Up close and personal with a media startup’s chief of staff

Stephanie Onie

Chief of Staff

PT Brilio Ventura Indonesia

Who is Stephanie Onie, and how would you describe her? 

An idealistic introverted extrovert and closet perfectionist who strives to find joy in small things and is passionate about living life to the fullest.

As Chief of Staff, what do you do on a day-to-day basis?

My role is to support the CEO and ensure that his vision for the company is understood and executed by all employees. On a day-to-day, this means a lot of research and data analysis, giving recommendations on the direction of the editorial content, managing relationships with business partners, and supervising the HR department.

How do you view HR?

HR is the core of every business and is built on a foundation of trust and respect. It requires both knowledge and wisdom to balance the aspirations of employees with the needs of the company. When you treat your employees fairly and have their best interests at heart then they will reward you with their loyalty and best work.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received?

There has never been or will ever be anyone like you. There is something special inside of you that no one has, so don’t compare yourself to others or try to be someone else.

What’s the best part of your job?

The best part of my job would be its unpredictable nature – not knowing for sure what new projects and challenges I will have to face every day. As Chief of Staff, I have to be ready to learn on the fly and juggle multiple hats at the same time.

What’s the worst part?

Administrative work! I’ve never been great at this, but I am lucky enough to be surrounded by detail-oriented perfectionists who make sure I have my I’s dotted and my T’s crossed!

Highlight of your career so far:

Moving from a safe and stable corporate job to a newly-formed startup company in a completely different industry. It was the most challenging thing I’ve done professionally, but it has also been the most rewarding as I have been able to push myself further than I ever thought possible.

Guilty pleasures?

Long walks. Going to Ikea. Listening to podcasts. Good food. Netflix, and Instagram.

One person you would most like to trade places with for a day:

Lisa Bevere. Strong, intelligent, and fearless – someone I aspire to be like.