Assistant Stories

Two years ago I launched Assistants Together at the beginning of the first lockdown, who would have thought that two years later we would be doing a live episode at the PA Show in London. PA Show If you'd like to take advantage of the 10% discount from entry to The PA Show then use our code at checkout PA2272 and click this link to buy tickets - https://rfg.circdata.com/publish/PAS22/?source=HenriettaBarker Thank you to everyone who has listened and supported the podcast so far and hope to see you there. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/assistantstogether/message

This week I am welcoming Ruth Kilah, a Productivity & Wellbeing Strategist and Founder of Hoxton Hyde. During Ruth's career as a Senior EA and Project Manager she lived in London and worked in the City. After years of not prioritising her health ruth had to make a big change. I absolutely love the fact that Ruth decided to take such a bold step in prioritising herself and she shares exactly how she decided to do that. Ruth launched Hoxton Hyde because she wanted to help EAs and PAs to become highly productive and strategic business partners by increasing their productivity by helping them focus on their wellbeing. I love Ruth's approach to her work and I am so pleased to be able to share our conversation with you today. Get in touch with Ruth today: https://hoxtonhyde.com.au/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-kilah/ Get in touch with Hen today: @assistantstogether www.workklife.com PA Show If you'd like to take advantage of the 10% discount from entry to The PA Show then use our code at checkout PA2272 and click this link to buy tickets - https://rfg.circdata.com/publish/PAS22/?source=HenriettaBarker --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/assistantstogether/message

I had the pleasure of speaking with Debra Coleman this week. It was tremendous fun having this conversation. She had actually interviewed me for her own podcast, Have a Seat which was terrifying but really fun too. You can check the episode out if you click here. Some of the things we speak about: - Launching her podcast, what she's learnt and why she started it - Confidence and how our perception of ourselves influence the choices we make - The importance of keeping going regardless of how you feel - Pivoting in her role during the pandemic - Creating a remote work environment and how to navigate our new landscape - Should you fake it until you make it? Get in touch with Debra https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-coleman1/ Listen to Debra interviewing me here https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1495661306?mt=2&ls=1 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/assistantstogether/message

I'm excited to welcome Suzie Flynn back to the podcast this week. Suzie is a Mindset & Business Coach and she works with Executive Assistants who want to start a Virtual Assistant business as well. The new year brings a barrage of information about how we have to reinvent ourselves, have loads of New Years resolutions and get into a new space mentally and emotionally. So much of this is flawed and we can find ourselves falling short a few days or weeks into the process. When we are thinking about doing anything new in our lives we need tools to help us because things aren't going to always go to plan. We can self sabotage, feel imposter syndrome and not know how to move forward so we go back to what felt more comfortable and easy for us to cope with. Even if that thing was really uncomfortable in reality. That's why we're having this conversation because wherever you are, you can take steps to make the changes that you want. In this episode we talk about: - bringing positivity into the present moment - Self sabotage, why we have it and what purpose it is trying to serve in our lives - Why unconscious patterns run - How to chose a different path - Setting goals and how you can connect with them more deeply If you'd like to connect with Suzie then head to https://suzieflynn.com https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyourvirtualassistantbusinesswithconfidence https://linkedin.com/in/suzieflynn https://suzieflynn.com/va-startup-guide https://suzieflynn.ac-page.com/hidden-money-block Or search Suzie Flynn on LinkedIn --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/assistantstogether/message

This week is a really special episode for any office managers out there or if you're in a hybrid role where you do some office management because I'm speaking with some of the winners from the first UK based office management awards. Launched by Hana Gray, the Founder of The Office Management Group to create a space where Office Managers can be recognised and celebrated for their work. After finding that all office management awards were given as part of an award ceremony for Assistants, Hana decided to create a unique event specifically for office managers. They're the first people to be awarded recognition for their contributions to businesses, which, after the last couple of years especially, is so well deserved. I know that office managers have had an incredibly challenging time managing, not only the practical elements of the role but also helping people cope. That's why it was so great to hear their experiences, not only of this, but also about the future of the office management role. It was great to have the chance to have these conversations and in a way mark a moment in time for the profession and community. Details of how to enter the 2022 awards are included in the episode and of the The Office Management Group Course is included as well. If you want to get in touch with any of the winners, all the details are available below as well as all the links to previous episodes with Hana Gray and details of the course too. Previous Episodes with Hana Gray: Launching The Office Management Group https://anchor.fm/assistantstogether/episodes/Hana-Gray--Founder-of-The-Office-Management-Portal-and-Black-and-White-Consultancy-eec43p Launching the Office Management Course, Awards and Show https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/hana-gray-the-office-management-course-awards-and-show/id1488624619?i=1000515231974 Launching the Office Management Awards https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/hana-gray-launching-the-office-management-awards/id1488624619?i=1000502636870 The Office Management Group & Portal https://www.theofficemanagementgroup.com The Office Management Course https://www.theofficemanagementgroup.com/the-course The Office Management Awards https://www.theofficemanagementgroup.com/the-awards Guests in order: Hana Gray - Founder of The Office Management Group & Awards Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hana-gray-theomg/ Zaharin Jabir - Winner of The Office Management Awards 2021 in two categories (Office Management Project Of The Year and Procurement Project Of The Year) LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zaharin-jabir-ab809520/ Tracey-Anne Green - Winner of the Start-up Office Manager of the Year 2021 Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracey-anne-green-497b4940/ Nicola Ward, Co-Founder, Cake Drop - Winner of Supplier of the Year LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicola-ward-30404427/ Website - www.cakedroplondon.com Kate Turgoose - Winner of Office Manager of the Year LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kateturgoose/ Megan O'Connell - Winner of Hybrid Office Manager of the Year LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganoconnell-s10/ Wade Taylor - Winner of Manager of the Year LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/wade-taylor-7a9652155/ Henrietta Barker  

Victoria Wratten is the CEO and Founder of the Executive & Personal Assistants Association. A legally registered, government approved, not for profit professional body for Executive and Business Support Professionals in the UK. Victoria is a former award-winning EA with over 15 years experience across the public, third and corporate sectors. She is extremely passionate about the roles within Executive and Business Support and she actively encourages it as a truly fantastic career choice. For nearly two decades, Victoria has been actively involved in the Executive and Business Support industry and have worked with EAs and PAs from across the world. Victoria regularly presents at events/conferences and mentor/coach Assistants and help them to truly excel in their role. Our conversation today is not only about how Victoria started out in her career, the roles that have shaped and changed her but how life's twists and turns can take you in unexpected but incredibly rewarding directions. Victoria is so frank and open about her life and experiences, not just her mentors and the people that she's worked with but also about Not Just A Girl's Job which is a campaign that was launched to bring awareness to the men who worked in our profession. Every single man I have interviewed on the podcast has mentioned it and Victoria and speak about it. It was a real pleasure to speak with her about her career and EPAA and I know that you'll enjoy hearing about her experiences. Some of the things we speak about:

I had the pleasure of speaking with Monique Helstrom who I am sure many of you know. Monique was the Executive Assistant to Simon Sinek, the New York Times Best Selling Author and TED celebrity. This episode is really about change. Change whether it's wanted or unwanted can be so difficult to navigate and it was really a pleasure to speak with Monique about her experiences of change in her life. Monique was a workaholic, someone who knew how to work and whose life was defined in many ways by the work she was doing. Being part of such a dynamic movement was incredibly rewarding but there came a time when the 80 hour weeks had to stop. Monique, like many people going through change, was free falling. Today we speak about how Monique redefined her life's work, the steps she took to create a different life using her unique talents and abilities and how, she believes, anyone can do the same. Enjoy. Just some of the things we speak about in the episode are:

Carol Pito is based in Auckland, New Zealand and has created and consciously carved out a career as a strategic Executive Assistant. We use the term strategic a lot on this podcast and discuss how she moved away from being simply transactional to create a different path where she is actively working with the executive committee to define the goals of the business Carol shares a specific framework she used to transform her role to give her a seat at the illusive table. Not only that, she contributes to the leadership team and has been able to take this information and share it with others. Carol is an advocate for our community, and is vocal about how the role is changing , wanting to help others elevate their own career through her writing, speaking at events and being on podcasts just like this one. This episode is for you if you want to know how you can change your role, how you can be more strategic and carve out a real space for yourself in a business to use your unique talents and capabilities to help others. Carol really breaks this down in a granular way for us today which is why this episode is so special. It's going to show you the small steps Carol took in her own life and career and encourages you to do the same. Some of the things we speak about:

I was so pleased to have the chance to speak with Alice this week. Alice is well known as the Founder of The CWPA Club and operates as an Executive Assistant working in financial services. After her maternity leave in 2017, she realised there was no group in Canary Wharf for Assistants. For anyone outside of London, Canary Wharf is a part of London where a lot of financial organisations are based and it's close to the City as well. Alice launched CWPA it and it quickly went from strength to strength delivering events, networking and a support platform for Assistants in the City and Canary Wharf. You can find details below if you'd like to get involved. I have also had the chance to speak with some of the members which was really good fun. Alice lost her job during the pandemic and speaks about just how important it is to build a network to be able to reach out to others when you're in need of help. It's fascinating to hear about her experiences starting a job, having never met her executive or the team in person. Alice is also incredibly candid about the personal experiences which have shaped a lot of her decisions, making her a passionate advocate for mental health and even becoming a Mental Health First Aider, training others to be able to support people. Some of the things we speak about:

Marco has been working as an Executive Assistant in the Pharmaceutical industry for the past five years. Marco is based in Italy although he studied for his Masters in London. He took his MA in Corporate Communication. Marco is till really passionate about communications which shows in his work. Marco loves being an Executive Assistant, he is role is a very strategic one, and he works to support the Senior Leaders and Managers in the Oncology Business unit. Marco is really passionate about challenging himself in and out of work. He speaks four languages and loves travelling, whatever the reason. Marco is really always challenging himself and working towards cementing his purpose in his career. Just some of the things we speak about:

Lucy Brazier is the CEO of Marcham Publishing, and publisher of Executive Support magazine. Lucy took over what was at the time a simple newsletter, and developed it into the brand it is today. Lucy has spoken at over 500 events held in over 40 countries. She delivers training, support and practical advice to help administrative professionals all over the world be the best at what they do. Lucy is deeply involved with Isipho Admin, a South African charity which helps young people into the administrative profession and help them change not only their, but also their families lives. If this wasn't enough, Lucy has also been involved with working with the World Administrators Summit to create the The Skills Matrix, a soon to be globally recognised professional framework for admin professionals with clear levels of attainment that will change the way that we hire, train and promote people giving them a clear career roadmap. To top all of that off, Lucy has just received an OBE for her work within the industry where she was mentioned in the Queen's Birthday Honors List this year. It's a huge recognition of all the hard work and dedication she has and continues to put into advocating for assistants. Lucy Brazier

Rhonda Scharf is a well-recognised professional speaker, trainer, consultant and author based both in Ottawa, Canada and Fort Myers, Florida. Rhonda was an Executive Assistant but she was amazing at teaching other people how to use tech in their roles. She quickly became a trainer and then started her own business helping others. Since 1993 she has worked with tens of thousands of people in dozens of different countries. Rhonda has such a fun way of presenting things, she's honest and tells us how to achieve the things we want to. We speak about:

Alice Dartnell is a life and success coach who is passionate about helping people create a life by design. Life during and coming out of covid can be difficult, we are all in different parts of this pandemic but as things are changing again it can be daunting. That's why Alice and I are speaking about some of the things we can do to create a great framework for ourselves to support our own experiences and look after ourselves at this point. Literally whatever this point in time is for you. Alice has overcome her own personal battles, such as an eating disorder, she lacked confidence and suffered from severe depression. She knows first hand how powerful personal development and shifting mindset can be. We're breaking down what mindset is, how we can create a good relationship with our mindset and continue to work on it. We speak about specific things we can do to cultivate a great framework for ourselves. We're all in need of some ways to create more balance and enjoyment, especially at the moment. Let's Jump in. The Miracle Morning Challenge - Register here - https://alicedartnell.com/miracle-morning-21-day-challenge/

My guests are Kerry Robinson and Cate Heaphy, the founders of The Online Assistants. Both really experienced and successful Executive Assistants, Kerry and Cate launched their business after they shared a bottle of wine and started talking about the future of the assistant role and how they felt how they would fit into that. They quickly launched the business, and worked incredibly hard to really build a successful operation. They’ve set their own rules about how they want to live their lives and how and where they choose to work. This has allowed them to push forward with the business on their terms and they have learned so so much along the way. Together they share the trials and tribulations of launching a business, building relationships and setting boundaries, as well as how they have learned on the job. Kerry and Cate are so determined and open about their experiences which is really generous - it’s not often you hear business owners talk so candidly about their successes and failures. They both clearly love what they do and it’s so great to hear their growth mindset has enabled them to push forward and create the lives that they want. This is a must listen for anyone who is thinking of taking the leap of becoming a VA and shaping their own career.

Annie Croner is my guest and Annie is a career EA and founder of Whole Assistant, an online platform & community, formed to provide a positive place where assistants can go to transform their lives and up level their careers. Annie has made it her focus to help assistants achieve their goals and manage everything on their plates, while finding freedom from overwhelm and burnout. Annie is a trained Coach and she supports people through transitions and events in their lives. Annie suffered a life changing event which led her through some dark times where she was forced to re evaluate ever aspect of her life. The moment of clarity that she had became a totally defining moment, knowing that things would change completely. That led her to create a space for Assistants to find their own way through their lives with support through coaching and a community to empower you to create a life that you really want while looking after yourself. Just some of the things we speak about in this episode are:

Happy Administrative Professionals Day everyone

Lisa Boissel is the Managing Director of Miss Jones PA. She is an incredibly experienced event planner and connector who loves bringing people together and has been at the helm of Miss Jones PA for the past eight years. Miss Jones PA is the leading Assistant and events community in the UK and I am thrilled that Lisa spoke with me. If you have used their event calendar to see what is happening in our community, been to an event in person (pre pandemic obviously), attended one of the virtual summits or even attended their incredible PA Awards, then you’ll know the how meticulous Lisa is in what she delivers. Serving the community with over 100 free webinars and training throughout the last year, Lisa is a real advocate for collaboration in our industry. We’re speaking about how she built Miss Jones PA, the community, how life has been over the past year and what events she has planned over the next few months. The Miss Jones PA network allows our members to develop and grow their skillset, meet with like minded individuals and influencers and introduce their network to the best venues and suppliers to develop personal relationships when booking. Membership is open to ALL assistants globally!  Just some of the things we speak about in this episode are:

Shirwyn Weber is a South African based C-Level Executive Assistant with over 12 years of cross industry experience. He is an accomplished professional with numerous awards and accolades, including PAFSA PA of the Year. Shirwyn is an advocate for men in the profession, having faced discrimination when applying for roles and is fearless in discussing his own experiences in order to raise awareness and campaign for change in our industry. A mentor for the ISHIPO, a South African charity that works with young people to access funding and mentorship to enter the admin profession, Shirwyn is driven by improving the lives of others less fortunate than himself. Just some of the things we speak about:

Hana Gray is such a force in our industry. As the Founder of The Office Management Group she is championing and elevating office managers in so many ways. Hana has been on the podcast before speaking about the need to really celebrate office managers and has been creating so much in the last year, continuing to build her community, launching the very first UK Awards to celebrate the work that they do and now creating a specific Institute of Administrative Professionals accredited course for office managers. The course is going to really allow office managers to create a learning framework that is incredibly specific to their needs. Realising that each person is unique and that there has never been specific training for office managers, Hana knew that she wanted to support people in elevating heir careers. The course launches in July and will be London based initially. Hana has built engaged and committed community that have supported each other throughout this pandemic. She talks about their experiences, how this has impacted them and how hard it has been at times. We spoke about how companies are responding to the return to the office and how office managers are leading the way in creating safe environments to enable teams to feel comfortable working together again in person. Just some of the topics we speak about are:

Hallie Warner, Force Multiplier, Chief of Staff, Author and Business & Career Consultant. Hallie is well known as the Chief of Staff to the Founder and CEO, Adam Hergenrother whom she has worked with for ten years. Hallie is also the co-author of The Founder & The Force Multiplier: How Entrepreneurs and Executive Assistants Achieve More Together. I was really excited to speak with Hallie, her impact has been seen throughout our industry and she has such a great way of articulating what’s important to her. We absolutely speak about how she transitioned into a Chief of Staff role and why she feels it’s important for people to choose the role that’s right for them and work towards that. We know that Chief of Staff feels like quite a sexy term at the moment and it’s certainly very aspirational. Hallie breaks down some of the role for us and talks about her journey to the Chief of Staff role. Hallie gets a lot done. In her work, her personal goals and she shared some insights into how we can achieve them more easily. Something a lot of us want to do. I loved her ability to really get to the core of some of the issues that Assistants are facing and help us break down how we can really implement strategies to change the working relationship and create the career that you want. In this episode Hallie mentions the Founder and The Force Multiplier Live Course which launches on April 7th. Click here if you’re interested in hearing more about it http://bit.ly/FFM_2021 Just some of the topics we speak about are:

Shelagh Donnelly is my guest this week. No doubt you’ll have seen her posts on social. Maybe voted in one of her weekend polls? Read some of the interviews In her series Real Careers or attended one of her incredible talks. Shelagh is a speaker, trainer and writer: founder and publisher of Exceptional EA. Shelagh was an Assistant for almost three decades. She’s tremendously inspiring, positive and authentic. When you hear Shelagh speak, you know she understands the career and has fantastic insights on its ongoing evolution. We speak about perfectionism, hybrid working, pandemic survival mode, exercising independent thinking and more.  Shelagh has been hosting webinars on topics like negotiation, project management, image, profile and brand as well as Governance and onboarding. Just to name a few. Be sure to listen to the end as Shelagh is offering all Assistants Together listeners a really generous 20% off discount if you use the code - HENTOLDME by the end of March 2021.  Topics covered: 

As an Assistant you cannot miss this episode, this is a very special episode with Lauren Bradley, Founder of The Officials. Lauren has been a guest on the podcast before and our conversations about careers led to me creating a course for The Officials members. Lauren and I deep dive into how you can really shape your career in the way that you want to. Lauren and I have had so many conversations about careers and job searching that we decided to record it and share it with you instead of keeping these things to ourselves. Earlier this year I created a course for The Officials called Success Planning for Career Growth. We know what it’s like, you’re busy and you like your job so you aren’t thinking about are shaping your career and how to position yourself to get the opportunities that you want. Or you need a job and you’re not sure what is going wrong in your job search. This course I created can be used at any time in your career to really assess where you are and how you can move forward. You can access the course as part of The Officials membership and check out the links below to find out more about this community. We are really busting myths about job searching and careers here! You can find all the information about The Officials, the courses we mention, the webinar we did and how you can get in touch with Lauren below. Just some of the things we speak about:

Alex Foster is an Executive Assistant who knew that this was the career he wanted for a long time. It took some time for him to take the steps to become an Assistant and went for it, but it wasn’t without difficulties. He needed tenacity to be able to build a career in a space that is dominated by women. Only 6% of Assistants are men and Alex came face to face with some of the gender biases that exist within our industry. When he started to interview for roles it was clear that people weren’t expecting him to be interested in the job. The perception that this is a job held by females only is still out there in many industries and businesses. Not letting that deter him, he has worked hard to build his reputation and brand to be able to move the needle on his career. Alex has really had to fight for his career, this tenacity and speed of moving on from set backs that has allowed him to keep moving towards his goal. His love of this community is clear and he is still working to create the career that he wants, it’s a candid conversation about his experiences and perception of the industry today. From the role being undervalued by businesses, discrimination and gender bias, community, and personal brand. He speaks about it all. We speak about:

Jessica Robbins is an incredibly successful Executive Assistant working for Loréal as the PA to the GM of Lancôme and PA to the GM of Yves Saint Laurent Beauté. Jessica has achieved so much in her career, working for Samsung Electronics for twelve years as an Assistant and then moving to Loréal a few years ago. What I found so refreshing was that Jess was able to articulate so clearly what her transition was like, working for a more corporate tech firm, moving to a really fast paced and dynamic business like Loréal. Jess has achieved so much and has been so dedicated to her career, wanting to move forward and create and carve out a role for herself and she was doing just that, and then the pandemic hit. The fast paced nature of her role and then the enforced stop that some of us experienced meant that Jess had to reevaluate a lot in her life. The last year has been an incredibly transformational one for her, both in her personal life and in her work and this is what we speak about. Jess and I cover:

It was such a pleasure to welcome Nadine King to Assistants Together this week. Nadine is Special Assistant to the Provost at Spelman University, Founder of Black Admin Magic and the newly launched the National Association of Black Administrative Professionals and also author of The Ninja: Chronicles of an Assistant. Nadine opened up on why she felt compelled to write her book and the circumstances that led her to launch both Black Admin Magic and NABAP. Nadine and I speak about diversity and inclusion and the deep emotional impact of racism and unconscious bias. Our conversation is emotional and raw at times as Nadine speaks with utter honesty about her life experiences and it was humbling to hear her talk about the challenges she has overcome in her life. As Nadine says in the podcast, there isn’t a full stop when it comes to racism, we can’t finish that conversation, because frankly it isn’t over. We must keep it front of mind, become better allies and I encourage you to continue speaking about this topic with your friends and family. The event that Nadine speaks about in the episode is the inaugural gathering of the National Association of Black Administrative Professionals, Inc. This year's theme is: Black Admin Magic and Beyond. You will hear from some of the leading voices in the industry and will have access to BAM empowerment, training and more. Registration can be completed on their temporary page (www.nabap.org) Nadine speaks about:

Mallory Rothstein, Founder of More Than An Admin, Learn What Matters, Administrative Business Partner at Google & TEDx Speaker. Mallory is on a mission to help teens and assistants level up on their personal development journey to fulfil their purpose and have a greater impact. She started Learn What Matters to create alumni programmes for high schools, help teens invest in self awareness and provide coaching and workshops. Mallory is also a TEDx speaker, talking about when she went back to her high school. Mallory has also founded More Than An Admin, a community for people to share experiences and ideas about their administrative role. Mallory knew that she wanted to start this when she started to speak with her peers at Google. She realised that she wanted to help people learn, discover and leverage who they were and what their purpose is both within their role and outside of it. Mallory knows that she won’t want to be in an administrative role forever, but works to be the best at what she does, whilst acknowledging there are other opportunities out there. Helping people have a bigger business impact is also an important factor for her, as is understanding the value that you bring will allow you to support people in your own unique way. It’s also a space that allows you to transition out of the role, if that feels the right thing for you. This is something that we don’t speak about very much and a conversation that is more and more prevalent at the moment. We speak about: ✨How to build really successful working relationships ✨Transitioning out of an administrative role ✨How to make a big impact in your role ✨How you can reduce stress at work ✨Really getting to know people you work with ✨How to know yourself ✨Documenting your journey to show growth ✨Tedx talk and what it was like to speak about her experience ✨What happens when you don’t know what you want to do with your career ✨Executives who don’t want to let go of their Assistants ✨How timing is everything You can listen to the podcast everywhere that you listen to your podcasts

When I saw the Instagram handle @theunemployedassistant I needed to know who this was. You can imagine that it peaked my interest and not just from a professional capacity, I just loved the forth rite name and I had to find out more. Jeff Marchand is an Executive Assistant in a Fortune 100 company and when he started his instagram account he had just been through a professional breakup. He had been hired for a role and it just didn’t work out. This happens to people regularly, but there is often a sense of disappointment, loss and uncertainty that naturally comes with a situation like this. Jeff went through a period of self reflection, interviews and discovering a world of Assistants who wanted to connect through social media. He speaks candidly about the process of finding a job, the rejection, the self protection and how to find your way through difficult times. He even set up a side hustle during the March 2020 lockdown to allow his creative side to come through. Jeff has four dogs, soon to be seven (I think this number has actually gone up) because his husband David is a dog breeder. He started to create stickers, accessories and t shirts. A place for his creativity to expand was born. You can find his business on Instagram and Etsy - check out the links below. We speak about: ✨Rejection is redirection ✨How to get back on your feet ✨The power of friends and community ✨How the Unemployed Assistant started out ✨Starting a side hustle ✨The importance of finding the right role ✨Interviews and applying for jobs ✨When an Assistant role doesn’t work out *********************************************** You can listen to the podcast everywhere that you listen to your podcasts

I was so excited to speak with Daniel Skermer, the  Founder of the  PA Forum. Daniel founded the hugely successful PA Forum in 2016. Having worked within the hospitality industry Daniel developed his ability to connect, inspire and communicate with people. His talent at bringing people together to celebrate their work, their life and their unique abilities is obvious.  Daniel almost accidentally launched the PA Forum. He needed to start connecting with people in Birmingham so that he could succeed in his new job. He’d been out of the country working for some time and a chance meeting with an Executive Assistant unlocked a whole new world to him. I’ll leave it to him to describe how the forum was launched but it’s amazing the power of the Assistant community.   Daniel has worked tirelessly to host Learning and Development Conferences for Business Support professionals and award ceremonies to recognise and celebrate the PAs, EAs and VAs. Not only this, he has joined together with other regional Assistant groups to share resources and they are creating another level of collaboration.  Daniel is a real force for the profession, his enthusiasm and commitment for what he does makes him very unique It was such a pleasure to speak about how he is continuing to put his PA Forum members' first.   Enjoy.  We speak about:  

This week I am joined by Nick Ginsburg who has been on the podcast but I have been following what he’s been up to and I felt like we needed to revisit what he has been doing.  Nick is the Host of The Open Drive podcast where he shares his life experiences and how he has created the life he has now. It’s an incredibly raw and honest account of his life and I know that it has brought a huge amount of comfort to so many other people who have had similar life experiences.  He is an Executive Assistant, Speaker, Coach and Advocate and he has now launched The Collective as well. Phew. He’s been busy. The Collective is a judgement free community where shared knowledge and experience rule.If you love learning from other administrative professionals and leaders in our world wide community, all while having a laugh, this is for you!  I really enjoyed this dictionary definition. Collective (adjective ) - Done or shared by every member of the group. With the monthly membership you get access to a monthly Zoom Call, a monthly Educational webinar and a Private Slack Channel.  I don’t know what we don’t cover in this episode but here are a few of the things we do:  

⚡️About Assistants Together I (Henrietta) started Assistants Together in March 2020. I have spent the last ten years working in talent and have worked with thousands of Assistants to help them create the career that they want. One of the things I love the most about my job is speaking with Assistants, when I interview and speak with them I find out so much about their lives, their careers and who they are in the world. I wanted to bring this to you and share what I’ve learnt and am learning through this process. New episodes drop every Wednesday. We'd love to hear from you - drop us a line at assistantstogether@gmail.com ************************************************************************************************************************************ This week it’s just me on the podcast. I wanted to say a big Thank You to you all for making this all possible. I was still recovering from a major operation when I started Assistants Together in March. As we went into lockdown I wanted to really find out how people were feeling and how Assistants were coping with the lockdown. I had no idea that it would grow into this and that I would have had the chance to interview people that I now consider friends. I am endlessly inspired by my guests, their understanding of their roles and their kindness. They want to share with you what they know to help people, this is phenomenal. I know that what they share helps a lot of people in their job and their lives. I am so grateful to have had the chance to do this and I am so looking forward to 2021 and bringing you more and more episodes. Thank you The next episode will be on 6th Jan 2021. ************************************************************************************************************************************* You can listen to the podcast everywhere that you listen to your podcasts

Hana Gray is the Founder of the Black and White Office Consultancy and The Office Management Group. Their aim is to support and advise people that are responsible for running offices, including general office management, facilities, procurement and business continuity planning.   Hana is a total force within our industry and was on the podcast in March speaking about her career and how she launched these two businesses and grew her community. You can listen to that episode if you haven’t already because it is so fascinating to find out what drives Hana.  I really wanted Hana back this time to speak about The Office Management Awards. The Office Management Awards are the first official UK awards celebrating and recognising office management professionals. How exciting is that?! What an incredibly exciting and important event that we can all get involved in, this is a real turning point for the profession and it's down to Hana and her absolute passion and drive for bringing resources, community and she is a true advocate for this community.  We speak about:  ⚡️Why Hana decided now was the time to create these incredible awards  ⚡️What categories there are  ⚡️The process of entering the awards  ⚡️Why you should nominate yourself   ⚡️Why it’s so important to acknowledge and celebrate office management professionals  ⚡️The increase in hybrid roles   ⚡️Just how exciting these awards are going to be!   Do enter today - you can go to https://www.bw-oc.com/the-omg/the-omas/ to find out more and get in touch with Hana if you want to connect as well.   ⚡️About Assistants Together   I (Henrietta) started Assistants Together in March 2020. I have spent the last ten years working in talent and have worked with thousands of Assistants to help them create the career that they want. One of the things I love the most about my job is speaking with Assistants, when I interview and speak with them I find out so much about their lives, their careers and who they are in the world. I wanted to bring this to you and share what I’ve learnt and am learning through this process.  New episodes drop every Wednesday. We'd love to hear from you - drop us a line at assistantstogether@gmail.com  ******************************************  You can listen to the podcast everywhere that you listen to your podcasts 

⚡️About Assistants Together  I (Henrietta) started Assistants Together in March 2020. I have spent the last ten years working in talent and have worked with thousands of Assistants to help them create the career that they want. One of the things I love the most about my job is speaking with Assistants, when I interview and speak with them I find out so much about their lives, their careers and who they are in the world. I wanted to bring this to you and share what I’ve learnt and am learning through this process.  New episodes drop every Wednesday. We'd love to hear from you - drop us a line at assistantstogether@gmail.com This week's guest is Loren Elkins. Loren has had an illustrious career working as an Assistant to stars such as Nathan Lane, Ed Helms, Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas to name a few. She has also been hired by film and television production companies to work with stars such as Faye Dunaway, Whitney Houston, Val Kilmer and Toni Collette. Loren is based in Los Angeles and recently adopted a dog named Rocky, which she swears has kept her sane during this time of Covid. Loren’s experiences are exciting and fun and the people she has supported have become a huge part of her life.  Loren has a real gift that allows her to create working relationships with people even where the lines can become blurred between friend and Assistant. Loren’s working style has adapted and changed during her career but the crazy requests from the people she supports haven’t stopped.  We cover:   ⚡️Creating boundaries at work   ⚡️How she created a career for herself using the gifts and talents she has   ⚡️How she coped with travelling and socialising with the people she supported  ⚡️What the pandemic has been like for her  ⚡️How she managed celebrities under pressure  ⚡️What aspects of the role she loves *************************************************************************************************************************************  You can listen to the podcast everywhere that you listen to your podcasts

⚡️About Assistants Together I (Henrietta) started Assistants Together in March 2020. I have spent the last ten years working in talent and have worked with thousands of Assistants to help them create the career that they want. One of the things I love the most about my job is speaking with Assistants, when I interview and speak with them I find out so much about their lives, their careers and who they are in the world. I wanted to bring this to you and share what I’ve learnt and am learning through this process. New episodes drop every Wednesday. We'd love to hear from you - drop us a line at assistantstogether@gmail.com ******************************************* Finding Your Way Through Pandemic Fatigue In this episode we cover: ⚡️Overcome job search fatigue
 ⚡️Permission to change your life
 ⚡️Challenging and changing your own negative self talk 
 ⚡️Giving yourself permission to enjoy your day
 ⚡️Scheduling your day with intention
 ⚡️Beginning your gratitude practise
 ⚡️Motivation and what it means to you
 ⚡️How to change your physiology to improve your mental state
 Pandemic fatigue is a real thing, I hit a wall at six months in and felt incredibly low, not knowing how and when we are going to move through this can be incredibly intense. That's why I wanted Suzie Flynn who is a Mindset and Business Coach, to come on the podcast and speak about how we can really move ourselves through this. Suzie shares so many useful perspectives, mindset techniques and strategies that will help you through this moment. Suzie's own life experience has been incredibly challenging. Losing her parents within a very short amount of time and really being unable to see her way forward. Through being broken and not sure how she was able to move forward she has re work her life, she has created a business helping others and been such a positive advocate within the Assistant community. **************************************************************************************************************************************** You can listen to the podcast everywhere that you listen to your podcasts

Claudia is an incredible networker, starting her business with just 30 LinkedIn connections after leaving a role in a Mayfair Private Equity firm she knew she had to change something. Claudia started networking, developing her knowledge about business and she hasn't stopped. Her tenacity and ability to see the bigger picture in her work and in life is really clear. In this episode we talk about: - Her love of old school stationary - What being organised means to her - How she has always been documenting her work - How she started her business - How to grow your social media channel organically - How to network for business - Organic social media growth - How she started her YouTube channel - How to be creative in your work and show your personality - How to continue to be curious in your role Get in touch: Claudia's details are here, I know she'd love to hear from you. Website: https://www.claudiaghartey-pa.com/blog Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CDGclaudiaghartey/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claudiaghartey_pa/ Get in touch with us, we would love to hear from you: Instagram: @hen.barker & @assistantstogether LinkedIn: Henrietta Barker & Assistants Together Twitter: @henbarker @assistogether Facebook: Henrietta Barker & Assistants Together We also mention the following PA and Office Management Groups as well: The Office Management Portal: https://www.theofficemanagementportal.com/login Miss Jones PA: https://missjonespa.com/ CWPA: https://www.cwpaclub.com/ The PA Club: https://thepaclub.com/ PA Life: https://palife.co.uk/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/assistantstogether/message

This episode was recorded live for The Miss Jones PA Virtual Showcase last month. I was so excited to have been asked by Lisa to do this, what an honour to be up there with all those amazing speakers and Lisa did such an incredible job organising it all as well. The atmosphere was so great and I loved recording this episode with Michelle Bowditch.  I thought it would be really fun for you to be able to listen to it as well in case you weren't at the Virtual Showcase. Huge thanks to Lisa and Michelle for such an amazing experience.  ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************** The Assistants Together podcast hosted by Henrietta Barker live with Michelle Bowditch, founder Door 20 A.  Michelle is a trailblazer, somebody who is never beaten. Her story is one of transformation, both forced upon and deliberate, but is above all about having the courage to create positive opportunity and to smash down the barriers in front of her. Michelle has never shared her personal story so frankly before. Her genuine authenticity and ability to be so candid about the conflict created by becoming a single mother of three and having to give up a career she truly loved gives us a unique insight what drives her and her refusal to be held back. We live in a moment where many of us are reeling from circumstances beyond our control. An intimidatingly broken economy has resulted in many of us losing our jobs, witness enormous change in our working lives, breeding uncertainty and anxiety. Michelle’s championing of those in her community feels like the call to arms we all need to begin our own transition, discover our own superpowers and enter 2021 with the energy to define our own future path. Get in touch with us, we would love to hear from you: Hen Barker Instagram: @hen.barker & @assistantstogether LinkedIn: Henrietta Barker & Assistants Together Twitter: @henbarker @assistogether Facebook: Henrietta Barker & Assistants Together  Pinterest: @assistantstogether  Website: www.henriettabarker.com Michelle Bowditch Instagram: @door20a LinkedIn: Michelle Bowditch Facebook: Door20a Website: www.michellebowditch.com Miss Jones PA Instagram: @missjonespa  Linkedin: Miss Jones PA  Twitter: @missjonespa  Facebook: Miss Jones PA  Website: www.missjonespa.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/assistantstogether/message

It's been a while since I put out the last episode of Assistants Together. What started as a small podcast at the beginning of the pandemic in March, has become something much bigger than I had ever expected. I needed a moment to regroup and reassess so I could bring you more not just here but online too so that we can connect in a different way. Huge thank you to everyone who is listening and I'm so grateful that what we're doing is resonating with so many of you because I know that the guests every week are just so talented at what they do. I am so proud that it's something that you want to hear and I am so excited about whats coming up for you all too. I am a recruiter within the Assistant space and that is my day job and one that I love very much. This podcast is such a fun aspect of what I do and has given me so much insight into the community and I am so grateful for that. I hope you approve of the changes and upgrades we've made to the podcast and there is so much to come in the future. It's going to be amazing. If you don't follow me or Assistants Together on social media then come over and say hi. I'm all over the place. Can't wait to share Mish's episode with you all tomorrow and get in touch and say hi wherever you feel most comfortable. Hen x Hen Barker Instagram: @hen.barker @assistantstogether @theworkedition LinkedIn: Henrietta Barker Assistants Together The Work Edition Twitter: @henbarker @assistogether @theworkedition Facebook: Henrietta Barker Assistants Together The Work Edition Pinterest: @assistantstogether @theworkedition Website: www.henriettabarker.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/assistantstogether/message

Jacqueline Howard is a client experience specialist and virtual assistant who has built her career supporting entrepreneurs, best-selling authors, creators, as well as being the host of the Optimize to Scale podcast. In addition to managing this, Jacqueline is a homeschooler and continues to amaze me with her meticulous time planning to with fit everything she needs to into her day. Jaqueline brings so much focus and rigour to everything that she does. Her operational discipline to conceive and follow a framework that enables her to deliver the goals for her business, as well as her family, is so refreshing and admirable. Jacqueline shares her journey to becoming a Virtual Assistant, her ability to work while prioritising her children’s development and how her unwavering belief that being time poor pushes you to quickly overcome the fear of getting stuff done! The luxury of time is something that she has never had, neither does she want it! What I really appreciated about her experience is that she brings her true self, in an honest manner, to our conversation. She shares her life and so much of what she talked resonated with me and made me want to improve and consider how I can live my own life with more purpose and intent Jaqueline is a real force of nature and someone who mentors, supports and generously shares her knowledge and ideas with others. I know that you'll find this conversation really rewarding and powerful. Enjoy! You can connect with Jacqueline here: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelinemhoward/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thejacquelinehoward/?hl=en Website http://www.thejacquelinehoward.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheJacquelineHoward/ Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/optimize-to-scale-automation-systems-client-experience/id1515032497 About me I am the host of Assistants Together, Henrietta Barker. The Assistants Together Podcast was born out of my desire to connect with, understand and learn from Assistants all over the world. This podcast is designed for you to learn, connect with the community and share ideas. Do connect with me wherever you spend your time on social, I would love to hear from you. Please take the time to review and subscribe. It helps others find the podcast. Website http://www.henriettabarker.com LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/henriettabarker/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hen.barker/?hl=en Miss Jones PA Virtual Showcase Link http://www.missjonespa.com https://lnkd.in/d_iGMMi --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/assistantstogether/message

Christel Arias is the Founder of Elite Assisting, a community for Assistants that she launched in 2019. Christie has an incredibly successful career, having started as a receptionist, Christie is now the Executive Assistant to the CEO and CFO of the Saint Laurent (Americas), within the Kering Group. Previously, Christie has worked in other high profile fashion companies such as Victoria’s Secret and Burberry. Christie really wanted Elite Assisting to be a safe space for Assistants to share ideas and interact. Knowing that so many Assistants work in silos, Christie knew that this would be an important place for people to really connect and engage. Elite Assisting has gone from strength to strength over the last year and Christie has recently launched a course with The Officials, based on Organisational Culture, Community and Inclusion. Executive Assistants have a unique position within their organisations and this course really delves into the opportunity for Assistants to use their influence to create good for others. In this episode, Christie and I speak about her many experiences as an Assistant, her love of community, how she overcame her self doubt and the importance of LinkedIn! Elite Assisting is launching a Mentoring programme soon, so make sure you follow her to receive updates when they happen. Enjoy! Instagram: http://www.https://www.instagram.com/eliteassisting/ Linkedin: http://www.LinkedIn.com/company/eliteassisting Facebook: http:www.facebook.com/eliteassistingnyc Website: http://www.eliteassisting.com You can find the course that we speak about at http://www.jointheofficials.com/eliteassisting Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/jointheofficials --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/assistantstogether/message

Claire Reed is the Founder of The Sunny PA. Claire launched her business in January 2020 and has quickly grown her business in just a few months and during a pandemic! Claire helps creative entrepreneurs and small businesses achieve business growth and work/life balance by doing the tasks they don’t have time to do or that take up too much of their time. Claire has found her niche working with creative businesses, she loves the space and has connected to the work in a way that allows her to really enjoy it. Claire and I discuss how she has created her business, what she has learnt as part of this process. Claire shares her experiences and how she got her first client. We discuss the fear of posting on social, creating a niche and really using LinkedIn to develop client relationships. It’s such a great episode for anyone who has thought about becoming a VA and taking the steps to becoming an entrepreneur. Claire has really developed her passion and enthusiasm into a business which is incredibly inspirational. You can find Claire here: https://www.sunnypaservices.co.uk/ https://www.instagram.com/thesunnypa/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-reed-virtualassistant/ https://twitter.com/The_Sunny_PA --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/assistantstogether/message

Laura Johnston is the creator of The Assistant's Handbook and a Dubai-based EA. Laura is an EA cheerleader and is passionate about sharing knowledge, team culture and employee engagement. Laura's journey started just out of university when she joined an automotive consultancy supporting the Chairman. Becoming an EA wasn't originally the plan but she immediately found the role hugely rewarding and loved the fact that no two days were the same. Since then Laura has worked in both startups and corporate, and will soon be jumping into new projects. Laura created The Assistant's Handbook in April 2020 and wants to empower assistants to holistically take control of their career with actionable How Tos and tried-and-tested recommendations. We cover a lot in this episode, from the beginning of Laura's career, what she finds really rewarding in her role, how she decided to launch The Assistant's Handbook and much much more. Laura has such a great way of explaining why she loves her career and how she is evolving and sharing her knowledge. Instagram: @theassistantshandbook LinkedIn: Laura Johnston Website: www.theassistantshandbook.com We also mention Hana Grey, Founder of The Office Management Group www.theofficemanagementportal.com and Lauren Bradley, Founder of The Officials www.jointheofficials.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/assistantstogether/message

Anna Beam is my guest this week. She is currently the C-Suite Executive Assistant & Office Manager at Engenius , a web design & digital marketing agency based in Greenville, South Carolina. Anna has been in the assisting industry since 2012, and is a passionate advocate for empowering other assistants. Anna shares her experiences of becoming an Executive Assistant, her current job and how she has evolved, to take a seat at the leadership table. Anna speaks about deciding how your bad days will look like, how do you want to live your life and creating the role that works for you. Anna’s ability to almost intuitively understand how to create this space for herself and build trust brick by brick is really inspirational. Anna has a unique perspective and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing how she has thoughtfully approached her work. Taking the time to decide how to move forward and even negotiating her time at work instead of a pay rise, in order to give herself more balance with her work and family. Anna packs a lot into this episode and it is fascinating to hear her perspective. Anna recently started The Influential Assistant podcast which is absolutely brilliant and even more of an insight into her thoughts about this profession. She covers topics such as giving and receiving feedback and casting vision on her role. Please do take a listen, if you haven’t already because her insights are really fascinating and tremendously supportive. Anna lives in the Upstate of South Carolina with her high-school-sweetheart husband, 2 year old daughter, and their dog. You can find Anna on Instagram @Annabeam.ea or reach her at mailto:annabeam.ea@gmail.com You can also find Lauren Bradley Founder of The Officials on Instagram @jointheofficals and https://jointheofficials.com Enjoy! Hen --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/assistantstogether/message

My latest guest is the incredible Nick Ginsburg, a passionate and innovative Executive Assistant, Speaker and Community Leader. He is the Executive Assistant to the Provost and Senior Vice-President at Monash University and is the Co-Founder of the Global Fireside Series. Productivity, innovation, and relationship building are his strengths and passion. Nick thrives when he is helping people, and in particular Executive Assistants, by bringing them together to share their knowledge and grow in their careers. Nick speaks about his career and knowing that he wanted to be an Executive Assistant, he set his sights on a particular role and went for it. The energy and enthusiasm he has for the EA community is clear and his ability to bring people together has been something he has been doing in real life for quite some time and he is now doing that as part of our global community. His focus is on building deep connections, giving people the encouragement to achieve their goals. In a short space of time Nick launched the Tech-xpert Summit with Michelle Bowditch and Rhiannon Ward, which was a huge success and gave him the confidence to launch The Global Fireside Series with Rhiannon as well. Nick and I discuss self doubt, vulnerability and our mutual love of ring lights. The community is made better by people being brave enough to take the steps to realise the things they want to achieve, it brings us together in a unique way and I am so pleased that Nick has been able to create this space to communicate with so many people. He says that if he could help one person to look at a situation differently or give them the encouragement to do something then it would all be worthwhile. I’m pretty sure that many many people have already been impacted by his ability to connect and inspire Email: hello@nickginsburg.com Website: nickginsburg.com Follow me LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/nickginsburg Instagram - @NickGinsburg Twitter - @NickGinsburg_ https://www.globalfiresideseries.com/ Also mentioned in this episode was Rhiannon Ward @msrhiannonward and Michelle Bowditch @door20a You can listen to Michelle’s episode on Assistants Together here as well. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/assistantstogether/message

My guest this week is Suzy Sanders, the Founder of Alchemy Virtual Assistance. Suzy had worked as an Executive Assistant supporting a board level Executive within a global recruitment company, but her outlook, mind set and focus shifted dramatically when she became a mother. Alchemy Virtual Assistance was founded by Suzy in 2016, to provide remote administration, practical marketing and flexible PA support to businesses. Suzy wanted the three F’s, as she calls them: freedom, flexibility and fulfilment and built her business around them. Her business grew faster than she could have dreamt and she now runs the business with her husband and business partner Paul in 2018. In 2019, Alchemy Virtual Assistance launched their VA franchise model, which enables aspiring virtual assistants to replicate and build their own VA businesses. Suzy’s maternity leave gave her the space to re-evaluate what she wanted from her life and started to work out how she could move forward. Suzy’s honesty and candour about her experience of moving from executive assistance to business owner is inspiring to hear. Suzy speaks about her experience during the pandemic and the steady increase of people who are interested in becoming a Virtual Assistant as well. Suzy was named a finalist in the UK VA Awards - Midlands region – in 2018 & 2019. Alchemy Virtual Assistance was Northamptonshire Life Magazine’s B2B of the Year in 2018 and in 2019 Suzy was nominated for the We Are The City – Rising Star Award for Entrepreneurship. Suzy also scooped runner-up in two categories – ‘Business Woman’ and ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ – at the 2019 SME Northamptonshire Business Awards, and Alchemy’s VA franchise was named as a finalist for the Innovation Award at the Northamptonshire Business Awards 2019. In 2020 Suzy was nominated for the ‘VA Star Award’ which is designed to recognise professional Virtual Assistants that ‘give back’ to the Virtual Assistant industry by being recognised by their peers. Suzy’s book, The Alchemy of Virtual Assistance: Creating a successful Virtual Assistant business around your family was published this year which you can find on Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alchemy-Virtual-Assistance-successful-Assistant/dp/B08B1JK2JM www.alchemyva.co.uk Contact: hello@alchemyva.co.uk Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/AlchemyVAUK https://www.instagram.com/alchemyVAuk/ https://twitter.com/alchemyvauk https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzy-sanders-b7776a31/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/alchemy-virtual-assistance/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/assistantstogether/message

Ursula is the Founder of Capital EA,  a virtual and in-person Executive Assistant and concierge service based in Canberra, Australia, which she founded after she was made redundant in 2010. Ursula spotted a need in the market for remote Assistants and having worked with an Executive who had been remote for sometime, she was able to understand how to develop that experience into a new and viable career. Ursula built her business around three key pillars; Coaching for Assistants which she runs online and in person, an EA selection and recruitment service and thirdly a comprehensive Virtual Assistance and concierge service. Ursula has created a unique agency which was developed from her real life experience and true understanding of the Executive Assistant role as a whole. She looks after everyone in the process which you can hear gives her so much personal joy. Ursula and I speak about building her business, her own transition into becoming a VA and how she has continued to develop her training and coaching in order to authentically support others. Ursula speaks about how Assistants are becoming more strategic business partners and the way the role is modernising and evolving. For some, this can be a time when they're unsure about how to move forward. Ursula shares ideas about how you learn from your Executive, tapping into their knowledge to shape your career and professional development. Her ability to really understand this process and her genuine empathy for Assistants that are navigating their careers is abundantly clear. Ursula really shares some incredibly powerful strategies to help you in your career. Assuming trust is one of those strategies, in any new role if you automatically believe that the trust is already there with your Executive, then you're in a strong position to understand their goals and objectives and how you can support them. I know that this episode will help so many people and Ursula's inspiring story of her career and business is fascinating. Enjoy. If you'd like to get in touch with Ursula: Website: http://www.capitalea.com.au LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/capital-ea Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/capitalcea/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/capitalcea Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapitalCEA/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/assistantstogether/message

My guest this week on Assistants Together is Rebecca Steifle. Becca is an Executive Assistant to an Executive Director and a Board of Commissioners at Renewable Water Resources in South Carolina. Becca’s story really resonated with me. She loves her job and the joy that it clearly gives her is obvious when you hear her speak. Becca and I discuss her career, beginning with how started as an Executive Assistant and then spent twenty years in Banking, working for a Community Bank. Becca found her way back to being an Executive Assistant again and she has since carved out a role for herself which allows her to really support in the truest sense of the word. Becca speaks about creating opportunities for your own development in a role, something that seems to be a clear message throughout these last few episodes. We speak about relationship building, the need for confidence without ego and her desire to always continue to learn. Becca’s experience and understanding of herself and her true talents is so encouraging to hear. Supporting others is something that you can hear really feeds and sustains her. It’s been the thread that has been woven throughout her twenty year career and it was a real pleasure to speak with her about it. Enjoy. We mention Lauren in this episode who is the Founder of The Officials. Take a look at her website here if you would like more information about her community and training. https://jointheofficials.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/assistantstogether/message

Jess and I discuss what her motivation was to create The Assistant Room and how she has created a hugely successful business. The Assistant Room is a testament to Jess's tenacity and commitment, Jess has brought Assistants from all over the world together. Jess has recently introduced The Assistant Room Ambassadors and has an event coming up in July. Jess has many more plans for The Assistant Room and I was so pleased to speak with her. In 2016, after spending ten years as an EA working for heavy hitting C-Suite Executives and Entrepreneurs in fashion, healthcare and property, Jess created The Assistant Room. Her lightbulb moment happened when she realised her definition of success was wrong. She craved creative freedom in her career and made the decision to no longer value herself on the number of her bank balance but on her ability to be happy. Unsure of what to focus on next, she had spent her career searching for a resource representative of her definition of life as an EA – it was never just a job to her but an intense lifestyle choice. She decided to combine the things she was most inspired by – personal connections, creativity, and passion for the support industry – into a platform to provide inspiration and encouragement for professionals around the world, and so The Assistant Room was born. Jess has single handedly grown The Assistant Room into a global platform with thousands of subscribers, helping support professionals around the world to achieve their goals. She is the host of The Assistant Room podcast and regularly works in partnership with businesses across the UK to develop their internal support networks. Jess and I discuss what her motivation was to create The Assistant Room and how she has created a hugely successful business. The Assistant Room is a testament to Jess's tenacity and commitment, Jess has brought Assistants from all over the world together. Jess has recently introduced The Assistant Room Ambassadors and has an event coming up in July. Jess has many more plans for The Assistant Room and I was so pleased to speak with her. You can get in touch with Jess by going to www.theassistantroom.com Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-gardiner-a016a854/ Business LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-assistant-room Instagram: @theassistantroom Facebook: www.facebook.com/theassistantroom Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3wbcWSuyrvrQIQVOVOTdco?si=JzvErCOWRDKqIkdCLIk1nQ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/assistantstogether/message

Melissa Peoples is a productivity and organization expert who coaches and trains Executive Assistants to elevate their profession and take their seat at the table.  As a career C-suite Executive Assistant and Certified Microsoft Trainer, she uses her unique experience to bridge the gap between technology and practical application that enables Executive teams to manage the demands of their career.  By building a framework of communication, organization, and automation, she helps executive teams become stunningly productive and effective. Melissa and I speak about so much, from how she made the transition from full time Executive Assistant to running her own company, Admin Gurus, alongside her incredibly successful and informative YouTube channel. Melissa shares so much practical and strategic information about how you can increase your productivity and design a career for yourself. One of the things I really appreciate that Melissa discusses is how the knock on effects of creating a role that you love and can thrive in, has such a direct impact on the your life as a whole. I took so much from this conversation and I am really grateful that Melissa took the time to speak with me.  Here are some ways that you can get in touch with Melissa: Website: www.melissapeoples.com YouTube:  www.youtube.com/admingurus LinkedIn Company Page:  www.linkedin.com/company/admin-gurus LinkedIn Personal Page:  www.linkedin.com/in/melissapeoples Instagram:  www.instagram.com/admingurus Facebook:  www.facebeook.com/admingurus --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/assistantstogether/message

Jeremy Burrows is a longtime Executive Assistant supporting high-capacity, influential leaders. He's worked with CEOs, Professional Athletes, Celebrities, Pastors, Authors, Billionaires, and Board Members in both the nonprofit and for profit sectors. Jeremy is EA to the Founder and CEO of Capacity – an artificial intelligence software company in St. Louis, MO. Jeremy is also founder of the online Assistant and Executive training resource LeaderAssistant.com (aka - GoBurrows.com), and host of the top-rated podcast for assistants – The Leader Assistant Podcast – where his mission is to help assistants become confident, game-changing leaders. His new book, The Leader Assistant: Four Pillars of a Confident, Game-Changing Assistant releases in June. Jeremy also trains assistants all over the world via public speaking, group and 1:1 coaching, the Leader Assistant Membership, and online courses at AssistantsGuide.com. Jeremy is such a fascinating person to speak with because his own career and burnout led to blogging for Executives and how to utilise their Assistants which led to an Assistant community, incredibly successful and interesting podcast and his book. You can get three chapters of the book for free if you go to www.theleaderassistant.com and download it. We cover so much in this episode about the future of Assistants, AI and of course, how he has responded during the pandemic.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/assistantstogether/message

Hana Gray is a specialist office and facilities management consultant with over 15 years’ experience; she founded Black & White Office Consultancy in 2016 and a unique online resource, The Office Management Portal in 2017. Hana has worked for companies that include JP Morgan, RBS, City Index & Berenberg as the Office / Facilities Manager managing teams of up to 10 staff and managing all aspects of the office to include Health & Safety, Procurement, Reception, Business Continuity, Facilities, IT, Events and more. Hana now helps businesses to review their office running, making improvements through on-the-job training, project management & support and health & safety consulting – all with a view to providing a return on investment to the client by upskilling anyone in-house responsible for these areas. The communities of Assistants that have appeared inspired her to create this and the community is going from strength to strength with an Awards for Office Managers and and exhibition event planned for the future. Hana and I talk about her passions in life, managing and growing such an incredible space for people to connect and watching it flourish and develop into friendships and collaborations between peers. Hana’s energy and passion for what she does is so clear and I was grateful that she spoke to me about her work in this episode. I was really struck by the need for such a space given than Office Managers are often in a business alone in their role. The opportunity to share resources and share their experiences and challenges was exactly what Hana wanted for her own career but it didn’t exist. Until she created it. As so many Assistants are working in hybrid roles, this episode is really fascinating as Hana really understands peoples need for community and I really loved speaking with her about her career and what she has built. If you want to find Hana please go to https://www.bw-oc.com and you can find her on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter @theofficemanagementgroup where she regularly holds webinars, events and shares information and expertise. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/assistantstogether/message

Lauren Bradley is the founder of The Officials, an online platform that empowers assistants through community, courses and coaching. She is passionate about providing affordable and accessible training. A truly international powerhouse, she has worked in the USA, UK and with companies in Australia and Thailand. She is a private PA to HNWIs, corporate trainer, mentor and coach, brand ambassador and public speaker. She currently lives in London where you can find her constantly neglecting her cup of tea. In 2016, she was awarded the OfficeNinjas‘ All-Star Award and received Highly Commended in the Rising Star category at the Sutton Women Mean Business Awards in 2019. I loved speaking with Lauren about the challenges that Assistants are facing at the moment and how she is feeling during this time as well. If you would like to get in touch with Lauren, you can find her https://jointheofficials.com and she is on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram under @jointheofficials Take Care Hen x --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/assistantstogether/message

The incredible Lindsay Taylor from Your Excellency, a learning and development specialist who works with clients globally and just fabulous person. I’m sure you know her or have attended one of her amazing conferences. Lindsay has taken her training and coaching online during the pandemic. Lindsay has been a huge advocate for EAs, PAs and Admins and her passion is to allow people to understand just how much value they are to the organisations they work with. It was such a pleasure to speak with Lindsay and I hope you enjoy hearing her thoughts. You can find Lindsay on LinkedIn - Lindsay Taylor, Instagram @lindsayhelentaylor and her website https://www.yourexcellency.co.uk Here’s a link to her book on Amazon as well https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pearls-Wisdom-Executive-PAs/dp/1517705746 which I would highly recommend. I hope you enjoy the episode as much as I enjoyed recording it. Hen x --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/assistantstogether/message