The Second CEO Operating System
Navigator is built for the one arriving. From day one through the entire period, it helps you make the handoff work, align the board and team, and keep momentum building.
ETJ Life’s Navigator program gives PE-backed CEOs a system to succeed at every stage: onboarding, scaling, and renewal. Clear priorities, coach-led guidance, and PE-paced checkpoints ensure the investment thesis translates into lasting results.
The Reality of the Role
As a PE backed CEO, you are the top 1%. The stakes are high, expectations unclear. You’re used to pressure, but a new board, team, and timeline make this different. Even top performers feel unsure at first.
You’re not alone.
As a PE backed CEO you sign up for:
- 5–7 years of pressure
- Constant scrutiny
- Relentless execution
You accept a temporary disruption in hopes of a permanent breakthrough. Everyone says: “Find balance.”
But for a PE backed CEO, balance is impossible.
The PE Backed CEO Lifecycle
The Whole CEO: Navigator is built for this moment.
You’ll get a trusted guide, and a proven structure designed for PE backed CEOs to help you focus, accelerate, and lead without losing yourself.
We help you integrate the demands of leadership with the rest of your life, so you can create results that last and a life you actually want to live.
What You Get
You won’t just get a coach.
You’ll co-create a personal path forward, customized to your season and your strengths, so you can scale smarter and lead more fully.
A Dedicated Executive Coach – one who has sat in your seat and can walk you through your specific challenges
A Life Coach – one who works with the same level of rigor
Exclusively Curated Peer Group – peers like you, who actually get it
Mentorship & Network – access to those who have been where you are
What The Whole CEO Provides
Our research-backed, codified methodology for success includes the following:
In private equity, the real risk is the leadership handoff.
ETJ Life’s Second CEO Operating System TM brings structure to exits, onboarding, and team alignment, so when the handoff works, the investment works.
Value Creation Plan (VCP)
A focused roadmap that aligns leadership, board, and team on priorities to drive results.
Coach-led guidance
One-on-one and group coaching tailored to each role in the transition.
Diagnotic tools
Assessments that identify tension points before they impact performance.
PE-paced milestones
Timed checkpoints that match private equity’s speed and expectations.
The System Scales With Your Team
A CEO doesn’t succeed alone. The Second CEO Operating System extends to your leadership team, ensuring alignment, resilience, and performance across the hold period.
The Executive Team Offering
Leader Alignment & Rhythm
Shared roadmap and cadence that keeps the CEO, board, and leadership team in sync.
Role Coaching & Transition
Focused support for CFOs, CROs, and leaders to accelerate growth and avoid stalls.
Team Insights & Diagnostics
Assessments that reveal blind spots, tension points, and gaps before they slow results.
How ETJL Coaches Support First-Time CEOs
ETJL Coaches have lived in the CEO seat often in high-pressure, private equity-backed environments. They understand the weight of the role, especially when following a founder, and offer support that’s direct, practical, and grounded in experience.
CEO Coaching & Growth
Many CEOs bring strong operational experience but limited space to recalibrate.
ETJL Coaches create space and structure to:
- Clarify leadership focus and decision rhythm
- Strengthen go-to-market confidence and clarity
- Balance execution with long-term perspective
- Build momentum through consistent reflection
Team Alignment & Culture
Inheriting a team is one thing—shaping your own requires deeper intention.
ETJL Coaches help CEOs and teams to:
- Assess team strengths, gaps, and priorities
- Align around shared principles and expectations
- Improve communication, trust, and connection
- Shift from reactive to intentional leadership
Board Partnership & Governance
Board dynamics often shape both the pace and impact of your leadership.
ETJL Coaches guide CEOs to:
- Clarify roles, expectations, and outcomes
- Build trust and credibility with the board
- Navigate early tensions and transitions
- Strengthen alignment for greater impact
The System Scales with Your Team
Unlock a battle-tested, research-backed CEO methodology from Matt Sharrers, founder of ETJ Life.
His Amazon Best Seller, The Second CEO, forms the cornerstone of the proven framework that powers our program.
Interested in seeing if you are a fit for our program?
Fill out the form below or email membership@etjlife.com, and we will be in contact with more information.