Name that Woman Trailblazer: The very first woman to receive a First Class degree from the University of Oxford, by the age of 21 she had already written herself into the history books before even embarking on her impressive career. A fascinating and unique example of female brilliance, she is remembered as a celebrated writer, traveler, political officer and archaeologist. She was the first and only woman to work for British Intelligence in the Middle East during the turn of the 20th century.
Hi, everyone! I have been an EA for about 3.5 years now and it’s the most chaotic, stressful, and fulfilling job in the world.
I don’t have a college degree, I’ve been supporting the same Executive (Founder & CEO) for the past 3.5 years. I love this job because it’s a constant challenge, my brain needs to be totally engaged and my work is impactful.
🔗 Want to connect with Jalayna? Say “hi” on LinkedIn.
Some weeks, your to-do list is overflowing with tasks 🫠.
Other weeks, you may be straight chillen’ 😎 (and probably feeling guilty that you’re not super busy).
Either way, it’s hard to keep sight of your wins and everything you’ve accomplished — we’ve been there, friends.
That’s why we’re so excited to be partnering with Sunsama — an in-browser app that helps you keep focused each day to hit your weekly goals, no matter what gets thrown into your schedule.
It integrates with the tools you’re most likely using already, and gives you daily prompts and reminders to organize your day to help you build lasting habits.
But don’t take our word for it — try it free today and let us know how it worked for you.
P.S. Their Focus Mode is a game changer 👌.
Q: How did you get into your current role/industry?
A: I was working at Target part time and driving a tractor part time. My brother in law’s brother (my executive) heard that I was getting bored with the repetition of Target and created this position based on my acceptance of his job offer. I was absolutely unaware of what went into being a successful EA and learned everything as I went.
Q: What’s something you do to help boost your productivity?
A: Shut off the podcasts and music. You may think it helps you focus but it’s just one more thing for your brain to handle!
Q: How do you find work-life balance?
A: This is a hard one, and most EA’s will understand.
Your work day never really ends. It’s more about being proactive so that you don’t get those emergency “drop everything” phone calls when you’re doing something in your personal life.
If you’re working on the right things that push the company further, you’ll be able to work less hours (and not burn out!) and still accomplish everything that is needed.
Q: What’s the best piece of professional advice you’ve received so far?
A: Technical skills don’t matter, they can be taught. Understanding people is EVERYTHING.
Q: What’s your favorite software or app that helps with your workflow?
A: Trello, can’t live without it. It’s my to do list.
It’s accessible on my phone or computer and connected to both my executive’s to do list and my assistants.
Whenever I start to get overwhelmed or lost in the chaos, that is where I go back to — it’s my baseline.
Q: What’s a book or podcast you’d recommend to a colleague?
A: Anything by Patrick Lencioni.
He writes self-improvement business books but creates a fictional story that actually makes you want to continue reading.
Q: What do you like to do in your free time outside of work?
A: I like to do hand embroidery, it keeps my hands busy and allows me to listen to a book at the same time.
When it comes to such a dynamic role as being an Assistant, things change so quickly! There is always something new to learn. Up to date tips and techniques to enhance your performance, skills that will add to your organization’s bottom line and strategies to better support your Executive.
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I struggle with overthinking and I can be extremely hard on myself.
One day my executive sat me down and said “Tell me something you’re great at,” and I said, “I don’t know.”
He was patient and he kept me there until I had said 10-15 things that I was good at. Then he started naming things I did an excellent job at, and then things that I had that I should be grateful for.
He showed me that more often than not, you’re the only one thinking these negative thoughts about yourself or your work. You’re your own bottleneck, your own worst enemy, and most of the time you hold yourself back.
Get out of your head and allow yourself the acceptance to get past your mistakes and the recognition for your hard work.
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