In this episode of Your Partner In Success Radio, we dive deep with Maggie Olson, founder of Nova Chief of Staff and a trailblazer in leadership development. Maggie shares her journey from entry-level roles at Nordstrom to building the Chief of Staff model at T-Mobile, revealing the leadership principles that propelled her rapid rise. We explore how she learned to recognize and prevent burnout, the importance of pacing yourself, and the power of building trust and influence authentically—especially as a female leader in today’s workplace.

Maggie also sheds light on the challenges women face in leadership roles, drawing from the latest Women in the Workplace report and her experience growing a global community of Chiefs of Staff. Whether you’re just starting your career or stepping into a leadership position, Maggie’s insights will inspire you to lead with confidence, curiosity, and resilience.

Ready to take your leadership journey to the next level? Check out Maggie’s Nova Chief of Staff certification program—designed to equip you with the skills, tools, and community you need to thrive in strategic roles. Visit NovaChiefOfStaff.com to learn more and join hundreds of professionals worldwide who are transforming their careers. Don’t forget to follow Maggie on LinkedIn for ongoing leadership tips and inspiration!

Show Notes

Welcome to Your Partner In Success Radio with your host Denise Griffitts.

Today’s guest is Maggie Olson, founder of Nova Chief of Staff, the leading platform for Chief of Staff education and certification. With 20 years of leadership experience at Nordstrom and T-Mobile, Maggie built the Chief of Staff model from scratch to support thousands of employees and executives. Through Nova, she’s trained hundreds of professionals from top companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Salesforce.

Maggie’s career took off in her mid-twenties when she became a Buyer at Nordstrom—a role she’d long dreamt of. While the glamour of the job was exciting, Maggie learned that leadership isn't about making immediate, sweeping changes. Instead, it’s about pacing yourself, understanding your team, and developing the ability to recognize burnout before it takes a toll.

As someone who grew her LinkedIn following to 17,000 in less than a year by sharing insights and resources, Maggie is also a great example of how to build influence through leadership and engagement. Her approach focuses on engaging with industry leaders, sharing practical resources, and always thinking from her audience’s point of view—asking, “What do they want to hear? How can I help them?” Maggie can explain how early-career professionals can use these same methods to build meaningful relationships and become trusted voices.

In this episode, Maggie will share how to step into leadership early, avoid burnout during rapid career growth, and build trust and influence authentically. She’ll also discuss key insights from the 2024 Women in the Workplace Report and reveal how she balanced building a Chief of Staff team while navigating major life milestones. 

Connect with Maggie Olson: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook 


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