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Kaylie, Chief of Staff at Kevin's Natural Foods: Advize Career Interview
A career journey from juggling a full-time job and college to becoming Chief of Staff at Kevin's Natural Foods showcases the power of self-advocacy and seizing opportunities.
This dynamic role blends HR expertise with operational management, demanding strong leadership, strategic thinking, and emotional intelligence to navigate unpredictable days and diverse challenges.
The position offers invaluable experience across various departments, providing a strong foundation for future executive roles.
A fast-paced environment in the food manufacturing industry offers the chance to contribute to producing healthy food while developing skills applicable in numerous fields.
Entry-level positions like executive assistant or operations roles offer pathways into this exciting career, emphasizing the value of real-world experience and a "servant mindset." The interviewee emphasizes the importance of managing expectations and celebrating exceeding them, fostering positive work environments and rewarding initiative.
This career path combines operational management and human resources expertise.
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Kaylie Layman
Chief of Staff
Kevin's Natural Foods
California State University, Stanislaus
Business Management & Admin
Food, Beverages & Alcohol
Human Resources (HR)
Worked 20+ Hours in School, First Generation College Student
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Career Path of a Chief of Staff at Kevin's Natural Foods
Kaylie's career journey began with juggling a full-time job and college, leading to "debt-free college tuition," then transitioned from project management in photography to a paralegal role, ultimately finding their passion in HR. After proactively seeking an opportunity and "selling" their abilities, Kaylie now leads HR as Chief of Staff, demonstrating the power of self-advocacy and seizing chances.
Main Responsibilities of a Chief of Staff at Kevin's Natural Foods
Kaylie's Chief of Staff role at Kevin's Natural Foods encompasses a dual focus: "all things HR," including "talent acquisition and development, compliance, and compensation," and managing day-to-day operations, budgeting, and strategic initiatives, acting as a liaison between executive leadership and the rest of the company. This broad scope showcases a career path blending operational management with human resources expertise.
A Day In The Life Of A Chief Of Staff At Kevin's Natural Foods
A Chief of Staff's day is highly unpredictable, a "firefighter hat" role where planned activities are constantly disrupted. The position involves collaborating with executive leadership on initiatives, supporting multiple HR business partners across various sites to resolve conflicts and implement strategies for open enrollment, benefits, performance management, and talent development.
Most Important Skills For A Chief Of Staff At Kevin's Natural Foods
Kaylie, Chief of Staff at Kevin's Natural Foods, highlights the necessity of "strong leadership abilities" and "strategic ability" in her role, emphasizing the importance of quick thinking, conflict resolution, and "emotional intelligence" to navigate complex situations and prioritize company goals. The ability to "read the room" and "put your personal feelings aside" is crucial for success, along with business acumen and managerial expertise.
Favorite Parts of Being a Chief of Staff at Kevin's Natural Foods
Kaylie, Chief of Staff at Kevin's Natural Foods, most enjoys the role's broad scope, stating that "we get to touch every single aspect of the business," gaining valuable experience across departments like HR, marketing, sales, and operations—a fantastic path for future COO or CEO aspirations.
Biggest Challenges Faced by a Chief of Staff at Kevin's Natural Foods
Kaylie's biggest challenge as Chief of Staff at Kevin's Natural Foods is "maintaining [their] cool" and projecting confidence, even in unexpected crises; this requires strong emotional intelligence and the ability to "pretend like [they] know what [they're] doing," a skill crucial for leading during difficult situations.
Favorite Parts of Working in the Food Manufacturing Industry as a Chief of Staff
Kaylie, Chief of Staff at Kevin's Natural Foods, finds the fast-paced and challenging nature of food manufacturing rewarding, stating that "it's a different animal." The most fulfilling aspect of her role is witnessing "all the behind the scenes" work that contributes to producing healthy food for the nation, a factor that is a key driver in her career.
What Type of Person Thrives in the Food Industry According to a Chief of Staff at Kevin's Natural Foods
Kaylie, Chief of Staff at Kevin's Natural Foods, identifies success in the food industry as requiring "an independent contributor that thrives in chaos," demonstrating strong organizational skills and the ability to prioritize effectively amidst competing urgencies, such as simultaneously managing "a plant that has a fire alarm going on" and a personnel issue.
What a Chief of Staff at Kevin's Natural Foods Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Natural Foods Industry
Kaylie, Chief of Staff at Kevin's Natural Foods, discovered the role involves significantly more "behind the scenes work," including "investigative and detective" tasks, than initially anticipated—a contrast to the public-facing perception of the position. This unexpected aspect proved to be a surprisingly positive and fulfilling element of their career.
Entry-Level Positions for Aspiring Chiefs of Staff
Kaylie, a Chief of Staff, recommends entry-level roles such as "executive assistant," highlighting "a good opportunity to understand all the different arms that the business has," and entry-level operations positions to gain organizational insight. Further, experience in the hospitality industry, showcasing "a servant mindset," proves valuable for future chief of staff roles.
Significant Career Lesson From A Chief Of Staff At Kevin's Natural Foods
Kaylie, Chief of Staff at Kevin's Natural Foods, emphasizes managing expectations by assuming "the bare minimum" from individuals and teams, then celebrating exceeding those expectations as "nice surprises," whether in recruitment or production efficiency. This approach fosters a positive work environment by highlighting achievements and rewarding initiative.
College Experiences That Helped a Chief of Staff at Kevin's Natural Foods Succeed
Kaylie, Chief of Staff at Kevin's Natural Foods, prioritized work experience during college, foregoing a traditional campus life to work "all hours of the day" and complete a degree in three and a half years. This intense approach, while not recommended for everyone, provided invaluable real-world experience, enabling Kaylie to confidently handle demanding work situations like "putting a deck together at nine o'clock at night," which directly benefits their current role.
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