It's time to build (your personal brand)
Why it matters for job seekers, 5 things you can write about to get started, a new Chiefly episode, 3 new job reqs, and more
Hello, and welcome to the Right Hand Talent newsletter! I’m Zaharo, and I write about all things Chief of Staff and talent.
Every week, you’ll get 3 new CoS jobs that are on my radar, reqs we’re working on, my thoughts on growing in the CoS role and as a professional, top stories I’m following on X, and more.
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There are small ways to make your life feel luxurious, like splurging on great towels.
It’s really hard to find great pizza outside of the Tri-State area.
Cold plunges are cool but have people ever tried just sitting comfortably at room temperature?
This week’s podcast guest is Holly Grant, former COO at LTSE. Holly started out as Chief of Staff and was promoted to Head of Finance & Operations, VP of Operations, and COO.
In this episode, Holly and I discuss:
How long-term relationships were integral to her career journey
Why work trials are beneficial for candidates and not just employers
The biggest shifts she experienced going from Chief of Staff to COO
How our mental health and money are intertwined
Check it out here ⬇️
I’ve written before about getting over your fear of writing online and realized I could get more tactical with what those steps look like to get started. But before we get into the details of how, why should you publish your thoughts in the first place?
First, I think they’re worth sharing for a couple of reasons. They may benefit and be of service to others in some way, but they’re definitely in service of your higher (and best) self. Writing can be cathartic, it helps you get clarity around your passions, and depending on the topic, it can even boost your immune system.
Second, writing online is how you build your personal brand, which in my opinion is an advantage for job-seekers and talent more broadly. Personal brands are a natural moat — as skills, experience, and content begin to get commoditized by AI, establishing your authentic voice online is an edge in the marketplace.
Imagine that you’re up against another equally qualified candidate and an employer is reviewing the field on your application that says “anything else you’d like to add?” or “add your website or other link here” and you link them to your Substack, Twitter, or other platform where they can peek into your mind and read what you’ve been noodling on over the past 2 years.
It adds another dimension to your candidacy. And I can assure you that if you come across any of your interviewers’ writings online and ask them about something specific when you interview, they will be both flattered and impressed, and it will give you an opportunity to connect with them on a deeper level — an advantage.
Plus, writing online can become your digital portfolio that showcases your expertise, creativity, and values in ways that your LinkedIn profile and resume can’t, and it also lets you control your narrative.
Assuming that I’ve now convinced you to become Keyboard Cat, the next question is usually “but what do I write about?”
Below is the list of topics I gave to a friend who asked me this exact question recently. You can write about:
Topics you’re an expert in. This could be anything on the spectrum of professional skills to personal hobbies. Maybe you want to write about the nuances of UI design trends or the psychology of color in branding.
Lessons learned/personal growth stories. What moments in your life shaped who you are today? What challenges did you face, how did you overcome them, what did you learn? People relate to stories on the deepest level because they see themselves in you if they’re going through something right now that you’ve already overcome. It also makes them feel less alone.
What people come to you for advice on. What do your friends, family, and colleagues ask you about constantly? Topics are boundless on this one, too, but based on what you consistently choose to write about, you’ll end up solidifying your authority and domain expertise.
What you’re exploring. Share your curiosity and the process of exploring something new.
Piggyback on what others are saying. Offer your own take on trends or news, e.g. what do you think about remote work versus in-office? RTO mandates? It can get spicy 🌶️
Also, if you’re launching something (even if it’s your Substack itself) and want to make a bigger splash, a manifesto is the way to go.
This would be writing about a specific topic about which you’re deeply passionate, and have a very strong opinion on or significant prediction to make.
And there’s an audience for everything — just take a look at the subreddits r/spicypillows about swollen batteries and r/succshaming about misbehaving plants…no further comment.
But I wouldn’t write on a topic based on whether you think there’s an audience or not. It has to align with what you’re actually interested in writing about regularly and what your long-term goals are so you can play the long game. It’s definitely a marathon and not a sprint.
Above all, make sure you write authentically. No one wants to read another post that starts with “In this dynamic business world we live in” or ends with “In summary"," because that’s what the bots sound like and how GPT writes. Be an actual human, share your voice, and bet on yourself (if you don’t, why should others?).
All this to say that the key to writing online is really about overcoming inertia. Just do it. Start today.
Senior Associate/VP @ Venture Capital Firm
I'm so grateful that I crossed paths last year with one of the partners of this venture capital firm -- he is one of the most incredible humans I know, and this is an OUT OF THIS WORLD opportunity for a Sr. Associate/VP to join their investment team.
This is truly a one-of-a-kind venture firm that exists to wholeheartedly support courageous teams in devotion to:
🙏 Solving our greatest challenges AND doing so in ways that bring out the best of what it means to be human
🌸 Creating new models for ecosystem level change AND doing so in ways that bring us closer together in relationship
❤️ Hosting the futures that our hearts know are possible AND doing so in ways that further the flourishing of all life
Each of the 4 partners has been on a long inner journey, seeking deeper meaning and asking more nuanced and fundamental questions. They are listening to the futures their minds, hearts and guts are dreaming into.
They believe change in the outer world starts with change in the inner world, and their inner work is guided by decades of successful entrepreneurial/investing experience and personal transformation journeys of their minds and hearts.
Some examples of their achievements:
• Founded 6 technology companies
• Led 2 public companies
• Founded 3 venture funds, 1 private equity fund, and 1 hedge fund
As a Senior Associate/Vice President, you'll be:
• Preparing financial models
• Crafting teasers and marketing materials
• Researching & evaluating new investment and fundraising opportunities
• Support in researching and evaluating strategic direction for the organization
Underpinning all the above, this is truly the ultimate playground for launching an entrepreneurial career, and to receive direct mentorship from four serial entrepreneurs and investors.
On a more personal note, I’m not aware of any other venture capital firm *in the world* with such a heart-centered mission, and one that is so clearly embodied by all partners not just in theory, but in the way they live their lives and show up for themselves and others.
💰 Compensation (base salary + bonus) is highly competitive
🧿 Annual inner work budget
🧑🎓 Monthly coaching stipend
⚕️100% coverage for medical/dental/vision insurance
📍 Candidates must be based in the San Francisco Bay Area (hybrid)
If you're interested and want to learn more about the company, just apply here! I’ll get back to you ASAP if your experience aligns with what they’re looking for.
Check out our job board for the full list of opportunities with our clients!
📂 Chief of Staff at Inkitt — data-driven publishing
My thoughts: Inkitt is flipping publishing on its head — you upload a manuscript to their platform and the algorithm picks which books to offer publishing contracts to based on reader love, not editor picks.
They’ve raise over $117M and their latest round was a $37M Series C led by Khosla Ventures, with previous investors NEA, Kleiner Perkins and Redalpine also participating.
They’re looking for a Chief of Staff to the CEO to help optimize and automate workflow processes, provide strategic insights and operational oversight, and monitor trends in AI.
Ideal candidates will have 3+ years of entrepreneurial tech experience in a B2C business and have CS degree.
💰 Salary : $90,000 - $120,000
📍 This role is hybrid in San Francisco
📥 Apply here.
📺 Junior Chief of Staff at Zone TV - free ad-supported streaming service
My thoughts: Zone TV was acquired by Block Communications, a holding company in the print and broadcast media space. What got me interested in this role was the qualifier “junior” in front of the title.
Among a list of 12 bullets under responsibilities, I found the following: “Provide administrative/tactical support regarding calendar management, travel arrangements, and expense reporting and data entry & analysis”. But I’m actually encouraged by the fact that this bullet was #10 of 12, so it’s likely that at it’s core, this is not a juiced up EA role and perhaps admin is only a very small aspect of the junior CoS’ work.
Zone TV is looking for a CoS to help build ops in the Office of the CEO, track high priority initiatives, and facilitate special projects. This role is like a Level 1/2 Chief of Staff, so could be a good role for early-career “super EA” archetypes looking to make an official jump to CoS.
📍 This role is in-person 5x/week in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX.
📥 Apply here.
👐 Chief of Staff at Vyne — connecting disconnected data
My thoughts: Vyne is a platform that facilitates the electronic capture, storage and submission of healthcare data in any form – voice, fax, image, data or electronic document, and they serve U.S. medical, dental and insurance payer markets.
It caught my eye because I’m seeing a trend towards employers looking for candidates that already have Chief of Staff experience, especially for more senior roles (this one has typical responsibilities like leading strategic initiatives, data analysis and reporting, and improving organizational efficiency).
In their words: “A minimum of 2+ years of proven experience in a Chief of Staff or equivalent role required.” Apparently, some employers are taking fewer chances on the uninitiated, minimizing the risk that the person can’t do the job, and removing the onus of the unique onboarding that comes with stepping into the role. It’s easier to bring on someone who’s done it before ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
📍 This role is onsite in Lehi, Utah.
📥 Apply here.
Investor
shares her top predictor of working with a founderSam Altman predicts that there will be 1-person billion dollar companies because of AI
NVIDIA founder Jensen Huang perfectly describes the founder mentality
The internet thinks something happened to Kate Middleton because of a doctored photo
Someone went to see Dune in full cosplay riding a self-built sandworm
If you’re a candidate looking to get placed as a Chief of Staff with Right Hand, just submit this application.
If you’re hiring a Chief of Staff and need help accelerating your search with Right Hand, I’d love to talk. Just respond to this email!
Where else you can find me: X and LinkedIn, where I post daily on all things Chief of Staff, personal growth, and consciousness.
Finally, if you liked reading this, feel free to click the ❤️ button on this post so more people can discover it on Substack 🙏
Until next time, Right Hand fam! 👋