In this Fan Favorite episode of the Second in Command Podcast, Cameron Herold speaks with Anna Collins, President and COO of Bulletproof, the globally recognized brand behind Bulletproof Coffee, supplements, and biohacking products designed to help people perform better, think faster, and live healthier lives. She is also a Board Member of Ladies Who Launch.

Before joining Bulletproof, Anna led multi-billion-dollar businesses at Amazon, Microsoft, and CVS Health, bringing a data-driven, operational mindset to every stage of growth. In this conversation, she reveals how she helped Bulletproof evolve from a niche “biohacker” brand into a household name—streamlining operations, tightening focus, and scaling omnichannel distribution without losing its visionary edge.

Anna also shares her leadership principles, from managing a founder with 100 ideas a day to running metrics-driven weekly business reviews that keep innovation grounded in reality. Her insights bridge the gap between entrepreneurial chaos and corporate discipline, showing how great COOs turn vision into execution.

[00:00:00] – Cameron introduces this episode as one of the most downloaded in show history.

[00:01:14] – Anna’s career journey: from Microsoft and Amazon to joining Bulletproof.

[00:03:52] – Why she left Amazon Prime for a mission-driven brand.

[00:05:36] – What convinced her Bulletproof wasn’t just a fad—but a real performance enhancer.

[00:06:23] – Partnering with Dave Asprey: defining roles between visionary and operator.

[00:07:18] – The challenge of narrowing focus when everything looks like a good idea.

[00:08:54] – Bringing Amazon’s frameworks—tenets, principles, and data mechanisms—into Bulletproof.

[00:10:07] – How structure helped Dave trust the team and delegate.

[00:10:26] – Shutting down international markets and cutting SKUs to simplify growth.

[00:11:59] – Expanding into Amazon marketplace and corporate distribution channels.

[00:13:28] – Convincing the founder to “grow beyond the core biohacker.”

[00:17:00] – Managing an idea-rich founder without stifling creativity.

[00:18:37] – Anna’s leadership philosophy: define reality, create possibility, say thank you.

[00:21:00] – Rebuilding Bulletproof’s vision, mission, and values for clarity and culture.

[00:24:20] – Weekly Business Reviews: the data-driven rhythm behind execution.

[00:30:32] – How Anna divides her focus across key stakeholders—customers, team, and growth.

[00:36:35] – Simplifying the Bulletproof brand for mainstream accessibility.

[00:38:00] – Where she struggles as a leader—and the balance between speed and empathy.

[00:42:33] – The advice she’d give her 21-year-old self: don’t take it all so seriously.

About the Guest

Anna Collins is the President and COO of Bulletproof overseeing strategy, operations, and omnichannel growth for the globally recognized biohacking brand. Previously, she led billion-dollar initiatives at Amazon, where she managed global Prime membership programs, and at Microsoft, where she built the search advertising business from concept to $1.6B in revenue. She is also a Board Member of Ladies Who Launch.

A Harvard MBA and transformational leader, Anna specializes in building scalable systems that bridge creative vision with operational discipline. At Bulletproof, she’s helped expand the company from its core biohacker audience to a broader wellness market—making human optimization accessible to everyone.

🔗 LinkedIn

• Bulletproof

In this episode of the Second in Command Podcast, guest host Sivana Brewer sits down with Daniel Quinonez, Chief Operating Officer of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC) — one of the oldest trade associations in the United States, founded nearly 140 years ago.

Daniel shares how this long-standing organization is transforming to meet the modern era while honoring its heritage. From training apprentices who go on to run multimillion-dollar companies, to integrating AI and new tech tools into the trades, the PHCC is proving that innovation and tradition can coexist.

He also opens up about leadership lessons from his own journey, from mopping floors at his father’s bar to leading a national $30M organization, and how his personal mantra, “Be nice,” has shaped his management style, his culture, and his success.

If you lead a legacy business, manage a growing team, or want to understand how blue-collar industries are embracing technology, this episode offers both inspiration and strategy.

[00:01:00] – The PHCC’s 140-year history and why plumbing is a pillar of public health.

[00:02:40] – How the industry came together to standardize clean water systems in the 1920s.

[00:03:44] – What PHCC offers its members today: education, licensing, and community.

[00:05:08] – From one truck to $10M: stories of self-made contractors in the trades.

[00:06:14] – Why nearly every successful owner started as a hands-on apprentice.

[00:08:00] – How AI is transforming the trades and why it’s an ally, not a threat.

[00:09:34] – Changing perceptions: convincing parents that the trades are a smart career path.

[00:10:39] – The rise of entrepreneurship and financial freedom in plumbing and HVAC.

[00:11:42] – Daniel’s own career path from government and lobbying to COO.

[00:13:57] – Becoming the first COO in PHCC’s 140-year history.

[00:15:25] – Helping a century-old organization modernize its operations and systems.

[00:17:03] – Growing membership and education as PHCC’s two strategic pillars.

[00:18:55] – The PHCC Online Academy: 15,000 students and counting.

[00:21:00] – The challenge of evolving legacy culture and systems in long-standing institutions.

[00:22:30] – Why more contractors are creating COO roles for succession planning.

[00:25:17] – Family businesses, private equity, and the changing face of ownership.

[00:27:56] – Daniel’s leadership mantra: “Be nice.”

[00:33:38] – Balancing kindness with accountability and setting measurable goals.

[00:35:00] – Building buy-in and bringing staff along during organizational change.

[00:39:00] – Teaching business finance and leadership to new COOs in the trades.

[00:43:36] – Daniel’s excitement for PHCC Connect 2024 and the next generation of apprentices.

• PHCC – Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association
• PHCC Academy – Online education and apprenticeship training
• Quality Service Contractors (PHCC Program) – Business coaching for contractors
• Federated Insurance – PHCC partner for business succession planning
• SkillsUSA & WorldSkills Competitions – Annual events supporting young tradespeople

Daniel Quinonez is...

In this powerful episode of the Second in Command Podcast, co-host Sivana Brewer sits down with Brittany Dunn, COO and co-founder of Safe House Project, a national nonprofit dedicated to eradicating human trafficking in the United States.

Brittany shares the remarkable story of how she and her co-founder built Safe House Project from an idea into a nationwide movement, launching a full organization in just 90 days while balancing motherhood, military life, and a mission to save lives.

She discusses how her background in international business and M&A shaped her operational mindset, and how she’s using corporate systems to solve one of the world’s most complex humanitarian challenges. From developing Simply Report, a tech platform helping identify trafficking cases, to fostering a trauma-informed team culture, Brittany offers a masterclass in leadership under pressure, emotional resilience, and purpose-driven innovation.

[00:01:00] – Brittany shares the mission behind Safe House Project and how it began.

[00:02:15] – Only 100 safe house beds existed for 300,000 trafficked kids—why resources were so scarce.

[00:04:26] – How two military spouses built a national nonprofit in 90 days.

[00:06:01] – Why they launched nationally instead of locally (and how it changed everything).

[00:08:00] – A day in the life: policy, survivor support, sting operations, and leadership.

[00:10:20] – The corporate skills that transferred and the ones that didn’t.

[00:12:17] – Balancing strategy with empathy: why people aren’t “projects.”

[00:13:01] – Hiring survivors to co-create programs that work in real life.

[00:15:27] – The emotional weight of leading in trauma-informed work.

[00:17:14] – Launching Simply Report, a new tech platform for anonymous trafficking tips.

[00:19:00] – The behavioral algorithm behind Simply Report and how it works.

[00:21:17] – The power of partnerships and why Brittany took every call early on.

[00:22:41] – Preventing burnout: clarity, communication, and individualized care.

[00:25:37] – Inside her relationship with her co-founder and how they model healthy conflict.

[00:29:23] – Building a culture of trust, ownership, and open dialogue (“Cuss and Discuss”).

[00:34:05] – How Safe House Project hires intentionally and why cultural fit matters most.

[00:36:10] – The art of letting go: why firing fast protects mission and morale.

[00:37:30] – A recent setback and how the team turned disappointment into innovation.

[00:40:18] – Choosing integrity over comfort: giving back salaries during COVID to keep promises.

[00:42:01] – Daily rhythms that keep Brittany grounded in hard seasons.

[00:43:23] – The next big challenge: state-level adoption of Simply Report.

[00:44:13] – A hopeful look ahead: documentary, podcast, and shifting public awareness.

• Safe House Project
• Simply Report App (iOS & Android) – Anonymous reporting tool for human...