Episode 151

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Published on:

21st May 2026

Ep. 151: Andrew Nelson, Chief of Staff to the CEO at Waste Eliminator

Andrew Nelson is Chief of Staff to the CEO at Waste Eliminator, where he helps drive strategic initiatives, operational execution, and growth across the company’s expanding footprint in the Southeast. Before entering the private sector, Andrew spent six years in the U.S. Army with 3rd Ranger Battalion, completing five deployments across Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He transitioned from the military in 2022 and later earned his MBA from Emory University.

Topics:

  1. Why Portcos Need a Chief of Staff
  2. Military Speed as a PE Advantage
  3. The Military-to-Civilian Shift
  4. Translating Military Skills Into Business

...and so much more.


Top Takeaways

  1. A Chief of Staff can become a force multiplier for a PE-backed CEO. Andrew described the role as part project manager, part operator, and part accountability driver. In lean portfolio companies where leadership teams are stretched thin, a Chief of Staff can help move strategic initiatives forward across operations, finance, systems, and growth projects simultaneously.


  1. Clear ownership prevents projects from stalling. Andrew shared a military execution principle he still uses in business today: every task needs a clear owner, a standard, and a “time hack” — the agreed-upon deadline for completion. Many fast-growing companies struggle because ownership and timelines are vague. As projects pile up inside PE-backed businesses, unclear accountability often becomes the bottleneck that slows execution.


  1. Military operators fit portfolio companies better than Fortune 500s. Andrew made the point that large corporations can feel slow and highly segmented, while lower middle market businesses offer more ownership, faster decision-making, and clearer impact. For many veterans, that environment feels much closer to the pace and accountability they were used to in the military.


  1. The right network changes the trajectory of a transition. Andrew’s path to Waste Eliminator didn’t come through LinkedIn or a recruiter. It came through a direct introduction from a 51 Vets member who had already made a similar move. One of Andrew’s biggest takeaways was how valuable it is to have people a few years ahead of you who understand both the military background and the PE/portfolio company world. 51 Vets is that network, with 500+ members from the special operations and aviation communities and mentors across IB, PE, consulting, and operating roles.


About Waste Eliminator

Waste Eliminator is a waste and recycling platform focused on sustainable waste solutions and landfill diversion. The company handles a broad range of waste streams, serving customers from households to large commercial and industrial facilities. Backed by Allied Industrial Partners, Waste Eliminator has expanded through acquisitions and now operates across multiple locations throughout Georgia and the broader Southeast.


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About the Podcast

Investors & Operators
A Podcast by 51 Labs
The M&A market can be boring, but everyone has a story. The Investors & Operators podcast is about discovering the stories people were holding back, didn’t know how to tell, or forgot about. The goal is simple: fresh, authentic storytelling to bring people together in the M&A community.

With over 1M organic views and counting on LinkedIn, 51 Labs is disrupting the M&A market through the use of videography and content creation. In a market that longs for authenticity, 51 Labs helps strengthen your brand and tell your story. From concept to distribution, we strategize and produce thoughtful content to be used across a multitude of channels, to help you stand out in an otherwise traditionally boring market.

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About your host

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Jordan Selleck

Founder. Recovering Investment Banker. 3x Entrepreneur. Philz Coffee Enthusiast.

Jordan Selleck is a recovering investment banker turned 3x entrepreneur. While teaching English in China, Jordan met an investment banker in a bar and before he knew it he’d spent six years in cross-border investment banking advising global corporates and private equity firms on M&A deals up to $250 million.

As much as Jordan loved investment banking, he always knew he was meant to do something more. In 2016, Jordan founded Debtmaven, a deal management platform for debt financing in the lower middle market. It was while he was marketing Debtmaven on LinkedIn that Jordan found his true passion: building meaningful relationships in the lower middle market.

Seeing over 50% of Debtmaven’s $450million+ in deals come from LinkedIn, he realized he’d found an untapped market and began his journey with LinkedIn consulting. Dozens of clients and a handful of extraordinarily talented employees later, 51 Labs is a thriving marketing agency for the lower middle market that produces captivating content and generates organic traffic across LinkedIn.

Jordan was born in San Diego, grew up in North Carolina and attended UNC-Chapel Hill. He has traveled to 32 countries, lived in China for 18 months, trains Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, is a fourth-generation private pilot, SCUBA dives, speaks Mandarin Chinese, and is a husband and father of 2.