Name that Woman Trailblazer: American soccer player who became the first international star of the women’s game. Playing forward, she starred on the U.S. national team that won World Cup championships in 1991 and 1999 and Olympic gold medals in 1996 and 2004.
Hi Assistants! I’m Lauren, a mentor and trainer of administrative professionals and you may recognize me as a moderator of The State of The Executive Assistant Facebook page.
I am also a tech junkie (with over 200 apps on my phone), an obsessive problem-solver, and a lover all things warm and cozy – think candles, fuzzy slippers, big cardigans and tea.
I love connecting with administrative professionals! So please feel free to reach out and connect.
🔗 Want to connect with Lauren? Say “hi” on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok.
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Q: How did you get into your current role/industry?
A: I have been an assistant for nearly 20 years and fell into by temping when I moved to a new city.
I LOVE working in this field because every day is different, and because of the culture curation and keeping, the influence at the executive level and across departments, and the exposure to new ways of solving problems and helping others.
Q: What’s something you do to help boost your productivity?
A: So many things! I love using Asana to help prioritize my day, scheduling everything so I have a visual representation of my time and a good hype playlist. We actually created one at The Officials that you can find here.
Q: How do you find work-life balance?
A: To be honest, this is a constant work in progress. I am a business owner and parent who works from home. The real key is finding time to decompress so that I don’t burnout. I have two things that help me here.
The first is LONG baths. It’s where I can float away and I find that I come up with my best ideas.
The other is establishing routines. We use the Family Bell function on our Google Home Hub to help the children walk through their task lists in the morning such as brushing their teeth, feeding the fish, etc. This helps them get themselves ready in the morning while I’m packing a lunches, feeding the dog, etc.
I also have my own morning routine that helps me get in the right mindset for work. I shared a glimpse into this on Instagram Reels and it’s our highest viewed Reel to date. It’s super simple but works for me.
Q: What’s the best piece of professional advice you’ve received so far?
A: I have a few but one that sticks out is “Run your business.”
A former boss was essentially telling my if I ran my desk like I would my own business then he would back me up. He could see my integrity and trusted my judgement. He was giving me permission to trust myself and have autonomy over my role.
It really changed the way I looked at my work. I started to think of myself as a consultant or a start-up and it put everything in a totally new perspective. I now train others on how to do this and how it builds confidence, autonomy and puts joy back into work.
Q: What’s your favorite software or app that helps with your workflow?
A: Asana and Google Workspace.
Q: What’s a book or podcast you’d recommend to a colleague?
A: I’m over the moon about The XX Brain by Dr Lisa Mosconi. A must read.
I love the Hidden Brain podcast by NPR, I recommend the episode on how checklists save lives. It really drives home the power of having checklists and protocols not just for others but for our own work to prevent human error.
I also love The Neurodivergent Woman podcast by Monique Mitchelson and clinical neuropsychologist Dr Michelle Livock, I recommend Episode 7 on Neurodivergence and Trauma especially the part about how women are taught that anger isn’t an appropriate emotion. Mindblowing!
Q: What do you like to do in your free time outside of work?
A: When I’m not working I’m playing board/video games with my two daughters or at the park with our German shepherd, Solo.
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We are not doing a good job at taking care of our long-term financial health.
Stop doing the work for recognition. I speak with too many assistants who say that is their number one motivator. Hey, it was mine, too. But I learned what a mistake that can be.
Remember that compensation and benefits are a form of recognition, too. Statistics tell us women have 50% less saved in their pensions than men. That’s a big problem.
We already know about the gender pay gap but add any intersectionality to it such as being differently abled, a POC, trans, perceived as “too young” or “too old” and that gap gets dramatically wider. Think of that effect compounded long-term. Over your career you could be paid tens of thousands less than your counterparts if you are not aware of these facts.
You need to make sure you are making money moves that align with your life goals or you genuinely could find yourself struggling later on in your career — too young to retire, too far from your financial goals and going through menopause all at the same time.
To some of you this may be news and to some of you reading this it will sound all too familiar.
The big tip here is to determine your life goals (they can be fluid), create a financial roadmap, and boost your skills to get you there. Learn how to make money moves and the skills boosts you need to bridge where you are now with where you want to be. I have helped women at all stages of this journey and it’s never too late.
It takes a good hard look at where you are and often involves big shifts but it is imperative to your long-term financial health.
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