Ever wonder if your years waiting tables or running a hotel front desk could be a secret weapon in your career arsenal? The answer is a resounding yes! In this episode of REACH, we'll be exploring how hospitality skills – those honed in the world of customer service, restaurants, cafes, and hotels – translate beautifully into the executive assistant career. Joining us is Janet Kim, Executive Assistant to the CEO of Clubhouse who successfully parlayed her background in hospitality into a highly successful EA career. We'll be diving into how skills like anticipation, service, multi-tasking, problem-solving and exceeding expectations seamlessly transition from a hospitality setting to supporting executives.

Janet enjoys sharing her story and experiences with other EAs on her blog called “That Exec Asst Life,” so be sure to subscribe to her social and follow along: https://www.thatexecasstlife.com/

In this episode of REACH, we're welcoming a baller Executive Assistant panel, showcasing 3 incredibly accomplished executive assistants who worked together at Slack for many years as part of the PDE EA Team. In addition to their roles as individual contributor EAs, as leaders within the EA org they also implemented best practices, developed career pathing for EAs, supported with onboarding and navigated the complexities of an acquisition and the ensuring change management (Salesforce acquired Slack in 2021).

Joining us is returning REACH guest from Season 2, Shelley Trask, who formerly supported the CTO of Slack for over 6 years. Next, we're joined by Sam Andonian who is currently the Lead Admin to Lidiane Jones, CEO of Bumble and has worked for companies like Slack, Google and Disney. And, rounding out our panel is Ellen Grosswiler, who currently supports the VP of Engineering at Figma and was an EA at Slack for nearly 5 years.

Together, our esteemed guests will provide valuable perspectives on how they operate as Lead EAs, offering guidance on leadership responsibilities, mentorship, culture and how they navigate a managerial role within the realm of executive support.

In this episode of REACH, we're joined by Ninni Vanni who’s been a C-level Executive Assistant for 10 years working for companies like Rula, ON24 and Zuora. Ninni holds a master's degree in communication, bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table to weigh in this topic. With a background finely tuned to the nuances of effective communication, Ninni is uniquely positioned to shed light on the intricate role that communication plays in supporting executives and managing the multifaceted and often delicate / diplomatic communications an Executive Assistant encounters. As we explore the importance of communication in this pivotal role, we'll unravel the impact of skills like active listening, information streamlining and the art of pushing back when necessary. Ninni's deep understanding of communication dynamics within and outside organizations will undoubtedly provide valuable insights for both aspiring and seasoned executive assistants.