Emily Sander shares stories about a former coaching client worried his current job stress might cause health issues like it did ten years ago, and a military veteran adjusting to planning her first personal vacation after years of work travel. The episode focuses on recognizing your own growth, not judging yourself by your past reactions, and giving yourself credit for changes you’ve made over the years.

Get in touch with Emily:
Need support reframing stress and honoring your growth? Book a clarity call w/ Emily here.

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Who Am I?
If we haven’t met before - Hi👋 I’m Emily, Chief of Staff turned Executive Leadership Coach. After a thrilling ride up the corporate ladder, I’m focusing on what I love - working with people to realize their professional and personal goals. Through my videos here on this channel, books, podcast guest spots, and newsletter, I share new ideas and practical and tactical tools to help you be more productive and build the career and life you want.

Time Stamps:
00:41 Story #1: Corporate Stress, Anxiety, and Fear of Repeating the Past

03:06 You’re Not the Same Person: Tools, Support Systems, and New Ways to Handle Pressure

04:00 Zoom Out: Stop Assuming Old Triggers Mean the Same Outcome Today

06:16 Story #2: Learning to Vacation After a Career of Work Travel

07:44 Reframing the Pressure: New Season, New Skills (and Some Transferable Ones)

08:44 Key Takeaway + Closing Thoughts: Grace for Growth and Life Phases

Brian Miller, president of Coach Approach Ministries, explains the difference between coaching, consulting, and therapy, and why a "coach approach" helps people solve problems by seeing new perspectives. The discussion includes practical examples for Chief of Staff roles, like asking thought-provoking questions, giving feedback based on observations, and understanding team strengths using tools like Working Genius. The episode shares tips on creating a safe space for honest thinking, growing through coaching, and building complementary teams.

Links Mentioned:
Coach Approach Ministries Website

Get in touch with Emily:
Want to chat with Emily? Book a quick clarity call here.

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Who Am I?
If we haven’t met before - Hi👋 I’m Emily, Chief of Staff turned Executive Leadership Coach. After a thrilling ride up the corporate ladder, I’m focusing on what I love - working with people to realize their professional and personal goals. Through my videos here on this channel, books, podcast guest spots, and newsletter, I share new ideas and practical and tactical tools to help you be more productive and build the career and life you want.

Time Stamps:
00:40 Defining Coaching and Its Importance

05:50 Coaching vs. Consulting

16:54 The Evolution of Coaching in Industry

23:34 Thought Provoking Coaching

25:33 Effective Coaching Techniques

28:27 Feedback and Radical Candor

31:28 Levels of Learning in Coaching

34:02 Identity and Leadership

39:28 The Value of Assessments in Coaching

A listener asks how to handle frustration when work on a project is dropped because directions change. Emily Sander shares that this happens often to Chiefs of Staff and explains the value of understanding the reason behind changes, reframing “wasted” work, and managing your emotional response. Helpful strategies include asking why priorities shifted, recognizing that work might be reused later, and focusing on what’s best for the team.

Get in touch with Emily:
Need help handling changing directions at work? Book a clarity call w/ Emily here.

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Who Am I?
If we haven’t met before - Hi👋 I’m Emily, Chief of Staff turned Executive Leadership Coach. After a thrilling ride up the corporate ladder, I’m focusing on what I love - working with people to realize their professional and personal goals. Through my videos here on this channel, books, podcast guest spots, and newsletter, I share new ideas and practical and tactical tools to help you be more productive and build the career and life you want.

Time Stamps:
00:25 Listener Question: When Work Gets Derailed by Changing Priorities

01:17 Step 1: Ask ‘Why Are We Changing Direction?’ (and When to Push Back)

03:07 Explaining the ‘Why’ to the Team Without Needing to Agree

04:08 Reframing ‘Wasted Work’: What Still Carries Forward

05:13 When ‘Unused’ Work Becomes Valuable Later

06:57 Managing the Emotional Whiplash + Refocus on What the Team Needs Next

08:59 Wrap-Up + Next Week + Sponsor Message

Philip Atkinson shares how being a Chief of Staff inspired his work as a beekeeper and his book, "Be Wise." He explains leadership lessons from bees, like avoiding busywork, practicing servant leadership, and making decisions through consensus. Philip also talks about bees keeping their hive clean, the importance of closing out projects at work, and supports the Bees for Development charity with book proceeds.

Links Mentioned:
Philip Atkinson's Leadership and Coaching Consultancy

Connect with Philip Atkinson on LinkedIn

Follow Be Wise Book on Facebook

Follow Be Wise Book on Instagram

Philip Atkinson’s Book

All proceeds from the book go directly to this charity supporting beekeeping in developing countries: Bees for Development

Learn more about the Bee Wise project and the charity fundraising here.

Get in touch with Emily:
Want to chat with Emily? Book a quick clarity call here.

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Who Am I?
If we haven’t met before - Hi👋 I’m Emily, Chief of Staff turned Executive Leadership Coach. After a thrilling ride up the corporate ladder, I’m focusing on what I love - working with people to realize their professional and personal goals. Through my videos here on this channel, books, podcast guest spots, and newsletter, I share new ideas and practical and tactical tools to help you be more productive and build the career and life you want.

Time Stamps:
03:07 Lessons from the Hive: Productivity and Leadership

04:53 The Role of the Queen and Servant Leadership

09:57 Decision Making in the Hive

16:06 The Lifecycle and Roles of Bees

21:32 Beehive Cleanliness and Bird Predators

22:35 Seasons of Life and Career

24:45 Comparing Beehives to Organizational Roles

25:44 Fascinating Bee Facts

27:10 Sensing the System: Lessons from Beekeeping

31:06 Challenges of Beekeeping

35:41 Supporting Bees and Beekeepers Worldwide

A Chief of Staff shared how her boss thought a high-talent sales team wasn’t meeting expectations, but no one could clearly say what those expectations were. Emily Sander highlights the importance of clearly defining what success looks like for a team, asking questions like “What is the output we want?” and making sure the team knows and has what they need to deliver. She suggests backing up gut feelings with clear measures, and openly communicating targets with the team.

Get in touch with Emily:
Get clear on your team’s true targets. Book a clarity call w/ Emily here.

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Who Am I?
If we haven’t met before - Hi👋 I’m Emily, Chief of Staff turned Executive Leadership Coach. After a thrilling ride up the corporate ladder, I’m focusing on what I love - working with people to realize their professional and personal goals. Through my videos here on this channel, books, podcast guest spots, and newsletter, I share new ideas and practical and tactical tools to help you be more productive and build the career and life you want.

Time Stamps:
00:26 A Conversation on Team Performance

01:19 Identifying and Setting Clear Expectations

02:24 Steps to Evaluate Team Success

04:21 Conclusion and Next Steps

Matthew Person explains his Square Management System, a framework for building high trust, high performance organizations by aligning employees and processes. He discusses culture as an output, shares the importance of having a "complete square," and gives examples - like how some people prefer structured office environments while others thrive in casual settings. The episode covers using assessments to find company-employee alignment and gives practical advice for Chiefs of Staff to diagnose and manage culture across teams.

Links Mentioned:
Matthew Person’s Website

Get in touch with Emily:
Want to chat with Emily? Book a quick clarity call here.

Free Leadership Resources

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Who Am I?
If we haven’t met before - Hi👋 I’m Emily, Chief of Staff turned Executive Leadership Coach. After a thrilling ride up the corporate ladder, I’m focusing on what I love - working with people to realize their professional and personal goals. Through my videos here on this channel, books, podcast guest spots, and newsletter, I share new ideas and practical and tactical tools to help you be more productive and build the career and life you want.

Time Stamps:
01:15 Matt's Experience with Chiefs of Staff

02:01 Understanding the Square Management System

03:09 The Importance of Culture Alignment

14:22 The Four I's of the Square Management System

21:07 Understanding Subcategories and Levels

22:12 Identifying and Sticking to Priorities

24:32 Addressing Bad Actors in Company Culture

25:53 Using Diagnostic Tools for Alignment

37:18 Importance of Intentional Design

Emily Sander explains how to change a workplace narrative by running an internal campaign, using catchy phrases, visuals, and repeated communication across multiple channels. She shares examples like NFL coach Mike MacDonald’s slogans “chase the edges” and calling backup players the “ready team,” and describes a Chief of Staff who made a teen mentoring program more visible by mentioning it in meetings and materials. The advice is to communicate the message so often that people can finish your sentence and almost get tired of hearing it.

Get in touch with Emily:
Want help shaping the narrative inside your organization? Book a clarity call w/ Emily here.

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Who Am I?
If we haven’t met before - Hi👋 I’m Emily, Chief of Staff turned Executive Leadership Coach. After a thrilling ride up the corporate ladder, I’m focusing on what I love - working with people to realize their professional and personal goals. Through my videos here on this channel, books, podcast guest spots, and newsletter, I share new ideas and practical and tactical tools to help you be more productive and build the career and life you want.

Time Stamps:
00:59 Starting an Internal Campaign

01:22 Using Slogans and Phrases

02:57 Visuals and Analogies

03:44 Utilizing Different Mediums

04:18 Repetition and Reinforcement

07:20 Case Study: Nonprofit Campaign

10:15 Phases and Key Stakeholders

11:02 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Bill Shander explains how understanding what stakeholders really need leads to better results at work, especially for roles like Chief of Staff. He shares stories about clients asking for things like blue buttons or “ballets of data,” and how asking smart questions gets everyone on the same page. The episode covers common mistakes people make when jumping too quickly into requests and why techniques like the Socratic method work for clarifying goals.

Links Mentioned:
Bill Shander’s Website

Connect with Bill Shander on LinkedIn

Bill Shander’s Book: Stakeholder Whispering

Get in touch with Emily:
Want to chat with Emily? Book a quick clarity call here.

Free Leadership Resources

LinkedIn

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Newsletter

Who Am I?
If we haven’t met before - Hi👋 I’m Emily, Chief of Staff turned Executive Leadership Coach. After a thrilling ride up the corporate ladder, I’m focusing on what I love - working with people to realize their professional and personal goals. Through my videos here on this channel, books, podcast guest spots, and newsletter, I share new ideas and practical and tactical tools to help you be more productive and build the career and life you want.

Time Stamps:
01:33 The Evolution of Data Storytelling

03:15 The Inspiration Behind 'Stakeholder Whispering'

05:12 Understanding Stakeholder Dynamics

16:58 The Power of Divergent and Convergent Questions

18:49 Common Mistakes in Stakeholder Whispering

21:27 Tactical Approaches to Clarifying and Pushing Back

28:00 The Dynamics of Hierarchy and Influence

Emily Sander explains why bringing “half baked” work to your boss - especially when you're new in a Chief of Staff role - can save time, spark valuable conversations, and help you calibrate quickly to your boss’s preferences. She gives real examples, like saving hours by checking in early, learning what your boss fixates on, and understanding the order they want detailed information presented. The episode encourages trying iterative updates instead of holding out for perfection.

Get in touch with Emily:
Want to calibrate faster with your principal? Book a clarity call w/ Emily here.

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Newsletter

Who Am I?
If we haven’t met before - Hi👋 I’m Emily, Chief of Staff turned Executive Leadership Coach. After a thrilling ride up the corporate ladder, I’m focusing on what I love - working with people to realize their professional and personal goals. Through my videos here on this channel, books, podcast guest spots, and newsletter, I share new ideas and practical and tactical tools to help you be more productive and build the career and life you want.

Time Stamps:
00:25 The Half-Baked Idea: Why It's Beneficial

02:30 The Importance of Calibration Sessions

06:36 Understanding Your Boss's Fixations

10:43 Iterative Processes for Long-Term Success

11:12 Encouragement and Conclusion

12:29 Sponsor Message: Next Level Coaching

Chris Blauvelt shares his journey as a multi-time entrepreneur, how he hired his first Chief of Staff after learning about the role from House of Cards and leadership books, and why setting top three priorities every quarter changed his effectiveness as a CEO. He explains how his Chief of Staff tackled big challenges like product innovation, people operations, and compliance, even without previous experience in those areas. Chris also discusses bringing on a second Chief of Staff with a more technical background to focus on launching a new payments company.

Links Mentioned:
Chris’s mission-driven crowdfunding company

Chris Blauvelt’s Twitter/X handle

Connect with Chris Blauvelt on LinkedIn

Get in touch with Emily:
Want to chat with Emily? Book a quick clarity call here.

Free Leadership Resources

LinkedIn

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Newsletter

Who Am I?
If we haven’t met before - Hi👋 I’m Emily, Chief of Staff turned Executive Leadership Coach. After a thrilling ride up the corporate ladder, I’m focusing on what I love - working with people to realize their professional and personal goals. Through my videos here on this channel, books, podcast guest spots, and newsletter, I share new ideas and practical and tactical tools to help you be more productive and build the career and life you want.

Time Stamps:
01:20 Chris Vet's Journey and Achievements

03:26 The Role and Impact of a Chief of Staff

06:40 Hiring and Integrating a Chief of Staff

16:48 Taking Ownership and Delegation

18:23 Onboarding and Establishing Cadence

20:41 Hiring a New Chief of Staff

29:43 Mission and Vision of Launchgood