Ep. 481 - Empower Pharmacy COO, Jonathan Abrarpour

Second in Command: The Chief Behind the Chief with Cameron Herold

In today's episode of the Second in Command podcast, Cameron is joined by Jonathan Abrarpour, COO Alliance member and COO of Empower Pharmacy.

Listen as Jonathan reflects on the challenges of managing growth and opportunity within a rapidly evolving organization. He explores the delicate balance between chasing expansion and maintaining focus, revealing how saying "no" can be just as crucial as saying "yes." The discussion uncovers the nuanced strategies behind prioritizing projects, aligning team goals, and managing distractions—all essential skills for sustaining momentum without losing sight of the bigger picture.

You'll discover the complexities of building an effective management system that encourages autonomy while maintaining accountability. Get a peek into how teams coordinate, make capital investment decisions, and refine processes to avoid unnecessary bloat. Jonathan also shares candid thoughts on the ever-present struggle to improve productivity, emphasizing a culture built on quality, efficiency, and mindset—one that demands getting things right the first time.

This episode offers insights on the evolving nature of leadership, the importance of hiring the right people, and the journey toward doing less but accomplishing more.

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Enjoy!

In This Episode You'll Learn:

• Empower Pharmacy's growth from a small storefront pharmacy with 32 employees to a company with 1200 employees across three states. (3:04)
• The shift in the pharmaceutical industry towards customized forms of medicine, driven by the need for personalized treatment. (10:56)
• The cultural differences in hiring as Empower Pharmacy grew from 32 to 1200 employees. (13:28)
• Empower Pharmacy's current focus on domestic growth, with plans to explore international opportunities in the future. (29:13)
• The CapEx charter process, which involves weekly meetings to review and approve capital requests. (32:49)
• And much more...

Important Links

• Connect with Cameron: Website | LinkedIn
• Explore the COO Alliance - The World’s Leading Community for Seconds in Command
• Get Cameron’s book: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO Book
• Take Cameron’s leadership course: Invest In Your Leaders Online Course (Use promo code PODCAST10 before the end of the month for 10% off)
• Chat or video call with AI Cameron via Delphi