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On finding the mess, raising your hand for more opportunities, and why managing up is the #1 skill to learn as a Chief of Staff
Welcome to the Chiefly podcast!
Today’s guest is Ashley Burgio, COO and former Chief of Staff at DayTwo, a Series B startup offering a sustainable path to remission for metabolic disease using gut microbiome sequencing, artificial intelligence, and virtual care.
In this episode, Ashley and I discuss:
Why networking is so important
The challenges with going from Chief of Staff to COO
What one board member said to Ashley about managing up
Why Chiefs of Staff need to be comfortable with proving themselves
Check out the episode here!
Show Notes
01:13 — How Ashley discovered the Chief of Staff role
04:29 — Why working at an early-stage startup was appealing
05:40 — What it was like being a first-time Chief of Staff
07:12 — Co-defining the role with her CEO
08:39 — Ashley’s transition from Chief of Staff to COO
12:41 — The differences between a Chief of Staff and COO
15:46 — Why managing up is the #1 skill to learn as a Chief of Staff
17:10 — Ashley’s career pathing
19:16 — Why early stage companies are the best opportunities for career growth
19:40 — When you should stick it out as a Chief of Staff
21:29 — Advice for breaking into the Chief of Staff role
22:29 — One parting thought about the role
Key takeaways:
You might need to co-define the CoS role with your CEO.
Look for the messes and raise your hand for the hard things.
Being Chief of Staff first gives you a ton of institutional knowledge that sets you up for leadership roles like COO.
Finding a company and leader that supports experimentation and growth is important.
References
The Dip by Seth Godin
More about Ashley:
More about Zaharo:
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