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

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/second-in-command-the-chief-behind-the-chief-with-cameron-herold-493106/ep-582-fan-favorite-somewhere-coo-benjamin-surman-how-top-coos-slash-headcount-and-boost-profits
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/second-in-command-the-chief-behind-the-chief-with-cameron-herold-493106/ep-582-fan-favorite-somewhere-coo-benjamin-surman-how-top-coos-slash-headcount-and-boost-profits.md
Podcast: [Second in Command: The Chief Behind the Chief with Cameron Herold](https://stenobird.com/podcast/second-in-command-the-chief-behind-the-chief-with-cameron-herold-493106)
Published: 2026-05-26T07:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://cooalliance.com/podcasts/
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/2ebf2643-19d8-480e-a0b5-41a97d3c60c6.mp3
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Duration seconds: 2324

## Resource

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:…

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