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Life Before Siri & Alexa: My Executive Assistant Role was the Most Impactful Role of my Career

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 April 26, 2017

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This article is dedicated to all the Administrative Assistants that touched my lives in one way or another: Ryan, Temi, Kathy, Sharon, Vicki, Brenda, Sheryl, Donna, Traci, Caroline, Christi, Ana, and Debbie. This is also dedicated to the three people I supported as an Executive Assistant: Ann, James, and Norm. Thank you for challenging me, inspiring me, and for mentoring me and being my friend.

Have you seen the movie “Devil Wears Prada?” This movie portrays a woman named Andi (played by Anne Hathaway) who has just graduated college and gets her first job becoming an Administrative Assistant to a very famous fashion designer, Miranda Priestly (played by Meryl Streep). “High maintenance” is the best way to describe Miranda.

This movie accurate depicted my story starting out in the world of business. I had an opera degree and needed a job to just pay the bills until I ‘figured out my life’. I got my first job as an Executive Assistant at FedEx at 22 years old. A baby.

When the movie “Devil Wears Prada” came out, I did a double-take, as much of my day-to-day was similar to Andi’s, with one major caveat: the people I worked for were not nearly as high maintenance as Miranda was depicted in the movie. Don’t get my wrong, they were high maintenance, but on the opposite end of the spectrum from Miranda Priestly.

At the time, I thought this role wouldn’t amount to a thing. I was a coffee runner on the regular, a note taker, a “no, he’s not in the office” liar (Norm, that’s for you), a proof reader, an Excel whiz (James, that’s for you), a cube decorator, a computer fixer, a party planner, and in all seriousness, I was Siri and Alexa.

Questions I would get regularly that Siri and Alexa can now answer:

• “What time is the Cowboys game this weekend? Who are we playing?”
• “I’m heading to Nashville tomorrow, what’s the weather?”
• “Can you order more of those pens I like?”
• “Whats the address to the closest rental car location?”
• “What day of the week is Christmas on this year?”

There’s a famous quote from the show “The Office” that gets me every time:

I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.

Yep, it’s true. I was just waiting for the day to get promoted and out of the EA role, and waiting for tomorrow. I wish I knew at the time that I was in the ‘good old days’ so I would have appreciated them more. I would give anything to have those days back; it was a much simpler time.

To reiterate: I didn’t think this job would amount to anything, and in hindsight, it was absolutely the MOST important job I’ve had in my career. Why? This role taught me how to talk to executives.

So what, you may ask? In my first role in sales, I was not nervous to pick up the phone and cold call the CMO of a Fortune 500 company. I just picked up the phone and dialed their number. My colleagues would freak when they had to dial a VP’s number ask why I was so comfortable doing it. I just looked at them plainly and would say “What? They put on pants the same way you and I do….they’re… just people.”

Executives are just people like you and me.

Executives have a life outside of work just like we do. They have families, they’re called “Dad” and “Honey,” they’re not just an SVP of their department, they’re a person just like you and me.

In my Administrative Assistant roles, I would ride the elevator with C levels daily; I didn’t treat them any differently, and they didn’t treat me any differently. Well, except one. You can read about that one here if interested.

The other reason this role was the most valuable for me was the network it created for me. Because I worked for executives at a Fortune 500 company, I had access to a huge network in Dallas. I didn’t realize how valuable and helpful that network would be until I left. When I started my first sales role I remember running a search query on LinkedIn to see how many retail executives I knew, and couldn’t believe my eyes; because of this network, I finished at the top quarter after quarter for setting the most meetings.

Everyone told me during my time as an EA that this role would pay off but I didn’t believe them. Now is the appropriate time to say “told you so”

To those of you out there in a role that you don’t like, or don’t think will amount to a thing, think again. Use every day as a networking opportunity. I’m absolutely serious in saying that this role was the most valuable role I’ve had in my life.

And for those of you who continue in your EA role every day, thank you. So much goes on behind the scenes that you’re not even recognized for; I personally want to thank you for all you do.

If you have an Administrative Assistant, most definitely thank them today on this national appreciation day, but thank them always. They’re the glue that holds everything together. 

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