Private equity firms invest with a value creation plan. But the strategy on the slide deck only matters if the company can actually execute it.

Brea Page, founder of Keep75 and a former Google Chief of Staff and strategy leader, joins me to talk about what happens after the investment: turning strategy into operating rhythms, getting founders and PE firms aligned on expectations, building reporting that creates an early-warning system, and helping leadership teams shift from doing everything themselves to actually scaling through the organization.

We also dig into Brea’s “champion and challenge” model for the Chief of Staff, why PE-backed companies often need someone dedicated to keeping execution from slipping, and how a strong Chief of Staff can turn a strategy from an idea on paper into measurable business results.

Along the way, we talk about founder transitions, PE/portfolio-company communication, internal Chief of Staff promotions, the danger of giving someone the Chief of Staff role without taking away their old job, and why the operating partner + embedded Chief of Staff model may be one of the strongest ways to support portfolio companies as they scale.

Links Mentioned:
Keep75
Brea Page

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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:
04:10 – From Google to Private Equity
06:00 – How Operations Create Value
10:50 – The Founder Shift: Accountable vs. Responsible
13:50 – Translating Between PE and Portfolio Companies
18:40 – What “Founder-Led” Means After PE Investment
20:20 – Why PE-Backed Companies Need Chiefs of Staff
24:30 – What a Chief of Staff Actually Does
26:20 – Operating Partners + Embedded Chiefs of Staff
30:20 – Hiring and Matching the Right Chief of Staff
36:30 – The Ideal PE Operating Model + Keep75

#chiefofstaffpodcast #ChiefOfStaff #COSpod