The Founder & The Force Multiplier

Superhuman Nick Ginsburg is the Executive Assistant to the Provost and Senior VP of Monash University, Founder of The Admin Collective, advocate for mental health, Bachelor of Psychology student, among many other things.Nick shares how he manages his mountain of responsibilities while juggling his mental health, navigating burnout, and maintaining a social life. Nick shares his personal journey with knowing one's limits, emphasizing self-care and self-awareness. He explains what sparked his recent pursuit of becoming a clinical psychologist, along with his perspectives on work categorization, and a thought-provoking view on the future of administrative roles in an AI-driven era. Moreover, he discusses his emotional experience of handing over the Admin Collective, a safe, judgment-free space he created for administrative professionals worldwide. A significant part of the episode is devoted to men's mental health, breaking the stigma associated with seeking help, and the transformative impact of mental health support.

Should an Executive Assistant be part of the leadership team?Of course, our knee-jerk reaction is a resounding, “Yes!” But, we do understand there are various nuances to consider. However, an Executive Assistant or Executive Business Partner is more effective when they are allowed in the Inner Circle.Do not keep your assistant on the periphery, assigning tasks that have no context or meaning. Executive Assistants will be far more invested in their Principal’s success when they are a part of the entire process, and eventually part of the big decisions or even making decisions on their leader’s behalf.When you bring an Executive Assistant into the inner circle (i.e. the leadership team), everyone wins.

Today we speak with Andy Culligan, fractional CMO and Marketing Consultant for BaseHQ, and his Executive Assistant, Miranda Berry, who he hired through BaseHQ. Andy is a sales person stuck in a marketer's body. He shares his journey from sales to marketing and entrepreneurship, opening up about how his decade of experience led him first to burnout, which inspired his entrepreneurial venture and led to a partnership with BaseHQ, which ultimately led him to hiring Miranda, even when he was nervous about the risk of investing in help.Miranda became a virtual assistant through BaseHQ after her own experience with burnout, and explains how finding an Executive that you authentically connect with helps you foster that relationship and understand holistically how they work—both in their professional and private lives.The episode further discusses the importance of vision alignment between the Executive and the Force Multiplier and the significance of taking risks in business. A valuable takeaway from this episode is the role of strong partnerships in business growth, which aren't necessarily made in person but are built on trust and shared values. Andy and Miranda's story serves as an inspiration for listeners to take that leap in their professional journey.REFERENCES & RESOURCES:AndyCulligan.comBase HQFollow Andy on LinkedinFollow Miranda on LinkedIn

What is the difference between an Executive Business Partner and an Executive Assistant? And does it matter? In the executive support and administrative professional world, titles are always a topic of conversation. There seems to be an endless combination of titles available for these roles. And if it wasn't already complicated enough, these 100+ different title variations often mean very different things across the globe, leading to mass confusion about the function and impact of the individuals in these positions. So let's clarify a couple: Executive Assistant vs Executive Business Partner

Hallie speaks with Founder and CEO, Elizabeth Orme, and Leadership Integrator, Shannon Hady, the dynamic duo behind Creatively Focused, an EdTech company designed to support special education teachers, admin, and support staff. The pair shares how their mutual respect and complementary skills have propelled their business forward, emphasizing the importance of understanding and respecting each others’ values. Elizabeth and Shannon share plenty of nuggets of wisdom, including book recommendations that have influenced their journey and a candid look into the challenges of running a woman-owned tech company. This episode is sure to inspire any and all strategic partners.

Did you intentionally choose your career path? Or did you stumble into it along the way? On the job learning is fine, but there’s something to be said for  strategic career path development and intentional career planning. We discuss how to discover whether you are predisposed to partnership or solopreneurship, and what successful strategic partners do to strengthen their partnership.View full show notes here: https://founderandforcemultiplier.com/is-having-a-strategic-business-partnership-right-for-you/

Hallie sits down with the one and only Lucy Brazier—CEO of Marcham Publishing, publisher of Executive Support Magazine—to discuss her new book, The Modern Day Assistant, address misconceptions about the profession and its various titles, and offer practical tips for assistants to become strategic leaders in their role. This episode is packed with valuable insights for administrative professionals and business leaders alike, offering guidance on how to leverage the power of Force Multiplier roles for future business success.View full show notes: https://founderandforcemultiplier.com/the-modern-day-assistant-with-lucy-brazier/

Chief of Staff vs Chief Operating Officer—what’s the difference?This episode offers an examination of the distinct roles and responsibilities of a Chief of Staff (CoS) and a Chief Operating Officer (COO). We delve into why these roles are not interchangeable, how to maximize their effectiveness, and how to decide between hiring a Chief of Staff, an Executive Assistant, or a COO.Read our blog post on the topic here: https://founderandforcemultiplier.com/what-is-the-difference-between-a-chief-of-staff-and-coo/

Get ready to fangirl (we sure did!), because we are speaking with Monique Helstrom— esteemed speaker, activator of human potential and former Chief of Staff to Simon Sinek. In our conversation, she highlights the importance of understanding oneself, acknowledging individual strengths and weaknesses, and utilizing emotional intelligence. She also discusses her process of preparing her successor, emphasizing the necessity of effective communication and the importance of 'reset conversations' in building deeper, human connections. Tune in for a wealth of practical advice and inspiration.Visit Monique’s websiteFollow Monique on LinkedInFollow Monique on InstagramFind Monique on Youtube

Over the twelve years that Adam and I have worked together a lot has changed. We've built several companies, iterated others, coached thousands of people, wrote a book, launched two podcasts, learned how to become better leaders, and built a company culture of work-life presence. One thing that hasn't changed, however, is our weekly 1:1 meeting. We have been meeting every Monday morning for 30 minutes (1 hour during the first couple of years) for 624 weeks. Yes, we may have missed a Monday meeting once or twice over that time, but we would either move it to the following day or it wasn't necessary because we were both on vacation. That is how important this weekly meeting is to both of us. And I, for one, attribute it to much of my personal growth and professional success over the years. If you haven't implemented a weekly 1:1 meeting with your direct reports, or more specifically, with your leader and/or Force Multiplier counterpart, now is the time! Read the blog post here: https://founderandforcemultiplier.com/how-to-have-an-effective-weekly-11-meeting/