REACH - A Podcast for Executive Assistants

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 choice for a Chief of Staff. While there is no “one size fits all” definition of Chief of Staff, our goal is to share multiple perspectives on this role and the variety of ways in which a Chief of Staff can contribute.  To kick off this series, we’re thrilled to have Julia Quijano on our program, who served as Chief of Staff at Aera Technology, a venture-backed startup in Silicon Valley where she wore many hats including leadership development and building the company’s DE&I program. Julia started off her career as an Executive Assistant at Salesforce where she supported the Chief Revenue Officer and the Chief Customer Officer before deciding to pursue a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. 

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 fluently. She’s also been the first EA to many of the executives she’s supported throughout her career AND she supported her first ever female executive at Bumble. Bumble recently went public and made history as Bumble’s CEO, Whitney Wolfe Herd, became the youngest female founder in history to take a company public -- she even rang the bell with her baby perched on her hip, talk about breaking glass ceilings!

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 skills into your current role as an EA or how to speak to the unique value your background lends in the interview process, this episode is definitely for you! And for those of you who are just curious why and how someone in TV/Media/Journalism became an Executive Assistant, stay tuned. The best part? She loves being an Executive Assistant a thousand times more than being a producer even after working alongside Anderson Cooper, meeting Ryan Gosling on the red-carpet and interviewing the Saturday Night Live hosts!!

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 together they highlight all of the problems EAs solve, all of the ways they save the day, all of the areas they provide leverage to their executives and companies. Plus, stay tuned for a special treat at the end... a few of our clients wrote in personal notes of appreciation for their admins and you just might receive a special shout out from your exec! We hope this episode reminds you how valuable you are, how critical your role is to your organization and how much we appreciate all that you do behind the scenes. 

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 to assess fit with a potential company and executive. And if there’s anyone who knows how to network, stand out on LinkedIn and make a lasting first impression, it’s Katie! Spoiler alert: Katie received two job offers by simply making a memorable first impression. PS: If networking isn’t really your thing, this episode is still relevant! Katie, an introvert at heart, views networking in a non-traditional light and offers tips for how others can step outside their comfort zone and make meaningful connections even via Zoom. 

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 planning, culture building, you name it! In this episode, you will learn how and when to approach your executive as well as all of the work you need to do in advance to ensure you get a strong “yes” at the end of your conversation. If you feel like you can do your job backwards and forwards with your eyes closed, and you’re just going through the motions every day, this episode is for you!

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 space. Michael has designed a variety of spaces including Maven Recruiting Group’s HQ and Jessica’s home office space. Not only does he have an incredible design vision, but also a ruthless pragmatism, resourcefulness, and appreciation for functionality and frugality that make him a really unique designer and someone who can find the happy place between Gucci and Target. This is both a fun and practical episode that you won’t want to miss!

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 committed to saving lives by detecting cancer early on when it has a better chance of being cured, Stacy worked as an EA at the biopharma behemoth, Genentech, for over 10 years. If there’s anyone who knows what it’s like to be an Executive Assistant in the biotech industry, it’s this gal!

From Facebook to Roblox: When to Take the Leap to a New Role

After supporting the Global Chief Diversity Officer at Facebook for six years, Pari McIntyre, made the leap to Roblox supporting the General Counsel. In this episode, Pari shares her thoughts on when it’s time to change roles or companies, something she recently decided to do. If you’re like Pari and you’ve recently accepted a new role during this time, we have no doubt you will benefit from hearing Pari’s tips on how to acclimate. Or, if you are thinking of making a move, we hope hearing Pari’s discussion of what prompted her will give you additional food for thought. This episode promises feelings of empowerment, independence and confidence – qualities Pari models well.

How to Pivot from Personal Support to the Corporate World: Advice from PA Turned Airbnb EA

Alexis’ journey to the Executive Assistant role begins with her previous role as a Personal Assistant to a high-profile executive and entrepreneur and her family. In this episode, we’ll be taking a deep dive into the Personal Assistant role first to understand what it’s all about and how to do it well, followed by Alexis’ discussion of how and why she transitioned her career to the corporate space. Join us as we chat about both the similarities and differences of personal support and executive support, the importance of confidentiality, how to effectively set boundaries and what it takes to pivot career paths. Whether you’re a Personal Assistant, Executive Assistant or Estate Manager, you are sure to relate to and benefit from Alexis’ story and advice.