, not adversarialReal systems for upward management and strategic delegationThe emotional toll of leadership when no one's managing the topTimestamps:(0:00) Why your operator should say no to you(1:24) Managing up: what it really means(3:47) Real stories from the Shockwave trenches(6:02) The silent weight founders carry (and don’t admit)(9:11) Holding your CEO accountable without ego(12:42) The operator's final role: structure above all🔥 Want the playbook?Download Tiago’s PDF: How to Manage Anyone (Even a Emma Rainville) — it’s free inside the Visionary Vault.Explore Free Resources inside the Visionary Vault:https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vaultGet in Touch with Emma Rainville:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguruGet in Touch with Richard:Email: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-parkin-55621ba9/Get in Touch with Tiago:Email: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiago-sanguinetti/

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• How to Run Global Teams Across 6 Time Zones

  What does it really take to run high-performance global ops? This episode takes you inside the war room of Shockwave Solutions’ daily execution machine.In this tactical edition of Inside the Ops Room, Richard and Tiago break down the real rhythms and routines that keep the Shockwave engine moving. With a team stretched from Mauritius to Argentina to the Philippines, coordination isn’t optional, it’s mission-critical.From time zone alignment to scorecard culture, and the weekly cadence that holds it all together, they share the actual frameworks behind seamless team operations. Whether you're scaling a startup or running a mature ecom brand, this episode will upgrade your remote team management playbook.. fast!We cover:How to align distributed teams across 6+ time zonesDaily ops face-to-face and why the agenda never moves The Monday “Ops” meeting vs Thursday “Breaker”Building and maintaining a high-leverage KPI scorecard Why templating tasks (in ClickUp) is the difference between chaos and clarityReading “everything” as an operations leader Signs your systems are sending signals and how to catch them Timestamps:(0:00) Managing ops across Mauritius, Argentina, Philippines(1:40) Global team routines that actually work(3:15) The morning F2F: alignment in 10 minutes or less(5:40) Why the Monday Ops call kicks off the week(7:15) The Thursday “Breaker” — working on the business(9:05) Scorecard cadence: KPIs that mean something(11:20) Templating tasks & SOPs: ClickUp playbook(12:40) Read everything: why ops needs total context(14:00) Interpreting “signals” inside your ops machineDownload Richard & Tiago’s full checklist — including their top 25 tools for ops excellence — free inside the Visionary Vault.Explore Free Resources inside the Visionary Vault:https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vaultGet in Touch with Emma Rainville:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguruGet in Touch with Richard:Email: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-parkin-55621ba9/Get in Touch with Tiago:Email: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiago-sanguinetti/

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• Automate, Delegate, or Kill? The Truth Behind Task Automations

  In today’s special takeover episode, Richard and Tiago from the Shockwave team dissect one of the most misunderstood frameworks in operations: what to automate, what to delegate, and what to kill. This is more than productivity talk — it’s a precision lens on reclaiming founder time and removing bottlenecks.From live examples of client workflows to a decision checklist every ops leader should keep handy, they reveal how automation can silently rob insight, how delegation can scale teams, and when “just stop doing it” is the smartest move. You’ll walk away with a tactical playbook to audit your systems and free up your brainpower for what actually moves the business.We cover:The exact criteria to decide what tasks to automateWhy some automation kills visibility and hurts decision-makingWhen to delegate (and how to avoid founder bottlenecks)Why “kill” might be the most overlooked ops strategyA step-by-step method to audit your task listTimestamps:(0:00) Welcome from Emma + Meet Richard and Tiago(1:40) When automation removes important visibility(4:05) The 3-question test for automation decisions(6:12) Tasks that should never be automated(7:40) Delegation: how to think about production-level relief(9:15) Founder context-switching and what to kill first(11:00) Final criteria for killing vs delegatingDownload the free Automation vs Delegation Decision Framework inside the Visionary Vault — only at: https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vaultExplore Free Resources inside the Visionary Vault:https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vaultGet in Touch with Emma Rainville:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguruGet in Touch with Richard:Email: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-parkin-55621ba9/Get in Touch with Tiago:Email: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiago-sanguinetti/

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• Meta’s Andromeda Update Is Wrecking Your Facebook Ads. Here’s What to Do.

  Facebook’s ad engine just changed forever. If your campaigns are underperforming and your marketing strategy is still relying on lookalikes or interest targeting, you’re already behind.In this episode, Emma Rainville sits down with Facebook & Google Ads strategist Richard Parkin to break down Meta’s rollout of the Andromeda AI model, a tectonic shift in how Facebook algorithm delivers and optimizes ads. Richard unpacks what Advantage+, open targeting, and AI-first delivery really mean for your bottom line and how to pivot your online advertising strategy before your ROAS crashes.We cover:- Why lookalikes and interest targeting are officially dead - How Meta’s “open targeting” model is outperforming manual setups- Real results from a niche client shifting to AI-led delivery - What Meta ads really gain from sunsetting old tools- How to test your own campaigns safely without risking profitability Timestamps:(0:00) Intro: Facebook chaos and AI rumors(1:05) What is Andromeda? Why marketers are panicking(2:12) Why interest and lookalike targeting no longer work(3:20) The pivot to open targeting and Advantage+(4:30) Are conversions really better with AI delivery?(5:45) Niche case study: open targeting beats lookalikes(7:00) Is Meta intentionally sabotaging old tools?(8:10) What NOT to trust in Meta’s creative suggestions(9:22) How to safely test AI campaigns without losing money(10:15) Final take: what operators must shift nowSign up to the Visionary Vault for access to Richard’s full ebook on Andromeda, Facebook ad targeting playbooks, and tactical traffic SOPs:https://www.specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vaultExplore Free Resources inside the Visionary Vault:https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vaultGet in Touch with Emma Rainville:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguruGet in Touch with Richard:Email: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-parkin-55621ba9/

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• How to Run Profitable Events: Budgeting, Coordinators, and Exhibitor ROI

  Even the most polished events are logistical warfare. In this Special Ops deep dive, Emma Rainville and Richard Parkin break down the unseen mechanics of event execution—from budgeting to showflow to sponsor integrity.This episode was recorded live during Perry Belcher’s Growth Hacking Live in San Diego, where Emma and Richard pulled back the curtain on real-world event operations. They share a battle-tested budget template, reveal what vendors won’t tell you, and explain exactly how to price sponsorship tiers so both you and your exhibitors win.Emma also drops a free downloadable: *“How to Work With Event Coordinators”—*a must-have if you’re tired of last-minute chaos or unclear roles. Whether you’re planning your first event or looking to scale a live experience profitably, this episode is your blueprint.We cover:The budgeting framework that prevents financial bleed (8 months out)What to include in your event planning checklist—and what to skipWhy event sponsorship tiers fail when mispricedThe run of show template that keeps your day one from derailingHow to vet sponsors without compromising your audienceThe true cost of poor event planning decisions (in lost trust, not just dollars)Timestamps:(0:00) Intro + why events always look easier than they are(1:22) Richard’s 20-hour flight to San Diego(2:45) The #1 budgeting mistake event hosts make(4:01) What belongs in your budget before booking speakers(6:13) How to think about monetizing the event itself(7:22) Event purpose: fulfillment vs. pitching vs. brand(9:03) What to know before selling sponsorships or exhibitor booths(11:01) What your run-of-show doc needs—and how to test it(13:44) How Richard triages marketing chaos 24 hours before doors open👉 Sign up for the Visionary Vault to access:Richard’s 9,000‑point Event Planning Checklist PDFEmma’s Event Coordinator Role GuideThe complete budgeting template Excel sheet for live eventsExplore Free Resources inside the Visionary Vault: https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vaultGet in Touch with Emma Rainville: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguruGet in Touch with Richard:Email: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-parkin-55621ba9/

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