What is The Coul & Gold Briefing?

A biweekly newsletter about the Chief of Staff role — how to design it, hire for it, and stop accidentally sabotaging it. Every issue pairs two voices: Rachael Goldfarb writes from inside the role (White House, Gates Foundation, 150+ CoS interviews). Suzi Coul writes from the blueprints — she architects leaders using a proprietary nine-dimension diagnostic framework. One voice from inside the role. One from the blueprints. No one else is doing both.

Who is this for?

CEOs who hired a Chief of Staff and can't figure out why it's not working. Founders who introduced the role wrong and tanked its authority in the first week. Executives who aren't sure where the CoS fits in the org chart. And Chiefs of Staff who are drowning in logistics nobody hired them for while the strategic work sits untouched. If any of that sounds familiar, you're in the right place.

How often does it publish?

Every two weeks. One issue, two voices. Each edition pairs a free post from one of us with a paid post from the other — so you always get both perspectives, and no issue is entirely behind a paywall.

What do free subscribers get?

The sharp end. Every issue includes a free post — provocative takes on what's broken in how organizations design, hire for, and accidentally sabotage the Chief of Staff role. These are the posts CEOs forward to their boards and Chiefs of Staff screenshot in private group chats.

What do paid subscribers get?

The operating system. Everything free subscribers get, plus: proprietary signal guides and decision frameworks with every paid edition. A monthly diagnostic drop — one new operational tool per month. Priority booking for CoS Readiness Assessments and Operating Rhythm Reset sessions. Ask Us Anything threads with direct input from both of us. Quarterly virtual roundtables with CEOs and Chiefs of Staff. And early access to The List — our vetted pipeline of endorsed Chief of Staff candidates.

These aren't summaries or perspectives. They're instruments you can apply to your organization the same week you read them.

What's the difference between a "take" and a "tool"?

A take tells you your Chief of Staff role is broken. A tool shows you exactly where the fracture is and gives you the framework to fix it. Free editions deliver the diagnosis. Paid editions hand you the instruments.

Can I try a few free editions before I go paid?

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How much does the paid tier cost?

$15/month or $149/year. For less than the cost of one bad hire's first week of wasted salary, you get every framework, every tool, every roundtable, every edition.

What's the Founding Member offer?

[NOTE: Confirm pricing — $99 or $125/year — with Suzi before publishing.] The first 100 paid subscribers lock in Founding Member pricing for life. After that, the annual rate moves to $149. If you're reading this and the offer is still available, it won't be for long.

What are the “nine dimensions” I keep seeing referenced?

Suzi Coul's proprietary diagnostic model maps a leader's operating signature across nine dimensions — the patterns that shape how a leader makes decisions, builds trust, communicates, and creates the environment their team navigates every day. The newsletter introduces the framework. Paid subscribers get the observational guides to apply it.

What's the Leader Signature Quick-Read?

A one-page guide for reading a leader's operating pattern across all nine dimensions. It's the first tool paid subscribers receive, and it's the kind of thing that makes you realize the environment you're creating is the environment your team is navigating. New paid subscribers get it within a week of signing up.

What's the monthly diagnostic drop?

One new operational tool per month, built for Chiefs of Staff and the executives who work with them. These are decision frameworks, signal guides, and diagnostic instruments — not worksheets. Each one is designed to be usable the same week you receive it.

Who is Rachael Goldfarb?

Rachael started her career supporting the Chief of Staff to the President in the Clinton White House. She helped build the CFPB from employee #19, served as Chief of Staff to the President of Global Health at the Gates Foundation, and worked for Raj Shah at USDA. She's interviewed over 150 Chiefs of Staff. She writes from inside the role — not about it, not adjacent to it, but from having done it at the highest levels.

Who is Suzi Coul?

Suzi spent a career in and around the House of Commons, reading leadership patterns and designing the operating environments that make executives effective. She doesn't just diagnose leadership problems — she architects leaders. Her nine-dimension diagnostic model maps a leader's operating signature with a precision most executive coaches can't touch, and she has a rare ability to take a leader who's creating chaos and rebuild their operating environment from the foundation up.

Why two voices?

Because the Chief of Staff role sits at the intersection of lived experience and leadership architecture. Rachael knows what it's like inside the role. Suzi knows how to build the environment around it. You need both perspectives to get this right. Most publications give you one. We give you both, every issue.

Can I reply to the newsletter?

Yes. We read every reply. If you're navigating a hire you're stuck on, a role that isn't working, or a leadership dynamic you can't quite name — reply anytime. You may see your scenario addressed in a future edition.

I'm a paid subscriber. Do I get access to past editions?

Every single one. The full archive is yours from the moment you subscribe.

What are the roundtables?

Quarterly virtual conversations with CEOs and Chiefs of Staff. Real discussions, not webinars. No slide decks, no keynotes — just experienced people in the room talking about what's actually happening in their organizations. Paid subscribers only.

What is The List?

Our curated pipeline of vetted, endorsed Chief of Staff candidates. It's coming mid-2026 and will be available to paid subscribers first. If you've ever tried to hire for this role and realized the standard recruiting pipeline doesn't work — this is why we're building it.

Do you offer advisory services?

Yes. The newsletter is the front door, not the whole house. We offer CoS Readiness Assessments for organizations considering the hire, Operating Rhythm Resets for leaders whose operating environment needs rebuilding, and executive advisory for the deeper, ongoing work. Paid subscribers get priority booking.

I have a question that's not on this list.

Reply to any edition. We'll answer it.