The EA Campus Podcast

In this inspiring episode of The EA Campus Podcast, Nicky Christmas sits down with the brilliant Julia Schmidt, Executive Assistant, author, speaker, and Executive Vice Chair of IMA (International Management Assistants).

Julia shares her remarkable 20-year journey from Brazil to Norway, highlighting the three key decisions that shaped her career: joining a professional community, pursuing a business education to build strategic infl...

In today’s episode, I’m joined by William Thomson—our go-to events guru at The EA Campus and a renowned events management expert with 20+ years’ experience. William has delivered multiple masterclasses for our community, and he’s partnering with me to bring The EA Campus Conference to London next April.

We get practical about office socials and team-building: how to turn a vague brief into a clear plan, set the right expectations, b...

As Assistants, we’re often told to be the “magic behind the scenes”, quietly making everything happen while others take the credit. However, the truth is that building autonomy around your work and confidently sharing your achievements is essential if you want to grow in your role and be recognized for the value you bring.

In this episode of The EA Campus Podcast, we’ll explore how to:

• Create more independence in your role, even ...

When your Executive is out of the office, your role doesn’t slow down — it shifts gears. In this episode of The EA Campus Podcast, Nicky Christmas shares practical strategies for managing both sides of the job: supporting your Executive on the road and keeping the office moving in their absence. From setting clear communication rhythms and decision boundaries to running a triage inbox and planning a smooth re-entry, this episode is...

In this Q&A, Courtney Salas joins me to unpack what it really takes to succeed as an Executive Assistant in a fast-paced tech startup. From organising constant change to stepping confidently into a strategic partnership, Courtney shares honest stories from life inside a 40-something-person scale-up—where there are no playbooks, just problems to solve and opportunities to grab.

You’ll hear how Courtney:

• Swapped corporate certa...

In this episode, I’m joined by Microsoft Office maestro Shelley Fishel, founder of Tomorrow’s VA. Shelley has spent decades training assistants to get brilliant results with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and now, of course, Microsoft Copilot. We dig into what’s genuinely useful right now, what’s coming next, and how EAs can lead the conversation on AI without losing sight of the fundamentals.

Shelley shares how she uses Copilot d...

Managing your Executive’s inbox isn’t just about clearing emails - it’s about saving them time, reducing stress, and protecting their reputation. In this episode of The EA Campus Podcast, host Nicky Christmas shares the essential first conversation you should have with your Executive about email management.

We’ll explore:

• How to agree on who replies and in what voice
• Setting realistic expectations for how often the inbox should be...

In this episode of The EA Campus Podcast, we explore one of the most overlooked but powerful dynamics in the Executive Assistant role: the ability to be both interested and interesting.

Nicky shares personal stories and honest reflections on how curiosity and personality can shape your career path—from missed promotions in roles that felt uninspiring, to thriving in environments where she connected with the work and the people aroun...

When your Executive’s calendar is bursting at the seams, it’s tempting to feel responsible, like somehow, you should have prevented the chaos. But guilt doesn’t belong in your job description. In this episode, we’re flipping the script on calendar management and giving you the tools to start strategic conversations that lead to real change.

We’re diving into:

• Why it’s so important to talk about time, especially when your Executiv...

In this episode of The EA Campus Podcast, we’re diving into the real-life juggle of supporting multiple executives—because yes, it’s a lot. But with the right systems, honest conversations, and a bit of forward planning, it can be done without losing your mind (or your lunch break).

I’m sharing the strategies that have helped me stay on top of it all, plus we’ve got brilliant insights from Natalie Egan, Senior Executive Assistant &a...

Ever feel like your brain has 47 tabs open – and not a single one is loading properly?

In this episode of The EA Campus Podcast, I’m sharing 10 real ChatGPT prompts I use every week to streamline my business, clarify my thinking, and save serious time – and I promise, they’re not just for techies. Whether you're writing tricky emails, planning events, building SOPs, or just trying to get your head straight for a 1:1, there’s so...

As Executive Assistants, we’re no strangers to juggling a hundred things at once, but how often do we stop and ask: Is this a task, or am I actually running a project? In this episode of The EA Campus Podcast, we are diving into why recognising the difference between tasks and project work matters more than you might think.

We’ll talk about how to spot project work in your day-to-day, why the language you use can completely change h...

In this episode of The EA Campus Podcast, host Nicky Christmas sits down with Gisele Karame-Kemp for a candid and inspiring Day in the Life conversation.

Gisele joins us from Sydney, Australia, where she leads a global team of Executive and Administrative Assistants at Atlassian. With a career that’s taken her from the University of Sydney to the private investment world supporting Lachlan Murdoch, and five and a half years as EA to...

In this episode of The EA Campus Podcast, we’re taking a deep dive into the Eisenhower Matrix — specifically the quadrant that too often gets overlooked: important but not urgent work.

As Executive Assistants, it’s easy to get caught in the whirlwind of urgent requests, Slack pings, and last-minute diary dramas. But real strategic impact? That lives in Quadrant 2.

Join Nicky Christmas as she explores how EAs can protect time for the ...

Ever wish you had a clear roadmap for working seamlessly with your Executive? In this episode of The EA Campus Podcast, host Nicky Christmas guides you through the powerful process of creating an Executive User Guide - a strategic tool that captures everything you need to know about your Executive’s preferences, communication style, and leadership approach.

From defining how they like to receive updates to understanding their manage...

In this episode of The EA Campus Podcast, we sit down with freelance Executive Assistant Kaitlin Bekken for one of our ever-popular Day in the Life conversations.

Caitlyn shares her journey into the EA world, how she transitioned into freelancing, and what a typical day looks like supporting multiple clients across industries. From managing inboxes and booking complex travel to using AI tools like ChatGPT and NVO to streamline her w...

Welcome to The EA Campus Podcast with your host, Nicky Christmas. In today’s episode, we’re diving into the different types of meetings your Executive attends and how you can manage them strategically to drive real progress.

Here’s what we cover:

• Why meetings matter more than ever—and how EAs can support their Executive’s time as their most valuable resource
• The six key meeting types you need to know:
  • Decision-Making Meetings –...

Business travel – glamorous on Instagram, chaotic in real life. In this episode of The EA Campus Podcast, host Nicky Christmas revisits one of her most-requested topics: how to expertly plan and manage business travel for your executive. Originally recorded at her first public speaking event back in 2012 (or maybe 2013 – who’s counting?), this session has been fully updated for 2025 with all the latest tools, AI tricks, and tech ti...

In this solo episode, host Nicky Christmas dives into a topic that’s often overlooked but absolutely essential for Executive Assistants - feedback. Not just collecting it, but organising it, categorising it, and using it to demonstrate your value, influence, and impact.

We’ll unpack how to turn everyday praise into a powerful narrative you can use in performance reviews, salary conversations, and even job interviews. If you've ...