Melissa Winter On What It Means to Be Michelle Obama's Chief of Staff

Our next guest, Melissa Winter, has a career that’s so remarkable and, yet, hard to pin down. In fact, that’s the point. Melissa has been the Chief of Staff to former First Lady Michelle Obama for the past seven years. She first joined Mrs. Obama’s staff 17 years ago when President Obama was a Senator in Chicago, and would go on to serve all eight years of the Obama White House administration as Deputy Chief of Staff. 

Since 2017, Melissa has moved away from public service and started a new chapter working with The Obama Organization, Higher Ground Productions, and When We All Vote. 

She is the ultimate get. it. done. professional, who ensures everything in the background operates smoothly so her principal can meet her goals. But Melissa never expected to be here and on this episode of Work Friends she tells us all about it, including:

• the very unexpected internship that brought her to D.C.
• why she didn’t want to work for Mrs. Obama, and what changed her mind.
• what a Chief of Staff job actually looks like.
• the life-changing experience of entering, and exiting, the White House.
• and the vital work she’s focused on at When We All Vote.

Work Friends is produced by ARGENT (www.argentwork.com), a women’s clothing label on a mission to redefine workwear and drive forward women’s progress.

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