In this edition:
- Thursday Thoughts – Getting Good
- Weekly Top 5 – What Comes After Executive Assistant?, Career Strategies for Polymaths, & Revolutionary War Force Multipliers
- Reading Recommendations – Teach to Sell, Unreasonable Hospitality, & $100M Money Models
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 Force Multiplier, leadership, and personal growth content like you’re used to.
Below that, you’ll see the LOB series and corresponding book recommendations.
Now, on to the question I’ve been pondering this week: “What do you want to be good at?”
I really like this question because it’s not about assessing your current skills and strengths. Nor is it about identifying broad goals or dreams (like getting a promotion, writing a book, or running a half-marathon). It’s more specific and far more actionable to ask, “What do you want to be good at.”
The question itself indicates a gap. A gap which needs to be filled by hard work, training, knowledge, discipline, consistency, and sacrifice.
So, let me ask you. What do you want to be good at? And what changes must you make to start that journey?
Tell me yours and I’ll tell you mine. 😉
WEEKLY TOP 5
- The Executive Assistant vs. Chief of Staff conversation is by no means new (I’ve been part of it for over a decade!), but it does seem to be ramping up. This thought-provoking article by Lucy Brazier challenges one of the biggest assumptions in our profession: that becoming more strategic means eventually leaving the Executive Assistant role behind (spoiler: it doesn’t!). It explores the important distinctions between Executive Assistants, Administrative Leaders, Operations Leaders, and Chiefs of Staff—and makes a compelling case that the future of our profession doesn’t require borrowing another title to prove our value. These roles are distinct career paths to solve different organizational problems. Give it a read and then give me your thoughts or join the discussion on LinkedIn!
- Did someone just call me a dilettante!? I prefer polymath or generalist… but the sentiment is the same. You may feel the same. It’s not necessarily a desire to jump from one thing to the next, but rather having too many interests that you want to develop. When you look at your life, you see many different paths, and each truly feels like a part of you. Le sigh. What’s a dilettante to do? Start by watching this video from UnordinaryMind and know you’re not alone!
- This inspiring story is a reminder that the skills developed as an Executive Assistant—strategic thinking, problem-solving, pattern recognition, and leadership—are anything but administrative. It’s a powerful reflection on the impact EAs have on organizations and proof that there is no ceiling on what’s possible when those talents are recognized and developed. Congratulations on your new role, Sara!
- Join other growth-minded right-hand partners and Force Multipliers in The Force Multiplier Book Club for access to our monthly live book discussion, book recommendations, supplemental resources, and more! Our July book club pick is Managing Up: How to Get What You Need from the People in Charge by Melody Wilding! And, let me tell you, I can’t believe I haven’t read this book yet. I’m a little over half way through and the content is very much in alignment with what I believe and have been teaching for years. Melody does an excellent job of putting it all together. I suspect this book will become “required” reading for all Force Multipliers (if I have anything to do with it anyway!).
- History has a funny way of reminding us that the most well-known leaders have never succeeded alone. This week, we’re taking a look at the fascinating history of the aide-de-camp—from George Washington’s trusted advisors during the Revolutionary War to today’s Executive Assistants and Force Multipliers. If you’ve ever wondered whether strategic partnership is a “new” idea, this article will show you it’s anything but.
LANGUAGE OF BUSINESS SERIES – CUSTOMER SERVICE & SALES
- How to Know Whether to Greet Someone With a Hug, Handshake or Wave [Time Magazine]
- Differences in Selling B2B vs. B2C [Forbes]
- How to Sell Anything (Full FREE Sales Course) with Shelby Sapp [YouTube]
- The Hidden Cost of Chatbots – Why AI Driven Customer Service is Killing Your Conversions [Stryde]
- The 11 Essential Components of a Sales Plan Every Business Needs [everstage]
READING RECOMMENDATIONS
- Teach to Sell: Why Top Salespeople Never Sell―and What They Do Instead by Dan Rochon | If you’re tired of chasing clients, second-guessing your scripts, and waking up to another month of unpredictable income…this book is your breakthrough. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, coach, or small business owner, the struggle is the same: how do you consistently attract clients without pressure, burnout, or gimmicks? You don’t have to pressure to sell—you just have to Teach to Sell. Teach to Sell is more than a sales book—it’s a transformational path to ethical influence, lasting trust, and Consistent and Predictable Income. Inside, you’ll find a proven system to stop chasing clients and start leading them with integrity.
- Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than What They Expect by Will Guidara | Will Guidara was twenty-six when he took the helm of Eleven Madison Park, a struggling two-star brasserie that had never quite lived up to its majestic room. Eleven years later, EMP was named the best restaurant in the world. Today, every business can choose to be a hospitality business—and we can all transform ordinary transactions into extraordinary experiences. Featuring sparkling stories of his journey through restaurants, with the industry’s most famous players like Daniel Boulud and Danny Meyer, Guidara urges us all to find the magic in what we do—for ourselves, the people we work with, and the people we serve.
- $100M Money Models: How To Make Money by Alex Hormozi | A Money Model is a deliberate sequence of offers. It’s what you offer, when you offer, and how you offer it to make as much money as you can as fast as you can. In $100M Money Models you’ll learn how to get more leads with free and discount offers, how to get them to pay more cash up front, how to upsell and downsell, and how to get your customers to buy again and again. In short, this is Alex’s “cookbook” for making money.
“Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, ‘Make me feel important’.”
Mary Kay Ash
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