Claim OwnershipThe Chief of Staff Podcast
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Interviews with Chiefs of Staff. The CoS Pod hopes to give people insights into how these individuals are the glue that holds organizations and teams together.
59 Episodes
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Operator and fractional Chief of Staff Lauren Werner (ex-Slate, Vox) shares how she translates market signals into systems that drive growth. We cover her transition to fractional Chief of Staff, landing her first clients, defining high-impact scopes (GTM, RevOps, cross-functional alignment), and practical ways Chiefs of Staff can quantify their value and tie work to the P&L. Plus we discuss how her media background has informed community growth and belonging at the Chief of Staff Network.Learn more about the Chief of Staff Network's membership, courses, and events here: https://www.chiefofstaff.network/
In this episode, Tom Guthrie, President of Chief of Staff Network, sits down with Andrew Rea, co-founder and CEO of Taxwire, to unpack the challenges of global sales tax compliance and the shifting role of finance teams in fast-growing startups. Andrew shares insights on leveraging automation and AI in finance, opportunities for young professionals to stand out, and the importance of building authentic company culture. He also highlights the evolving impact of Chiefs of Staff in early-stage companies—acting as force multipliers and strategic problem-solvers.
Scott Amenta sits down with Dominique Lear, Chief of Staff at Incandescent, to explore why organizational change so often falters on the human side. From her journey in publishing to consulting, Dominique shares lessons on managing fear, building trust, and navigating AI-driven transformations with empathy and clarity.
Go behind the scenes of venture capital with Alexa "Lex" Gellman, a Chief of Staff at Inspired Capital. Lex shares how she manages deal pipelines and supports portfolio founders. You will also learn about practical tools for network mapping and hear her insider perspective on today's capital markets. Whether you're aspiring to break into venture capital or looking to add more strategic value in your current Chief of Staff role, this episode offers actionable insights on building your internal brand and positioning yourself as a key strategic resource. Excited for you to level-up!Learn more about the Chief of Staff Network's membership, courses, and events here: https://www.chiefofstaff.network/
What does it really mean to "level up" as a Chief of Staff? In this episode recorded live at a dinner event in NYC, a select group of Chiefs of Staff share authentic stories of growth and impact in their roles. From using simple Google Docs to outperform complex systems to building reward programs that actually work, you will hear practical strategies that moved the needle. You'll learn how to prove your value, when to choose low-tech solutions, and how to maintain boundaries while excelling in this demanding role. Whether you're new to the role or looking to advance, these candid conversations offer actionable insights on building relationships, scaling through others, and finding your specialization as a generalist. Excited for you to level-up as a Chief of Staff!You can learn more about our conferences, courses, and membership here: https://www.chiefofstaff.network/
Are you looking to transition into the Chief of Staff role? In this episode, you will learn from Sharlene Guiriba, Executive Chief of Staff at Coverdash., Sharlene discusses her transition to the CoS role from operating roles and Venture Capital, emphasizing the importance of leveraging VC connections and the value of case studies in the interview process. She highlights her experience at Coverdash, noting the evolution from tactical to strategic initiatives and the importance of hiring to scale. Charlene also shares insights on navigating conflict, stressing the significance of emotions, data, and adaptability. Excited for you to level-up as a Chief of Staff!You can learn more about our conferences, courses, and membership here: https://www.chiefofstaff.network/
In this episode, we sit down with Aarti Bhatnagar, former Chief of Staff at Change.org and Guild, and now executive coach and facilitator.Aarti shares how she built a career as a generalist, navigated defining moments like company-wide layoffs, and discovered her superpower at the intersection of operations and people.We dive deep into the role of the CoS in strategic planning, including:How to drive alignment without formal authorityCommon pitfalls in planning (and how to avoid them)Aarti’s original C-FLEX Framework for effective strategy executionWhy owning your narrative is the most underrated leadership skillLearn more about her work at Cadence Operators: https://cadence-operators.com/ Learn more about Chief of Staff Launchpad: https://www.chiefofstaff.network/chief-of-staff-launchpad?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=cos_podcast_aarti_bhatnagar
Great communication isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a leadership skill that shapes culture, builds trust, and drives alignment. In this episode, Rachel Peck shares lessons from nearly a decade at Harry’s, where she helped scale internal messaging from a 10-person startup to a global team of 1,000+. From writing for founders, navigating crisis comms, and making company values stick, Rachel breaks down what most Chiefs of Staff overlook about internal and executive communications and how to build systems that work even in moments of chaos.Explore Rachel's work: https://metronome.consulting/Learn more from Rachel in Chief of Staff Launchpad: https://www.chiefofstaff.network/chief-of-staff-launchpad
In this episode, we’re joined by Juhi Kabra, executive coach, facilitator, and former Chief of Staff at Redesign Health. Juhi spent five years supporting the CEO and leadership team through hypergrowth, and now advises founders and strategic operators on organizational design, executive effectiveness, and leadership development.We discuss Juhi’s path from Blackstone to Palantir to Redesign Health, her biggest lessons in aligning executive teams, and how to succeed as a Chief of Staff in your first 90 days. She also shares a preview of the frameworks and workshops she’ll be leading in our upcoming Chief of Staff Launchpad program.Learn more about her work at Juhi Kabra Consulting: https://www.juhikabra.com/Learn more about Chief of Staff Launchpad: https://www.chiefofstaff.network/chief-of-staff-launchpad?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=cos_podcast_juhi_kabra
In this podcast episode, Order CoS Ali Sardinia and CEO Zach Garippa share their successful four-year partnership built on co-creating the role through honest conversations about business needs. Their success stems from constant prioritization conversations, immediate communication to prevent issues from festering, and treating failures as shared ownership with an action-first mentality. They emphasize that cultural alignment matters more than perfect experience, and that effective CoS and Principal relationships require thought partnership and trust-building rather than constant agreement. Excited for you to level-up as a Chief of Staff!You can learn more about the Chief of Staff Network's membership, courses, and events here: https://www.chiefofstaff.network/
In this episode, Aria Finger, Chief of Staff to Reid Hoffman, shares how she landed her role through an existing relationship and mentioned that she observed at an event that about half of Chief of Staff positions come from people that those CoS already knew. Key insights also mentioned include the importance of being authentically yourself, having permission to disagree with your principal, and using AI tools strategically. Aria also talks about what she is excited about with AI and how her role has evolved dramatically over her four years in the role too. Excited for you to level-up as a Chief of Staff!You can learn more about our membership, courses, and conferences here: https://www.chiefofstaff.network/
Are you working on scaling as a CoS right now? Listen to this episode to hear that successful scaling hinges on three core principles: intentional design, smart decision-making frameworks and scaling knowledge over headcount. The discussion emphasizes creating guardrails rather than rigid rules, protecting culture carriers during transitions, investing in relationship-building with distributed teams, and always starting with the problem you're solving rather than jumping to solutions. We are excited for you to level-up as a CoS!This episode was recorded live at a NYC CoS dinner event. You can learn more about the Chief of Staff Network’s membership, upcoming events and courses on our website: https://www.chiefofstaff.network/
In this episode, you will learn from Ashlea Holt and Tim Bristow about the art and science of getting stuff done in the modern workplace. From using ChatGPT, to navigating the Wild West of new productivity tools, they share hard-won insights on when efficiency isn't king, why direction matters more than speed, and the challenges of implementing tools at a company. You will also learn about why it may be better to pilot new tools initially, why consistency beats intensity every time, honest takes on AI dependency, decision fatigue, and protecting the human fundamentals that matter most. Listen to this episode to level-up as a Chief of Staff!You can learn more about the Chief of Staff Network’s membership, upcoming events and courses on our website: https://www.chiefofstaff.network/
Are you tying to improve your change management as a CoS? Listen to this new podcast with Audrey Ware and Fanni Gabor as they share real stories from the trenches of organizational transformation. You will learn why "no change is perfect," how to build buy-in through strategic feedback, and why addressing instability head-on is crucial for success. From managing expectations during delays to navigating the AI transformation reshaping work itself, these two Chiefs of Staff offer candid insights on leading change when everything around you is constantly evolving. Excited for you to level-up as a Chief of Staff!You can learn more about the Chief of Staff Network’s membership, upcoming events and courses on our website: https://www.chiefofstaff.network/
Chiefs of Staff create value for companies all of the time. Some times this work happens behind the scenes, and it is not showcased. We wanted to change that. In this episode, you will learn from Richard Hoffman and Eve Staszczyszyn about how they are creating value in their roles. Eve talked about a value creation framework of making money, saving money, enhancing company culture, and /or driving innovation. Richard shared his experience at a FinTech startup, focusing on scaling partnerships and now managing customer programs. Both highlighted the need for flexibility, strategic alignment, and the ability to balance immediate tasks with long-term opportunities. Excited for you to level-up as a Chief of Staff!You can learn more about the Chief of Staff Network’s membership, upcoming events and courses on our website: https://www.chiefofstaff.network/
Cher Murphy shares her journey from managing department stores in Alabama to being the Chief of Staff at Sydecar in NYC. You will learn how she networked her way into tech, overcame the challenge of being "too good" as an EA, and built strategic capabilities beyond administrative work. You will also learn about her use of Custom AI workflows and GPTs for executive communication, and Notion dashboards as operational "control centers.” Excited for you to level-up as a Chief of Staff!You can learn more about the Chief of Staff Network’s membership, upcoming events and courses on our website: https://www.chiefofstaff.network/
Do you want to know what it is like on the ground floor of building a startup? In this episode, you will learn from Jessica Li, the former Chief of Staff at Beacons. She was the first employee there and worked at the company for over four years. Jess emphasizes the importance of complementary skills with her CEO and highlights the use of tools like Clifton Strengths and Six Working Geniuses to understand team dynamics. Jess shares insights on building strong relationships, managing work-life balance, and evolving her role from foundational functions to growth and technical product management. She also reflects on the importance of self-reflection in career development.You can learn more about the Chief of Staff Network’s membership, upcoming events and courses on our website: https://www.chiefofstaff.network/
To get a Chief of Staff role you may have to overcome a lot of rejections to get the role. For Adaeze Okioli, the Chief of Staff at Rethink Food, she initially got rejected for an internship role at Rethink but secured the Chief of Staff position after a networking opportunity and a pivotal lunch meeting with her principal. To gel with her principal and other leaders, Adaeze emphasizes the importance of vulnerability, transparency, and empathy within the organization. She also highlights the use of AI tools like ChatGPT to streamline her work and advises aspiring Chiefs of Staff to thoroughly research and align with their principals. Excited for you to level-up as a Chief of Staff!You can learn more about the Chief of Staff Network’s membership, upcoming events and courses on our website: https://www.chiefofstaff.network/
Is your company and executive team wanting to use and roll-out AI usage more broadly at your company? This potential initiative is a perfect example of a Chief of Staff project because it's new, innovative, and no one else or team is likely overseeing it. In this episode with Abhishek Vora, the Chief of Staff at LaunchDarkly, you will learn about his role in AI adoption, usage, and roll-out. Excited for you to level-up as a Chief of Staff!You can learn more about the Chief of Staff Network’s membership, upcoming events and courses on our website: https://www.chiefofstaff.network/
Are you looking to break into a Chief of Staff role? Maybe you could start as an Associate Chief of Staff and then get promoted to a CoS role. That's what happened to Trust & Will Chief of Staff Ada Madigan. In this episode, you will learn how her role has evolved, how she is focused on helping build the company, and so much more. Excited for you to level-up as a CoS!You can learn more about the Chief of Staff Network’s membership, upcoming events and courses on our website: https://www.chiefofstaff.network/
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