REACH - A Podcast for Executive Assistants
REACH is a podcast for Executive Assistants who strive for excellence and seek growth in their careers. Each episode features insights from Executive Assistants working at Fortune 500 companies, Silicon Valley venture capital firms, and top tech companies. Hosted by Jessica Vann, founder and CEO of Maven Recruiting Group, the podcast aims to inspire, guide, and transform listeners into the best Executive Assistants they can be. The show is produced by Maven Recruiting Group, a specialized recruiting firm for Executive Assistants in the Bay Area.
Episodes
Understanding Yourself and Your Executive Through the Working Genius Framework
Why do some tasks energize you while others leave you completely drained? In this episode of REACH, Jessica sits down with leadership coach, speaker, and Better Conversations podcast host Kara List to explore the Working Genius framework and how it can strengthen the EA–executive partnership.
Kara helps female founders navigate one of the toughest transitions in business: moving from building a co
Inside the World of JFK Jr., the Media & What It Took to Support One of America's Most Iconic Figures
RoseMarie Terenzio spent five years as the Chief of Staff to John F. Kennedy Jr. at George Magazine, operating at the center of one of the most highly scrutinized media and celebrity relationships of the 1990s. Working alongside both John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy during the height of public fascination surrounding the couple, RoseMarie managed the constant demands, pressure, and
Mastering Time for You and Your Executive: How to Create Time Abundance with Laura Vanderkam
In this episode of REACH, we sit down with Laura Vanderkam, a bestselling author, speaker, and one of the most trusted voices in time management and productivity. Laura has spent years studying how high-performing professionals actually spend their time, using real time diaries to uncover the gap between perceived busyness and reality.
She is the author of several acclaimed books, including 168 Ho
Operating in the Gray with Nicky Christmas at the EA Campus: How Elite EAs Make Decisions Without Permission
Happy Administrative Professionals Week! As promised, we have double the content for you this week. On today’s episode of REACH, we’re joined by Nicky Christmas, Founder of EA Campus and a globally recognized voice in the executive support space. Nicky has built her career around elevating the role of the Executive Assistant, helping assistants move beyond task execution and into true strategic pa
From Supporting Simon Sinek to Supporting in the Era of AI: The Future of Executive Support, Human Judgment and Communication
Happy Administrative Professionals Week! On today’s episode of REACH, we’re joined by Monique Helstrom, former Executive Assistant, Producer, and “Chief of” to Simon Sinek, author of Start with Why. Often described as the “HOW Girl to the WHY Guy,” Monique spent nearly a decade helping build and scale one of the most influential leadership brands in the world, giving her a front-row seat
How Executive Assistants Can Be Travel Heroes: Points, Luxury Travel & Smart Strategies for Executive Travel
In this episode of REACH, we’re joined by Julia Menez, founder of GeoBreeze Travel and host of the GeoBreeze Travel Podcast. Julia is a travel strategist and points expert who has built a loyal following by helping professionals maximize credit card points, airline miles, and loyalty programs to unlock elevated travel experiences.
For Executive Assistants and Personal Assistants, travel planning i
With Grace and Grit: Resilience, Self-Advocacy, and the Evolving Role of the Modern EA
In this episode of REACH, we’re joined by powerhouse Executive Assistant Kim Owens, whose career spans more than a decade supporting top leaders across media, sports, and tech. From Viacom and the NFL Network to her most recent role as Lead Senior Executive Assistant to the CEO, Founder, and Board Member at GoPro, Kim has been at the center of major growth, cultural evolution, and global expansion
From Music to Michelin Stars: The Art and Logistics of Supporting Culinary Visionary René Redzepi
Supporting a living legend in the food world comes with unique challenges and extraordinary rewards. As Executive Assistant to René Redzepi, the visionary Danish chef and co-owner of Noma, the three Michelin-star restaurant repeatedly named the best in the world, Matthew McGuigan has a front-row seat to one of the most influential culinary minds of our time.
Originally from Sydney, Matthew’s path
From the C-Suite’s Right Hand to Executive Coach: Guiding Growth-Stage CEOs Through Scaling and Change
In this episode of REACH, we’re joined by Kris Cordle Goodsall, Founder and CEO of Devenu Collaborations. Throughout her career, Kris has supported some of Silicon Valley’s most influential leaders, including Ev Williams at Twitter and Stewart Butterfield at Slack, guiding them through the evolution from product creator to company leader.
At Slack, she played a key role in scaling the company glob
Private Aviation Demystified: Making Executive Travel Seamless with Quantum Jets
In this episode of REACH, we’re joined by Tyler Macaulay, Senior Executive of Charter Sales at Quantum Jets, a private aviation company dedicated to making executive travel seamless, efficient, and stress-free. Quantum Jets' innovative mobile app and dedicated support team give Executive Assistants and advisors everything they need to plan private travel. Tyler brings insider expertise on everythi
Who is the EA Behind Maven Recruiting Group’s CEO and REACH Podcast Host, Jessica Vann?!
In this episode of REACH, we sit down with Sarah Duncan, Executive Assistant to Maven Recruiting Group’s Founder & CEO, Jessica Vann. With over two years of partnership under their belt, Sarah has been instrumental in helping Jessica balance the demands of running a company with the realities of family life and personal pursuits. From managing client communications and high-stakes priorities t
Brain Types & High Performance: Unlocking the Strategies to Achieve High-Performance and How to Read your Executive
In this episode of REACH, we’re joined by longtime friend of the Maven community and executive coach, Michael “Coop” Cooper. With over 20 years of experience coaching executives and teams, Coop specializes in helping organizations align, collaborate, and perform at their highest potential. His work spans leadership accelerators, team alignment workshops, and coaching on the Brain Types framework,
From EA to Co-Founder: How a 17-Year Partnership Built Trust, Leadership and Opportunity
In this episode, we’re joined by longtime EA-turned-cofounder Michelle Czarnik, whose 17-year partnership with her executive led to the launch of BOXMEDIA.io, a mission-driven storytelling platform. Michelle shares what it takes to build a high-trust, long-term EA partnership, one that evolves from support to strategic collaboration, and how that trust ultimately opened the door to entrepreneurshi
From the Kitchen to the Page with Laurie Woolever: From Supporting Culinary Icons Batali and Bourdain to NY Times best-selling Author
Bridging the worlds of food, writing, and the behind-the-scenes realities of celebrity chefs, today’s guest is a true powerhouse! Laurie Woolever is best known as the longtime assistant and trusted collaborator of the legendary Anthony Bourdain. But her story stretches far beyond that role, from working as a receptionist, a private chef to a UHNW health-conscious family, to graduating from culinar
REACH Hits 100! Behind the Mic & Flipping the Script on Jessica
🎉 We made it—100 episodes of REACH! 🎉
In this milestone episode, we're flipping the script and putting our host, Jessica Vann, in the hot seat. As Founder and CEO of Maven Recruiting Group, Jessica has spent the past 6 years bringing the voices, journeys, and insights of the EA community to life—and today, we’re turning the mic on her.
Guest host Amy Crumley, Executive Assistant to the CEO at Samb
Inside the Executive + EA Partnership: Building Trust, Efficiency & Leverage- Plus Everything You Need to Know About Zeal.ai
We’re thrilled to bring you a truly special episode of REACH—one that’s been years in the making! For the first time, we’re hearing from both an Executive and her former Executive Assistant in a joint conversation about what it takes to build a powerful, productive partnership.
In this episode, we sit down with Varsha Rao, Founder and CEO of Zeal AI, and Sheena Deol, who supported Varsha during he
From EA to SVP: Tanya’s Retrospective on a Decade of Growth and Leadership within Okta
Happy Administrative Professionals Week! And what better way to celebrate than by spotlighting the incredible journey of Tanya Benvenuto!
In this episode of REACH, we’re celebrating a remarkable milestone—Tanya Benvenuto’s 10-year anniversary at Okta! Tanya’s career evolution from Executive Assistant to Senior Vice President of Executive Operations for the Office of the CEO is nothing short of ext
Driving Change Through Narrative – A Guide for Executive Assistants
We're excited to share our conversation with Eliza Leoni, Senior Consultant at Decker Communications, who has extensive experience coaching senior leaders on high-stakes communication. Eliza’s expertise spans a range of critical areas—from leading presentations to large audiences, managing organizational change, and navigating difficult conversations.
In this episode, we dive into the role of narr
Global Perspectives & Misconceptions of the Executive Assistant Career: Insight from the Middle East
In this episode, we welcome long-time REACH fan Karima Thomson, joining us from Abu Dhabi! Karima supports the Executive Leadership Team at Core42, a leading AI company, and previously worked at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA). Born in Scotland, with career experience in London and the Middle East, Karima shares how the EA role in Abu Dhabi compares to the U.S. and Europe, the cultural n
Leading with Heart & Soul: Embracing Spirituality in the Workplace with Oprah's Former Chief of Staff
In this episode we hear from none other than Libby Moore who spent over a decade supporting the legendary Oprah Winfrey. Prior to her impressive tenure with Oprah, Libby supported Jann Wenner media mogul and co-founder or Rollingstone magazine as his Executive Assistant as well as talk show personality Maury Povich as a Personal Assistant. Libby has been featured for her noteworthy career in publi
A Hospitality Background Might Just Be the Perfect Launching Pad for a C-Level Executive Assistant Career
Ever wonder if your years waiting tables or running a hotel front desk could be a secret weapon in your career arsenal? The answer is a resounding yes! In this episode of REACH, we'll be exploring how hospitality skills – those honed in the world of customer service, restaurants, cafes, and hotels – translate beautifully into the executive assistant career. Joining us is Janet Kim, Executive Assis
Building & Leading Powerhouse EA Teams Featuring Panel of Ex-Slack Executive Assistants
In this episode of REACH, we're welcoming a baller Executive Assistant panel, showcasing 3 incredibly accomplished executive assistants who worked together at Slack for many years as part of the PDE EA Team. In addition to their roles as individual contributor EAs, as leaders within the EA org they also implemented best practices, developed career pathing for EAs, supported with onboarding and nav
Perfecting the Art of Communication and Understanding the Effect It Has on the Executive Assistant Brand
In this episode of REACH, we're joined by Ninni Vanni who’s been a C-level Executive Assistant for 10 years working for companies like Rula, ON24 and Zuora. Ninni holds a master's degree in communication, bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table to weigh in this topic. With a background finely tuned to the nuances of effective communication, Ninni is uniquely positioned to shed li
Balancing Motherhood While Supporting at the Top: Advice from US Veteran Turned EA to Top Tech CEOs
With Mother's Day right around the corner, we thought it’d be fun to do an episode specifically for the working moms! In this episode of REACH, we’ll be delving into a conversation that resonates deeply with many: balancing the demands of motherhood and an elite Executive Assistant career working at the top of the professional ladder. We welcomed remarkable guest Camille Howard for this feel good
Listeners Call In: Your Questions Answered in Honor of Administrative Professionals Day
Happy Administrative Professionals Day to our REACH Executive Assistant community! In the spirit of celebration, we invited our listeners to call in to the show and ask us anything. In this episode we welcomed back Maven Recruiting Group’s VP of Accounts and Growth, Gillian Lopez, to help tackle your burning questions alongside REACH host Jessica Vann. Thank you to all of you who called in to our
Learning from Legends: What Jeff Bezos’ Former Executive Assistant Gleaned & Translated into Her New Career as a Leadership Strategist
Ann Hiatt is a Silicon Valley veteran with 15 years of executive support experience under her belt. She’s supported many of the titans of tech including Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO of Amazon, Marissa Mayer, former CEO of Yahoo!, & Eric Schmidt, CEO and Executive Chairman of Google. Having pivoted from her career as an Executive Assistant and Chief of Staff, Ann is now a Leadership Strategist &
What One Executive Assistant Learned from Being in the Room with Renowned Tech Leaders
In her nearly 25-year long career, Anita Gaeta has had two primary support relationships, each lasting over a decade, which suggests a lot not only about Anita’s immense value to these executives, but also the depth and extent of her partnerships and the tremendous opportunities for learning and exchange Anita has had. When we look at Anita’s career, she has been courtside with some of the most fo
Understanding Your Rights as an Employee + Tips for Executive Assistants Creating Workplace Policies
If you’re an executive assistant curious about your rights as an employee or perhaps you work in an environment where you’re tasked with being the defacto HR person or setting employee policy, this episode is for you. We're diving into the complex world of employment law with two experts who know the ins and outs of this topic. And, I promise you, if anyone can make the law fun and relevant, it’s
Defining & Owning Your Support Style: Advice for Executive Assistants Working in Creative Entrepreneurship
Natasha Rodriguez, Business Operations Manager at Eyeswoon joins us from Brooklyn to talk about her role supporting the renowned Athena Calderone, dubbed as “the modern girl’s Martha Stewart” by none other than The New York Times. You may know Athena as a chef and author of the James Beard award-winning cookbook, Cook Beautiful, or perhaps you’re familiar with who she is as a designer, her book Li
Perspectives on the Loneliness Epidemic in the Workplace and How to Conduct a Successful Negotiation
In this episode of REACH, we're joined by Professor Juliana Schroeder. Juliana is the Harold Furst Chair in Management Philosophy and Values Professor at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business & she just recently gave a TEDx Talk on how to connect better in light of the loneliness epidemic plaguing American culture. Schroeder is a behavioral scientist who researches the psychological processe
The Story of a C-Level Executive Assistant Becoming a Business Owner, Life Coach & Motherhood Mentor
Starting at just 15 years old, Violet Ostuni devoted much of her life to the Executive Assistant profession and worked her way to support CEOs of companies such as Zoox, Federation Bio, CSpence Group, Genstar Capital & Full Harvest. She’s held various demanding support positions and, as any good EA does, has made her executives’ goals and objectives her #1 priority, that is, until recently! Vi
Viewpoints on DEI in the Workplace
Today’s workspaces function very differently than they did even a year ago. Post-COVID era accommodations fundamentally shifted how we do work. A different kind of effort must be made to maintain our human connections that form as we work alongside each other. An important aspect of these connections that contribute to company culture is benefitting from inclusive and diverse workspaces. In this e
Do I Need a Temp? How to Evaluate the Need for Temporary Coverage, Plus How to Hire, Train & Set Up a Contract Worker for Success
In this episode, we have the privilege of interviewing one of our very own from Maven Recruiting Group, Shirin Esmaili, Account Director & Team Lead of our Temporary Division. Shirin works with our clients to fill critical gaps such as those created by parental leave, disability, vacations or just a need for additional bandwidth or capacity to get through a crunch period. Over her Maven tenure
The Executive Assistant Role from Venture Capital and Start-Up Vantage Points
We’re delighted to welcome Lorynn Boland to our program! She is an EA who has navigated both sides of the aisle, so to speak, having spent five years at Kleiner Perkins, the legendary venture capital firm, and now the last six months supporting the CEO of PlanetScale, a database platform for developers with infinite scalability. Today we’ll be learning about Lorynn’s experiences of supporting in t
Leveraging AI to 10x Your Work as an Executive Assistant
In this episode, we welcome back Executive Coach and Co-Creator of Maven’s e-learning course and coaching program, Julia Quijano. Julia and Jessica recently finished the recording and roll-out of our latest e-course, “Becoming a Strategic Partner.” In furtherance to that conversation, here is a follow-up on an emerging area that is presenting itself as another strategic opportunity for executive a
Understanding the Legal and Security Landscape of AI in your Executive Assistant Role
In the continuously evolving AI landscape, we’ve only scratched the surface on the potential of AI as well as the latent security and legal issues that are co-emerging with the advent of AI technology, especially as that relates to the Executive Assistant role. As we further our exploration of AI in the workplace, we’ve invited subject matter expert Abraham Kang, Managing Consultant at Include Sec
Leveraging AI as a Strategic Advantage in your Executive Assistant Role
The space of AI is moving so fast and evolving so quickly! AI is in the headlines nearly daily as people debate its merits, its utility in supporting efficiency and productivity, as well as the ethical and somewhat dystopian implications of its use as we incorporate it more and more into our daily lives and work. We've invited Nikki Dickman to our program to discuss her experience with AI and how
Former EA to CEO of Twitter on How to Accelerate Your Career
Taylor DeLorenzo is the definition of an A-list Executive Assistant and high achiever. As an Ivy League graduate from Cornell, her first Executive Assistant role was supporting a Founder, and in her next role she served as the right-hand to the CEO of publicly traded Shake Shack. She then leaped over to Twitter where she ended her tenure there supporting the CEO and saw them through their much pub
Life as an Executive Assistant in a Publicly Traded vs Privately Held Company
If you’re a regular listener of REACH, you know that we like to unpack the nuances associated within EA roles across industries and across stages of organizational maturity. We’ve talked previously about what’s involved in taking a company public from the EA perspective, and in this episode with Katherine Estep, who currently supports the CFO at Udemy with executive operations, we discuss the spec
What Does it Mean to be an Executive Assistant in a “War Room?”
You may be familiar with the term “war room” or “situation room” as it relates to the Presidential Cabinet where the President and his advisors retreat to strategize on highly sensitive or critical matters. Today Rachel Tan joins us to discuss the role an Executive Assistant plays in a war room in the context of a business. While Rachel currently supports the CEO & President of Benchling with stra
Career & Life Lessons from Michelle Obama’s Former Assistant & Right Hand: Part Two
We know you're excited for Part Two of our conversation with Chynna Clayton, former Executive Assistant to Michelle Obama and current Founder of Matriarch Made Development - and we're happy to deliver!
Join us as we delve into Chynna’s formative years that helped shape her into the person she is today, learn all that went into supporting a celebrity and someone as high profile and adored as former
Career & Life Lessons from Michelle Obama’s Former Assistant & Right Hand: Part One
We are thrilled to release part one of our conversation with none other than Chynna Clayton who spent over a decade as the Executive Assistant to the legendary Michelle Obama, first in her capacity as FLOTUS, then for another 6 years after Mrs. Obama departed the White House.
Chynna's story has been featured in Vogue and Oprah Daily, so we are especially grateful that she agreed to share her wisd
Applying the SMART Goals Framework to Your Work as an Executive Assistant
This episode on goal setting was not only requested by our listeners, but it’s a timely one given we’re at the top of a new year and hopefully full of inspiration and motivation to achieve some great things in 2023! Today we’ll be discussing some of the material covered in our "Becoming a Chief of Staff" e-course, specifically how to apply the SMART goals framework to your work as an Executive Ass
Behind the Scenes: What It’s Like to Support Husband & Wife Lifestyle Influencer Duo
We’ve had a wide range of Executive Assistants on our program who support business owners, celebrities, government officials and even magicians, but never have we featured an EA who supports an influencer – until now! Katie Hobson is the Senior Executive Assistant to husband and wife team Michael & Lauryn Bosstick, lifestyle brand influencers, podcasters, business owners of Dear Media & The Skinny
Serena Williams’ Former Assistant is the Definition of a “Swiss Army Knife” Professional: Learn About His Experiences & How He’s Incorporated All Aspects in the Executive Assistant Role
Don't miss this episode featuring Grant Firestone, former Executive Assistant and Chief of Staff to Serena Williams! Grant's widely eclectic career spans everything from political operative, legislative aide in local government, high school coach, French student, lacrosse player, intern for the Global New York Times and currently, he supports the CEO of Lax International Airport on all things stra
Executive Assistant by Day and Soul Food Chef by Night
With Thanksgiving just a few days away, it's only fitting to release an episode all about FOOD! Cherie Barfield, Executive Assistant at Meta and Owner of Cherie’s Southern Kitchen, has been an EA for over 26 years and she most recently embarked on a new journey as a food entrepreneur, having launched her own soul food catering company. There is something so beautiful and inspiring about seeing som
The Gaming Effect: Just What is Going on With These Lengthy Interview Processes?!
You’re probably wondering, why is this episode called “The Gaming Effect?” What does that even mean? Well, have you ever noticed how ordinarily sweet kids, while playing video games will shoot their enemies on rapid fire screaming die, die in this kind of vapid, dehumanized way? Or the mindless look that washes over their faces as they vigorously grip the controller pressing “fire” as quickly as t
Debunking Stereotypes: How & Why Creative Minds Actually Thrive in the Executive Assistant Role
In this episode of REACH, our friend Campbell Ruggles, Executive Assistant to the CEO of Universe, joins us from Brooklyn, New York. Campbell is one of those people who gets up to speed quickly, makes an immediate impact, and does so in non-traditional ways which we'll unpack in this episode. A creative herself who used Universe’s platform to create a website to sell her own art, Campbell is someo
How to Telescope Your Value and Build Good PR Across the Organization as an Executive Assistant
If you’re a regular REACH listener, you know we’ve spent a lot of time discussing how to gain buy-in from your executive, but what about everyone else you need information from and work with day-in and day-out? People like your executive’s direct reports, or Finance, or other C-Suite members. Kristine Valenzuela, Executive Assistant to the Head of Engineering at Atlassian, has graciously offered t
How to Elevate Your Role as an Executive Assistant Within Venture Capital
We invited Rachel Coffman, Operations Manager within Susa Ventures, to the program to be the spokesperson of Venture Capital. If you’re a loyal listener of REACH (and we hope you are!) you know we’ve featured several Executive Assistants who support the movers and shakers of the tech world, so we wanted to give the Venture Capital industry some love. In this episode, we address questions like 1.)
Tips and Tricks for Executive Assistants Planning Travel in a ”Post-COVID” Environment
In this episode, we talk about all things travel coordination in a "post-pandemic" world. Courtney Puckett, Senior Executive Assistant to the CEO of Crunchbase, does quite a bit of traveling in her role and of course she’s the brains behind booking any trip, conference, or event for her CEO, and in cases like planning an SKO, she’s the one executing travel arrangements for all attendees.
Clearly
The Dynamic Duo Behind Sara Blakely, Founder of Spanx: How an Executive Assistant and Personal Assistant Partner Together
We had the honor of speaking with the women behind the woman, referring to Executive Assistant, Kenya Graham & Personal Assistant Lisa Magazine, who together supported the one and only, iconic Sara Blakely, who is of course the legendary entrepreneur and founder of Spanx. In this episode, we hear how Kenya & Lisa worked together to provide holistic, continuous 360-degree support to Sara so she cou
Everything Executive Assistants Need to Know About Equity in an Offer
In this episode, Kevin Baker, VP of Team and Customer Success at Maven Recruiting Group, addresses all of your equity and stock options questions. If you’ve ever received an offer letter from a pre-IPO company and found yourself positively stumped trying to wrap your head around what exactly was being offered, you wouldn’t be the first or the last! The purpose of this episode is to help you naviga
How Your Executive May Be Affected by The Great Resignation
Former Executive Assistant-turned-Chief of Staff and current Executive Coach, Julia Quijano, tackles the popular topic and trending hashtag, The Great Resignation and in particular, how she’s seen this movement affect executives and leaders of companies. We often forget that our leaders are also part of the equation! In sharing this perspective, we hope you will be better equipped to relate to you
Getting What You Deserve: How to Negotiate like a Boss
We get it, any conversation around money likely makes you want to crawl under the table and avoid it all together. We've asked Cynthia Gildea, an Executive and Personal Assistant who has supported a wide-range of executives and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, to teach you everything you need to know about salary negotiation, especially as a female Executive Assistant.
REACH Roundtable: The Great Resignation
If you weren't able join us for our third REACH Roundtable Livestream, we missed you, but we captured the audio for you to listen to here. For those who aren't familiar, REACH Roundtable is an extension of our podcast where we invite former guests back to discuss all things hot topics in the Executive Assistant world. In this episode, you’ll hear from the guests you know and love, Lauren Pelusi, R
Tackling the Title Debate: Is Job Title a Deal Breaker for Your Career and Identity as a Support Professional?
In this episode, we are joined by Carrie Zimney, former Executive Assistant to the COO, Private Office of Bill Gates Ventures! Carrie brings up the oh so debated title discussion, a sensitive and weighty topic for many support professionals. There's no denying the ways in which the executive support role has evolved over the years since its original "Secretary" days. Today we continue to witness v
Behind the Scenes: What It’s Like to Be an Executive Assistant in the Entertainment Industry
If you’ve dreamed of supporting someone in Hollywood and you’re curious to hear what it’s really like, now's your opportunity! Jake Thomson, Executive Assistant to the CEO of Cosm, has supported several big names in the entertainment industry such as Heather Parry (Television & Film Producer best known for Pixels, The House Bunny & A Star is Born), Kelly Osbourne (actress & daughter of Ozzy & Shar
Expectations vs Reality of Supporting a Founder: Food for Thought from Former Executive Assistant to the Founder of Glossier
In this episode of REACH, Stacy DeRosa, former Executive Assistant to the Founder and CEO of Glossier, Emily Weiss, discusses the difference between supporting a member of the C-Suite versus what it means to support the Founder of an organization. While it might seem like there wouldn’t be a ton of variance between the two, Stacy tells us otherwise. Great food for thought for those considering to
REACH Roundtable Playback: Finding Opportunities for Growth and Renewal within the Executive Assistant Role
If you couldn’t join us for our second REACH Roundtable Livestream, here’s our playback. REACH Roundtable is an extension of our podcast where we invite former guests back to discuss all things hot topics in the Executive Assistant world. In this episode, you’ll hear from the guests you know and love, Lauren Pelusi, Rowe Hoffer, LJ Cohen, and Kristin Beatham as they share their unique perspectives
How the Executive Assistant Role Serves as a Great Training Ground for Roles Outside of Executive Support
While we’re clearly huge advocates of the Executive Assistant career path, we also recognize that there are those whose inclinations and desires ultimately lead them away from that career and feel there is also value in talking about those guest stories. In this episode, we feature Tiffany Haughton’s story of going from Executive Assistant to the CEO of Poshmark to Growth Partnerships still within
How to Make Decisions on Behalf of Your Executive in the Absence of Information & Communication
Ellie Dunne, Executive Assistant to the Head of Global Security at Stripe, shares her tips and tricks for how to gather the context you need in order to confidently make decisions on your executive’s behalf and what that looks like in practice. Perhaps your executive never has the time to get you up to speed or lacks the communication style to provide you with the details... or maybe working from
From Filing an S-1 to Ringing the Bell: The Role an Executive Assistant Plays in Taking a Company Public
There’s no denying the record of IPOs that have taken place on the US stock market this year and the flurry of organizations headed down that path next, so we decided it was time to dedicate an episode to the role an EA plays in taking a company public. We invited back former REACH guest Tanya Benvenuto, who played a significant role in Okta’s IPO back in 2017. At the center of it all, ringing the
The High Stakes and Highly Personal World of Estate Management: Everything You Need to Know to Successfully Setup a Household
We’ve talked a lot about what it means to support an executive in the business realm, but less has been explored about what it takes to support an executive in the personal realm. We decided it was time to dedicate an entire episode to estate management, so we invited prominent Estate Manager & Personal Assistant, Alicia Myers, to discuss all things estate management and how to successfully set up
Supporting a First-Time Founder: An Opportunity to Leave a Legacy as an Executive Assistant
Angela Wiley, Executive Assistant to the SVP of Americas Sales and the SVP of Global Corporate Sales at Equinix, talks about her experience supporting newly minted leaders and executives who had never experienced support until Angela! In this episode, we discuss the typical areas that first-time founders need coaching or direction from their EAs and specifically, how Angela built both a thoughtful
How to Effectively Support a “Difficult” Executive
Shelley Trask, Senior Executive Assistant to the CTO/Co-Founder of Slack and avid thought leader in the administrative community, joins us to tackle one of her favorite topics: How to Support a Difficult Executive. (And in case you were concerned, no, she's definitely not referring to her current exec!) Listen in as Shelley shares her strategies for how to get around said difficulty and how you ca
Advice on Salary Negotiation, Performance Reviews & Mentorship from a Beloved EA Mentor
If you’re looking for advice on all things salary negotiation, performance reviews and mentorship, you’ve stumbled upon the right episode. Mentorship is something Senior Business Partner, Autumn Heard, is incredibly passionate about. She currently manages a team of three admins at Medallia but has helped mentor, train and develop many administrative professionals over the years. In this episode, A
REACH Roundtable Playback: Are Executive Assistants Returning to the Office?
If you couldn’t join us for our first REACH Roundtable Livestream, we saved our audio playback for you. REACH Roundtable is an extension of our podcast where we invite former guests back to discuss all things hot topics in the Executive Assistant world. For our first Roundtable, we tackled the single-most relevant topic: “Returning to the Office.” In this episode, you’ll hear from the guests you k
Perspective on the Chief of Staff Role: Attempting to Define an Ambiguous Position
The Chief of Staff topic isn’t going anywhere! In this episode we interview Jenna Miller, Chief of Staff at Betterworks to share her perspective on the CoS role. With all of the hype around this somewhat squishy and nuanced position, we’re making an effort to bring you the insight and perspective you’re looking for. Jenna talks about her recent promotion to Chief of Staff and the ways in which the
Part Two: Event Planning Advice from an Event Planning Expert
This is part-two of our two-part series with event planner extraordinaire Heather Keenan, President and CEO of Key Events. Heather and her firm have orchestrated events the likes of which have been attended by queens, US Presidents, celebrities and the A-list of the business world. If you missed part 1, definitely give it a listen (Season 1, episode 16) where Heather shared how Executive Assistan
Everyone Around Me is in their 20s (Including My Boss): How Not to “Age Out” of Your EA Career
You’ve probably heard the term “seasoned” or perhaps even been labeled or felt as such. And in the Bay Area tech arena especially, it’s not uncommon to work alongside colleagues or even support executives who may be in their early 20s or 30s. So, we’ve decided to tackle the ambitious topic of what it means to age gracefully in your career as an Executive Assistant and, in particular, how you can a
Life at a Crossroads: Reflecting on the Executive Assistant Career
In this episode, Mallory Drury, former Executive Assistant to the President and CEO of Marcus & Millichap, shares her personal experience of being at a crossroads and thinking through next steps in her career. After eight plus years as an Executive Assistant, she finds herself in a reflective state of mind as she tries to determine what’s next for her, whether that’s another Executive Assistant po
From Executive Assistant to Chief of Staff: What It Really Means to be a Chief of Staff
The topic you’ve all been waiting for! These days it feels like Chief of Staff and EA are used almost synonymously and with all the buzz around the Chief of Staff title, we decided to dive into what it actually means to be in this role, what the day-to-day of a Chief of Staff can look like, and how it differs from the EA role. In this episode, we explore why an Executive Assistant makes a great
If There’s Anyone Who Knows How to Break a Glass Ceiling it’s Bumble’s Executive Assistant
If there’s anyone who knows how to break a glass ceiling it’s Lorena Legarreta, Executive Assistant to the President, CFO and CSO of Bumble. Today’s discussion promises to be an empowering one as we hear Lorena’s story. Growing up in Mexico, Lorena is a first-generation Latina who became an Executive Assistant sort of through happenstance because of her ability to speak Spanish and English fluentl
From Red Carpet to Tech Startup: How Mandy King went from Journalist to Executive Assistant to the CEO of Box
Did you know the Senior Executive Assistant to the CEO of Box started her career off in broadcast journalism at companies like CNN, NBCUniversal and Forbes? This episode is all about how Mandy King’s background in media influenced how she operates as an EA to CEO today. For those listening who also have work experience in a completely different field and may be wondering how to incorporate those s
Happy Admin Day! Bonus Episode to Celebrate Our Administrative Superheroes
Happy Administrative Professionals Day! In this bonus episode of REACH, we’re celebrating the often-unsung heroes and backbones of our companies. Our mission at Maven Recruiting Group and through our podcast is to elevate the support role and give it the props and appreciation it rightfully deserves. Gillian Lopez, Director of Accounts and Growth at Maven Recruiting Group, joins Jessica and togeth
How to Standout in the Interview Process + How to Assess Fit with a Company and Executive
If you’re feeling lost among the shuffle of applicants, you’re not sure what to ask or how to assess fit in the interview process, or you’re looking for tips on how to spice up your LinkedIn game, this episode is for you. In this episode, Katie Thomas, Senior Executive Business Partner at Uber, talks about how to stand out and position yourself for success in the interview process, as well as how
Bored in Your Role? How to Ask to Take on Special Projects and Expand Your Role Outside of Your Job Description
Today’s episode is geared to those Executive Assistants who may be feeling bored, apathetic, unmotivated, or simply burnt out in their role. Parke Davis, Executive Assistant to the SVP, Products, Cortex, at Palo Alto Networks offers ideas for how to expand your role to create new learning opportunities and a renewed sense of excitement. We’re talking video editing, voice-over recording, event plan
Reimagining Your Remote Workspace: Advice from a Designer on How to Create a Productive and Beautiful Home Office
With remote work being the ongoing and possibly indefinite reality for many of us, we thought it would be both fun and practical to call in a design expert to talk about how we can equip our work from home environments to be both functional and beautiful. In this episode, Michael Guidry offers his tips and tricks for establishing a comfortable, productive, and aesthetically pleasing home office sp
From Working at the Bio-Pharma Behemoth Genentech to Scrappy Startup Grail: Everything You Need to Know About Being an Executive Assistant in Biotech
In this episode, Stacy Green, Senior Executive Assistant to the CEO of Grail, sheds light on the biotech industry from an EA’s perspective. She discusses everything from the challenges and rewards of the field, what it’s like to work with a bunch of scientists and PhDs and what to expect if you’re thinking of joining a biotech company, whether big or small. Prior to her role at Grail, a company co
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