Episode Details
Back to EpisodesLessons from the Role of Chief of Staff and CAO
Description
Nick McDonough talks about his path from manufacturing and M&A to becoming Chief of Staff and later Chief Administrative Officer at the healthcare startup QuikMedic. He shares how his role expanded as the company tripled in size, taking on HR, data, and operations responsibilities. Nick also gives practical insights into prioritizing work, building trust with the CEO, and why he prefers working at a small, fast-moving company over a large organization.
Links Mentioned:
QuikMedic’s Website
Connect with Nick McDonough on LinkedIn
Get in touch with Emily:
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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:
01:02 Nick’s career path: manufacturing → healthcare → corp dev & partnerships
03:11 What QuikMedic Clinic does: mobile urgent care to keep patients out of the ER
04:36 Defining the initial role: Chief of Staff to CEO + Head of Growth & Strategy
05:40 How the role expanded into CAO: scaling pains, HR/data/vendor rigor
09:17 Day-to-day execution: small team, key projects, prioritization cadence & partner work
20:08 Big Company vs. Small Company: What Changes Day-to-Day
22:56 Why Going Smaller Was Intentional (and the Vet Practice Influence)
25:09 Chief of Staff Lessons: Trust, Candor, and Challenging the CEO
31:43 Favorite Parts of the Role: Full Visibility & Seeing Decisions Up Close
34:43 Advice for Aspiring Chiefs of Staff + Relationship ‘Thread the Needle’