Becky Kaapuni has 20+ years of executive assistant experience in high-pressure and fast-paced companies, such as Salesforce, Twitter, Goldman Sachs, and BMO Capital Markets.
In this episode of The Leader Assistant Podcast, Becky talks about artificial intelligence, building a community of assistants, the power of networking, and cultivating a great company culture.
LEADERSHIP QUOTE
As we look ahead to the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.
– Bill Gates
CONNECT WITH BECKY
- Becky on LinkedIn
- EA Social Club Website
- EA Social Club LinkedIn
- EA Social Club Eventbrite
- EA Social Club Insta
- EA/PA Diaries
ABOUT BECKY
Becky Kaapuni has 20+ years of Executive Assistant experience, having partnered with prominent leaders in high-pressure and fast-paced companies, such as Salesforce, Twitter, Goldman Sachs, and BMO Capital Markets. Outside work, Becky offers admin support to 2 rescues (NY & TX), sits on the Admin Awards board, offers 1-1 ad-hoc mentoring sessions to EA/Admin professionals, uses her voice to advocate on behalf of the admin profession, and focuses on building the admin community through the EA Social Club.
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THE LEADER ASSISTANT PODCAST IS PRESENTED BY NOVA CHIEF OF STAFF
Calling all Executive Assistants: Are you looking for a way to elevate your skills or earn that promotion you’ve been eyeing? Nova Chief of Staff’s online certification course provides you with the knowledge and confidence you need to stand out on the job. Whether you want to land your dream position or level up in your current role, Nova’s self-paced course gives you hands-on practice doing what Chiefs of Staff do every day.
Visit leaderassistant.com/nova to learn more and secure your spot!
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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
00:00:00.380 –> 00:00:05.040
BECKY: Hi, my name is Becky Kaapuni, and my favorite leadership quote is by Bill Gates.
00:00:05.680 –> 00:00:10.360
BECKY: As we look ahead to the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.
00:00:16.497 –> 00:00:24.177
<v SPEAKER_3>The Leader Assistant Podcast exists to encourage and challenge assistants to become confident, game-changing leader assistants.
00:00:31.919 –> 00:00:42.039
JEREMY: Everyone is talking about Nova Chief of Staff, and it’s no surprise when graduates walk away with huge benefits, like greater confidence and the validation that they can do the role.
00:00:42.639 –> 00:00:51.159
JEREMY: There are over 300 students in the Nova Chief of Staff Certification course, many of which are growth-minded executive assistants like you.
00:00:51.699 –> 00:01:02.739
JEREMY: Many of the Leader Assistants taking the course aren’t necessarily looking for a promotion, they simply want to become more effective, strategic, and game-changing assistants.
00:01:03.399 –> 00:01:10.519
JEREMY: Over 18 countries around the globe are represented by students in Nova’s course, so I highly recommend you join the club.
00:01:10.939 –> 00:01:17.819
JEREMY: Visit leaderassistant.com/nova to learn more about this amazing professional development resource.
00:01:19.139 –> 00:01:21.159
JEREMY: Hey friends, welcome to The Leader Assistant Podcast.
00:01:21.459 –> 00:01:30.779
JEREMY: It’s episode 271, and I am Jeremy Burrows, your host, and I’m excited to be speaking with Becky Kaapuni.
00:01:31.259 –> 00:01:44.039
JEREMY: Becky has 20-plus years of executive assistant experience in high-pressure and fast-paced companies such as Salesforce, Twitter, Goldman Sachs, and BMO Capital Markets.
00:01:44.579 –> 00:01:46.159
JEREMY: Becky, welcome to the show.
00:01:46.179 –> 00:01:47.419
JEREMY: I’m very excited to be speaking with you.
00:01:47.939 –> 00:01:49.639
BECKY: I am super excited to be here.
00:01:50.559 –> 00:01:51.819
JEREMY: And what part of the world are you in?
00:01:52.319 –> 00:01:58.559
BECKY: I’m in San Francisco, and I’ve been here for about 25 years, so I consider this to definitely be my home.
00:01:59.079 –> 00:01:59.419
JEREMY: Awesome.
00:01:59.439 –> 00:02:00.759
JEREMY: Where were you before that?
00:02:00.779 –> 00:02:01.819
JEREMY: Like, where were you born?
00:02:02.439 –> 00:02:04.239
BECKY: Yeah, Southern California.
00:02:04.259 –> 00:02:12.699
BECKY: So I was, I actually spent the initial first few years of my life in San Dimas, you know, Bill and Ted, San Dimas.
00:02:13.259 –> 00:02:18.539
BECKY: And then I moved to Thousand Oaks, Ventura County, and I was there until college.
00:02:18.559 –> 00:02:21.979
BECKY: And then I spread my wings and left and never came back.
00:02:22.379 –> 00:02:22.759
JEREMY: Nice.
00:02:23.419 –> 00:02:23.779
JEREMY: Awesome.
00:02:23.799 –> 00:02:29.439
JEREMY: Well, what do you like to do in San Francisco, like when you’re not working?
00:02:30.519 –> 00:02:32.359
BECKY: It is very rare that I’m not working.
00:02:32.459 –> 00:02:36.939
BECKY: But currently, I am in a stained glass class on Saturdays, which is really, really fun.
00:02:36.959 –> 00:02:45.119
BECKY: I also put together the EA Social Club and we do various activities throughout the week, generally dinners.
00:02:45.879 –> 00:02:49.239
BECKY: And then I just really love spending time with my dog.
00:02:49.459 –> 00:02:50.919
BECKY: She doesn’t get to see me that much.
00:02:51.059 –> 00:02:53.859
BECKY: She is here at home alone a lot.
00:02:54.879 –> 00:02:59.639
BECKY: But having been here for so long, I don’t really take full advantage of the city.
00:02:59.879 –> 00:03:13.679
BECKY: And one of the things, one of the reasons that I wanted to start the club was also to be able to start reintegrating myself into the city and take advantage of all of its natural beauty and all the activities that it has to offer.
00:03:14.839 –> 00:03:15.219
JEREMY: Awesome.
00:03:15.759 –> 00:03:17.879
JEREMY: And tell us a little bit about the social club, too.
00:03:18.679 –> 00:03:25.739
JEREMY: I’ve been connected with you for a while on LinkedIn, and we’ll talk a little bit about different ways that you’re active on LinkedIn.
00:03:25.759 –> 00:03:28.099
JEREMY: But one of those is kind of building a social club.
00:03:30.379 –> 00:03:35.479
BECKY: You know, I kind of started posting jobs on LinkedIn.
00:03:35.759 –> 00:03:37.439
BECKY: That’s how this all started.
00:03:37.459 –> 00:03:39.359
BECKY: I had a job.
00:03:39.379 –> 00:03:40.299
BECKY: I wasn’t looking anymore.
00:03:40.719 –> 00:03:43.839
BECKY: I kept seeing all of these jobs come across my feed.
00:03:43.939 –> 00:03:47.619
BECKY: And so I thought about giving back and forwarding it on.
00:03:48.059 –> 00:03:49.599
BECKY: And from there, it just kind of grew.
00:03:49.619 –> 00:03:51.399
BECKY: People started really leaning in.
00:03:52.119 –> 00:03:56.179
BECKY: And I really wanted to start connecting with people in person.
00:03:56.219 –> 00:04:02.079
BECKY: So I decided to host a dinner series that literally was just supposed to be a dinner series.
00:04:02.679 –> 00:04:04.799
BECKY: And there was such an overwhelming response.
00:04:04.959 –> 00:04:10.019
BECKY: I heard from over 200 people that really wanted to engage in something like this.
00:04:10.039 –> 00:04:11.799
BECKY: They really wanted it in their area.
00:04:12.119 –> 00:04:18.959
BECKY: So I took it on and got it started and just started developing a plan.
00:04:19.019 –> 00:04:21.719
BECKY: And now we host dinners in various cities.
00:04:21.959 –> 00:04:31.199
BECKY: It’s been a really great opportunity for EAs to get together, lean on one another, build community and mentor one another.
00:04:31.539 –> 00:04:38.779
BECKY: People actually come to these with jobs that they’re looking to fill, with different classes that they’re taking.
00:04:38.859 –> 00:04:43.839
BECKY: I mean, it’s just really been a community that has brought a bunch of EAs together.
00:04:43.859 –> 00:04:45.159
JEREMY: That’s awesome.
00:04:45.419 –> 00:04:48.959
JEREMY: So tell us about, like, I just, I’m just curious.
00:04:48.979 –> 00:04:52.119
JEREMY: I have to know logistically, like, do you fly to all these cities?
00:04:52.139 –> 00:04:54.939
JEREMY: Do you find EAs in those cities to host?
00:04:54.959 –> 00:05:01.419
JEREMY: And you just kind of put people together and let them have fun and have a dinner?
00:05:01.899 –> 00:05:03.799
JEREMY: Or is it a little bit of both?
00:05:03.839 –> 00:05:07.519
JEREMY: Like, just curious on the logistics as an assistant, you know, thinking through that.
00:05:07.959 –> 00:05:08.339
BECKY: Yeah.
00:05:08.359 –> 00:05:10.159
BECKY: So originally it was just me.
00:05:10.479 –> 00:05:13.619
BECKY: You know, I wanted to meet people and so I started hosting names.
00:05:13.639 –> 00:05:18.259
BECKY: But as people started becoming really interested in them, I kind of flew with it.
00:05:18.379 –> 00:05:21.119
BECKY: And so I just immediately started taking action.
00:05:21.939 –> 00:05:24.739
BECKY: And so I found hosts in other areas.
00:05:24.859 –> 00:05:26.479
BECKY: I’m always looking for hosts.
00:05:26.499 –> 00:05:32.119
BECKY: If anybody would like to host an event, then we can definitely try it in their area.
00:05:32.659 –> 00:05:39.639
BECKY: And people basically find the venue, go into Eventbrite, put it on Eventbrite.
00:05:40.039 –> 00:05:41.919
BECKY: It goes out and then people sign up.
00:05:42.359 –> 00:05:47.719
BECKY: Probably the biggest problem that we’ve had is people actually following through on attendance.
00:05:48.439 –> 00:05:54.839
BECKY: So I just implemented a fee for $20 to sign up to go to an event.
00:05:54.859 –> 00:06:00.179
BECKY: I mean, there’s also membership options, but trying to give more flexibility so people can just try it out.
00:06:00.199 –> 00:06:03.459
BECKY: Because as you know, there’s so many admin costs on the back end.
00:06:04.779 –> 00:06:06.519
BECKY: I’m sure you’ve experienced that too.
00:06:06.719 –> 00:06:17.699
JEREMY: There’s nothing worse than setting up an event or a happy hour and you’ve got 50 people on the list and 35 RSVP and then seven show up.
00:06:18.099 –> 00:06:18.339
BECKY: Yeah.
00:06:18.359 –> 00:06:20.219
JEREMY: And you’re just like, okay, wait.
00:06:21.279 –> 00:06:25.459
BECKY: And at these dinners, there’s generally max eight people.
00:06:25.919 –> 00:06:31.359
BECKY: So when they don’t show up and I’m just there all alone, then that’s not really helping.
00:06:32.939 –> 00:06:36.279
JEREMY: It’s not much of a social club if you’re by yourself.
00:06:37.519 –> 00:06:40.199
BECKY: Because I know how to socialize with myself for sure.
00:06:40.619 –> 00:06:40.939
JEREMY: Right.
00:06:41.779 –> 00:06:42.079
JEREMY: Awesome.
00:06:42.099 –> 00:06:42.679
JEREMY: Well, that’s great.
00:06:42.739 –> 00:06:48.519
JEREMY: That’s awesome that you’re doing that and I hope to be able to participate in one or two of those dinners in the future.
00:06:48.539 –> 00:06:50.299
BECKY: Yeah, we would love to have you.
00:06:51.179 –> 00:06:51.599
JEREMY: Awesome.
00:06:52.119 –> 00:06:55.579
JEREMY: So I want to talk a little bit about the job thing.
00:06:55.599 –> 00:06:59.119
JEREMY: So, you know, there are a lot of people searching for jobs.
00:06:59.599 –> 00:07:02.299
JEREMY: Fortunately, there’s been a lot of layoffs in different industries.
00:07:02.299 –> 00:07:11.779
JEREMY: And what’s maybe something that you would want to share with those looking and encourage them as far as, you know, I know a lot.
00:07:11.799 –> 00:07:20.479
JEREMY: I see this almost every other day on a Facebook group or on a LinkedIn thread, an assistant that says, this job market sucks.
00:07:20.839 –> 00:07:28.719
JEREMY: I’ve had to do 20 interviews and seven of them were with one company and 13 were with another company.
00:07:28.739 –> 00:07:30.759
JEREMY: And it’s just this long, crazy process.
00:07:31.199 –> 00:07:34.939
JEREMY: And then they go with someone else because they have a little bit more experience.
00:07:35.739 –> 00:07:43.259
JEREMY: And I look on LinkedIn and there’s a job posting and it’s got, it says it’s got four thousand applicants and there’s no way I have a chance.
00:07:43.279 –> 00:07:47.659
JEREMY: So obviously, it sucks having to look for work in the first place.
00:07:49.239 –> 00:07:55.379
JEREMY: But all these other factors just make it really, really depressing, to be honest.
00:07:55.639 –> 00:07:59.579
JEREMY: And I’m just curious, like, you know, you share all these awesome job opportunities.
00:07:59.599 –> 00:08:01.039
JEREMY: You connect with assistants all over.
00:08:02.079 –> 00:08:05.699
JEREMY: What’s what’s something you would want to say to encourage assistants looking for work?
00:08:06.339 –> 00:08:11.099
BECKY: Yeah, it’s definitely way more competitive these days than it used to be.
00:08:12.119 –> 00:08:17.299
BECKY: There’s also social media, which it didn’t used to be like it is now.
00:08:17.319 –> 00:08:24.419
BECKY: We are so saturated in information and people have so much more access to view jobs and to apply for jobs.
00:08:24.899 –> 00:08:27.739
BECKY: So I would just say keep going.
00:08:28.359 –> 00:08:29.579
BECKY: Keep applying.
00:08:29.599 –> 00:08:30.459
BECKY: Keep trying.
00:08:30.519 –> 00:08:31.259
BECKY: Don’t give up.
00:08:31.699 –> 00:08:36.599
BECKY: If you’re having a lot of trouble, I would seriously get your resume looked at.
00:08:36.679 –> 00:08:39.879
BECKY: Get your resume looked at by somebody who can be trusted.
00:08:39.899 –> 00:08:45.099
BECKY: I have a resume writer that I am happy to share out if anybody wants to reach out to me.
00:08:45.619 –> 00:08:49.679
BECKY: It is one of the most important documents that you can have.
00:08:50.399 –> 00:08:58.279
BECKY: What’s changed for me recently is that now I think networking is one step above the perfect resume.
00:08:59.339 –> 00:09:04.159
BECKY: Because if you network with the right people, you can get into a job regardless of your resume.
00:09:04.179 –> 00:09:10.259
BECKY: But if you are not networking, then everything comes down to that piece of paper that is going before a hiring manager.
00:09:10.299 –> 00:09:16.019
BECKY: So if you’re looking at some place like Salesforce, they receive over a million resumes a year.
00:09:16.499 –> 00:09:19.119
BECKY: What is going to make a resume stand out?
00:09:19.899 –> 00:09:23.759
BECKY: You recently, or maybe you didn’t recently, but you did a podcast with Halini.
00:09:25.059 –> 00:09:29.799
BECKY: She does a storytelling class that you can take through her website.
00:09:30.399 –> 00:09:38.699
BECKY: And besides getting a professional resume writer, which is absolutely essential, taking her class, I also believe, is essential.
00:09:38.719 –> 00:09:46.379
BECKY: She will teach you how to create your own narrative and add your own voice and make the blurb that we have.
00:09:46.399 –> 00:09:52.159
BECKY: The one that says, I’m an executive assistant with 15 plus years working for a prolific leaders.
00:09:52.239 –> 00:09:57.579
BECKY: She’ll teach you how to change that so that hiring managers will notice you.
00:09:58.259 –> 00:10:04.599
BECKY: So I think, you know, just tapping in on resources and making sure that you set yourself up for success.
00:10:06.319 –> 00:10:10.019
BECKY: I 100% believe that you should pay to get your resume done.
00:10:10.039 –> 00:10:16.179
BECKY: And I think that all the resumes that people send me and all the resumes I see, people are not getting them done.
00:10:16.199 –> 00:10:18.839
BECKY: And you absolutely need to do that at this point in the game.
00:10:18.859 –> 00:10:21.999
BECKY: EA jobs vary so much.
00:10:22.419 –> 00:10:24.799
BECKY: I mean, they can be more simplistic.
00:10:24.879 –> 00:10:29.579
BECKY: They can be definitely more focused on engagement.
00:10:30.239 –> 00:10:35.539
BECKY: And everybody’s going to come and show up to the table with their own talents and their own skills.
00:10:35.579 –> 00:10:40.319
BECKY: And so you may not fit in one place, whereas you may fit in another place.
00:10:40.339 –> 00:10:51.559
BECKY: And just to always be curious and learning and really listen to what other people have to say that has helped them.
00:10:51.579 –> 00:10:58.759
BECKY: And just making sure that you show up the best that you can given the experience that you have.
00:10:59.299 –> 00:10:59.639
JEREMY: Yeah.
00:11:00.059 –> 00:11:00.359
JEREMY: Yeah.
00:11:00.379 –> 00:11:00.899
JEREMY: Well said.
00:11:00.939 –> 00:11:13.179
JEREMY: And the other thing I wanted to share real quick too is my friend Al Hussein Madhani put together a really great course and template on resumes for specifically for executive assistants.
00:11:13.199 –> 00:11:17.639
JEREMY: So that’s you can find that at resume.assistanceguide.com.
00:11:20.299 –> 00:11:27.639
JEREMY: resume.assistanceguide.com for that awesome resource as well.
00:11:28.539 –> 00:11:30.459
JEREMY: And yeah, I think that I think you’re right.
00:11:30.479 –> 00:11:35.959
JEREMY: I think the resume is is huge, but I think you’re also right that networking is is huger.
00:11:35.979 –> 00:11:36.799
JEREMY: I’m going to make up a word.
00:11:36.819 –> 00:11:37.439
JEREMY: It’s huge.
00:11:37.519 –> 00:11:41.399
BECKY: It’s my boss, my current boss.
00:11:41.539 –> 00:11:46.119
BECKY: She had met me eight years prior and she called me eight years later.
00:11:47.199 –> 00:11:48.899
BECKY: To hire me into Salesforce.
00:11:49.719 –> 00:12:01.239
BECKY: So if that doesn’t tell you the power of networking, I mean, I know that you experience all the time just because, you know, you’re out in the public and people well, people are reaching out to both of us all the time.
00:12:01.259 –> 00:12:02.919
BECKY: So we see it, right?
00:12:03.339 –> 00:12:09.739
BECKY: But it’s really hard for people who are not a part of it to like really realize how much power there is behind it.
00:12:14.819 –> 00:12:17.379
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00:12:18.319 –> 00:12:25.999
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00:12:26.619 –> 00:12:38.139
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00:12:38.819 –> 00:12:41.259
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00:12:41.799 –> 00:12:46.839
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00:12:46.859 –> 00:12:52.699
JEREMY: Yeah, totally.
00:12:52.699 –> 00:12:59.659
JEREMY: And my every job I’ve gotten was through networking through someone.
00:13:00.819 –> 00:13:16.599
JEREMY: Even my very first real job at Walmart in the Pet Department was I was referred by a friend of the families, put in my name or whatever when I applied and got the job.
00:13:17.159 –> 00:13:17.759
BECKY: Amazing.
00:13:17.779 –> 00:13:19.339
JEREMY: Yeah, it’s pretty crazy.
00:13:20.739 –> 00:13:22.659
JEREMY: Okay, so that’s awesome.
00:13:22.699 –> 00:13:25.179
JEREMY: What about, let’s shift gears a little bit.
00:13:25.379 –> 00:13:32.279
JEREMY: So first, and again, thank you for all the work you do to connect assistants and share the job opportunities.
00:13:32.319 –> 00:13:33.939
JEREMY: You too.
00:13:33.959 –> 00:13:39.939
JEREMY: I try to do a little bit of that, but I’m like, I have a hard time keeping up with everything.
00:13:39.959 –> 00:13:43.999
JEREMY: And every time I see your posts, I’m like, wow, you just curated a whole bunch of jobs.
00:13:44.539 –> 00:13:46.859
JEREMY: So nice work.
00:13:46.879 –> 00:13:47.579
BECKY: It is hard.
00:13:47.599 –> 00:13:50.959
BECKY: I mean, it’s hard when you work a full time job, right?
00:13:50.959 –> 00:13:56.359
BECKY: And especially like one that is demanding and requires a lot of of your life.
00:13:56.779 –> 00:14:04.379
BECKY: But I think the work is so important and there’s nothing like hearing from somebody who gets a job from one of these posts.
00:14:04.399 –> 00:14:04.859
JEREMY: Yeah.
00:14:05.119 –> 00:14:05.479
JEREMY: Yeah.
00:14:05.819 –> 00:14:09.259
BECKY: I mean, that is an incredible, incredible feeling.
00:14:09.819 –> 00:14:10.139
JEREMY: Yeah.
00:14:10.539 –> 00:14:10.819
JEREMY: Okay.
00:14:10.839 –> 00:14:13.399
JEREMY: Well, let’s talk about your current role for a minute, if you don’t mind.
00:14:13.499 –> 00:14:17.199
JEREMY: Your Senior Executive Assistant to the CEO of Salesforce AI.
00:14:18.079 –> 00:14:18.459
BECKY: Yes.
00:14:18.519 –> 00:14:18.879
JEREMY: Yes.
00:14:18.899 –> 00:14:20.479
BECKY: So I support Clara Shai.
00:14:20.639 –> 00:14:23.739
BECKY: She is the CEO of Salesforce AI.
00:14:24.239 –> 00:14:26.219
BECKY: We basically were new.
00:14:26.239 –> 00:14:32.939
BECKY: When I originally was hired in, it was to support her as the CEO of Service Cloud.
00:14:33.599 –> 00:14:37.579
BECKY: And then AI was kind of in the background, right?
00:14:37.599 –> 00:14:38.779
BECKY: So this was last year.
00:14:38.799 –> 00:14:48.919
BECKY: And we literally just out of nowhere had to create AI and create this org and make this a focus and a purpose.
00:14:48.939 –> 00:14:50.019
BECKY: And here we are.
00:14:50.039 –> 00:14:52.999
BECKY: And I mean, it is absolutely incredible.
00:14:53.699 –> 00:15:00.739
BECKY: It’s also really incredible to work for Clara because she is definitely an amazing woman.
00:15:00.799 –> 00:15:02.819
BECKY: She is so admirable.
00:15:02.839 –> 00:15:04.299
BECKY: I look up to her so much.
00:15:04.319 –> 00:15:08.359
BECKY: I mean, there’s nothing like going to a job where you look up to the person that you support.
00:15:08.799 –> 00:15:10.439
BECKY: I’m doing really fun stuff.
00:15:10.459 –> 00:15:13.639
BECKY: We do podcasts and press events.
00:15:13.919 –> 00:15:16.259
BECKY: And she is always, always on the go.
00:15:16.279 –> 00:15:21.879
BECKY: So it’s really exciting to learn from her, see how she thinks and support her on this journey.
00:15:21.899 –> 00:15:23.299
JEREMY: That’s awesome.
00:15:23.639 –> 00:15:24.559
JEREMY: You know, the funny.
00:15:24.579 –> 00:15:28.559
JEREMY: So obviously, Salesforce is a huge company, huge.
00:15:29.159 –> 00:15:31.319
JEREMY: But interesting story.
00:15:32.239 –> 00:15:36.559
JEREMY: Back in it was either 2017 or 2018.
00:15:36.579 –> 00:15:38.159
JEREMY: I always get these mixed up.
00:15:38.179 –> 00:15:46.919
JEREMY: But my company, Capacity, I work for a company called Capacity, which is an AI support automation platform software company.
00:15:47.659 –> 00:15:48.899
JEREMY: And I was hired number one.
00:15:48.919 –> 00:15:50.679
JEREMY: Now we have like 105 employees.
00:15:50.899 –> 00:15:55.799
JEREMY: And either the first year or the second year, I believe is the first year.
00:15:56.519 –> 00:15:58.899
JEREMY: But again, I’m bad at my timeline.
00:15:59.919 –> 00:16:03.719
JEREMY: We were trying to raise money and, you know, start up software startup company.
00:16:03.739 –> 00:16:05.039
JEREMY: I’m pretty much always trying.
00:16:05.059 –> 00:16:07.499
JEREMY: In fact, we’re raising our Series D now.
00:16:09.619 –> 00:16:13.819
JEREMY: But at the time we were raising our seed round or Series A or something.
00:16:14.799 –> 00:16:21.619
JEREMY: And my executive’s like, hey, go find a bunch of investment competitions that we can apply for.
00:16:21.639 –> 00:16:23.719
JEREMY: So I start filling out all these competitions.
00:16:24.179 –> 00:16:31.719
JEREMY: Long story short, we get selected for Ashton Kutcher’s venture capital fund, Sound Ventures.
00:16:32.399 –> 00:16:34.999
JEREMY: And they were doing a thing at South by Southwest in Austin.
00:16:36.079 –> 00:16:42.779
JEREMY: And it was you basically they were going to pick the top five companies to come pitch to a panel of judges.
00:16:43.599 –> 00:16:49.879
JEREMY: And the judges were so my CEO, David, he got selected to pitch our company.
00:16:51.079 –> 00:17:04.579
JEREMY: And the judges were Ashton Kutcher, Matthew McConaughey, Gary Vaynerchuk, Melissa McCloskey, who was like the CEO of StyleSeat, Company StyleSeat, and then Mark Benioff, CEO of Salesforce.
00:17:04.959 –> 00:17:10.599
BECKY: Well, that’s interesting because, you know, Matthew McConaughey and Mark are very close.
00:17:10.759 –> 00:17:12.759
JEREMY: And he does his commercials.
00:17:12.759 –> 00:17:17.819
BECKY: And yes, I just met him at Dreamforce and took a picture with me.
00:17:17.839 –> 00:17:26.859
BECKY: You know, we were backstage kind of in the green room area and I didn’t want to ask him for a picture.
00:17:26.879 –> 00:17:31.559
BECKY: So my boss, Clara, she has interacted with him multiple times as well.
00:17:31.579 –> 00:17:34.639
BECKY: So she leaned into his ear and asked him if he would take a picture.
00:17:35.119 –> 00:17:37.819
BECKY: So it was pretty funny, but he was a really nice guy.
00:17:37.839 –> 00:17:40.339
BECKY: So it makes sense, I guess, that Mark would be there.
00:17:41.279 –> 00:17:42.479
BECKY: Interesting, right?
00:17:42.539 –> 00:17:45.439
JEREMY: Yeah, that was like, like I said, six, seven years ago.
00:17:45.459 –> 00:17:47.219
BECKY: He gets to do all the cool stuff.
00:17:47.639 –> 00:17:52.719
JEREMY: Yeah, the fun thing was, though, like I remember, you know, we’re an AI company at the time.
00:17:53.039 –> 00:18:01.299
JEREMY: We were essentially just a bot that would be for companies and employees to find the information they need.
00:18:01.319 –> 00:18:02.859
JEREMY: Like, what’s our paternity policy?
00:18:03.139 –> 00:18:04.959
JEREMY: How many vacation days do I have left?
00:18:04.979 –> 00:18:05.699
JEREMY: That kind of a thing.
00:18:05.719 –> 00:18:07.539
JEREMY: That was our initial.
00:18:07.559 –> 00:18:09.499
JEREMY: And we use natural language processing.
00:18:09.519 –> 00:18:16.759
JEREMY: And we had started like building up this large language model before large language models were cool.
00:18:16.779 –> 00:18:19.679
BECKY: Yeah, before everybody knew what an LLM is.
00:18:19.799 –> 00:18:20.359
JEREMY: Exactly.
00:18:21.499 –> 00:18:26.939
JEREMY: So anyway, so then like, you know, you get feedback like, oh, you know, what about this?
00:18:26.959 –> 00:18:36.799
JEREMY: And I remember Mark, I don’t remember exactly what he said, but I remember Mark said something along the lines of like, oh, you know, everybody’s going to have the AI, you know, their own AI.
00:18:37.459 –> 00:18:46.239
JEREMY: And then my CEO’s response is essentially, yes, but we are going to we’re building an AI that will talk to the other AIs and they will connect the other AIs.
00:18:46.259 –> 00:18:58.599
JEREMY: Because it’s like, you know, if Microsoft has their own AI and Salesforce has their own AI, Google has their own AI and all this, you also have your company’s information and you’re connected to this app and then you get this app.
00:18:58.619 –> 00:19:02.859
JEREMY: And so anyway, it was just a fun experience to do that.
00:19:02.879 –> 00:19:04.319
BECKY: So that’s really cool.
00:19:04.339 –> 00:19:18.719
BECKY: Yeah, you know, it’s been really interesting to get into AI at Salesforce because we are not really allowed to use any outside AI, you know, because of data breaches and whatnot.
00:19:18.759 –> 00:19:30.999
BECKY: So as the world is experiencing AI and really digging into it for their workplace, you know, there’s AI now that can, you know, dial into your meetings, take the most amazing follow up notes.
00:19:31.519 –> 00:19:37.159
BECKY: Ambient is one that does incredible work in this realm, but it’s something that I can’t use at Salesforce.
00:19:37.919 –> 00:19:40.739
BECKY: Because trust is so important, right, as it should be.
00:19:41.319 –> 00:19:47.119
BECKY: And so in some ways, I have to test everything kind of on my own, but it’s fun.
00:19:47.139 –> 00:19:53.419
BECKY: And I’ve joined some classes, Fiona Young from, you know, she created CARV, and that’s AI for Assistance.
00:19:53.799 –> 00:19:56.719
BECKY: I mean, Jessica McBride’s doing great work around it.
00:19:56.739 –> 00:20:05.759
BECKY: There are so many people that are embracing this and really giving this to EAs to, you know, figure out how to use in their daily life.
00:20:06.479 –> 00:20:07.599
BECKY: So it’s pretty interesting.
00:20:07.619 –> 00:20:20.559
BECKY: I know that a lot of EAs are concerned that they may lose their jobs because of AI, but I personally feel that you need a human being to interact with the AI to get what you need.
00:20:21.019 –> 00:20:24.579
BECKY: So that touch point is going to be so important.
00:20:24.619 –> 00:20:26.459
BECKY: Plus, you have to fact check AI.
00:20:26.479 –> 00:20:31.479
BECKY: I mean, it’s just not in any position to take over our careers, I think, anytime soon.
00:20:32.499 –> 00:20:33.799
JEREMY: Yeah, totally agree.
00:20:33.819 –> 00:20:34.559
JEREMY: 100%.
00:20:36.839 –> 00:20:43.299
JEREMY: And I think the AI plus humans is the future, not AI versus humans.
00:20:44.279 –> 00:20:53.559
BECKY: But it’s really interesting because I’ve been thinking about how we’re getting to the point where our daily life inevitably will include AI.
00:20:54.359 –> 00:20:57.219
BECKY: And there are people who don’t want to engage in that.
00:20:57.359 –> 00:21:05.779
BECKY: And I think it’s getting harder and harder to be a part of society if you aren’t embracing these changes that we have.
00:21:06.239 –> 00:21:07.899
BECKY: So it’s really interesting to think about.
00:21:09.579 –> 00:21:13.139
JEREMY: Well, kind of the last topic I had on here to chat with you about.
00:21:13.319 –> 00:21:18.839
JEREMY: And we could chat all day, but I want to want to wrap it up here in a minute.
00:21:19.859 –> 00:21:26.919
JEREMY: But what about, you know, you’re an advocate against workplace bullying and building a great culture.
00:21:26.939 –> 00:21:37.439
JEREMY: What are your thoughts or even just practical tips on how we assistants can, you know, build and cultivate a great company culture?
00:21:37.959 –> 00:21:44.859
BECKY: Yeah, I think that there is a lot of competition amongst assistants.
00:21:45.019 –> 00:21:54.059
BECKY: I think that when we go into companies, you know, usually there are cliques or there are people that are so familiar with each other that they leave out other assistants.
00:21:55.259 –> 00:21:58.319
BECKY: And that creates a toxic work environment.
00:21:58.339 –> 00:22:01.499
BECKY: So you have two elements, well, really three.
00:22:01.519 –> 00:22:07.639
BECKY: The company can be toxic, your exec can be toxic, or your admin environment could be toxic.
00:22:08.259 –> 00:22:14.419
BECKY: None of those are going to help with making you feel secure and able and have the confidence that you need at work.
00:22:14.959 –> 00:22:24.399
BECKY: So I think just really being mindful when you go into companies, making sure that it’s a culture that fits with your ideas and your ideals.
00:22:24.739 –> 00:22:40.119
BECKY: And then also being the person who kind of advocates for the community, the person who brings everybody together, not excluding EAs, not talking behind their backs, just really creating a welcoming, cross collaborative environment.
00:22:40.359 –> 00:22:41.619
BECKY: I mean, it’s so important, right?
00:22:41.639 –> 00:22:43.399
BECKY: I mean, Slack has been so great at this.
00:22:43.399 –> 00:22:49.279
BECKY: Slack brought people together onto a single platform where we could go back and forth asking questions.
00:22:49.499 –> 00:22:52.619
BECKY: For EAs, this has been game changing because we can all connect.
00:22:52.639 –> 00:22:54.999
BECKY: We can ask for advice from one another.
00:22:55.019 –> 00:23:00.899
BECKY: We can tell each other what we’re working on, see if anybody has any other best practices that we don’t know about.
00:23:01.179 –> 00:23:12.539
BECKY: I think just continuing to look at our workplace as a place to learn and a place to be curious.
00:23:12.559 –> 00:23:21.299
BECKY: We spend so much time at work and with our coworkers that it just helps us and others if we really try and nurture that.
00:23:21.659 –> 00:23:26.079
BECKY: I think just don’t be a jerk.
00:23:26.159 –> 00:23:30.339
BECKY: Literally believe in people’s best intentions and lead with empathy.
00:23:30.359 –> 00:23:34.619
BECKY: That was one of the biggest things that I learned while I was at Twitter, was really leading with empathy.
00:23:35.259 –> 00:23:39.839
BECKY: That was a very, very big part of the culture there.
00:23:39.859 –> 00:23:48.639
BECKY: I think if we can take that into our personal lives and our work life and we can treat people with empathy, we will make it so much farther in life.
00:23:50.679 –> 00:23:51.199
JEREMY: Well said.
00:23:51.219 –> 00:23:54.619
JEREMY: It seems sad that it has to be said.
00:23:54.639 –> 00:23:56.139
JEREMY: It seems simple.
00:23:58.479 –> 00:24:01.739
JEREMY: But don’t be a jerk is not as easy as it should be, apparently.
00:24:01.759 –> 00:24:03.419
JEREMY: There’s still a lot of people.
00:24:04.099 –> 00:24:13.499
BECKY: And one of the reasons that I created the EA Social Club was because I would be, I have been in toxic environments, especially amongst the EAs.
00:24:13.979 –> 00:24:15.459
BECKY: And there’s so much competition.
00:24:15.479 –> 00:24:19.819
BECKY: And I wanted to be around EAs where we all could show up as equals.
00:24:20.379 –> 00:24:22.559
BECKY: We can show up as we are.
00:24:23.019 –> 00:24:27.459
BECKY: We all know that we work so much that we might get pulled away on our phones.
00:24:27.479 –> 00:24:29.719
BECKY: But the idea is that we can be there.
00:24:29.739 –> 00:24:31.099
BECKY: We can mentor one another.
00:24:31.119 –> 00:24:36.099
BECKY: We can show compassion, commensurate on what we go through.
00:24:36.279 –> 00:24:41.719
BECKY: There is a lot of power when people come together versus coming at each other.
00:24:42.799 –> 00:24:43.099
JEREMY: Yeah.
00:24:43.519 –> 00:24:44.099
JEREMY: Definitely.
00:24:45.159 –> 00:24:45.819
JEREMY: Awesome, Becky.
00:24:45.839 –> 00:24:47.279
JEREMY: Well, it’s been a pleasure to chat.
00:24:47.619 –> 00:24:56.259
JEREMY: And I really look forward to meeting up in the future and grabbing dinner at one of the social club events in the future.
00:24:56.299 –> 00:25:06.999
JEREMY: But what’s the best place for people to reach out if they want to connect and learn more about social club or just follow you on LinkedIn for job opportunities?
00:25:07.019 –> 00:25:07.219
JEREMY: Yeah.
00:25:07.239 –> 00:25:07.959
JEREMY: What’s the best way?
00:25:08.919 –> 00:25:12.699
BECKY: So you can follow me, Becky Kaapuni on LinkedIn.
00:25:12.839 –> 00:25:19.599
BECKY: And then if you would like to check out the social club, you can do that at www.easocialclub.com.
00:25:19.619 –> 00:25:21.599
BECKY: Very straightforward, exactly the name.
00:25:21.619 –> 00:25:24.379
BECKY: I do post a lot on LinkedIn.
00:25:24.399 –> 00:25:26.939
BECKY: I’ve been a little quiet lately, but I post jobs.
00:25:26.939 –> 00:25:28.019
BECKY: I post advice.
00:25:28.039 –> 00:25:33.179
BECKY: I also do mentoring one-on-one, very ad hoc oriented, not long-term.
00:25:33.559 –> 00:25:37.419
BECKY: And you can find most of that information on the website.
00:25:38.399 –> 00:25:38.839
JEREMY: Perfect.
00:25:38.859 –> 00:25:40.979
JEREMY: Well, I will share all those links in the show notes.
00:25:41.759 –> 00:25:49.999
JEREMY: For those listening, that’s leaderassistant.com/271, leaderassistant.com/271.
00:25:50.019 –> 00:25:50.759
JEREMY: Thanks again, Becky.
00:25:50.939 –> 00:25:52.999
JEREMY: Best of luck to you and we will talk soon.
00:26:03.465 –> 00:26:05.945
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00:26:12.560 –> 00:26:14.340
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