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How to pitch a podcast guest through their assistant or chief of staff
Past a certain level, you are not writing to the guest. You are writing to the person who protects their time: an executive assistant, a chief of staff, a scheduler. Win that person over and the booking gets easy. Miss them and your email never reaches the desk you were aiming for.
So this note is written to the gatekeeper directly, with respect for the job they do. It hands them everything they need to make a fast yes or no on their principal's behalf. Fill in the details below.
Part of the guide: How to book podcast guests
Make it yours
Fill these in and the invite below rewrites itself.
Subject
Podcast invite for Dr. Lena Ortiz (The Operating Room)
Hi Taylor,
I'm hoping you can help me reach Dr. Lena Ortiz. I host The Operating Room, a weekly show for hospital operations leaders, now in its third year, and I'd like to invite Lena on as a guest.
Here's why I think it's worth their time: our audience is 4,000 healthcare operators, the exact buyers her team sells to.
I've tried to make this easy on your end. It's a 30-minute audio interview, recorded remotely, and I can work entirely around Lena's calendar, including early mornings or a single short window. If it helps, I'll send two or three questions ahead of time so they know exactly what to expect.
If this is a fit, just point me to the best way to book it. And if the answer is no, I completely understand. Thank you for whatever you're able to do.
Best, Morgan
Why this one gets a yes
- It treats the assistant as the decision-maker they are, not an obstacle to route around. Respect for the gatekeeper's role is what gets your email forwarded instead of filed.
- It answers the only two questions a chief of staff has: is this real, and is it worth my principal's time. The credibility line and the value line do that in one sentence each.
- It removes the work. Recorded remotely, questions in advance, entirely around their calendar. Every sentence that makes the booking easier makes the yes more likely.
Common questions
Should I email the executive or their assistant?
For a genuinely busy executive, the assistant is often the faster path, because they control the calendar and screen the inbox. Writing to them directly, with respect for their role, gets you a real decision instead of a message lost in the principal's unread pile. If you have a warm line to the executive, use it. Absent that, the person who runs their schedule is the one who can actually say yes to a date.
How do I write to a chief of staff or executive assistant?
Be direct, be brief, and make their job easy. Say who you are, prove your show is real in one line, and state plainly why the interview is worth their principal's time. Then remove the friction: offer to record remotely, work around the executive's calendar, and send questions in advance. Close by asking how best to book, and make a no completely acceptable. You are helping them make a fast, informed call.
What if the assistant does not reply?
Give it a week, then follow up once, briefly, in the same thread. Assistants manage enormous inboxes, and a short bump near the top is a favor, not a nuisance. If a second note goes unanswered, let it rest. A polite silence is usually a soft no on the principal's behalf, and pushing past it costs you the goodwill you would want if their schedule opens up later.
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