Why Founders Micromanage — And How to Stop It (Part 1 of 2)
If your team can’t operate without you... you don’t have a team, you have a bottleneck. And that bottleneck is you.In this 6-minute Special Ops rapid-fire, Emma Rainville goes straight for the jugular on one of the most toxic habits in business: micromanagement. From real-world examples to unfiltered truths, she walks through how founder control issues cripple culture, delay growth, and erode decision-making trust. You’ll learn why empowering your team isn’t just nice — it’s non-negotiable if you want operational excellence. Plus: what Emma’s absence for 22 days taught her about culture, SOPs, and who should really be making decisions inside your company.We cover:The psychological effects of micromanagement (and why it backfires)How to shift from micromanager to culture builderWhen it’s a you problem vs. a team problemThe real difference between managers, mentors, and leadersWhy your team should write the SOPs (not just follow them)Timestamps(0:00) Why Emma’s the biggest slowdown in her business(1:02) The chaos of too many founder ideas(2:00) What happened when she left for 22 days(2:45) Who she trusts to make which decisions — and why(3:30) Micromanagement = toxic leadership(4:20) Your culture is built by what you tolerate(5:25) How to know it’s time to get a new team(6:10) Managers vs. mentors vs. leaders — and what your team actually needsReady to build a team you can actually trust?Sign up free for the Visionary Vault at www.SpecialOpsPodcast.com — your tactical toolkit for founder freedom, including playbooks, SOP templates, and growth frameworks built by operators who’ve scaled.Explore Free Resources inside the Visionary Vault:https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault Get in Touch with Emma Rainville: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguru
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Why I Chose Advertising Law: Ryan Poteet’s Journey From Asset Freezes to Law Firm Culture
Why I Chose Advertising Law: Ryan Poteet’s Journey From Asset Freezes to Law Firm CultureWhat drives a lawyer to choose advertising law over the more traditional—and lucrative—paths? In this episode, Ryan Poteet reveals why the unpredictable, high-stakes world of FTC litigation is where he thrives.Emma sits down with Ryan to explore the journey that took him from First Amendment litigation to becoming a partner in advertising law. They unpack the unique challenges of ad law, from sudden FTC asset freezes to the nuances of legal compliance in marketing campaigns. Ryan shares candid reflections on career decisions, law firm culture, and what it’s like to face the government in court. Along the way, you’ll hear the inside story of how he and Emma first crossed paths, the importance of building trust with your legal team, and how copywriters and marketers can avoid dangerous missteps with advertising claims.This is a behind-the-scenes episode designed to help you understand not just the law, but the people behind it.We cover:Why Ryan chose advertising law over safer, more predictable fieldsHis transition from First Amendment litigation to ad lawWhat an FTC litigation case looks like in practiceThe realities of law firm team culture and partnership promotionHow lawyers help copywriters reframe claims for complianceTimestamps:(0:00) Why Ryan chose advertising law(4:15) First Amendment litigation to ad law career shift(7:20) Facing FTC litigation and asset freeze cases(10:45) Law firm culture, promotions, and partnerships(13:30) Helping copywriters find compliant advertising claims(15:50) Building trust with your legal teamSign up for the Visionary Vault at www.specialopspodcast.com to access free legal and compliance resources. Don’t wait until the FTC is knocking—arm yourself with the frameworks that protect your business.Explore Free Resources at the Visionary Vault:https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault Get in Touch with Ryan Poteet:Website: https://www.grsm.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-poteet-43098ba Get in Touch with Emma Rainville: Website: https://specialopspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguru
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Most Entrepreneurs Mentor The Wrong Way — Here’s How to Fix It
Most founders obsess over scaling revenue—but forget the most scalable asset of all: their internal team. In this tactical solo episode, Emma Rainville breaks down how to mentor employees into future roles that drive real business growth. From her private mentoring guide templates to using masterminds like Genesis and Ignite to build leadership capacity, she shares how to document goals, develop tribal knowledge, and lead your team without becoming a bottleneck.This episode isn't about management—it’s about mentorship that compounds. Emma unpacks the difference between leading people into who you want them to be… vs. mentoring them into who they actually want to become. You'll walk away with tools to track progress, align personal and professional goals, and scale your staff’s skill set alongside your business.We cover:Why tribal knowledge is the most underutilized growth assetHow to create a mentorship cadence that actually worksWays to align employee goals with business objectivesThe exact rating system Emma uses to identify skill gapsCreative ways to outsource mentorship (without dropping quality)Episode Timestamps:(0:00) Why tribal knowledge beats new hires for scale(1:25) Mentoring vs. managing: what most founders miss(3:10) Emma’s personal mentorship rating system(5:00) Aligning employee goals with business growth(7:00) Using masterminds & courses to offload training(9:15) How to document progress without micromanaging(11:00) Quarterly check-ins that actually drive growth(13:10) Download the Mentorship Template (Visionary Vault)🔐 Access Emma’s Mentoring with Purpose Template — available now inside the Visionary Vault.Explore Free Resources inside the Visionary Vault:https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault Get in Touch with Emma Rainville: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguru
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New FTC Law Bans Hidden Fees: How to Make Your Checkout Compliant in 2025
If your pricing strategy still hides fees at checkout, you’re already in violation. A new FTC rule just dropped the hammer on deceptive drip pricing—and the penalties hit $53,000 per incident.In this Marketing on Trial episode, Emma Rainville along with compliance attorney Ryan Poteet break down the FTC’s new Junk Fee Rule—and why this May 12, 2025 regulation changes everything for marketers. Whether you're running events, selling supplements, or managing e‑commerce stores, this rule forces all fees to be clear, conspicuous, and upfront. No more burying charges in the cart.We explain exactly what counts as a mandatory fee, what platforms like Ticketmaster and Airbnb now must show, and how this law applies far beyond hotels and concerts. Ryan walks us through compliant vs. noncompliant language, Apple Pay pricing loopholes, and how to audit your checkout flows before regulators (or customers) do it for you.We cover:What “drip pricing” means under FTC lawThe full scope of 16 CFR Part 464Where businesses must disclose fees: ad copy, checkout, and moreHow to handle shipping insurance, resort fees, and “quality checks”The right and wrong way to phrase “plus shipping”Why transparency is now a competitive advantageTimestamps:(0:00) Why your $93 booking turns into $300 at checkout(1:45) What the FTC’s new Junk Fee Rule actually bans(3:20) Mandatory fees: what must be disclosed up front(5:10) How this impacts e‑commerce, not just hotels and tickets(7:30) Real examples: shipping protection, Apple Pay loopholes, QA fees(10:00) How to revise your copy and checkout flows(12:30) Final checklist: audit steps, team training, enforcement alertsGrab the Fee Transparency Compliance Toolkit—free inside the Visionary Vault at www.specialopspodcast.com. Includes ad copy swipe, pricing audit sheet, and examples of compliant display language. Don’t guess—get it right.Explore Free Resources at the Visionary Vault:https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault Get in Touch with Ryan Poteet:Website: https://www.grsm.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-poteet-43098ba Get in Touch with Emma Rainville: Website: https://specialopspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguru
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Fix This Before You Hire: Why ‘Fire Fast’ Only Works If You Prep Right
Hiring to fix chaos? That’s how chaos hires you back. In this tactical solo episode, Emma Rainville breaks down exactly why hiring to patch broken systems will never work — and what to build first instead. If you’ve ever rushed a hire and paid for it later, this one’s a must-listen.Emma walks through her proven SOP-first hiring framework, the Preview HR test she swears by, and how to design a values-aligned hiring avatar that attracts long-term players — not job-hoppers. You’ll also hear her top interview question that filters out the unaware in seconds.We cover:Why you should build SOPs before you hire — and what they should includeHow to define KPIs before posting a job adThe role of a working interview in hiring decisionsWhat a real onboarding playbook should look likeWhy “these are not your kids” is the mindset that saves your teamTimestamps:(0:00) Welcome + why hiring problems are usually systems problems(2:45) What to document before you even post the job(5:25) How to build the hiring process checklist(7:40) Preview HR test: what it is, why it works(9:30) The secret to vetting culture fit before the first day(11:05) The structure of Emma’s interviews (and her #1 question)(14:45) How she runs paid “working interviews”(17:10) SOP rewriting + how onboarding is built(19:15) Why you must do a 30- and 90-day reviewAccess the full Hiring SOP Framework and Emma’s exact interview questions inside the Visionary Vault — free to download.Explore Free Resources inside the Visionary Vault:https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault Get in Touch with Emma Rainville: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguru
Welcome to Special Ops, the tactical business podcast designed to help you grow your company through action, not words.
Hosted by seasoned entrepreneur Emma Rainville.
In each episode, Emma share strategies she used in her businesses to overcome revenue growth challenges, increase profit margins, and build leadership teams that run day-to-day business operations without you, as the CEO/founder, getting involved.
Each episode is designed around a free downloadable playbook to help you execute, which you can download for free at https://specialopspodcast.com.
Hit play on the most recent episode, and subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube, and take your business to new heights.
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