Leveraging Leadership

Emily Sander talks with John Knowlton about what real success means, why it's an ongoing process, and how to use your natural talents at work. They share practical ideas for Chiefs of Staff, like focusing on tasks that give you energy, trimming your to-do list, and using clear company values to make decisions. John Knowlton also shares advice on morning routines and his book "Thinking for Success."

Links Mentioned:

John Knowlton’s Book: Thinking for Success

John Knowlton’s 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:

01:39 Defining Success: Personal Insights

04:38 Purpose and Talents: A Deeper Dive

06:28 Refining Talents into Skills

15:26 Values and Decision Making

18:40 Team Collaboration and Problem Solving

19:33 Aligning Personal and Company Values

20:26 Interviewing Tips for Career Transitions

23:50 Operationalizing Values in Organizations

26:21 Morning Routines for Success

31:17 The Power of Being Outdoors

34:02 Introducing John's New Book

This episode breaks down practical ways to diagnose burnout beyond just heavy workloads, like checking if team members actually have the right training or system access, clarifying real versus perceived expectations, and considering outside-of-work stressors. Emily shares examples, such as a team member struggling because they didn’t have a login to a key system, and gives advice on addressing mental clutter and having open conversations. Chief of Staff listeners get tips on spotting the true root causes of burnout and building stronger, more supportive teams.

Get in touch with Emily:
Unsure what’s really causing burnout? Book a clarity call w/ Emily 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:
00:00 Introduction to Diagnosing Burnout
00:49 Assessing Workload Fairness
02:32 Clarifying Role Expectations
04:16 Understanding Team Contribution
06:33 Considering Personal Life Factors
10:06 Eliminating Mental Clutter
14:06 Summary and Final Thoughts

Joel Goldberg shares stories from over 30 years in broadcasting with the Kansas City Royals, focusing on how small actions and building trust lead to big results. He explains the importance of routines and relationships, gives insight into working with players and staff, and offers advice for Chiefs of Staff about investing in people. Joel also discusses handling social media, pressure, and how lessons from baseball apply to the business world.

Links Mentioned:
Joel Goldberg’s Website

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

Free Leadership Resources

LinkedIn

Website

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:

02:39 Building Trust with Players and Families

04:52 The Importance of Relationships in Broadcasting

09:15 Life During Baseball Season

11:58 Transitioning to Business and Speaking

15:29 Handling Pressure in Baseball and Business

22:13 Journey Through Career Milestones

26:29 The Importance of Routine

27:05 Social Media and Its Impact

31:11 Building Trust and Relationships

38:13 Final Words of Wisdom

A Chief of Staff named Samir asks for advice about being overloaded at a startup, struggling to delegate, and never taking real breaks. Emily Sander suggests Samir update his boss on his workload, start delegating in small steps, and actually schedule and enjoy a vacation - sharing her own tips for disconnecting, including going snuba diving and ignoring email except for real emergencies. The episode highlights the importance of building a team that can function without you.

Get in touch with Emily:
Need help delegating and actually taking real time off? Book a clarity call w/ Emily 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:
00:25 Listener Question: Overwhelmed at Work
01:19 Communicating with Your Boss
02:30 The Art of Delegation
03:42 Learning from Your Role Model
04:29 Preparing for Promotion
05:19 The Importance of Taking a Break
07:38 Tips for a Successful Vacation
11:34 Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Nashid Braswell shares how he became a Chief of Staff, starting with personal shopping for friends in Italy and moving on to high-stakes roles supporting executives and managing billion-dollar projects. He explains building trust with his principal, creating personalized experiences for guests (like arranging Austin barbecue tastings), and offers tips on self-care and valuing your own contribution. The episode also touches on his work with Agency Maison, helping others get into Chief of Staff and high net worth support roles.

Links Mentioned:
Nashid Braswell’s Agency

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

Free Leadership Resources

LinkedIn
Website
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:

01:19 Nashe's Early Career and Personal Assistant Journey
03:16 Transition to Personal Shopping and Styling
04:12 Working with Celebrity Stylist June Ambrose
05:47 Joining Impossible Ventures
06:49 Developing Four Seasons Private Residences
08:36 The Importance of Customer Experience
10:22 Daily Operations and Responsibilities
13:51 Overview of Impossible Ventures
22:07 Agency Maison and Domestic Placement Services
28:40 Final Thoughts and Advice

This episode breaks down the "What's your role, what's your goal" framework, with Emily Sander sharing practical examples like a Chief of Staff running a post-mortem, facilitating meetings, or just observing and debriefing with their principal. The approach also applies outside work, like being a supportive parent or a good flight passenger. Emily Sander shows how this simple framework helps people prep for any situation.

Link mentioned:
For more information about executive leadership coaching, visit this link.

Get in touch with Emily:
Want help clarifying your role and goal? Book a clarity call with Emily.

Free Leadership Resources

LinkedIn

Website

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:

00:38 Understanding Your Role and Goal
01:40 Facilitating Meetings Effectively
02:20 Observing and Debriefing
04:30 Applying the Framework Beyond Work
05:41 Parenting and Personal Scenarios
07:17 Conclusion and Contact Information

Emily Sander and Sophia Mikelionis talk about practical self-leadership for Chiefs of Staff, covering how to build microhabits like walking during phone meetings, using a regular coffee mug instead of an insulated cup to encourage breaks, and putting your phone to bed at night to unwind. They discuss the importance of protecting your energy, setting boundaries, and remembering basic human needs like sleep, food, and water. Sophia Mikelionis also shares tips for identifying moments that make you happiest, even outside of work, as a way to realign your efforts and prevent burnout.

Links Mentioned:
Sophia Mikelionis’ YouTube Channel
Email Sophia Mikelionis

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

Free Leadership Resources

LinkedIn
Website
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.

Timestamps:
01:28 Understanding Self-Leadership
02:20 Practical Tips for Self-Care
03:25 The Importance of Small Habits
05:52 Mindset Shifts for Self-Leadership
10:47 Creating Boundaries and Protecting Energy
16:14 Micro Habits and Practical Exercises
21:05 The Game Changer: Turning Off Email Notifications
21:46 Creating a Morning Routine
25:02 Breaking the Cycle of Bad Habits
31:08 The Importance of Hobbies
35:40 Conclusion and Contact Information

This episode talks about moving teams from feeling stuck to making progress by first getting accurate data. Emily Sander shares an example of advising a Chief of Staff to use surveys to clarify vague complaints about “culture problems” and explains how gathering real feedback, instead of just venting, can lead to informed action on issues like PTO policies. The message is to focus on what you can control and collect solid info before trying to fix anything.

Want help getting data points? Book a clarity call w/ Emily here.

Free Leadership Resources

LinkedIn

Website

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:
00:47 Shifting Mindsets: From Fix It to Progress
01:11 Case Study: Addressing Culture Problems
02:58 Mindset Matters: Accurate Data in Thoughts
04:19 Taking Ownership and Making Progress
07:17 Empowering Teams: Changing the Narrative
12:13 Concluding Thoughts: Empowerment Through Data

James Misner talks about why only a small percentage of nonprofits break $1 million in revenue and explains that many struggle because they don’t know how to fundraise effectively or are fearful of dealing with money. He shares practical advice for Chiefs of Staff, stressing the importance of having clear fundraising processes, following up with donors, and building a strong team with paid major gift officers. James also discusses the impact of personal connections, handwritten thank-you notes, and branded monthly giving programs.

Links Mentioned:

• The Kipos Group Website
• Connect with James Misner on LinkedIn

Want to chat with Emily? Book a quick clarity call here.

Free Leadership Resources

LinkedIn
Website
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:
00:54 James Misner's Journey into Fundraising
03:12 Overcoming Fear of Money in Fundraising
05:53 Creating Effective Fundraising Processes
08:30 Building Donor Relationships
12:42 The Importance of Follow-Up
17:05 The Importance of Donor Retention
18:44 Supporting Your CEO in Fundraising
21:45 Effective Fundraising Metrics
27:19 Building a Monthly Giving Program
29:16 Seasonality and Major Donors
31:13 Advice for Chiefs of Staff
32:46 Encouraging Personal Donations

Lisa D. asks how to guide leaders to their next step without telling them how to do their job. Emily suggests agreeing on the project’s end goal, asking questions like “what’s a fair and reasonable way to start?” and having departments explain their preferred starting points. She shares tips for using data and prompts like discussing pros and cons, so all voices are heard.

Links Mentioned:

• Clarity Call with Emily

Free Resources:

• Strategic Planning Checklist 
• Chief of Staff Skills Assessment Checklist
• A Day in the Life of a Chief of Staff
• Chief of Staff Toolkit

Get in Touch With Emily:

• Connect on LinkedIn
• Follow on YouTube
• Learn more about coaching 
• Sign up for the newsletter
• Clarity Call with Emily

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:

00:54 Setting the Project Goal
01:24 Fair and Reasonable Approaches
02:40 Measuring Progress
03:23 Addressing Department Preferences
04:58 Conclusion and Call to Action