Embracing big-picture thinking isn’t a title – it’s a mindset. We sat down with an extraordinary group of Admin panelists who spoke on the Power of the Strategic Partnership: – Major difference between serving as an Administrative Professional and one who also serves as a Strategic Partner – How do you prepare yourself to become a Strategic Partner? – The skills and attributes necessary to be successful as a Strategic Partner – How do you help Executives understand how you can serve them as a Strategic Partner?  – Best piece of advice for someone wanting to make this transition  We captured this useful advice and anecdotes in an informative Whitepaper and via the Event Recording. – Kathleen Earley, Executive Assistant to the President and CFO Emeritus, Salesforce – Jackie Ludwig, CEO, LUMINI Network – Yulanie Türkekol, Chief of Staff and Executive Assistant to President and CEO, Chaos Free, Inc. – Rob Wu, Executive Business Partner, Google

In times like these, it is unclear what the future of work will look like for Administrative Professionals – at home, at the office or a mix of both? We sat down with an extraordinary group of Admin panelists who spoke on: – Pros and cons of in office, remote and hybrid work environments – How to build a strong case for a remote work structure as an Administrator – How to make remote workers feel included and connected  – How to navigate COVID-19 in the workplace We captured this useful advice and anecdotes in an informative Whitepaper and via the Event Recording. Moderated by: Colleen Affeldt, Managing Director – RGT Wealth Advisors – Christine Gooch, Executive Assistant, Novartis – Melinda Vail Goodnight, Executive Assistant, Southwest Airlines – Meredith Hayes, Executive Assistant, DaVita – Alice F. Howard, Sponsorship Coordinator, Toyota – Kathleen Robinson, Executive Assistant, Marvell Semiconductor     The Future of Work Whitepaper 1:

The career path to a Chief of Staff sometimes isn’t as clear cut as one would like but we know Administrative professionals are interested in learning how to get there. We had an extraordinary group of Admin panelists who spoke first-hand about their path to Chief of Staff while offering up useful advice and anecdotes. Topics covered included: – How do the roles of Chief of Staff and Executive Assistant differ? – What to expect in the Chief of Staff role – and is it the career path you really want? – How do you make the transition internally? – How do you prepare for the Chief of Staff role? – Advice for those considering a Chief of Staff role – Which three phone apps can you not live without? Moderated by: Hallie Warner, Chief of Staff to the Founder and CEO – Adam Hergenrother Companies – Ashley Wood, Chief

The following roundtable discussion covered the Admin’s Impact on Employee Morale and Company Culture. This lively discussion covered the following topics: – How Administrative Professionals lead by being brave, especially when leadership is the source of bad culture – How Admins drive and influence culture rituals that create connection in any work environment, including remote – How Admins can inspire culture by being their authentic selves – How Admins drive business outcomes by influencing teams around company values – What Admins have tried that didn’t work in improving employee morale and creating a great culture, that we all can learn from! Moderated by: Cynthia Young, Retired Executive & Culture Builder – UT Southwestern, Ambit Energy & Southwest Airlines – Nan Barry, Managing Director, Southwest Airlines – Robin Guido, Executive Assistant, Salesforce – Erica Young, Executive Assistant, Whiting Turner Contracting Company – Jillian Hufnagel, Slim.AI, Head of Culture – Nancy Nordberg,

On this next edition of Backbone LIVE! Admin Awards Founder Sunny Nunan interviews the Co-Founders of LUMINI Network, Sean Magennis and Jackie Ludwig, which is a peer to peer advisory group for Administrative Professionals inspired by their work together at Young Presidents Organization (YPO). We talk about all kinds of important stuff like why Admins need a peer group, the cost to replace an Admin (OUCH), why networking is critical and other juicy topics that lead to the creation of this unique platform. To learn more about LUMINI Network visit https://lumininetwork.com or contact Jackie Ludwig at [email protected]

In this episode of OpenWork, a live interview video series by Guerrero Media, Admin Award’s Founder Sunny Nunan was interviewed about the modern Administrative Professional’s career, from transitions to career pathing, empowerment, and professional development, as well as the one thing every admin professional should know. You’ll also hear a story within the first segment of this interview that will probably make your head spin around on your neck, that hasn’t been told before this interview. Watch the interview here.

On June 22nd we hosted our first Admin Awards Roundtable Discussion on the Admin’s Impact on Employee Morale and Company Culture. This lively discussion covered the following topics: – How Administrative Professionals lead by being brave, especially when leadership is the source of bad culture – How Admins drive and influence culture rituals that create connection in any work environment, including remote – How Admins can inspire culture by being their authentic selves – How Admins drive business outcomes by influencing teams around company values – What Admins have tried that didn’t work in improving employee morale and creating a great culture, that we all can learn from! Moderated by: Cynthia Young, Retired Executive & Culture Builder – UT Southwestern, Ambit Energy & Southwest Airlines – Nan Barry, Managing Director, Southwest Airlines – Robin Guido, Executive Assistant, Salesforce – Erica Young, Executive Assistant, Whiting Turner Contracting Company – Jillian Hufnagel,

As 2021 Administrative Professional’s Month is once again behind us, I found myself really reflective this past year, on what it means to serve in a profession that means so much to so many of us. My whole life I’ve witnessed the passion and pride that Admins have for their Leaders, Organizations, and Profession. As the daughter of a retired Executive Secretary, I remember how often my Mom would talk about how she couldn’t wait for Mondays to come. She absolutely loved her job. She loved taking care of people. She loved learning. She loved how no two days were the same. She loved being a Secretary. And the people she served and worked alongside absolutely loved her. Jeannette Castellano, Retired Executive Secretary & Inspiration for the Admin Awards As an adult, the Admin Awards has given me a unique perspective through the thousands of stories told by Executives about

La Donna Finnels-Neal was first discovered working at Walmart when someone approached her and knew raw talent when they saw it. Soon after she was working for Enron in the administrative field in Houston, Texas. Not too long after that, she was emailing Ken Lay the CEO of Enron, while copying the HR Leadership team, to challenge him about why Administrative Professionals weren’t being promoted at Enron. He answered, and eventually as a result of her performance and “I’ll take on any challenge” approach to her role, La Donna was promoted. If we had to pick one word to describe La Donna and this interview, it would be courageous. And if La Donna had to pinpoint the one thing that she believes is holding Administrative Professionals back; that would be confidence. Get ready to be challenged and inspired in this next episode of Backbone Live! (And forgive me for the