The Chief of Staff Podcast

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/

Sharlene Guiriba, Executive Chief of Staff at Coverdash and former early-stage VC, shares her journey from venture capital to the Chief of Staff role. She discusses the power of leveraging VC connections and using case studies during interviews. Sharlene highlights the evolution from tactical tasks to strategic initiatives at Coverdash. She also addresses the importance of emotional intelligence in conflict resolution and the necessity of clear communication in fast-paced startup environments, using tools to maintain team alignment.

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/

Discover the key strategies for successfully scaling organizations, focusing on intentional design and smart decision-making frameworks. Learn how to create flexible guardrails instead of rigid rules, and the importance of nurturing relationships with distributed teams. The podcast dives into the challenges of rapid growth in sales teams and the integration of offshore teams to drive innovation. Explore the nuances of tool adoption, vendor evaluation, and financial considerations in AI implementation, all while maintaining a strong company culture.

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/