REACH - A Podcast for Executive Assistants Maven Recruiting Group

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 Confidential and hosts of the Him & Her podcast. Obviously, the world of influencing is a new and hot industry that greatly impacts all things social media, consumerism, shopping, cooking, decorating, knowledge gathering, you name it. In this episode, Katie provides us with a behind-the-scenes look into what goes on in the lives of influencers and how she as an Executive Assistant shows up to support them in a unique and meaningful way.

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 strategic initiatives, special projects and events. As someone who is so clearly capable and has such a myriad range of interests and talents, we’re excited to explore the perspective Grant brings to his work as a former Executive Assistant turned Manager of Strategic Initiatives and learn what it was that he’s found within the Executive Assistant career that has nourished all of his different interests. Join us for this inspiring interview!

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 someone go after their dreams and we promise you this is one of those feel-good stories that just makes your heart warm, your mouth water and your stomach growl (seriously, grab a snack for this one!).

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 they possibly can? We’re calling this ability to tune out and turn off your empathy “The Gaming Effect.” 

This got me thinking that there is something very powerful that happens to our empathy and ability to relate and connect to others when we introduce the distance of technology. Many have spoken on the alienating and dehumanizing effects of technology and how Zoom and other similar platforms, while incredibly convenient, cannot compensate for human interaction and connection.   

With so many employers now relying exclusively (or at least mainly) on interviews conducted over a technology platform, it got me wondering if this ”gaming effect” is also occurring in interview processes in today’s market and what evidence there might be for that based on the interview processes we run as a recruiting firm.  

In this episode, we welcome back Gillian Lopez, VP of Accounts and Growth at Maven Recruiting Group. Gillian works directly with many of Maven’s clients spanning Fortune 500 companies, venture capital firms, tech startups, you name it, and therefore, has a direct pulse on the market and what both job seekers and hiring managers are experiencing in today’s job market, which makes her the ideal guest for today’s topic.

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 someone who sort of stumbled into the Executive Assistant profession and has been incredibly successful.  

Our goal with this episode is to debunk the stereotype most people have about the kind of person who is successful as an EA. You know the type – they are hyper-organized, type A, love list making and planned their wedding at 10 years old! Campbell wouldn’t put herself into that category and mentioned she’s never fit the classic EA archetype, and yet she loves this profession and has been really successful at it. Campbell’s affinity for this role also demonstrates an important lesson, which is that there are multiple ways to be successful and, often times, being able to approach challenges and solutions from a different angle can be incredibly beneficial. So, if you’re someone who also feels like you also don’t fit the typical EA mold, or you’d like to learn how you can approach your own EA role from a more unique or innovative viewpoint, this episode is for you!

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 at Atlassian, has graciously offered to tackle this topic and share her tips for how to telescope your value beyond just your executive and essentially that boils down to creating good PR for yourself. So, if you need advice on how to position yourself or tweak your leadership brand to be perceived differently (and respected!) in your organization in order to get the information you need to do your job effectively, this episode is for you.