
Episode #194
From the Local Train to the Orient Express: Entrepreneurial Freedom in Paris: Derek Fredrickson
If you've ever worked in New York, you may know the feeling. The city is fun, and you may even have your own "big, badass office", but those long commutes are expensive. They drain you of precious time and key family moments- that you're missing. John Duffin interviews Derek Fredrickson, a fractional CEO and longtime COO who has lived in Paris for 10 years. Derek shares how he left a Wall Street career during the 2008 financial crisis to join his entrepreneur wife’s coaching business, where they aligned on complementary “front stage/backstage” roles and grew to multiple seven figures. Derek explains how their family planned a move abroad, first considering Switzerland, then choosing Paris, and how they prepared by shifting the business online in 2015, using Skype/Zoom and asynchronous tools, while maintaining critical non-negotiables: no nights or weekends. Derek describes using nightly gratitude at dinner to help his kids adapt. He also outlines his COO approach: shifting founders from operator to owner, focusing on systems and accountability, implementing processes in phases (do it for you, together, then by yourself), delegating outcomes, not tasks, and using a “North Star” why and delegation audit to guide change. To learn more about Derek Fredrickson, check out the links below. https://thecoosolution.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekfredrickson/ https://www.facebook.com/derekfhttps:// www.youtube.com/@TheCOOSolution 00:00 Remote Work Prep 00:50 Podcast Welcome 02:36 Why France 03:37 Wall Street Exit 06:12 Train Aha Moment 08:14 A Family Affair- Joining Wife's Business 09:33 Risk And Safety Net 14:30 Life After Leap 16:28 Plan To Move Abroad 18:49 Settling In Paris 21:39 Business Goes Online 23:18 Family Gratitude Ritual 25:10 Fractional COO Insider 26:53 Bob Is The Bottleneck 27:23 Operator To Owner Shift 29:51 North Star Why Question 32:24 Careful COO Integration 33:32 Three Stage Process Rollout 36:35 Make It Up Make It Real 37:37 Delegate Outcomes Not Tasks 40:44 Accountability Culture Metrics 42:45 Hiring His Own COO 45:42 Delegation Audit Steps 48:03 Gratitude Family Wrap Up






