Your Competence Isn’t the Problem: Why Executive Assistant/Chief of Staff Success Has More to Do with Signal Literacy Than Skill by Kristine Valenzuela
Today’s guest post is from Kristine Valenzuela, a career Executive Assistant and Chief of Staff, as well as the Founder of The Secret Executive. To learn more about Kristine and her work, visit The Secret Executive or follow her on LinkedIn! Everyone keeps encouraging Executive Assistants and Chiefs of Staff to get better at their […]
Books for Executive Assistants, Chiefs of Staff, and Force Multipliers
A curated list of books for right-hand partners to entrepreneurial leaders. Check back often as I continue to add to this list! The Founder & The Force Multiplier (Second Edition) Author: Adam Hergenrother & Hallie Warner This is the essential read (yes, yes, we are biased) for Executive Assistants who want to strengthen their strategic […]
Positive Psychology and Strengths-Based Leadership for Right-Hand Partners by Diana Brandl
Today’s guest post is from Diana Brandl, Founder of The Socialista Projects and host of the Executive Office Insights podcast. To learn more about Diana and her work, visit The Socialista Projects or follow her on LinkedIn! Positive Psychology and Strengths-Based Leadership for Right-Hand Partners Force Multipliers (i.e. Chiefs of Staff, Executive Assistants, Executive Support professionals, […]
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 […]
R-E-S-P-E-C-T | Find Out What It Means to Executive Assistants
There’s a lot of talk about how Executive Assistants and Force Multipliers should be “respected as strategic partners.” And while I agree with the sentiment (yes, respect is critical for a successful working partnership), it’s not something that shows up on day one just because you do. Respect is earned. It’s built. It’s given by […]
Thinking About Partnering with an Entrepreneur? Read This First.
If you’re an Executive Assistant, Chief of Staff, or Force Multiplier eyeing a role alongside a founder, entrepreneur, or small business owner, read this first. I’m a huge advocate for the power of strategic right-hand partnerships in entrepreneurial businesses. When the fit is right, this kind of role can be deeply fulfilling, dynamic, and wildly […]
Add These Books to Your 2025 TBR List
There are millions of books published every year. So many books and not enough time to read them all! I read about 110 books this year and I am hoping to help you weed through the sheer volume of great books out there by sharing some of my favorites from 2024. Remember, it’s important to […]
LinkedIn News 25 Big Ideas That Will Change Our World in 2025 – Force Multiplier Edition
LinkedIn News recently released their 25 Big Ideas report, sharing ideas they believe will change our world in 2025. As Force Multipliers, I think it’s important to read through the article and consider how these predictions may apply to your company, industry, and career opportunities. To get you started, take a look at how I […]
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 […]
Hurricane Relief, 1 Year After Quitting My Job, & 6 Disciplines of Strategic Thinking
Like so many others across the United States, I’ve been glued to the news and social media watching the destruction of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton wreak havoc on communities. The Southeast was devastated by Helene just weeks ago and recovery efforts are still underway (and will undoubtedly be for months to come). Hurricane Milton […]
One Year Later: What I’ve Been Thinking About Since Quitting My Job
October has always been an important month in my career. In October 2010, I started working with Adam Hergenrother and was introduced to the wild and exciting world of real estate. In October 2013, I pitched the Chief of Staff role and “promoted” myself. And my second co-authored book was published in October 2023. One […]
Thought Leadership is Out, 13 Questions for Your Next Job Interview, & The Office Still Matters
And just like that… we’re in Q4. Welcome! So, two weeks ago, I shared a podcast episode from Leila Hormozi about a maker schedule vs. a manager schedule. If you missed it, take a listen. It’s a great episode. But, what I find fascinating is that this week, I was listening to Tim Ferris talk with Kevin […]
Do You Have Any Questions for Me? 13 Questions to Ask During Your Next Interview
We’ve all been there before… you’ve landed an interview for a job that you’re really excited about. You’re meeting with the CEO to discuss their job opening for an Executive Business Partner. The interview is going really well. And then the CEO asks, “Do you have any questions for me?” And your mind goes blank. […]
One Size Does NOT Fit All, Corporate Swag Will Never Die, & Chief of Staff Career Questions
Recently, I’ve noticed a lot of advice and controversial statements masquerading as the absolute truth on LinkedIn. We know this is a strategy that mainstream media, as well as social media like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook have used for years. But, I couldn’t help but ask, “Et tu LinkedIn?” Don’t get me wrong, I think […]
100 Day Countdown, Earning Respect, & The Force Multiplier Mindset
On Monday, September 23, there will be 100 days left in 2024. I don’t know about you, but this makes me both terrified that I don’t have enough time to accomplish everything I want to and relieved that I still have so many days left in the year. The reality is,100 days is plenty of […]
Every Entrepreneur Needs a Force Multiplier, 21 Force Multiplier Interview Q’s & 4 Pillars of Innovation
Let’s look at some numbers. There are approximately 31 million entrepreneurs in the United States (and 582 million globally). On average, entrepreneurs earn between $50,000 – $75,000 a year. But, we’re not average here. The top 1% of entrepreneurs earn $390,000 or more. And, of course there are the top 0.1% (I’m looking at you Elon, Mark, […]
Heartsaver You’ve Got the Best of Me, Why Aren’t You Delegating?, & Founder Mode Debate
Did you know that if performed immediately, CPR can double or triple the chance of survival from an out of hospital cardiac arrest? In my opinion, CPR training should be mandatory. No, thankfully, I didn’t have to use compressions or an AED (automated external defibrillator) on anyone over the weekend, but if I had to, I now could […]