We often hear that “your network is your net worth,” but the truth goes deeper. Your real network is made up of the people who show up when life gets hard, offer help without being asked, and remind you that you’re not alone.
Lucy Brazier OBE
Lucy Brazier, OBE is one of the world’s leading authorities on the administrative profession. Author of ‘The Modern-Day Assistant: Build Your Influence and Boost Your Potential’, she is the CEO of Marcham Publishing, a global force synonymous with world-class conferences and training, including Executive Support LIVE and Modern-Day Assistant, and home of Executive Support Magazine, the gold standard of training in print for administrative professionals. Lucy is passionate about ensuring the Assistant role is truly recognised as a career and not just a job and is dedicated to supporting the development of both senior and aspiring administrative professionals. She has keynoted at almost every major conference for Assistants in the world and has a unique overview of the role and where it is heading. Lucy is also part of our Speaker Bureau. If you are interested in Lucy training your Assistants or speaking at your event, either virtually or in person, please visit executivesupportmagazine.com/speaker-bureau.
The Rise of the Chief of Staff — and What It Means for Executive Assistants
The Financial Times recently spotlighted Chiefs of Staff as “the invisible ones running the world’s biggest companies.” But for many in the administrative profession, that description feels familiar. Senior Executive Assistants have long operated at the intersection of strategy, communication, and leadership — often without the title or recognition. The rise of the Chief of Staff doesn’t replace the EA role; it expands the ecosystem of executive support, redefining partnership at the highest levels.
Should You Ever Consider a “Founder Associate” Role?
There are so many titles floating around our profession that I am loath to add yet another one, but one that keeps catching my attention is “Founder Associate.” It’s being used more and more in start-ups and scale-ups, often described as the founder’s “right hand.” Sound familiar? It should. But here’s the difference. A senior […]
Microsoft Teams Isn’t Tracking You — Here’s What the New Location Feature Really Does
Rumours are flying about Microsoft Teams’ new location detection tool, but the truth is far less dramatic. It’s not GPS, it’s not surveillance, and it won’t expose where you’re working. Here’s what assistants need to know so you can lead with clarity, not speculation.
The Rise of the Chief of Staff — And What It Really Means for EAs
The Financial Times has finally spotlighted the Chief of Staff role, but much of what they praise has been the quiet expertise of senior EAs for decades. CoS and EA roles aren’t competitors—they’re partners in the same ecosystem, each driving leadership and business performance in different but complementary ways.
When the Day Fills With Sand Instead of Stones
Some days, despite your best intentions, you end up spending hours on the small, easy tasks that don’t feel meaningful. It’s not failure — it’s your mind seeking a gentler rhythm. Give yourself credit for holding steady. Tomorrow, the stones will return.
The Haunted Life of an EA: 21 Horrors Only Administrative Professionals Know 👻
From projects rising from the dead to calendar mysteries and corrupted spreadsheets, EAs face daily horrors that would make a ghost shiver. This Halloween, here’s a tribute to the challenges only those in administration truly understand.
AI Is About to Appear on Your Org Chart
AI is about to appear on your org chart.
It will be recruited and trained.
Given a role description.
Performance managed.
AI isn’t replacing people.
It’s becoming part of the team.
I recently spoke to an HR Director who has already begun this work, mapping exactly what their administrative function will handle, and what AI will. The result looks surprisingly familiar.
They’ve built a role profile for AI that includes:
• Responsibilities – scheduling, drafting, task automation
• KPIs – accuracy, efficiency, compliance
• Training needs – prompts, governance, ethical frameworks
• A human supervisor – the assistant.
That last line is the one that matters.
If AI is now part of the organisational structure, someone has to manage it. Someone has to prompt it well, monitor its accuracy, train it on company language, and ensure the insights it produces are sound.
That someone is you.
The best assistants I know are already acting as AI managers.
They’re building prompt libraries.
They’re training Copilot to understand their executive’s communication style.
They’re defining what should never be automated – the judgement, empathy, and nuance that only a human can bring.
So here’s the real question.
If AI were on your org chart tomorrow, would you know how to write its job description? Would you know what tasks to delegate, what to keep, and what to supervise?
This is the next level of administrative excellence. Learning not just how to use AI, but how to lead it.
Because assistants are about to shift from doing admin to managing admin, and in the future of work, the assistants who thrive will be the ones who know how to manage both people and machines.