Business Funding Strategist I I help Entrepreneurs secure funding for business purchase/expansion | Co-Founder in Financial Services | 100+ successful clients | “DM me”

In 2016, I took a bold leap.

I pitched a vision, raised over $2 million in funding, and built a microfinance bank from scratch, one that has helped over 500 entrepreneurs access the capital, clarity, and structure needed to grow.

But even before that, I spent nearly a decade in corporate finance watching brilliant professionals stay stuck in systems that limited their income, creativity, and power.

I knew there had to be another way.

Today, I coach high-achieving women ready to make that same leap from employee to empowered founder.

These are women who already have extensive professional experience.

What they need is a roadmap to monetize their expertise, show up with confidence online, and build digital income streams, without quitting their 9-5.

Clients I work with have:
* Launched their first digital offer in under 6 weeks
* Landed $3K+ clients from LinkedIn without ads or funnels
* Rebuilt confidence after years of playing small in the corporate world
* Transitioned from finance roles to owning purpose-driven businesses

My coaching helps you:
* Turn your professional expertise into a scalable offer
* Build visibility on LinkedIn and grow your audience
* Create sustainable income without burnout
* Transition from career to on your terms

You don’t need another degree.

You need a system, a strategy, and someone who’s walked the path.

Let’s build your OWN platform.

DM me “OWN” to start your transition from employee to empowered founder.

Erhi Ojoboh MBA, PMP®, SAFe®

I’ll never forget the day I got the nod from my angel investor.

Series A funding.

For my FIRST business.

I should’ve been celebrating.

But you know what I actually felt?

Terror.

Because this wasn’t just a cheque.

This was someone betting real money on ME.

On an idea I’d been carrying quietly for YEARS.

And suddenly, someone else saw it too.

I sat in my car after that meeting and cried.

Not because I was happy (though I was).

But because for the first time, I truly believed:

I can build something bigger than myself.

I can sit at the table, not just serve it.

I can raise capital, lead teams, and drive IMPACT.

That day, I became a founder.

Not because I had all the answers.

But because I stopped waiting for permission to believe in myself.

Here’s what they don’t tell you about those “big wins”:

You’re terrified, even as you succeed.

You wonder if you’re ready, even as others say YES.

But you move forward anyway.

Not because the fear goes away.

But because your VISION is louder.

📌 So I’ll ask you:

What’s the bold move you’ve been postponing because fear sounds louder than your vision?

Back yourself the way an investor would.

You don’t need everyone to believe in you.

You just need ONE person to start.

Let that person be YOU.

What’s one bold move you’re making this week?

♻️ Repost for someone waiting for permission they already have.

Erhi Ojoboh MBA, PMP®

I help high-achieving women turn their expertise into high-ticket digital businesses they OWN | $2M+ raised in Series A | Financial Services Co-Founder | Speaker | DM “OWN”

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The Chief of Staff Coach™ | 3x Chief of Staff helping others get into and excel in the profession 🚀 | Founder of Elevation Chief of Staff Training | CEO at ArlanWasHere

I help founders, CEOs, and executive teams bring on Chiefs of Staff who actually create leverage, not noise, not another layer, definitely not a well-intentioned mis-hire.

And mis-hires are far too common because the Chief of Staff role lives in nuance.

It’s judgment.
It’s context absorption.
It’s decision-making without formal authority.
It’s knowing when to push, when to translate, and when to let go.

I’ve seen what happens when it’s done wrong:
Execs frustrated that they’re still the bottleneck.
Talented operators set up for failure and burnout.
Orgs losing momentum at exactly the wrong moment.

And I’ve seen what happens when it’s done right:
Execs get breathing room.
Leverage compounds. 
Teams move faster.
Decisions stick.
Orgs scale without breaking.

That’s why the work I do matters. 

🚀 For Founders & CEOs
We start by pressure-testing what you actually need from this role— at your stage, in your industry, and inside your real constraints. I challenge vague JDs and find the nuance under the surface to determine what CoS candidate type will be the highest leverage for your unique needs. If you’re looking for the best on paper CoS, I’m not your partner. If you want the best for you Chief of Staff— right scope, right timing, right fit— then we should talk.

🚀 For Current + Aspiring Chiefs of Staff 

I speak to Chiefs of Staff every day.
New Chiefs. Seasoned Chiefs.
People doing the work without the title.
People with the title but without the support.
Most aren’t struggling because they lack capability.
They’re struggling because they lack clarity. Their role was never clearly designed, understood, or empowered.

I train and coach Chiefs of Staff to operate with confidence, clarity, and impact, to understand the unwritten expectations, to navigate power dynamics, and to build trust without burning themselves out.I help Chiefs of Staff benchmark their value, sharpen their judgment, and get clear on where they’ll actually thrive, not just survive.

🤔 Why Recruiting? 
I got into recruiting because I’m deeply skilled at discerning the role itself.

I’ve been a Chief of Staff.
I’ve trained hundreds of Chiefs of Staff.
I’ve coached dozens of Chiefs and their execs on how to work together.

That perspective lets me see what most recruiters can’t:
- The subtle mismatches
- The red flags that don’t show up on a resume
- The difference between someone who looks right and someone who is right for you

Learn more about how I can help you! 
PLACEMENT: www.elevatechief.com
TRAINING www.elevationchiefofstaff.com

Melanie Jones

I was onboarding a new Chief of Staff I just placed when I caught myself pausing, realizing:

There are things I treat as second nature (after years in this work) that aren’t as intuitive when you’re new to the role or have never worked with a Chief of Staff before.

(🔑 If you’re starting a new CoS role this year, or onboarding one, you’ll want to save this post.) 

Here are a few things I assumed were no-brainers… and they actually aren’t:

1. The job isn’t the job. Leverage is the job. 
New Chiefs of Staff often look for safety in a job description, but the role is ambiguous by design. What matters is identifying where leverage lives right now, and moving with it as the business evolves. What’s needed from you will change constantly and the best Chiefs of Staff recalibrate instead of clinging to a fixed scope. You either love that or you hate that, but that’s what the job is. 

2. Being busy is *not* the same as being useful.
Early on, it’s tempting to say yes to everything, but the highest value work is reducing friction: clarifying priorities, tightening decision paths, and preventing misalignment before it turns into noise. Activity can hide misalignment if you’re not careful.

3. Trust is built faster than you think… IF you’re intentional.
Many new Chiefs of Staff underestimate how quickly credibility compounds when you clarify decision rights, communication norms, and escalation paths early. Waiting to “earn” permission slows everyone down. Thoughtful structure builds trust faster than over-delivering in the weeds.


This recent onboarding was a good reminder that experience compresses learning curves only when we make the invisible visible.

It’s also why I’m so focused on not just placing Chiefs of Staff, but setting them up to operate effectively and sustainably.


What’s something you learned in your role that you wish someone had told you sooner?

The Chief of Staff Recruiter | Founder, Elevation Chief of Staff Training & Elevate Chief of Staff Placement | I help execs hire their best fit Chief of Staff | I coach and train current + aspiring Chiefs of Staff

Most Chiefs of Staff think they’re “using AI” because they’ve got ChatGPT open in a tab and an AI notetaker running in their meetings.

But having a hammer doesn’t mean you can build a house. That takes a plan, a blueprint, and (for the best outcome) guidance from someone who’s done it before. 

It’s the same with AI. 
Having the tools and knowing how to build something with them are two completely different things.

I learned this firsthand when I started working with an AI developer who completely rewired how I understood what was possible. Not in a “that’s a cool tool” way, but in a “wait 💡automating that will save me hours a day!” way.

He went beyond giving me prompts or shortcuts to help me see that the most energy-draining, time-consuming work (the stuff that eats your evenings and weighs down your mental load) could be systematized in ways I never imagined.

I’m not technical (at all 😬😅) but the way he explains things makes it click in a way nothing else has. So I started bringing him in with some of my coaching clients. 

Here’s what he’s helped them build so far:

💡 A weekly CEO context packet that pulls from the news, competitor updates, and internal metrics into one formatted brief delivered automatically

💡 Pre-meeting prep docs for every external meeting, auto-researched and formatted based on who’s on the invite and notes from previous meetings

💡 Automated health checks across all strategic initiatives that surface risks before the CoS even has to ask

💡 Board deck and investor update first drafts generated the moment the underlying data is updated

💡 A stakeholder relationship tracker that flags when a key relationship has gone cold, before it becomes an issue

Every single client has the same reaction: 
I didn’t know all of that was possible.

That’s the gap and it’s enormous.

So we’re partnering to turn this into a live, hands-on, small group program. 🙌🏾

Six weeks built entirely around the CoS role, designed to take you from “I use AI” to “I have an AI strategy that makes me untouchable in this role.” That will continue to grow as the biggest leverage gap. 

Most CoS still don’t even know it exists. 
You deserve to be on the other side of it.

Comment “waitlist” below (or anything to let me know you’re interested 😆) and I’ll reach out directly when enrollment opens.

Yesterday I did interview prep with a client who’s clearly the right fit for the role. 

Her biggest obstacle walking into the second round interview (after already impressing the exec she’d be supporting in an extended first round)…? 

Herself 😣 

“I don’t feel confident enough.”
“I get so nervous in these situations.”

Unfortunately I hear this often, because it’s particularly common among Chief of Staff candidates — people who are brilliant behind the scenes, who’ve quietly held organizations together, but who struggle to own that out loud.

Here’s some of the advice I shared with her (sharing here in case it will help others). 
 
1. Nervousness is not a weakness signal. It’s an investment signal.
You’re nervous because this matters to you. That’s a feature. Channel it, don’t apologize for it.

2. Confidence isn’t the absence of doubt, it’s deciding to move anyway. 
You don’t need to feel certain. You need to be certain. Those are actually two different things. Whether you feel it or not, if you *know* that you can help this org, and you know that you’re resourceful and can figure out any parts of the work you don’t yet have experience with, then conveying that clearly is actually doing them a favor.

⭐️ Flip the mental script: 
You’re not there hoping they’ll pick you. You’re there to show them what they’d be gaining with you on their team.

3. They already like you. Your job is to confirm, not convince.
A second interview (especially at this level) means you passed. You’re not auditioning anymore, you’re closing. Consider those rounds more like working sessions focused more on the future of what you’ll bring and less on the past of what you’ve done before. 

4. Prepare so thoroughly that confidence becomes inevitable.
Nerves spike when you don’t trust yourself. Trust is built through reps. Know your stories. Know their business. Know your why. I cannot stress this enough— research the company and the people you’re meeting with. There’s likely at least one podcast or article about the company, about their industry, showing that you know their business shows that you value it and are already invested in it. 

5. Stop performing confidence. Start occupying space.
Slow down. Breathe before you answer. Let silence work for you. The most powerful people in the room rarely rush.

You’ve worked hard. 
You’ve earned the skills and knowledge. 
You’ve been given an opportunity to showcase your capabilities. 

All you need to do now is give yourself  permission to believe you belong.

International Women’s Day fell on a Sunday that we lost an hour, so yeah… I’m taking today too 😄

I want to celebrate a woman who I appreciate and admire deeply, Arlan Hamilton.  

Arlan was my first woman boss and my first boss to really believe in me before I had even proven myself.

I was employee number one at her startup, Runner. I came in as a sort of catch-all, the kind of role where you do whatever needs doing and figure out the rest. She saw something in me and as the company grew she promoted me multiple times. Then she brought me in as her Chief of Staff. Then COO of her personal brand company. 

I could write a book about how much I learned from her over those years because she gave me so much more than titles and work to do. 

She gave me a front-row seat to what it looks like to build something audacious from nothing, and to do it as yourself, authentically and unapologetically.

When (motivated by her books and speeches to “be your own boss”) I started training Chiefs of Staff and built Elevation Chief of Staff Training and Placement, she fully encouraged me. 

When I was ready to go all-in on my own business, she didn’t just wish me well. She supported me in ways that went beyond anything you’d reasonably expect from a former employer. From anyone, really.

Arlan believed in me first. 
I’ve been living up to that belief and paying it forward ever since.

Happy (extended) International Women’s Day, Arlan. Thank you for being yourself so that those of us looking for you could find you. 💜 


(This photo was taken after we pulled off our inaugural Your First Million Live conference… three days, thousands of attendees, incredible speakers like Issa Rae, Gary Vaynerchuk, Rich Paul, Sheila Jackson Lee, Rachel Rodgers, we even had a performance by TLC. So much went into pulling this off. This was my “we did it Joe!” moment 🥹)

Most companies: 
We’re hiring a Chief of Staff! 
Here’s the application link to the JD we created in ChatGPT. Your resume will likely get lost among the many hundreds of other applicants who have already applied, and we’ll probably grow tired of screening by the time we get to your resume, if it even makes it past the AI ATS system, but good luck! 

Smart companies:
We’re hiring a Chief of Staff. 
We brought in a specialized recruiter who deeply understands the Chief of Staff position. She helped us scope the role for our unique needs and is now running an intentional, focused search. She’s also going to help with partnership enablement to ensure the role is set up for sustainable success and not just short term relief. 


One approach optimizes for volume and creates noise.

The other optimizes for outcomes and creates leverage.

If you’re hiring a Chief of Staff, the difference isn’t luck. It’s having a specialist who builds the search around the role, the leader, and the moment.

That’s where I come in. 🤗

In my work as a Chief of Staff trainer, coach, and recruiter I’ve been proud to notice more and more women stepping into the CoS profession.

This matters more than most people realize.

The person in the Chief of Staff seat sits next to the CEO, shapes the agenda, filters what gets decided and what doesn’t, and sees around corners before anyone else does.

That’s not support work, that’s power.

When women are in that seat, a few things happen:
→ They build a track record of operating at the highest level of an organization
→ They develop relationships with boards, funders, and senior leaders
→ They become visible in rooms that have historically excluded them

The CoS role is one of the fastest paths to the C-suite so it’s awesome to see more women taking it.

I’ll take it even further to say that I don’t think this shift is an accident. The role rewards the exact skill sets women have long been told are “soft” but are actually executive skills. Things like synthesis, emotional intelligence, cross-functional influence, reading the room.

To every woman currently serving as a Chief of Staff: you are doing important work. Keep shining your light for others. 

To every woman considering becoming a Chief of Staff: you were made for this kind of work. The strategy, the influence, the impact… it has your name on it. Go claim it.

Happy International Women’s Day. 💗

The Executive Assistant → Chief of Staff pipeline is real. 

While there's lots of debate on that topic, that’s exactly what happened for myself and for Hallie Warner (and countless others, let me know in the comments if you're a fellow EA → CoS 🤗 )

In the latest episode of "The Chief of Staff Show," I sat down with Hallie (author of "The Founder & The Force Multiplier," a must-read for anyone in an executive support role) to talk about her journey from Executive Assistant to Chief of Staff.

It’s a transition more people are making than ever before.
But it’s also one of the most misunderstood career paths in our field.

In this chat, we talked about:
• Why the Chief of Staff role is often confused with the EA role
• What actually changes when someone becomes a strategic partner to the CEO
• The mindset shift required to move from supporting execution to shaping decisions

One of my favorite parts of the conversation was when we discussed the idea that partnership is a choice. 

The most effective founder x Chief of Staff relationships don’t happen by accident, they’re built intentionally.

If you’re an Executive Assistant who has started doing more strategic work, there’s a good chance you’re already touching parts of the Chief of Staff role.
The question becomes whether you want to step fully into it.

🎧 The episode is live now. You can check it out here https://lnkd.in/g7UwVThd

The best career advice I ever received: 
Act as if you already have the job you want.

Before I first became a Chief of Staff, I unknowingly* started thinking and behaving like one. 

(* I say unknowingly because I didn’t even know what a “Chief of Staff” was at that time 😅 I just knew I wanted to and could add value beyond the bullet points on my job description.)

I built trust and nurtured relationships. 

I brought strategic solutions to my boss instead of just updates. 

I proactively sought out challenges to solve before they became problems for the team. 

I did whatever I could to ensure projects, events, meetings, etc ran seamlessly for my colleagues. 

And then I was given the Chief of Staff role. 

I earned it. 

When you show up and show others you’re ready, opportunities will follow.

The Chief of Staff Trainer | Founder, Elevation Chief of Staff Training & Elevate Chief of Staff Placement | I help execs hire their best fit Chief of Staff | I coach and train current + aspiring Chiefs of Staff

Every Chief of Staff hire I’ve facilitated started with asking the CEO two key questions:

What’s keeping you up at night?
What gets you going in the morning?

The first answer reveals where the business is creating drag. 
This is often being decision bottlenecks, lingering responsibilities, and areas that still require the founder’s constant involvement.

The second reveals where the founder creates the most value (their zone of genius). 
This often looks like vision setting, relationship building, selling, shaping direction, and leading the organization forward.

The gap between those two answers is where the leverage lives.

💡 If CEO anxiety comes from being the final decision point,
and energy comes from setting direction and driving growth,
let’s find a Chief of Staff who has proven expertise managing decision flow and execution so the founder can lead at the highest level.

💡 If CEO pressure comes from misalignment across teams and priorities,
and momentum comes from building what’s next,
that signals a Chief of Staff who enjoys running operating cadence and cross-functional alignment to keep the organization moving together.

💡 If CEO stress comes from holding too much context, judgment, and institutional memory,
and clarity comes from long-term strategy and external leadership,
we’ll prioritize a Chief of Staff who’s comfortable and competent acting as a true thought partner and proxy, extending the founder’s judgment across the company.

What the CEOs I work with appreciate most about this approach is that it moves us away from guessing and towards diagnosing. 

When they can clearly articulate both their energy drainers and their energy givers, hiring becomes more precise.

When they can’t answer those questions (or don’t even know to ask them), Chief of Staff hires default to vague support and rarely move the needle.

What other questions would you ask a CEO who’s about to hire a Chief of Staff?



———————————————

If we haven’t met yet, hi 🤗 I’m Melanie Jones, the founder of Elevation Chief of Staff Training and Placement. 
✨ I train and coach current (and aspiring) Chiefs of Staff 
✨ I help founders and CEOs source, screen, identify, secure, and onboard their best fit Chief of Staff  

Let’s connect!

Yesterday’s post about AI for Chiefs of Staff sparked far more conversation than I expected.

Hundreds of comments.
Countless DMs.
One clear theme:

Chiefs of Staff don’t just want to use AI, they want to understand how to stay valuable as AI reshapes how work gets done.

That’s something I care deeply about.

My goal is to help our profession become AI-resistant and future-proof so Chiefs of Staff are even more strategic, more indispensable, and more valuable in the years ahead.

AI will absolutely change how work gets done, but the Chiefs of Staff who understand how to design systems around it will become exponentially MORE powerful in their roles. Future proof, AI-resistant, whatever you want to call it, this upskilling is urgently needed. 

That’s why we’ve officially opened the waitlist for the small group program (ICYMI: it’s a 6-week, small group, hands-on cohort program that teaches Chiefs of Staff how to design AI systems that automate operational work to increase their bandwidth and amplify their strategic impact)

Since LinkedIn only lets me DM links to people I’m connected with, here’s the easiest way to get it:

• Drop a quick comment here so I know you’re interested in the AI automation program
• Send me a connection request
• I’ll accept and DM you the waitlist link

I’m really excited about this for us! 

Helping Chiefs of Staff stay ahead of where work is going, not scrambling to catch up later, feels like some of the most important work we can do for our profession right now. 🚀

Generalists are often overlooked in leadership, despite versatility quietly becoming one of the most powerful career advantages right now.

In this week’s episode of The Chief of Staff Show, Sarah Rilling and I talk about how non-linear careers often create some of the strongest Chiefs of Staff.

The people who thrive in this role tend to have breadth.
They’re generalists.
They’ve zig-zagged.
They’ve "worn multiple hats."
They’ve learned how to think multiple steps ahead, connect dots, and operate across functions.

And in today’s market (especially with AI reshaping how work gets done) that adaptability matters more than ever.

Our conversation also gets into:
 • Why the CoS job market feels tougher right now than ever
 • What hiring managers actually expect (vs. what job descriptions say)
 • Why LinkedIn and personal branding are no longer optional
 • The mindset shift that separates people who want the role from those who thrive in it

If you’ve ever wondered whether your “non-linear” path disqualifies you…
This episode is for you. 🎙️

Also, I’d love to know, did you take a traditional path into your role, or did you zig-zag your way there?

Check out the episode here https://lnkd.in/g7S7FGnE

Open video: The Chief of Staff Show: Why Generalists Succeed In Chief of Staff Roles on youtu.be

The Chief of Staff Show: Why Generalists Succeed In Chief of Staff Roles

The Chief of Staff job search mistake almost everyone makes, including people who think they’re being strategic: 

Using AI to optimize your resume for the role *instead of* using it to diagnose the problem behind the role. 

(This is a long post, but worth the read. Save it so you can come back next time you’re applying for a CoS role)

In 2026, just about everyone’s resume sounds like it was written by the same “confident, results-driven, cross-functional leader.”

Because it probably was. 
His name is Claude… 😅

The hiring manager doesn’t need another qualified-on-paper candidate. 

They need someone who already thinks like a Chief of Staff, 💡which means someone who spots the real problem before being asked. 💡 

And here’s how you spot the real problem when it comes to why they’re hiring… 

Every job description is a stress document.

Someone wrote it because something isn’t working. Maybe the last hire failed, the executive is drowning in operational debt, strategy and execution have quietly come uncoupled. 

The listed responsibilities are symptoms. 

The real signal is underneath them: a specific, urgent problem the hiring manager is losing sleep over. What is this executive afraid of? What broke, or is about to?

Uncover that and your whole application approach changes.

So instead of pasting your resume into an AI tool, try this: 
paste the JD into an AI tool and ask it to ignore the listed responsibilities and identify the core problem the hire is meant to solve. What failure looks like at 90 days. What success actually looks like.

Then build your positioning around that diagnosis.

Your resume lead. 
Your outreach note. 
Your interview answers. 

All of it should signal: I already see what you’re dealing with and I have the experience and ability to solve it. 

That’s not only a smart job search tactic, that’s the Chief of Staff mindset at play,
and it will immediately resonate with the executives hiring for this role.

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