• Optimizing Knowledge Management: Ensuring Information Flows Freely Through Your Organization
    May 27 2026

    Knowledge management is explained as making sure important information flows up, down, and across an organization, using direct examples like leadership decisions being shared with teams, or customer feedback reaching the right people. The episode covers how the Chief of Staff can spot communication breakdowns and keep everyone in the loop, including situations where leaders fail to pass on updates or overreact to minor issues. Tips are offered for testing if messages actually reach people and are understood as intended.


    Get in touch with Emily:
    Want help improving communication flow across your organization? Book a clarity call w/ Emily here.

    Free Leadership Resources

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    Website

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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 Why Knowledge Management

    01:45 Top Down Communication

    02:37 Bottom Up Feedback Loops

    03:54 Cross Org Information Flow

    06:11 Leadership Message Breakdowns

    08:09 Accuracy Checks Upward

    09:39 Transparency Sharing Philosophy

    13:48 Build Systems Stress Test Wrap

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    17 mins
  • Practical Strategies for Post-Crisis Recovery and Team Performance
    May 25 2026

    Savio P. Clemente, a two-time cancer survivor, shares how his experiences shaped his adaptive resilience leadership framework and gives practical advice for avoiding burnout and decision fatigue. The discussion covers high-pressure healthcare leadership, the importance of paying attention to your body, and why intentional silence and rest matter for Chief of Staff roles. Clemente also explains his "Aloha reboot" reset method and talks about his interviews with CEOs and CMOs on post-crisis leadership.


    Links Mentioned:
    Savio P. Clemente’s Website

    [TEDx talk and book by Savio P. Clemente] (available via his website)

    Savio P. Clemente on social media as The Human Resolve

    Savio P. Clemente’s Substack


    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:
    01:09 Reconnecting and Lessons on Failure

    04:06 Cancer Survival and Body Awareness

    07:00 Decision Fatigue Under Pressure

    16:41 Post Crisis Recalibration and Aloha Reboot

    18:28 Reframe and Aloha Method

    23:21 Metacognition and Identity Traps

    24:29 Intentional Silence Practice

    33:36 Post Crisis Leadership Wrap

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    38 mins
  • Making Progress in Interim Periods: Focusing on What Has to Happen Anyway
    May 20 2026

    This episode shares practical ways to handle uncertain times at work by focusing on the tasks that need to get done no matter what. Emily Sander gives real examples, like mapping and merging data systems during a leadership shakeup, a Chief of Staff streamlining VP workflows after an acquisition, and helping two clashing teams start working better together while waiting for a new role to be filled. The main advice: find useful tasks that must happen anyway to keep progress moving and give teams direction.


    Get in touch with Emily:
    Need help finding strategic priorities during uncertain times? 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:
    00:25 Interim Period Question

    00:39 Do What Matters Anyway

    01:12 Example One Data Integration

    02:55 Testing and Iterating Fast

    03:21 Example Two Post Acquisition Chaos

    04:43 Reorg Focus for VPs

    06:43 Example Three Awkward Promotion Limbo

    07:48 Fixing Two Teams Conflict

    12:07 Wrap Up Keep Momentum

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    15 mins
  • Exploring Diplomacy, Foreign Affairs, and Disability Rights from a Chief of Staff at the State Department
    May 18 2026

    Andrea Cilliers shares her journey from joining the Department of Defense through a disability internship to becoming Chief of Staff for the U.S. Special Advisor on International Disability Rights. She talks about working on diversity and inclusion at the State Department, influencing global policy, and meeting leaders like Pope Francis. The episode covers how she built relationships across government, advocated for disability rights, and offers advice on leadership and hiring people with disabilities.


    Link Mentioned:
    Job Accommodation Network


    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:
    00:58 Andrea Career Origins

    02:54 State Department Explained

    06:33 EEO Work at State

    08:52 Serendipity to Chief of Staff

    11:12 Vatican and G7 Diplomacy

    14:57 Inside Vatican Meetings

    21:46 Chief of Staff Playbook

    34:22 Blinken Team Lessons

    49:29 Advice and Disability Inclusion

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    1 hr
  • How to Use Skill-Based Assessments for Effective Hiring Decisions
    May 13 2026

    The episode breaks down how skill-based assessments can help make better hiring decisions, whether you’re hiring for an entry-level analyst, a digital marketing specialist, or a software engineer. Emily Sander shares real-life examples like using SEO quizzes, press release writing tasks, and real client scenarios to test candidates’ technical abilities. The advice is to create assessments that match the actual job and adjust them for the level of the role, especially if you’re a Chief of Staff leading the process.


    Get in touch with Emily:
    Want help designing skill-based hiring assessments? 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:
    00:25 Why Skill Assessments Matter

    01:04 Hiring as Chief of Staff

    01:31 Two Assessment Principles

    02:45 Digital Marketing Hiring Story

    04:12 Quizzes Plus Real Scenarios

    07:02 Comms Tests and AI Concerns

    08:41 Engineering Whiteboard Pressure

    10:40 Assessing Senior Leaders

    14:00 Be Selective and Trust Process

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    16 mins
  • Chief of Staff Careers: Launching Pad, Capstone, or Both?
    May 11 2026

    Emily Sander talks with Keosha Lucas about whether the Chief of Staff role is a career destination or a stepping stone. Keosha shares her path from Lyft, where she did Chief of Staff work under different titles, to startups and eventually becoming a Senior Vice President and co-founding a fintech company. She gives practical advice on gaining experience, handling imposter syndrome, and how Chief of Staff skills prepared her to run a business.


    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:
    00:28 Meet Keosha Lucas

    02:05 Doing CoS Work Without Title

    06:05 Growing Pains and Processes

    08:57 Discovering the CoS Title

    16:04 Confidence and Imposter Syndrome

    19:12 Career Arc to SVP and Founder

    25:46 CoS as Destination and Advice


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    35 mins
  • Handling Unfamiliar Acronyms Without Feeling Embarrassed
    May 6 2026

    The episode looks at jargon and acronyms in the workplace, using examples like ARR (annual rate of return) and CPA (cost per acquisition or certified public accountant), and talks about ways to learn or clarify business lingo. It emphasizes that asking questions doesn’t make you look stupid and highlights the Chief of Staff’s role in creating a shared language across teams, especially during mergers or integrations. Tips include using tools like Google or ChatGPT, paying attention to context, and not overcomplicating things with unnecessary jargon.


    Get in touch with Emily:
    Confused by business jargon? 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:
    00:25 The Acronym Anxiety

    01:34 Step Back and Normalize Jargon

    04:05 Learn by Context and Quick Lookups

    06:45 Ask Anyway You're Not Dumb

    09:45 Why Clarifying Helps Everyone

    12:12 Chief of Staff Shared Language

    17:38 Communicate Clearly Avoid Buzzwords

    21:47 Key Takeaways and Wrap Up

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    23 mins
  • Exploring Feedback and Emotional Intelligence for Thriving Workplace Cultures
    May 4 2026

    Emily Sander talks with Maren Perry, founder and CEO of Arden Coaching, about what HR really does beyond paperwork, why leadership development should start early, and the habits of high-performing teams. They cover tips for giving and receiving feedback, how emotional intelligence works in day-to-day situations, and how small changes - like starting meetings on time - can improve team culture. Maren Perry also explains Arden Coaching’s assessment tools and approaches for building better leaders at all stages of their careers.


    Links Mentioned:
    Arden Coaching website

    Free assessment (organizational quiz)


    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:
    00:59 Why Arden Coaching

    04:20 Develop Leaders Earlier

    08:24 Feedback and EQ Skills

    17:41 Align With The Leader

    20:52 Small Shifts Big Impact

    22:04 Common Team Breakdowns

    32:59 Assessment Services And Wrap

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    36 mins