I had the honor of speaking with Maaike Knoester for an interview on the 5 Star Assistant Podcast to discuss my 20-year career as an Executive Assistant, my book The Leader Assistant, and the journey of producing over 360 episodes of my own podcast.

In this conversation we talk about challenging misconceptions about our profession. The greatest misunderstanding is that EAs are merely "one-trick ponies" focused on scheduling and expenses. In reality, we are strategic partners who see the whole picture for our executives. Internally, the biggest barrier I see is a lack of confidence, often stemming from attaching personal worth to job performance.

To combat burnout and build a sustainable career, I emphasize two core principles:

• Detach your worth from your work. Your value as a person is separate from your job performance.
• Set clear boundaries. I made it a point with my current executive to log off on the weekends because you cannot truly help others long-term if you don't take care of yourself.

Finally, when it comes to being busy, I see "multitasking" not as doing two things at once, but as the critical skill of prioritizing and context switching effectively between diverse responsibilities.

Thank you, Maaike, for the opportunity to be on your show, and for asking such great questions!

Show notes -> leaderassistant.com/373

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It’s the last day of the offsite and it was exactly what the team needed. The CEO pulls you aside to say, “Thank you. This was next level.”

Your secret? You used Offsite. They handled the venues, negotiations, and logistics – so you could focus on shaping the experience.

Sound too good to be true? It’s actually within reach. (And it can even save you money.)

See how at leaderassistant.com/offsite.

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Are you ready to level up? Enroll in The Leader Assistant Academy at leaderassistant.com/academy to embrace the Leader Assistant frameworks used by thousands of assistants.

More from The Leader Assistant...

• Book, Audiobook, and Workbook -> leaderassistantbook.com
• The Leader Assistant Academy -> leaderassistantbook.com/academy
• Premium Membership -> leaderassistant.com/membership
• Events -> leaderassistantlive.com
• Free Community -> leaderassistant.com/community

Diana Brandl is a longtime C-Suite assistant, and host of the Executive Office Insights podcast.

In this spotlight episode, explore how service skills evolve into strategy as Heleen Vink shares her path from hospitality to supporting the CEO of Ingka Group (IKEA), the calendar audit that reset priorities, and the systems that protect deep work and drive stakeholder engagement. Heleen and Diana also outline how to build an internal assistant network and keep balance through community and creativity.

Topics covered:

• hospitality foundations shaping executive support
• moving from generalist skills to a stakeholder specialty
• the structure and roles inside a lean CEO support team
• how to run a calendar audit and turn data into priorities
• setting non‑negotiables like protected work‑alone time
• building an internal assistant network with clear purpose
• learning by doing: speeches, reports, and projects
• finding your voice and influence with direct feedback
• sustainable work life balance through support systems
• music as a tool for confidence, presence, and renewal

Enjoy!

Show notes → leaderassistant.com/372

--
It’s the last day of the offsite and it was exactly what the team needed. The CEO pulls you aside to say, “Thank you. This was next level.”

Your secret? You used Offsite. They handled the venues, negotiations, and logistics – so you could focus on shaping the experience.

Sound too good to be true? It’s actually within reach. (And it can even save you money.)

See how at leaderassistant.com/offsite.

--
Are you ready to level up? Enroll in The Leader Assistant Academy at leaderassistant.com/academy to embrace the Leader Assistant frameworks used by thousands of assistants.

More from The Leader Assistant...

• Book, Audiobook, and Workbook -> leaderassistantbook.com
• The Leader Assistant Academy -> leaderassistantbook.com/academy
• Premium Membership -> leaderassistant.com/membership
• Events -> leaderassistantlive.com
• Free Community -> leaderassistant.com/community

Diana Brandl is a longtime C-Suite assistant, and host of the Executive Office Insights podcast. In this spotlight episode, Diana interviews Reggie Love - former Personal Aide to President Barack Obama.

The conversation features Reggie discussing his life, career, and time at the White House. He shares his background growing up in North Carolina and his path to working with Obama, emphasizing the importance of diversity and inclusion. He also offers leadership advice centered on passion, patience, and perspective (empathy), and tips for managing stress.

Show notes -> leaderassistant.com/371

--
It’s the last day of the offsite and it was exactly what the team needed. The CEO pulls you aside to say, “Thank you. This was next level.”

Your secret? You used Offsite. They handled the venues, negotiations, and logistics – so you could focus on shaping the experience.

Sound too good to be true? It’s actually within reach. (And it can even save you money.)

See how at leaderassistant.com/offsite.

--
Are you ready to level up? Enroll in The Leader Assistant Academy at leaderassistant.com/academy to embrace the Leader Assistant frameworks used by thousands of assistants.

More from The Leader Assistant...

• Book, Audiobook, and Workbook -> leaderassistantbook.com
• The Leader Assistant Academy -> leaderassistantbook.com/academy
• Premium Membership -> leaderassistant.com/membership
• Events -> leaderassistantlive.com
• Free Community -> leaderassistant.com/community