‘There’s a Lot of Stuff Out There, But What Actually Matters?’, Talking to Sarah Maxwell
Sarah Maxwell
Certain things open our eyes to new ways of seeing. Travel is considered a big one, personal challenges are another. Whether good or bad, these times shake the tectonic plates of our life.
Creative people often need such shifts to break out of their bubble and discover fresh inspiration. But there’s a problem: most of us are trapped in the echo chamber of our algorithms. What we already know is what the internet shows us, and the internet is where we commonly go for answers. Stuck in a loop-de-loop of our blandest likes, how do we find anything meaty to chew over without decamping to the Black Forest or moving to Laos?
Let me introduce you to Chief of Stuff, a new media company founded by Sarah Maxwell, a consultant and strategist whose remarkable experience intersect politics, film, tech, and PR. ‘There’s a lot of stuff out there, but what actually matters?’ the tagline runs.
Currently, Chief of Stuff takes shape as a podcast titled, Bored Meeting, which knowledgably filters out the noise, and hones in on broad but universal topics, whether this be vintage clothing, health apps, movie reviews, debates surrounding new tech, or interviews with change-makers. Sarah is uniquely placed to give insights – throughout her career she’s shown a knack for spotting generation-defining moments.
It started at university when she landed a job with legendary director David Lynch. After working with large-scale distributors such as Amazon and Netflix, a stint working for the Obama campaign, then in sports marketing, she decided to pursue a law degree. ‘Early on I knew I wouldn’t go down the normal legal route,’ Sarah shares.
‘There’s been a pattern. I’m often in places early on, and so I get exposure to things most people don’t see.’
During an internship on the Public Affairs team at AT&T, she helped draft the first law that protected Skype, Facetime, and Zoom; it felt like she had found her calling. ‘I was in San Francisco, and it was an amazing time to be there. All the app-based companies – like Uber and Airbnb – were getting big and disrupting entrenched industries. None of them had policy teams yet, but the writing was on the wall. I knew I wanted to be part of that.’
(L to R) Izzy, Sarah and Kaitlyn
Sarah joined Uber in its early days (as the fourth public affairs hire), contributing to the legalising of ridesharing and shaping its dynamic PR campaigns, which led to viral moments like secret concerts with Kygo and creative activations like delivering UberKITTENS.
Later, she built the brand for UberEats, before moving to crypto start-up Blockchain.com, just before Bitcoin exploded. Her role as Chief of Staff to the CEO is where the name takes inspiration from. She also spearheaded a successful campaign for Epic Games and Spotify to break the Apple App Store’s monopoly, forcing the tech giant to lower its fees for start-ups. ‘‘There’s been a pattern. I’m often in places early on,’ she says, ‘and so I get exposure to things most people don’t see.’
‘Generational wisdom has always been the key to progress, as women we need each other’s stories and insights to thrive.’
Eventually, the pace became exhausting. Sarah decided it was time to channel her knowledge and her network into a new, but timeless product. Born as a newsletter, Chief of Stuff moved to rising app star, Substack. When that began to feel over-saturated, Sarah pivoted to a digital magazine, The Quarterly All-Hands. But when readers began craving shorter, more digestible content, Sarah’s sharp sense of the media landscape led her to create the podcast, Bored Meeting.
(L to R) Kaitlyn, Sarah and Izzy
Two former interns, Izzy Murphy and Kaitlyn Holland, joined Sarah as co-hosts, lending a unique multi-generational perspective to their conversations. Sarah, an American millennial with a powerhouse career across industries, partners Izzy and Kaitlyn, British Gen Z students.
Together, they tackle everything from the mundane to the monumental, creating a rare dialogue between two generations. ‘I think they look at me like their cool cousin,’ Sarah shares, ‘They can come to me for advice about anything.’ She underlines the importance of having that older female guidance – which was missing when she was navigating her twenties.
‘Generational wisdom has always been the key to progress,’ Sarah emphasises, ‘As women we need each other’s stories and insights to thrive.’ This cross-generational approach is the crux of what is special about this podcast. It creates a bridge in a place where relations have largely crumbled away.
If you're tired of recycled content and want to truly understand what’s shaping the next generation, Bored Meeting isn’t just a podcast—it’s your essential guide.
Baby Boomers and Millennials have thrown punches (for avocado toast and inflation, respectively). Both these age groups tend to deride Gen Z. ‘We used to be so tribal, and knowledge was carried forward by women, but we don’t have that in modern society. This podcast is a way to bring that back,’ Sarah explains.
The future of Bored Meeting is limitless. Sarah is no stranger to shaking things up, and innovation is in the podcast’s DNA. As media evolves, no doubt Chief of Stuff will lead the charge, offering fresh takes and bold conversations that stay ahead of the curve. ‘Media will always evolve, and Bored Meeting will be at the forefront, pushing the boundaries and helping pilot these new shifts,’ Sarah states.
If you're tired of recycled content and want to truly understand what’s shaping the next generation, Bored Meeting isn’t just a podcast—it’s your essential guide. Sarah’s talent for nosing out the next big thing is remarkable. But aside from being on the pulse, Bored Meeting is a muscular resource for anyone who wants to learn, be challenged, and look at the world through another lens. It’ll stir your imagination, spark your curiosity, and make you think – something that feels increasingly rare in today’s media landscape.
Catch new episodes of Bored Meeting every Wednesday—available everywhere you get your podcasts.