208: In this episode, I sit down with Rebecca Afful to explore how the Executive Assistant profession is evolving.

We discuss how Executive Assistants can take ownership of their careers, develop a powerful mindset, and build the skills needed to thrive in the future of work.

In this episode, you'll discover:

- How professional communities accelerate career growth

- Why mindset is the foundation of a successful Executive Assistant career

- How AI is reshaping the administrative profession

- How the Global Skills Matrix supports long-term career development

- The importance of networking, visibility, and lifelong learning

If you enjoy this one and past episodes, don't forget to subscribe and share with your network.

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Rebecca Afful is an accomplished Executive Assistant, Career Strategist, author, speaker, and professional development advocate. She is the Founder and President of the Network of Administrative Professionals of Ghana (NAPG), a growing community dedicated to empowering administrative professionals through learning, networking, mentorship, and career advancement.

With over a decade of experience supporting senior executives in multinational and international nonprofit environments, Rebecca has built a reputation for excellence in executive support, leadership support, stakeholder management, and professional development.

She is the author of Level Up Your Career: Simple Actionable Steps, Strategies and Tips for a Fulfilling Career and Cracking the LinkedIn Code: The 4Ps Framework to Transform Your Profile, Build Your Network & Unlock Opportunities. Through her writing, speaking, and coaching, she helps professionals gain career clarity, strengthen their personal brands, and position themselves for growth opportunities.

Rebecca is passionate about helping professionals develop fulfilling careers, increase their visibility, and prepare for the future of work.

AI TOOLS MENTIONED DURING THE PODCAST

- Genspark AI – Presentations and AI-assisted content creation: https://www.genspark.ai

- Lovable – Website building using AI prompts: https://lovable.dev

- Claude – Writing, research, and productivity assistant: https://claude.ai

- HeyGen – AI video creation and avatars: https://www.heygen.com

MORE LINKS:

- Diana Brandl on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-brandl/

- Rebecca Afful on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-a-afful/

- Executive Office Insights Newsletter: https://the-socialista-projects.com/#newsletter

- Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qBSDjTfYOG2x6qos7dKkS

- Podcast on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/the-future-assistant/id1493106661

The Executive Office Insights Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3QH8HL8oWIC0HzHWvb5KLd

Guest Picks: Hall of Fame by The Script

207: What does it take to move beyond managing calendars and become a trusted business partner?

In this episode, we explore the future of the Executive Assistant profession and the mindset shift required to create strategic impact. Debbie shares powerful lessons on executive presence, communication, leadership, and why soft skills remain essential in the age of AI.

From building trust with leaders to using data to drive better decisions, this conversation offers practical insights for Executive Assistants, Administrative Professionals, and Chiefs of Staff who want to think beyond tasks and create real value. We also discuss how the role is evolving, why AI won't replace great assistants, and what it takes to become a true business partner.

Whether you're looking to strengthen your executive presence, future-proof your career, or elevate your role, you'll find plenty of inspiration and actionable ideas in this conversation.

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Debbie Gross knows that administrative excellence is about more that juggling schedules and managing tasks. An intuitive leader, she offers a fresh approach to teaching administrative professionals how to upgrade their soft skills and build confidence. Whether on stage or in the classroom, she has an innate ability to transform staff into leaders, drawing out their inner "Office Rockstar."

As the former Chief Executive Assistant to John Chambers, the past CEO of Cisco – a global corporation based in Silicon Valley – Debbie supported the company's growth from a multimillion-dollar business to a multibillion-dollar enterprise. Known as John's "right hand," she increased his productivity by 40 percent.

Debbie designed initiatives and programs that helped the global administrative community at Cisco grow and thrive. Now she is using her thirty years of experience to help the next generation of administrative professionals' transition from overwhelmed task managers to strategic business partners.

She has spoken globally and conducted interactive workshops and motivational talks at companies such as Cisco, Veritas, Facebook, FedEx, Comcast, and Intel. Debbie does not just share information – she inspires and incites greatness. Her distinctive teaching style blends creativity, fun, and new thought processes to help administrative professionals gain a greater satisfaction, recognition, and promotions.

For her passion and advocacy, the Admin Awards of Silicon Valley presented her with Colleen Barrett Award, the highest recognition given for administrative excellence.

Debbie genuinely cares about each one of her clients and her 'one-of-a-kind' approach to training transforms a good administrative professional or executive assistant into someone who is an amazing and true business partner!

LINKS:

- Diana Brandl on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-brandl/
- Debbie Gross on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarama/
- Website from Debbie Gross: http://www.debbiegross.com

- Executive Office Insights Newsletter: https://the-socialista-projects.com/#newsletter
- Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qBSDjTfYOG2x6qos7dKkS
- Podcast on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/the-future-assistant/id1493106661

The Executive Office Insights Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3QH8HL8oWIC0HzHWvb5KLd

Guest Picks
Feels like a rockstar - Kenny Chesney

206: Wird KI die Assistenz ersetzen, oder ihre Rolle sogar stärken?

In dieser Podcast-Folge sprechen wir über die praktische Nutzung von Microsoft Copilot, den Einsatz von KI im Arbeitsalltag und die Veränderungen, die aktuell in Unternehmen stattfinden. Warum haben manche Organisationen KI bereits fest in ihrer Arbeitsweise verankert, während andere noch ganz am Anfang stehen? Welche Aufgaben lassen sich heute schon automatisieren – und wo bleibt der Mensch unverzichtbar?

Außerdem geht es um typische Anwendungsfälle für Assistenzen, den Umgang mit Datenschutz, die Bedeutung von KI-Kompetenz sowie die Frage, wie sich die Zusammenarbeit zwischen Führungskräften und Assistenz durch Copilot und Agenten verändern wird.

Themen der Folge:

- Microsoft Copilot im Arbeitsalltag

- KI für Assistenz und Office Management

- Produktivität und Automatisierung

- Agenten und moderne Arbeitsprozesse

- Change Management und KI-Adoption

- Datenschutz und Governance

- Die Zukunft der Assistenzrolle

- Praktische Copilot-Use-Cases aus Unternehmen

Eine Folge für alle, die KI nicht nur verstehen, sondern sinnvoll im Berufsalltag einsetzen möchten.

Pascal Brunner-Nikolla ist Head of Modern Work bei Campana & Schott, Microsoft MVP in Copilot + Agents und LinkedIn Top Voice. Er zählt zu den führenden DACH-Stimmen rund um AI-Transformation und Microsoft.

Mit dem LinkedIn-Newsletter „Copilot Your Day" liefert Pascal jeden Montagmorgen fundierte Insights aus über 400 Copilot-Projekten und zeigt, was Unternehmen dabei beachten müssen. Der Claim: Vom Pilot Limbo zu Copilot Your Day – für echten Business Impact durch KI im Arbeitsalltag.

Zusätzlich bieten die deutschen LinkedIn-Learning-Kurse eine direkte Starthilfe.

LINKS:

- Diana Brandl auf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-brandl/

- Executive Office Insights Newsletter: https://the-socialista-projects.com/#newsletter

- Pascal Brunner-Nikolla auf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pascal-brunner1/

- Copilot Your Day Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/copilot-your-day-7145698987835101184/

- Copilot Your Day Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nV1oNFOWVJmyqC4XfX7gl?si=316c6a1e2c6d43d3

- LinkedIn-Learning-Kurse: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/instructors/pascal-brunner-nikolla

- Ruben Hassid - How to AI: https://ruben.substack.com/

- CAS FH in Strategic Office Management: https://www.kalaidos-fh.ch/de-CH/Studiengaenge/CAS-Certificate-of-Advanced-Studies-Strategic-Office-Management

Danke an unseren Host: https://www.trafobaden.ch/

The Executive Office Insights Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3QH8HL8oWIC0HzHWvb5KLd

Pascal fügte „Viva La Vida" von Coldplay hinzu.

205: What does a Chief of Staff actually do — and why are more CEOs hiring them than ever before?

In this episode, Clara Ma breaks down the real role of a Chief of Staff inside fast-growing startups and modern leadership teams. From executive strategy and hiring to AI, remote work, and scaling companies, this conversation explores why the Chief of Staff role is evolving so quickly.

We talk about:

- Chief of Staff vs Executive Assistant
- How CEOs hire the right strategic partner
- Startup leadership and operations
- AI tools and AI literacy for Chiefs of Staff
- Emotional intelligence in executive roles
- Remote vs in-office collaboration
- Career growth after becoming a Chief of Staff
- Building high-performing leadership teams

Clara also shares lessons from building one of the fastest-growing Chief of Staff communities and working closely with founders, executives, and operators across the startup world.

This episode is packed with insights for Chiefs of Staff, Executive Assistants, startup founders, operators, and business leaders preparing for the future of work.

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Clara Ma is the founder and CEO of Ask a Chief of Staff, a bootstrapped community and recruiting platform for Chiefs of Staff at every stage of their career. She launched it after serving as a Chief of Staff herself, most recently at Hugging Face during their Series A, and built it into a 500+ member community.

Her work sits at the intersection of the Chief of Staff role and the business of community, and she's been recognized as an Inc. Magazine 2026 Female Founders 500 honoree for it. Through AaCoS, she's become a go-to resource for Chiefs of Staff looking to grow in the role, and for executives trying to hire the right one.

LINKS:

- Diana Brandl on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-brandl/
- Clara Ma on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarama/
- Chiefs of Staff Community: https://askachiefofstaff.com/

- Executive Office Insights Newsletter: https://the-socialista-projects.com/#newsletter
- Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qBSDjTfYOG2x6qos7dKkS
- Podcast on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/the-future-assistant/id1493106661

The Executive Office Insights Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3QH8HL8oWIC0HzHWvb5KLd

Guest Picks
Run the World by Beyoncé

204: Eine internationale Geschäftsreise. Ein gesperrter Luftraum. Und plötzlich werden aus wenigen Stunden ganze elf Tage im Ausnahmezustand.

In dieser Podcastfolge erzählt Tanja Donislreiter von einer Reise, die völlig anders endete als geplant: Nach einem Meeting in Indien strandet sie gemeinsam mit einem Kollegen in Doha – mitten in einer geopolitischen Krisensituation. Was folgt, sind Tage voller Unsicherheit, Alarmmeldungen, spontaner Entscheidungen und emotionaler Momente.

Wir sprechen über:

- Krisenmanagement unter extremen Bedingungen
- mentale Stärke und Resilienz
- Entscheidungen unter Unsicherheit
- internationale Geschäftsreisen
- Zusammenhalt in Ausnahmesituationen
- die moderne Rolle von Executive Assistants
- sowie den Einfluss von Künstlicher Intelligenz auf die Zukunft der Assistenz

Außerdem geht es um Verantwortung, Vertrauen, strategische Zusammenarbeit und die Frage, warum Struktur und Ruhe in Krisensituationen oft entscheidend sind.

Eine ehrliche, bewegende und zugleich inspirierende Folge über Menschlichkeit, Leadership und den Umgang mit Situationen, die niemand planen kann.

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Tanja Donislreiter ist Executive Assistant des CEO bei NETZSCH Pumps & Systems und seit über 25 Jahren Teil des Unternehmens. In ihrer Rolle ist sie weit mehr als klassische Assistenz: Sie versteht sich als strategische Partnerin des CEO, Sparringspartnerin des Managements und verbindende Schnittstelle innerhalb der Organisation.

Ihr Fokus liegt auf moderner Zusammenarbeit, Führungskultur und der Weiterentwicklung der Assistenzrolle. Besonders beschäftigt sie die Frage, wie Künstliche Intelligenz sinnvoll eingesetzt werden kann, um Freiräume für echten menschlichen Mehrwert zu schaffen – ohne den Menschen zu ersetzen.

Als Corporate Influencerin teilt sie ihre Erfahrungen zu Transformation, Vertrauen und persönlicher Entwicklung – authentisch, reflektiert und nahbar.

Privat lebt Tanja Donislreiter mit ihrer Familie in Oberbayern, ist Mutter von drei Kindern und engagiert sich ehrenamtlich in ihrer Heimatgemeinde.

LINKS:

🔴 Folge auf YouTube anschauen: https://youtu.be/IowigV6Vt9Q

- Triff Diana und Tanja auf der KI Roadshow von memox: https://www.memox.com/roadshow/
- Diana Brandl auf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-brandl/

- Executive Office Insights Newsletter: https://the-socialista-projects.com/#newsletter
- Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qBSDjTfYOG2x6qos7dKkS
- Podcast on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/the-future-assistant/id1493106661

The Executive Office Insights Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3QH8HL8oWIC0HzHWvb5K

203: Was passiert, wenn man eine erfolgreiche Konzernkarriere hinter sich lässt – und komplett neu anfängt?

In dieser Folge spricht Annika Tringali über ihren Weg in die Selbstständigkeit als virtuelle Executive Assistant und die Entscheidungen, die sie dorthin geführt haben. Du erfährst, wie sich Arbeiten im internationalen Umfeld wirklich anfühlt, welche Herausforderungen hinter einem scheinbar klaren Karriereweg stecken und warum ein Neustart oft weniger geplant ist, als man denkt.

Es geht um echte Einblicke in den Arbeitsalltag auf Top-Management-Level, um persönliche Wendepunkte und um die Frage, wie man den eigenen Weg findet, auch wenn er nicht geradlinig verläuft.

Für alle, die sich für Karriere im Ausland, Selbstständigkeit, virtuelle Assistenz und persönliche Entwicklung interessieren.

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Annika Tringali arbeitet seit über zwanzig Jahren als Executive Assistant in internationalen Unternehmen. Sie ist in Hannover aufgewachsen und hat ihre berufliche Laufbahn in München verbracht, größtenteils bei Amazon.

Dort unterstützte sie Führungskräfte auf Director- und Vice-President-Ebene in Deutschland, Großbritannien und den USA. Ihr Schwerpunkt lag auf funktionierender Zusammenarbeit in komplexen Organisationen, klaren Abläufen und verlässlicher Kommunikation im Arbeitsalltag. In diesem Rahmen war sie mehrere Jahre als zertifizierte Amazon Bar Raiserin in Interviewprozesse über unterschiedliche Funktionen hinweg eingebunden.

Seit 2021 beschäftigt sie sich intensiver mit Fragen von Kommunikation und Beziehung. Auslöser war der Einzug ihrer Shiba-Inu-Hündin Makenzie. Die daraus entstandenen Beobachtungen fließen heute sowohl in ihre berufliche Tätigkeit als auch in einen eigenen Podcast ein, den sie aktuell launcht.

Heute lebt Annika zwischen Taormina auf Sizilien und München, und ist mit Bureau Tringali als virtuelle Executive Assistant für Führungskräfte in Europa tätig.

LINKS:

🔴 Folge auf YouTube anschauen: https://youtu.be/5tQjbN_3RH4

- Diana Brandl auf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-brandl/
- Mehr zu Annika Tringali: https://www.bureautringali.com/
- working@office Artikel: https://www.workingoffice.de/travel-management/arbeiten-im-ausland-wenn-ihr-job-um-die-welt-fuehrt/
- Pawplexity: https://pawplexity.substack.com/ und http://www.pawplexity.dog/

- Executive Office Insights Newsletter: https://the-socialista-projects.com/#newsletter
- Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qBSDjTfYOG2x6qos7dKkS
- Podcast on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/the-future-assistant/id1493106661

The Executive Office Insights Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3QH8HL8oWIC0HzHWvb5K

202: She built a global business for assistants, starting with a simple blog.

In this episode, Nicky Christmas shares how she went from Executive Assistant to founder of The EA Campus and what it really takes to turn a side project into an international platform.

Instead of following a traditional career path, Nicky created something that didn't exist at the time: a space for assistants to learn, grow, and be taken seriously. Today, her platform reaches thousands of Executive Assistants and Personal Assistants globally through online courses, virtual summits, and a strong professional community.

But this conversation goes beyond her story.

We talk about:

- The real shift from Executive Assistant to entrepreneur
- Why so many assistants are still underestimated in today's workplace
- The gap between skills and recognition in companies
- How AI tools and digital transformation are changing the assistant role and why many organizations are falling behind

This episode is a must-listen if you're ready to think bigger about your Executive Assistant career, step into a more strategic role, and explore what's truly possible beyond the job title.

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This is what Nicky says about herself and her work:

Hi! I'm Nicky Christmas. Let me tell you about The EA Campus.

Back in 2011, I launched what would become Practically Perfect PA as a passion project, while working full-time as an Executive Assistant to the COO and CFO of a global insurance organization.

At the time, there were few resources for Assistants, and I wanted to create a platform that not only provided guidance but also reshaped the conversation about the role of Assistants.

Practically Perfect PA quickly became one of the leading voices in the online learning space for Assistants - long before virtual training and digital communities became the norm. Over the last 15 years, our platform has evolved, staying ahead of trends and continuing to provide relevant, cutting-edge content that moves the conversation forward while actively challenging and shifting outdated perceptions of the Assistant role.

As an international speaker and thought-leader, I've had the privilege of traveling the world, engaging with thousands of Assistants, and sharing strategies to help them excel.

In 2025, we officially rebranded as The EA Campus, a space designed to cater to the evolving demands of Assistants today. The EA Campus continues to push boundaries, offering virtual summits, online courses, and a thriving community, all designed to meet the changing needs of Assistants globally.

Our commitment has always been to put our audience's needs first, ensuring that every Assistant, at any stage of their career, has access to the tools, knowledge, and community support they need to thrive.

LINKS:

🔴 Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/teZvJvDrxOw

- Diana Brandl on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-brandl/
- EA Campus Conference: https://theeacampus.com/conference/

- Executive Office Insights Newsletter: https://the-socialista-projects.com/#newsletter
- Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qBSDjTfYOG2x6qos7dKkS
- Podcast on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/the-future-assistant/id1493106661

The Executive Office Insights Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3QH8HL8oWIC0HzHWvb5KLd

Guest Picks
9-5 by Dolly Parton

201: In this episode, we break down why decisions inside companies often stall, even when everyone seems aligned. Tina Ramamurthy shares her experience from working inside a CEO Office and explains what happens between strategy and execution as companies grow.

Tina Ramamurthy has built a career in the space between decisions and execution, where good intentions drift and effort quietly replaces strategy. She focuses on what happens as complexity increases and systems start to bend.

At Babbel, she built and led the CEO Office as the company scaled from €100m to €300m on the path to IPO readiness. From the CEO Office, she designed and ran the leadership infrastructure that held it together, defining decision frameworks, prioritisation systems, and operating rhythms. She carried cross-functional work that did not sit neatly in any one team, built and led executive communications, ran board processes, and built the EA function as leadership infrastructure rather than support.

She began her career at J. Walter Thompson, working on global accounts including Ford Motor Company, before founding a brand and communications consultancy with clients including Sony Music, Radisson Hotels, and the Reserve Bank of India. Across her career, she has worked with leadership teams in Berlin, New York, Melbourne, London, and India. That experience reinforced a simple reality: leadership systems only work when they reflect the people, stage, and conditions they are built for, which is why her work is designed, not templated.

She is the founder of TMR & Co., where she works with founders and CEOs to build and embed CEO Offices that make strategy executable without relying on individual stamina. This includes both embedded, fractional Chief of Staff support that steps in to execute and absorb complexity, and focused build work to design and stabilise leadership systems. The work focuses on decision flow, executive communication, leadership capacity, and building high-performing EA teams. She uses AI deliberately to automate execution that does not require judgement, preserving human capacity for the decisions that matter.

She holds a Master's degree in Communications from RMIT University, Melbourne.

LINKS:

🔴 Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Xj0JbrD3_n0

- Diana Brandl on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-brandl/
- Tina Ramamurthy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-ramamurthy/
- TMR & CO Website: https://tmrandco.com

- Executive Office Insights Newsletter: https://the-socialista-projects.com/#newsletter
- Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qBSDjTfYOG2x6qos7dKkS
- Podcast on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/the-future-assistant/id1493106661

The Executive Office Insights Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3QH8HL8oWIC0HzHWvb5KLd

Guest Picks
Ben Clock - Ultimately