A Personal Story - Finding Your Chief of Staff Niche
Finding your niche as a Chief of Staff involves a unique blend of passion, expertise, and experience. This realization was brought into sharp focus for me one evening at Corvino restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri, where I reminisced about my high school and college days working in fine dining. Those formative years led me to a love for exceptional food, impeccable service, and the intricate workings behind great restaurants.
Reflecting on those experiences, I realized I have several specific niche areas that I can apply myself to in a Chief of Staff role: athletics, customer experience, fashion, and food and beverage, to name a few. This blog post explores how you can harness your unique background to excel as a Chief of Staff.
Expertise Unleashed
As I sat there, watching the kitchen team at Corvino work their magic, fielding questions from my husband about kitchen lingo and server training that was utterly unfamiliar to him, it dawned on me—this is a prime example of a vertical industry experience that someone could leverage in a Chief of Staff role. I'm sharing this insight so you can do the same.
Years of Experience
For nearly eight years, I immersed myself in the inner workings of well-run, high-end resorts and restaurants. During this time, I realized that my passion, curiosity, and growing expertise were the ingredients for exceptional work.
If you possess the winning combination of passion, expertise, and experience in a specific industry or specialty, that's where you should focus your efforts at work – and as a Chief of Staff. For me, that translates to:
Sports, particularly volleyball
Fashion industry insights from my time as a Buyer at Nordstrom
High-end, customer-experience-focused food & beverage
Customer-experience-focused retail and tech
Fortune 500 companies, drawing from my experience in big business
The Power of Alignment
In a previous blog post, I explored how my background as a Buyer for Nordstrom enriched my Chief of Staff journey. When we align our passions with our work, greatness follows.
I could delve into how my fine dining experience shaped my Chief of Staff abilities, but the key takeaway is this: Chief of Staff experience can stem from diverse backgrounds. There's no single "perfect background" for this role; instead, it's about the diverse paths that lead to Chief of Staff greatness.
Common Traits of a Chief of Staff
Across all industries, great Chiefs of Staff share common traits:
Rapidly adapting to and enhancing new environments
Identifying efficiencies
Cultivating happier, more productive teams
Enhancing overall business performance
Your Path to Impact
Your experiences, passions, and expertise will shape your path to becoming an impactful Chief of Staff. Whatever your background, your career choices have equipped you with transferable insights and skills that are unique to you. By aligning your professional focus with the things you care about and the skills you possess, you can carve out a niche of your own. Reflect on your journey and lean into your strengths—this is the key to becoming a successful Chief of Staff.
To learn more about the Nova Chief of Staff Certification course, review our Syllabus.