Executivesecretary Podcasts

In this episode of Assist With Impact, Liz’s guest is Dr. Kirstin Ferguson AM an author, columnist and company director. Liz talks with Kirstin about her experience navigating the career ‘climbing frame’ and her latest book, Head & Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership. Kirstin shares some pivotal moments in her career, including when she was debatin…

There seems to be a real push on for assistants to aspire to more. Even the term 'assistant' is apparently uncool! On the one hand, you're being told that you're more than 'just an assistant' and then seeing programs that promote you to aim to be more than just an assistant. I don't know about you, but I'm confused. In this solo episode I share my …

In this episode, Liz shares a simple yet effective framework for assistants to build and maintain their understanding of their manager's needs and priorities. She talks about how managing different needs and priorities across different executives can cause stress and anxiety and contribute to overwhelm. Liz introduces the 3 Ps - Preferences, Priori…

Liz’s guest is Ruth Kilah, Founder & CEO of Hoxton Hyde. She is an Australian based, International Executive Assistant Coach + Mentor and International Speaker. Ruth provides one to one and group coaching program for Assistants. Ruth specialises in helping assistants become strategic thinkers and operators. As a former Senior Executive Assistant an…

All good things are worth waiting for, including Liz's word for 2023! In this episode Liz shares the word that she has decided aptly describes her outlook for 2023. If you want to stay across all the upcoming announcements around Power Skills for Linchpin Assistants, make sure you're following Liz on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lizveevee/…

A solo episode encouraging assistants to embrace their inner 'slinky' and reflect on the Power Skills that enable Linchpin Assistants to stay in that impactful zone. Episode 107 - Why Assistants Are The Human Equivalent Of A Slinky can be found below: https://myeacareer.com/podcasts/107-why-executive-assistants-are-the-human-equivalent-of-a-slinky/…

My interview today is with Jessica Davies. Operations Manager for Dr. Peter Fuda, based in Sydney, Australia. Jess has worked with Peter for over four years now. Commencing in an EA capacity and subsequently moving into the role of Operations Manager early in 2022. In that capacity, Jess partners with Peter across three key streams; his consultancy…

For two decades, Dr. Peter Fuda has been a Sherpa to leaders, teams and organizations across the globe as a consultant, coach, author, researcher, speaker and professor of management. Andy Penn, the former CEO of Telstra (Australia’s pre-eminent telecommunications company has said of Peter “If I can only spend an hour with one person, I choose to s…

It’s a delight to bring you my interview with Candice Burningham, the Founder of Admin Avenues and a former Executive Assistant to some of the biggest names in media. Leaders Candice has supported include the President of NBC News International, Managing Director of Channel 9 and CEO of SBS. Candice is the Founder of Admin Avenues, an online platfo…

Episode 163 is my interview with Jeanette Botha. Jeanette is an experienced business leader and currently VP of Sales Development for a multi-national based in Bonn, Germany. Her main responsibility is leading all Sales initiatives, programs and initiatives with the 40 EU countries to deliver their revenue targets. Jeanette is also an ICF (Internat…

This week's solo episode is a 'love letter' to the committed and concerted efforts of the delegates, members and observers that attended Week 1 of the WA-Summit this past weekend. If you aren't already aware of the tireless work being undertaken by this global coalition of administrative networks and associations then I encourage you to familiarise…

Episode 161 is a solo episode sharing an article I recently read in the Harvard Business Review by Liz Wiseman, author of Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact. https://hbr.org/2022/09/should-you-really-be-indispensable-at-work I shared a book review in Episode 145 that you should listen to if you’d like an ove…

Episode 160 is my interview with Steuart Snooks, Based in Melbourne, Australia, he is an Email and Workplace Productivity Expert. Steuart works with business owners, senior executives, their EAs and support teams who are overloaded with email and crying out for practical, affordable solutions to the relentless demands of email and the workload it d…

In order to assist with impact you need to be trustworthy, to be that safe pair of hands for your executive. But for you to reach that point you also need to have built and maintained your crediblity. In Episode 159 of the podcast I share some Stephen M. R. Covey wisdom with you. The four must-do's if you want to be seen as credible. He explored th…

The final episode in my little three-part series with tips and strategies to help you lift your effectiveness when it comes to managing your Executive's inbox and crafting emails. In this final episode of the series I share 3 'mini' tips that will hopefully be of benefit to you. Upping your email effectiveness builds the partnership between you and…

My second hack for upping your effectiveness is about the structure of your emails. It’s an approach called BLUF which stands for Bottom Line Up Front A BLUF (bottom line up front) is a framework where the essential information is placed at the beginning of the text, rather than the end. The BLUF framework makes you more credible. You will sound mo…

Welcome to the first of a three-part series designed to help you be more proactive and effective. In this episode I share an approach to crafting email subject lines that have more impact. Effective subject lines clearly communicate the action you expect or want the recipient to take. It’s effectively cuing the person - saving them time and mental …

Ursula Kohler understands just how vital an effective EA can be for their manager and their organisation. As the founder and MD of Capital EA, Ursula is a leader and advocate for upskilling and training EAs in Australia so that they can cultivate a "can do" solution focussed attitude. It was an honour to interview Ursula for the podcast. It is a 'h…

While our emotions have evolved to help us, there are times when our emotional responses no longer serve us for a variety of reasons. Unwanted emotional triggers can range from being a minor nuisance, to in some instances, leading us towards behavior we may later regret. I like to say we are human beings, not human doings. Assistants are required t…

Lauren Calvert is a Strategic Business Partner and career EA with over 15 years experience working with CEOs of multi-national and blue chip organisations. In 2019 Lauren launched The Well-Suited Group - a ‘go to’ agency for businesses and individuals in need of premium administrative support, creating opportunities for women in senior executive su…

In Episode 152 I'm sharing the outcome of a 'laser' coaching session I had recently with an Executive Assistant earlier this year. Listen to this episode to hear: 1. The situation/context 2. The gaps we identified and the steps I suggested to help this assistant reset and re energise the relationship and build trust and confidence 3. The five chall…

I'm sharing some exciting news in this episode of the podcast that I hope you will be excited about too. I'd love to hear your thoughts on my news so feel free to email me at liz@myeacareer.com or send me a message on LinkedIn or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lizveevee/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizvanvliettrainerspeakercoach/…

Episode 150 is the third in my series on the three biggest challenges I hear from Executive Assistants. In this episode I share my own struggles with this topic and how I strive every day to overcome lack of confidence. I share three resources to help you continue to make progress with building and maintaining your confidence. I also celebrate that…

The second episode in my trio of episodes focusing on the top three challenges I hear from Executive Assistants. This one is all about how to manage priorities. I share three concepts and approaches to managing the shifting sands that EAs deal with on a continual basis. Resources discussed in this episode: Resource #1 Book - Managing Up by Mary Aba…

Feeling unable to say no is one of the biggest challenges that I hear from Executive Assistants. In this episode and in coming episodes I will be sharing with you the top three challenges I hear from EAs when I survey them prior to delivering my training programs. In each episode I will share three tools, tactics or resources to help you meet this …

A solo episode kicking off 2022 with a book recommendation. - What defines a 'giver', a 'taker' and a 'matcher' - Why this applies particularly to Executive Assistants - How I relate to being a failing giver and the cost it takes on me - How it applies to my word of 2022 - My wish for you, my lovely listener Watch the TEDx talk where Adam Grant tal…

In my final episode for 2021 I share what I've seen in the Executive Assistants I've trained this year. Listen to the episode to hear the biggest pain points and my observations about why this is the case. I also discuss how this year has been about consistently sharing my approach to training and coaching assistants. Helping you move out of the or…

In this solo episode, Liz shares why she LOVED this book by Liz Wiseman, and why it's a must-read for Executive Assistants who want to be impact players or Linchpin Assistants. Liz Wiseman is a researcher and executive advisor who teaches leadership to executives around the world. She is the author of New York Times bestseller Multipliers: How the …

Part Two of my interview with ex-Linchpin Assistant Rachael Bonetti. In the second half of our interview Rachael shares her five tips for developing your 'Executive Presence'. Rachael says "It's in the way they move, speak and show up every day. It's evident in their actions, their commitments and their focus." It's something she works with EAs to …

The first in my two-part interview with Rachael Bonetti. Listen to the episode to hear her experience navigating the Career Spider Frame. How Rachael got clear on the skills, behaviours and values that empowered her to support Chairmen, CEOs, change-makers and entrepreneurs, and show up as a Linchpin Assistant. How Rachael started and grew her side…

The third and final episode in my mini-series on how the dreaded Drama Triangle plays out for you as an Executive Assistant or Office Professional. In this episode we focus on the 'Perpetrator'. These people are the villain of the drama. They're controlling and they're catch-cry will be something like... "It's all your fault", "I know better", "You…

This week's episode follows on from Episode 140 and dives a bit deeper into the role of the 'rescuer' in The Drama Triangle. - The 3 situations where the victim looks to the rescuer to save them from - The people that may present want you as an assistant, to 'rescue' them - The WIFM (What's In It For Me) you get from being a rescuer - How The Drama…

This week's episode relates to a topic that I see coming up again and again in my work coaching and training executive assistants and administrative professionals. The Drama Triangle is something you will relate to both in terms of your work environment and in your personal life. Are you a victim, a persecutor, or a rescuer? If you're human, chance…

It's been a few months between podcast episodes but baby, I'm back! This episode is a solo one, explaining what's been going on and providing a glimpse of what to expect for the remainder of 2021. Thanks for sticking with me and sending you lots of love my lovely listeners x

Part Two of my interview with Marco where we continue our conversation around the self-directed learning and development that Marco has initiated in order to build his capability, confidence and value as an Executive Assistant. Extending himself as an EA has also involved stepping into the limelight on another podcast, The Future Assistant, hosted …

Marco Macente is an Italian office professional who has been working as an Executive Assistant for ten years. He is based in Milan and has studied in the United Kingdom where he undertook a Masters in Corporate Communications in London. Marco supports senior managers within the Oncology unit of Bayer Pharmaceuticals and in this episode shares how h…

Climbing the career ladder isn't all it's cracked up to be. Instead, think of your career like a spider frame... Yes there's up. But there's also across. This episode is the part of my discussion with Dani and Tricky from Tenfold Australia who I featured in Episode 135. I took the opportunity to get them to tell me about their personal experience n…

Tenfold Australia was established in 2020 to ‘tenfold Australia’s impact for a better world’. They describe themselves as a 21st century multinational leadership forum. The company name reflects their purpose to tenfold Australia’s impact for a better world. Episode 135 is my interview with Dani Matthews, Chief Experience Officer (CXO) and Richard …

It's been a month between podcast episodes and for that I am truly sorry. Leaving you, my lovely listener in the lurch isn't a good feeling. But sadly, there's been a bit going on for me and unfortunately I haven't felt capable of showing up on the podcast. That's changing today. I'm back and I want to be my authentic self and share what's been goi…

I didn't invent the phrase 'hope is not a strategy' but I love it and I think it's particularly relevant for assistants who find themselves trapped in a hope-based strategy when it comes to asking for what they want and what they need AND asking for what their boss wants and needs. In this episode I explore the topic of self advocacy and how it is …

No one likes a difficult conversation (including me). Being able to engage in challenging conversations is a crucial Power Skill that I train assistants in. There are many people who avoid them altogether but the consequences of this can be enormous and it's definitely something that will get in the way of you being perceived as a Linchpin Assistan…

A few years back I started surveying business leaders to get their perspective on the role of the EA and how their EA enabled their leadership and effectiveness. The results continue to be interesting. In this episode I share a couple of the insights. Interestingly whilst leaders SAY they want their EA to demonstrate leadership traits, significantl…

Linchpin Assistants are 'superpowered' by what I describe as their Power Skills...soft skills on steroids! Negotiating for mutual benefit is one of the 10 Power Skills that I train assistants to be able to rely on to help them be that little hinge that can swing big doors. Resources discussed in this episode: - Huthwaite whitepaper can be downloade…

It might be February but it's still early enough in 2021 to spend some time reflecting and refocusing so that you can march forward purposefully into this still fresh year. In this episode Liz shares some resources to help you do exactly that. Firstly, Dr. Peter Fuda is a thought leader in the area of high performing teams and leadership. He has a …

A solo episode from Liz to wish all of my lovely listeners a safe, healthy and happy holiday season. In this episode I share my own experience of Christmas in hospital attached to a drip being cared for during Breast Cancer treatment and finding myself in Intensive Care coming close to death. I talk about the lessons I learnt about what's worth car…

Welcome to a 'road rambling' episode where I share what's been going on in my house in the last few weeks and why I've been MIA to a certain extent as a result. If there's a takeaway from this episode it's that we need to be as kind to ourselves as we are to others. Life is messy and as I like to say, we are human beings not human doings and the re…

Part 2 of my interview with Emma Rhoades from Her Corporate Journey. In this episode Emma shares her 5 tips for managing your manager and how she has learnt from experience the value of each of these tips. This episode reinforces why I believe the five elements of my Knowing Assistant Framework are vital to helping you develop as an assistant. This…

The Being Indispensable podcast is about inspiring and educating you as assistants and OPs and Emma Rhoades is someone I have enormous respect for in terms of her knowledge and expertise in the area of management skills and self leadership. Emma walks the talk and in Part 1 of our conversation she shares her own experience navigating the career spi…

In this episode Liz explains what Attention Management is and how it differs from Time Management and some tools and techniques for being proactive about managing your attention. There is a school of thought that Time Management is an outdated concept. Instead it’s about Attention Management - switching your attention to focusing on achieving a spe…

Decision making and critical thinking fall under the umbrella of problem solving and that is right in the wheel-house of a Linchpin Assistant who is effective and efficient because they possess Power Skills like these. Listen to this episode to hear how I define decision making and critical thinking, why these two Power Skills are in my top ten and…