Two COOs. Different lenses. Real-world execution.
Penny Cook and Sarah Wilson are fractional COOs who've spent their careers inside growing, complex businesses , helping founders turn strategy into execution. Candid conversations about how the work actually gets done.
We share the same seat, but we don't think the same way. That's exactly the point. Operating on Purpose is built on the tension between two different operating lenses, and what happens when you put them in honest conversation.
Alongside candid exchanges between the two of us, we interview operations leaders, founders, and practitioners who live in the execution layer of business. No frameworks for their own sake. No tidy answers. Just real-world discussions about how the work gets done right.
Each episode is built around three things , three concrete, actionable ideas you can take back to your business this week.
Also in the catalog: Are Your Metrics Making You Better? · Fostering Accountability · Vendor Management · Bridging the Data and Execution Gap · Blind Spots That Hit Margin · Mastering Difficult Conversations · Busy vs. Productive · Getting Ready for AI · Operations That Scale
Penny Cook is a fractional COO and operational consultant who helps growing companies turn ambition into execution. She specializes in building the systems, teams, and processes that enable businesses to scale with clarity and control.
Penny is the co-founder of Cook&Brand and has spent her career in leadership roles across technology, services, and consumer goods. She has completed both the startup-to-IPO and startup-to-sale journeys, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Naturally Seattle.
She is known for bringing structure to complexity and works closely with founders to turn strategy into action, whether the business is growing fast, seeking operational stability, or navigating a change.
Sarah Wilson is a fractional COO and operational turnaround partner who helps founder-led companies bring structure to growth.
With a background spanning finance, operations, and transformation, she specializes in simplifying complex business processes into clear, scalable systems. Her work focuses on process design and operational alignment, helping leaders move from reactive execution to intentional growth.
Known for her calm, systems-first approach and emotionally intelligent leadership, Sarah partners closely with founders to translate vision into execution, ensuring the business runs with clarity, consistency, and control.
We love hearing from operators, founders, and leaders in the trenches. Got a question you'd like us to tackle? A topic we should cover? Or just want to share what's resonating?
Send us a message and we'll do our best to respond, and your question might just make it into a future episode.