Iliyana's Blog

A Day in The Life of a Chief of Staff in Tech

[fa icon="calendar'] 01-Mar-2024 08:00:00 / by Iliyana Stareva posted in Personal Development, Work Experience, Technology, Career, Leadership

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I've been a Chief of Staff for close to two years but I've held similar positions in the past without the title. 

People often ask me "What is it that you actually do?"

Chief of Staff roles have become popular over the last few years, especially in tech. Many of the big companies have a Chief of Staff for all of their SVPs and above, and some even for VP and above. 

I find the Chief of Staff role quite unique depending on who the executive is that you support. I'm lucky to have an amazing leader who I work with hand in hand which allows me to learn and grow. 

But back to the question about what is it that a Chief of Staff does every day. Let me go through a day in my life, however, before I begin I have to say that the Chief of Staff job is so versatile and frankly not every day is the same because the role itself relies on the ability to pivot, adjust and be flexible pretty much all the time as there are often last-minute fires to be put down. So I will focus on explaining the key daily responsibilities. 

A Day in the Life of a Chief of Staff in Tech

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My 3 Non-Negotiables for Peak Performance in Work and Life

[fa icon="calendar'] 05-Feb-2024 20:24:50 / by Iliyana Stareva posted in Personal Development, Growth

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Many people ask me how I remain this productive in a job that's full of last-minute urgencies and constant changes?

My answer is simple, I have three non-negotiables to keep a high performance at work and in my private life and they have nothing to do with work itself. All three are about something very foundational - my body and ensuring it functions at its peak. 

I've spent years nurturing three key habits to ensure I can perform at high and quick speeds: exercise, nourishing food and sleep. These three have been and still are the best decisions I make every day. 

My 3 Non-Negotiables for Peak Performance In Work and Life

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How to Set SMARTER Goals

[fa icon="calendar'] 18-Aug-2023 12:54:04 / by Iliyana Stareva posted in Personal Development, Career

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Setting goals is pivotal for success. This is true in your personal and professional life. If you want to go far in your career, you need to have goals. If you want to manage your finances well, you need to have money goals. The list goes on.

Goals can be this fluffy thing people struggle with because they are not always easy to make them strong and sticky. Especially if they're long-term. You never know what might happen tomorrow. I struggle with this as well which is why my goals tend to be short to mid-term especially when it comes to my career development. I'm the type of person who looks for the next opportunity to make an impact. Business environments change so I prefer to be agile and adapt to the needs of the market rather than stick to a 5 or 10-year goals plan. 

However, even short-term goal setting can be difficult. 

Many of you are familiar with the SMART framework for goal-setting but have you heard of another version called SMARTER?

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Reflecting on 2022 - Can Women Really Have it All?

[fa icon="calendar'] 27-Dec-2022 13:30:00 / by Iliyana Stareva posted in Personal Development, Career

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This post might be controversial for many. Some might agree. I'm sure many others will not. This post is also very vulnerable and personal. It's my take on the much-debated question if women can have it all - career and kids - reflecting on how 2022 went for me. 

Two big things happened this year for me professionally: I joined a new company starting a new job and I published my second book (on a completely unexpected topic even for me). 

Had that been pre-baby, it wouldn've been at least four big things. 

I never shied away from saying that I'm ambitious. I want to achieve a lot career-wise. I've already achieved a lot for my age, however, my curiosity and eagerness to do more and learn more pushes me forward. I get bored with the same. I need change and my brain needs progress. 

Sometimes this can have negative connotations because I put too much pressure on myself to achieve more, be better, and get more done in the finite hours of a day that I have. 

When I wasn't a mother, this didn't bother me. It pushed me beyond my limits in a good way.

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How to Achieve More in Less Time - My 3 Key Tips

[fa icon="calendar'] 05-Aug-2020 09:00:00 / by Iliyana Stareva posted in Personal Development, Career

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I've always believed that you don't need to work harder or longer to achieve more. You simply need to work smarter. 

But that doesn't often come naturally or easily, especially if you are inexperienced and junior or still new to a role where you want to prove yourself.  

Over the years, I've managed to build some habits that allow me to work smarter and fewer hours and simultaneously to achieve more with better results and higher quality. 

Work less but achieve more? That sounds a bit impossible, right? 

But it's not. It's all a matter of knowing yourself and your strengths and then utilising them to the maximum when you're most productive so you do a certain task in the fastest manner possible at the right time. 

What's helped me are certain habits that I want to share with you today which you can try and see if they'll make you more productive to achieve more but in less time. 

How to Achieve More in Less Time - My 3 Key Tips

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