FFM Newsletter Language of Business Series: Strategy & Decision Making (Quality Decision Making)
In this edition: THURSDAY THOUGHTS Benjamin Franklin said, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man [person] healthy, wealthy, and wise.” And, sleeping on it may just help you solve your next big challenge. As leaders and Force Multipliers, we don’t usually get to see the good stuff. By the time something lands […]
FFM Newsletter Language of Business Series: Strategy & Decision Making (Take Ownership)
In this edition: THURSDAY THOUGHTS What are you ready to take ownership of that you may have been waiting for someone else to give you permission to own? There’s a funny thing that happens when you’re really good at supporting someone else. Or when you allow someone else’s goals to come before your own. You […]
FFM Newsletter Language of Business Series: Strategy & Decision Making (The Strategic Pause)
In this edition: THURSDAY THOUGHTS Welcome to September and to a month full of strategy and decision making! Let’s start with strategic thinking… Force Multipliers are asked to be more strategic at work, encouraged to be more strategic in order to grow their careers, and desire to be more strategic for their own leadership, but often […]
FFM Newsletter Language of Business Series: Marketing & Branding (The Next 5 Years)
In this edition: THURSDAY THOUGHTS If the version of you from five years ago could see your life today, what would surprise them most? (Thanks James Clear for the great question!) We overestimate how much we can accomplish in a year and underestimate what we can accomplish in 10. So, let’s split the difference and think […]
FFM Newsletter Language of Business Series: Marketing & Branding (Who Taught Your Exec to Lead?)
In this edition: THURSDAY THOUGHTS Did you know… 85% of new people managers receive no formal training before stepping into leadership roles? Wharton cites another stat that’s just as alarming: 60% of new managers fail within their first 24 months, with lack of leadership and management training playing a major role. Companies tend to promote people to leadership […]
FFM Newsletter Language of Business Series: Marketing & Branding (The Mad Men Era is Dead)
In this edition: THURSDAY THOUGHTS Is AI actually EAs’ and Chiefs of Staffs’ biggest stan? Think about it… If every AI/tech company’s selling point is that its product can be “your EA” or “your Chief of Staff,” doesn’t that intrinsically tell us how important those roles are? So important that Big Tech is using them […]
FFM Newsletter Language of Business Series: Marketing & Branding (The 5Cs of Marketing)
In this edition: THURSDAY THOUGHTS This week kicks off the marketing and branding segment of the Language of Business series. So, let’s start with the “kinda chic” social media trend making the rounds… And take a minute to consider if there a way for you to adapt this to your leader or organization before it’s […]
FFM Newsletter Language of Business Series: (Force Multiply Sales & Customer Service)
In this edition: THURSDAY THOUGHTS Like me, you probably became a Force Multiplier because you never wanted to carry a sales quota, host sales calls, or close deals. But, if your job is to multiply your Executive’s effectiveness and impact, then there are sales and customer service activities that are part of your job, whether they are in […]
FFM Newsletter Language of Business Series: Customer Service & Sales (The Ultimate Sales Training)
In this edition: THURSDAY THOUGHTS Right about now I should be arriving at a small “resort” on Lake Champlain. 45 minutes from my house. 24 hours on the clock. 1 husband. Zero dogs. There won’t be a strict agenda. No productivity goals. No “while I’m here I should probably…” Just a little space to think and […]
FFM Newsletter Language of Business Series: Customer Service & Sales (Customers vs. Clients)
In this edition: THURSDAY THOUGHTS Working as the right-hand partner to an entrepreneur or small business owner often means that you wear ALL the hats. You aren’t just an Executive Assistant – you are also the marketing manager, director of operations, office manager, HR generalist, bookkeeper, property manager, personal assistant, PR & communications manager, community […]
FFM Newsletter Language of Business Series: Customer Service & Sales (Everyone is a Salesperson)
In this edition: THURSDAY THOUGHTS Everyone is a salesperson. Yes, you too! One of the reasons I became an Executive Assistant was because I thought I’d found a career where I could stay behind the scenes. No cold calling, pitch meetings, door-knocking, or sales quotas. Perfect! Then I started my own business and quickly realized…that plan […]
FFM Newsletter Language of Business Series: Customer Service & Sales (How to Sell Anything)
In this edition: THURSDAY THOUGHTS Well, I lasted one month staying focused on the Language of Business series, but the generalist in me is strong! Don’t worry, the series will continue – this month we’re diving into customer service, sales, and the client experience. However, you will see a new (old) section devoted to more general […]
FFM Newsletter Language of Business Series: Finance (Single vs. Multi-Family Offices)
In this edition: THURSDAY THOUGHTS Last week, I stopped at my favorite local coffee shop for an iced cinnamon latte and a strawberry lemon oat square. The usual. But as I stood there waiting for my order, I found myself getting impatient. Like, really impatient. The place was packed. Staff was hustling. Yet, as I […]
FFM Newsletter Language of Business Series: Finance (Business Scoreboards)
In this edition: THURSDAY THOUGHTS PSA: You don’t need anyone’s permission, a formal program, or a new title to start building your business acumen. Start from where you’re at and go (and grow!) from there. In addition to reading this newsletter series, here are a few suggestions: By embracing a growth mindset and committing time […]
Stop Auditing, Force Multipliers vs. Integrators, & The Challenges of Entrepreneurship
When you hear the word “audit” do you immediately get a bit tense and start thinking that the IRS is coming for you? Yeah. Me too. And, yet, one of the first things that many Chiefs of Staff and Force Multipliers set out to do in their first 30 days on the job is audit […]
Business Acumen for Executive Assistants: Why It Matters and How to Build It
When Executive Assistants and other Force Multipliers ask me how they can become a stronger strategic business partner to their Principal and leadership team, one of the first things we talk about is business acumen. And no, it’s not just a buzzword for CEOs or MBAs. Developing business acumen is one of the most effective […]
Thankful for YOU!, How to Say “No” to Your Boss, What You Should Stop Doing, & Give and Take
Happy Thanksgiving! I just wanted to take a minute to thank YOU for being a part of The Inner Circle and The Founder & The Force Multiplier community. Whether you’ve been here since the first blog post in 2016 or you just found us yesterday – I am so glad you are here! “Gratitude is […]
What the Seahawks & Force Multipliers Have in Common, Becoming an Impact Player, CCing My EA Podcast, Slowing Down, & More
I typically don’t watch football. I’m more of a hockey girl, myself (Go Bruins!). But this interview was too good not to share. A couple of weeks ago my friend Michelle J. sent me this video of the Seattle Seahawks coach, Mike Macdonald talking about cornerback Devon Witherspoon. I mean, he could have been talking […]
The White House Chief of Staff, Not Everyone Wants a Promotion, & Getting Ready for a Career Pivot
Did you know that I actually modeled my role as Chief of Staff after the White House Chief of Staff? When I moved into the role around 2013, there were very few resources available outside of military and government Chief of Staff examples, so I used what I could find and adapted it to the […]
The Self-Confidence Formula, The 1 Hour Rule, & Year-End HR Compliance
When I first started working with my former Executive, Adam, he “only” had three businesses – he owned a real estate team, a real estate brokerage, and several investment properties. Much of my time during the first three years of our partnership was spent in the real estate world and about 80% of it working […]
Shower Thoughts, Let Me Know How I Can Help, Chief of Staff to CEO, Fall in Love With the Problem, and More
Have you ever noticed how most of our best ideas and insights come to us while we’re in the shower? Or maybe while we’re on a walk or folding laundry. Shower thoughts, defined, “as a sudden idea that occurs to a person during an unconnected mundane activity” are aptly named. My shower thoughts aren’t always brilliant […]
Look for Qualities of Work You Enjoy, The Executive Assistant Flex, 5 Great Podcasts, & Be Ready When the Luck Happens
I recently came across this little gem from Thomas Frank, video creator and writer. Whether you’re looking for your next job or starting a business, I think this concept is worth considering. Building requires more risk, uncertainty, and lots of trial and error, which can be frustrating, but also exhilarating! Maintaining is more predictable and allows […]
The Executive Assistant Flex: Why Are EAs Expected to Flex “Up”, but Chiefs of Staff Never Flex “Down”?
Here’s something for you to think about this week: Why are Executive Assistants often expected to flex “up”, but Chiefs of Staff are never asked (and in fact, are usually encouraged not) to flex “down”? I mean, we hear it all the time: Chiefs of Staff (CoS) are “strategic” and “operational leaders,” while Executive Assistants […]
Learning the Hard Way, 100 Tips to Organize Your Life, Owning Your Career, Book of the Week & More
Alex Hormozi, Founder of Acquisition.com sold one of his other companies, Gym Launch, for $46.2 million. Today, let’s take a minute to learn from someone who’s gone before us in business (very successfully I might add). And, per usual, these lessons apply to founders, leaders, CEOs, and Force Multipliers and executive support professionals. Here are the 7 lessons that […]