REACH - A Podcast for Executive Assistants

In this episode of REACH, we sit down with Laura Vanderkam, a bestselling author, speaker, and one of the most trusted voices in time management and productivity. Laura has spent years studying how high-performing professionals actually spend their time, using real time diaries to uncover the gap between perceived busyness and reality.

She is the author of several acclaimed books, including 168 Hours, and her newest release, Big Ti...

Happy Administrative Professionals Week! On today’s episode of REACH, we’re joined by Monique Helstrom, former Executive Assistant, Producer, and “Chief of” to Simon Sinek, author of Start with Why. Often described as the “HOW Girl to the WHY Guy,” Monique spent nearly a decade helping build and scale one of the most influential leadership brands in the world, giving her a front-row seat to high-level leadership, communica...

In this episode of REACH, we’re joined by Julia Menez, founder of GeoBreeze Travel and host of the GeoBreeze Travel Podcast. Julia is a travel strategist and points expert who has built a loyal following by helping professionals maximize credit card points, airline miles, and loyalty programs to unlock elevated travel experiences.

For Executive Assistants and Personal Assistants, travel planning is a critical part of the role. Juli...

In this episode of REACH, we’re joined by powerhouse Executive Assistant Kim Owens, whose career spans more than a decade supporting top leaders across media, sports, and tech. From Viacom and the NFL Network to her most recent role as Lead Senior Executive Assistant to the CEO, Founder, and Board Member at GoPro, Kim has been at the center of major growth, cultural evolution, and global expansion.

Known for her unshakeable calm, t...

Supporting a living legend in the food world comes with unique challenges and extraordinary rewards. As Executive Assistant to René Redzepi, the visionary Danish chef and co-owner of Noma, the three Michelin-star restaurant repeatedly named the best in the world, Matthew McGuigan has a front-row seat to one of the most influential culinary minds of our time.

Originally from Sydney, Matthew’s path to Noma is anything but ordinary. A...

In this episode of REACH, we’re joined by Kris Cordle Goodsall, Founder and CEO of Devenu Collaborations. Throughout her career, Kris has supported some of Silicon Valley’s most influential leaders, including Ev Williams at Twitter and Stewart Butterfield at Slack, guiding them through the evolution from product creator to company leader.

At Slack, she played a key role in scaling the company globally and later served as Chief of S...

In this episode of REACH, we’re joined by Tyler Macaulay, Senior Executive of Charter Sales at Quantum Jets, a private aviation company dedicated to making executive travel seamless, efficient, and stress-free. Quantum Jets' innovative mobile app and dedicated support team give Executive Assistants and advisors everything they need to plan private travel. Tyler brings insider expertise on everything from selecting the right aircraf...

In this episode of REACH, we sit down with Sarah Duncan, Executive Assistant to Maven Recruiting Group’s Founder & CEO, Jessica Vann. With over two years of partnership under their belt, Sarah has been instrumental in helping Jessica balance the demands of running a company with the realities of family life and personal pursuits. From managing client communications and high-stakes priorities to ensuring the home front runs smoo...

In this episode of REACH, we’re joined by longtime friend of the Maven community and executive coach, Michael “Coop” Cooper. With over 20 years of experience coaching executives and teams, Coop specializes in helping organizations align, collaborate, and perform at their highest potential. His work spans leadership accelerators, team alignment workshops, and coaching on the Brain Types framework, a tool that helps individuals bette...

In this episode, we’re joined by longtime EA-turned-cofounder Michelle Czarnik, whose 17-year partnership with her executive led to the launch of BOXMEDIA.io, a mission-driven storytelling platform. Michelle shares what it takes to build a high-trust, long-term EA partnership, one that evolves from support to strategic collaboration, and how that trust ultimately opened the door to entrepreneurship.

We trace her incredible career j...

Bridging the worlds of food, writing, and the behind-the-scenes realities of celebrity chefs, today’s guest is a true powerhouse! Laurie Woolever is best known as the longtime assistant and trusted collaborator of the legendary Anthony Bourdain. But her story stretches far beyond that role, from working as a receptionist, a private chef to a UHNW health-conscious family, to graduating from culinary school and serving as assistant t...

🎉 We made it—100 episodes of REACH! 🎉

In this milestone episode, we're flipping the script and putting our host, Jessica Vann, in the hot seat. As Founder and CEO of Maven Recruiting Group, Jessica has spent the past 6 years bringing the voices, journeys, and insights of the EA community to life—and today, we’re turning the mic on her.

Guest host Amy Crumley, Executive Assistant to the CEO at Samba TV (and longtime REACH fan!), t...

We’re thrilled to bring you a truly special episode of REACH—one that’s been years in the making! For the first time, we’re hearing from both an Executive and her former Executive Assistant in a joint conversation about what it takes to build a powerful, productive partnership.

In this episode, we sit down with Varsha Rao, Founder and CEO of Zeal AI, and Sheena Deol, who supported Varsha during her time as CEO of Nurx. Their partne...

Happy Administrative Professionals Week! And what better way to celebrate than by spotlighting the incredible journey of Tanya Benvenuto!

In this episode of REACH, we’re celebrating a remarkable milestone—Tanya Benvenuto’s 10-year anniversary at Okta! Tanya’s career evolution from Executive Assistant to Senior Vice President of Executive Operations for the Office of the CEO is nothing short of extraordinary. And for us, this one’s ...

We're excited to share our conversation with Eliza Leoni, Senior Consultant at Decker Communications, who has extensive experience coaching senior leaders on high-stakes communication. Eliza’s expertise spans a range of critical areas—from leading presentations to large audiences, managing organizational change, and navigating difficult conversations.

In this episode, we dive into the role of narrative in driving change, especially...

In this episode, we welcome long-time REACH fan Karima Thomson, joining us from Abu Dhabi! Karima supports the Executive Leadership Team at Core42, a leading AI company, and previously worked at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA). Born in Scotland, with career experience in London and the Middle East, Karima shares how the EA role in Abu Dhabi compares to the U.S. and Europe, the cultural nuances shaping executive support in...

In this episode we hear from none other than Libby Moore who spent over a decade supporting the legendary Oprah Winfrey. Prior to her impressive tenure with Oprah, Libby supported Jann Wenner media mogul and co-founder or Rollingstone magazine as his Executive Assistant as well as talk show personality Maury Povich as a Personal Assistant. Libby has been featured for her noteworthy career in publications such as Forbes, Forty Over ...