Simon RoDrigues

Going Solo from a Chief of Staff role

 

Episode Notes (by minute):

1:30 - Why Simon likes to write his newsletter, as a way to sharpen his thinking by digesting and analyzing new information. He also enjoys the creativity that goes into writing, including connecting disparate data points

4:00 - The momentum from writing a weekly newsletter has been huge for Simon, both in terms of his career transition and in terms of building his knowledge

6:30 - The skills that Simon has developed as a Chief of Staff, such as internal communications and writing memos, have helped him to write his newsletter

7:00 - What Simon learned from the book, Range, and how it applies to being to a Chief of Staff

10:00 - Two ways to get a job: 1) you apply to a vacancy or 2) you can create the vacancy

12:00 - Advice on how to find a CoS role by reaching out to Founders, and how many people don’t follow-up. So, follow-up

16:30 - Why one of the biggest challenges with the CoS role is that no one really knows what a CoS does

21:00 - How Simon transitioned away from his CoS role, and started working a freelance project while working full-time

25:00 - Why you are better to say you are looking for an interim role, than a fractional role. No one is really hiring for a fractional role

28:00 - Why if you're a Chief of Staff and want to freelance, try find a deliverable or 3-5 deliverables that you can produce, and try to sell that in a day rate or fixed fee project base way. Start small 

30:00 - Why Simon deeply values autonomy and working solo is perfect for that

(Note: these are quick notes and takeaways by David Nebinski. Please see the episode for more accurate information)

Published Date: 9/29/22