Join Your Second-In-Command Community
A business membership & community that has you covered through every stage of your career. Tap into the experience, knowledge and best practices of true peers.
Get your exclusive invitation
The Second-In-Command to an entrepreneur is an incredible super power. You're able to understand the big picture and see the vision, while being able to dive down into the weeds and see what needs to be done today in order to make that vision a reality.
It can also be isolating, frustrating, and can have you questioning every decision.
Every challenge can feel like it's yours alone to solve:
How do I hold my team members
accountable to their KPIs?š
What are the best hiring practices to ensure the
Right People in the Right Seat?š„
What are the best new software tools for growing,
entrepreneurial businesses?š ļø
What are tips to successfully working directly with
founders, and managing their many ideas?š§
How can I scale the company while still delivering a consistent service/product?š
Where can I find a community of Seconds-In-Command,
experiencing all the same things I am experiencing?š§āš»
The most successful CEOs don't do it alone. They have many peer organizations providing them with guidance and support.Ā
What if you could have the same community of executives in your exact position across the US that you know, love, and trust?
WELCOME TO YOUR VALUE-PACKED COMMUNITY
Hear what our members have to say
Join and get access to
Access to the entire Second First community & directory
Access to the entire Second First community & directory with both casual and structured chat. Have a question for Seconds-In-Command across the country? Want feedback on a project youāre working on? Looking for the best conferences to attend? Want an introduction to a prospect in a different city? This is your community.
Private Core Cohorts
Private Core Cohorts with all the information (benchmarking, Report Projects, Hot Seats, etc.) from each mastermind meeting. Stay in touch with this group year-round in a private setting.
Downloadable Tools
Don't recreate the wheel! Access a library of every single tool we have in our Second First framework, available for you to use immediately in your business.Ā
Exclusive expert-led sessions
Live, expert-led sessions (or catch the replay in our library of past sessions) covering a wide variety of topics like sales, marketing, recruiting, documentation, automation, leadership, and personal development. Sign up for what interests you, skip what doesnāt.
Discounts & perks
Enjoy members-only discounts & perks from our partners. Think complimentary consultations with industry experts and consultants, free accounting/tax review, discounted software, and more!
2025 Mastermind Event in Nashville
Attend the 2025 Mastermind Event in Nashville, included in your membership. No extra fee to attend. (Seriously.)
100% of past attendees said they would recommend this event to a friend of college!
Hear directly from our members on
Why Second First is Different
Hi, I'm Megan - I've been in your shoes.
I was a COO/Second-In-Command for an entrepreneur of a $10 million IT company. Even with an MBA and CPA, I spent ten years figuring it out on my own.
I was an obsessive consumer of books & podcasts, and wore out my Harvard Business Review subscription. Through trial & error and a lot of long hours, I built an amazing partnership with my founder and teams while moving the business forward.
While I won some professional awards (40 Under 40, Stevie Woman of the Year, Nashville Emerging Leader…) I still felt incredibly isolated in my role, and learned I wasn't alone.
In speaking with other CEOs and entrepreneurs, it was evident that they did not feel like they had a āMeganā. The Second-In-Command seat was left empty, filled by the wrong person, or a had become a revolving door of different leaders. Talking to my COO peers, many struggled to understand their CEO, or felt stagnant in their professional growth. Everyone was left frustrated and burnt out.
It's why I started Second First, a coaching and consulting firm specializing in the Second-In-Command of founder-led companies – to transform the relationships between entrepreneurs and you, the #2 leaders in their companies.
My passion now lies in providing tools, resources, and community to Seconds-In-Command. Join Exchange and I promise you'll walk away feeling less alone, more confident, and ready to tackle the Second-In-Command role with a toolbox full of new strategies.
Answering your questions
Each member must be a Second-In-Command (full-time or fractional) for a founder or entrepreneur. While we don't have any job title requirements, most attendees are C-Suite, VP, or Director level. If your company runs on EOS, you will be the “Integrator”.
The 2025 Exchange meeting will take place in September in Nashville, TN. Your monthly membership includes this event. We will send out registration information early 2025, but it's highly encouraged you attend to get the most out of your membership! Exchange includes:
- 2 nights at a luxury hotelĀ
- 1.5 days of peer group meetings with your Core Cohort and training contentĀ
- Hot breakfasts, lunch, and a group dining experience at a nearby restaurant in the electric downtown Nashville.
- Second First printed workbooks & additional value-add surprises for attendees
You will only be responsible for travel to the hotel in Nashville, TN.Ā Ā
Investing in a Second-In-Command is one of the highest ROI's a CEO will receive. Founder & owner Megan Long has crafted a letter for you to use in an expense approval process.
Your Core Cohort is your specially curated small group of peers. The quantity of members for each group depends, however the maximum number of members per Core Cohort is set at 12. No overlapping industries/verticals are permitted in a cohort.Ā
You will meet quarterly with your Core Cohort, three times virtually (Q1, Q2, Q4) and once in person at Second First Exchange in Nashville (Q3). Together, your cohort will engage in roundtable discussions and pick quarterly Report Projects that solve business problems the group is experiencing. Examples of Report Projects include: Employee retention and engagement, AI use cases and security concerns, effective KPIs and accountability, and creating scalable processes. Members can expect about 3-5 hours of prework prior to each meeting.
Each quarter, one member will be chosen for a Hot Seat – a deep dive into their business's current state, goals, and issues. The cohort will serve as the board of directors, providing insight, recommendations, and share experiences. (This is not a “tough love” room and no egos are allowed. We are smarter and faster together than as individuals!)