So, you got the job.The one you wanted. The one you've been working for. The one with the big title, the promising equity package, the ambitious growth target, and a place on the team that the private equity investors are betting on.You said yes. And now the opportunity is here.And so is the pressure.The kind that shows up when every board meeting feels like a chance to prove you’re in control - or reveal you’re not. The kind that tugs at you when your instincts say one thing, your CEO has a different take, and your investors are looking for certainty from both of you. The kind that doesn’t let up - because there’s always another question to answer: Where’s the next big source of growth? What are our competitors doing? What lever haven’t we pulled yet? And what’s at risk of breaking next?The kind that builds until the final exam - when the exit process begins, and every decision you’ve made gets put under the microscope.Despite the stakes, no one ever teaches you what it takes to operate in a PE-backed role. No one teaches you:• How valuable (and powerful) telling a story with data becomes• How one good hire can change the trajectory of a business—and how one misfire can literally cost you years.• How different knowing what to do is from actually making it happen.• Why simplifiers go far while complicators get stuck.• Why momentum is everything - and how fragile it can be.• How to get your team to start taking advantage of AI.• How to pick the right strategy without overcomplicating it.This is what the job demands of you.And it's exactly the stuff I write about here at Hello Operator.
I’m a private equity operating partner. It's my job to find, assess, coach, support, and work alongside the executives responsible for growing these companies. I started Hello Operator to share the kind of lessons you can only learn from real experience inside a PE-backed business, and to unpack the stuff that actually works for CEOs and their teams.This isn’t just about building a more valuable company. It’s about building a career you can be proud of. And it's about taking what's worked for others, putting your own spin on it, and using it to become the leader you've always wanted to be.Some of what you’ll read here is practical. Some of it’s meant to make you think. But all of it is here to help you make the most of the opportunity in front of you - and find a way to make the job your own.If that's the kind of clarity you’ve been looking for, I have good news for you.This is your job. And I'm here to help you get it done.Thanks for reading.
Paul Stansik
Creator of Hello Operator
Hello Operator is an independent publication. It is not affiliated with ParkerGale Capital, and the views expressed—on this site or via the Substack newsletter—are the author’s alone. All content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment, legal, or financial advice.