No one, not even your best friend, has the ability to understand what we (assistants) go through.
– Monique Helstrom
In this episode, I share an excerpt from my audiobook, The Leader Assistant: Four Pillars of a Confident, Game-Changing Assistant, where I share a bit about my journey from no network, to a thriving network of assistants all over the world.
Check out the bonus resources for the networking chapter of The Leader Assistant here.
THE LEADER ASSISTANT PODCAST IS PRESENTED BY GOODY
A special thanks to my sponsor, Goody!
If you send business gifts to employees, clients or sales prospects, Goody is a game changer. You can send one gift or hundreds at the same time, without ever worrying about shipping details. With Goody, your gift recipients provide all their shipping info, and they can even swap out your gift for another option if they prefer. It’s free to start gifting and you get a $20 credit when you sign up. Oh and if you mention you heard about Goody on The Leader Assistant Podcast, Goody will add an extra $10 credit to your account.
Go here to start gifting today!
CONNECT WITH ME (JEREMY BURROWS)
- My LinkedIn
- My book – The Leader Assistant: Four Pillars of a Confident, Game-Changing Assistant
- Direct link to the Audiobook
ABOUT ME
I’m a longtime executive assistant, international speaker and trainer, founder of The Leader Assistant Community and Premium Membership, author of the #1 Amazon Bestselling book, The Leader Assistant: Four Pillars of a Confident, Game-Changing Assistant, and host of the #1 podcast for assistants – The Leader Assistant Podcast.
I’ve worked with CEOs, professional athletes, Fortune 100 board members, billionaires, pastors—and their assistants—in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors.
I’ve also had the opportunity to speak at administrative professional and executive assistant conferences all over the world, including Hong Kong, Thailand, and Germany.
I’m currently EA to the Founder and CEO of Capacity, a fast-growing artificial intelligence SaaS startup with an AI-powered, support automation platform.
My passion is to help you lead well, resist burnout, and automate before you’re automated.
I live in Kansas City, MO with my amazing wife and 2 boys. My hobbies are podcasting, beer, music, crypto, stocks, and entrepreneurship.
THE LEADER ASSISTANT PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP
To learn more about how you can join the now 200+ growth-minded Leader Assistants, check out our Leader Assistant Premium Membership for ongoing training, coaching, and community.
LEADER ASSISTANT LIVE EVENTS
Check out our constantly updated schedule of events for admins and assistants at LeaderAssistantLive.com.
THE LEADER ASSISTANT BOOK
Download the first 3 chapters of The Leader Assistant: Four Pillars of Game-Changing Assistant for FREE here or buy it on Amazon or Audible.
JOIN THE FREE COMMUNITY
Join the Leader Assistant Global Community here, or the Facebook Group here for bonus content and to network with other assistants who are committed to becoming leaders!
SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to The Leader Assistant Podcast so you don’t miss new episodes!
You can find the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, and Stitcher.
Join my email list here if you want to get an email when a new episode goes live.
LEAVE A REVIEW
If you’re enjoying the podcast, please take 2 minutes to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Each review helps me stay motivated to keep the show going!
HELP ME, HELP YOU (MAKE THE PODCAST BETTER)
Do you have questions you’d like me to answer, guests you think I should interview, or suggested topics you’d like me to address on the show? Or maybe you’d like to sponsor an episode or two? Either way, I’d love to hear from you! You can email me at podcast@leaderassistant.com.
—
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
00:00:03.260 –> 00:00:10.940
<v SPEAKER_2>The Leader Assistant Podcast exists to encourage and challenge assistants to become confident, game-changing leader assistants.
00:00:14.200 –> 00:00:17.820
JEREMY: The Leader Assistant Podcast is brought to you by Goody.
00:00:18.260 –> 00:00:25.300
JEREMY: If you send business gifts to employees, clients, or sales prospects, Goody is a game changer.
00:00:25.960 –> 00:00:32.880
JEREMY: You can send one gift or hundreds at a time, without ever worrying about shipping details.
00:00:33.700 –> 00:00:43.360
JEREMY: With Goody, your gift recipients provide all their shipping info, and they can even swap out your gift for another option if they prefer.
00:00:43.860 –> 00:00:48.620
JEREMY: It’s free to start gifting, and you can get a $20 credit when you sign up.
00:00:49.320 –> 00:00:57.480
JEREMY: Oh, and if you mention you heard about Goody from The Leader Assistant Podcast, Goody will add an extra $10 credit to your account.
00:00:58.040 –> 00:01:07.260
JEREMY: So go to leaderassistant.com/goody, that’s G-O-O-D-Y, to start gifting today.
00:01:07.560 –> 00:01:11.180
JEREMY: Again, that’s leaderassistant.com/goody.
00:01:11.740 –> 00:01:21.440
JEREMY: All right, on today’s episode, I’m going to share an excerpt from my audio book, The Leader Assistant, Four Pillars of a Confident, Game-Changing Assistant.
00:01:21.580 –> 00:01:27.320
JEREMY: For today’s excerpt, we’re going to be listening to Chapter 20, which is all about networking.
00:01:27.980 –> 00:01:29.060
JEREMY: So I hope you enjoy it.
00:01:29.460 –> 00:01:35.620
JEREMY: Be sure to check out the show notes at leaderassistant.com/153, and we’ll talk to you soon.
00:01:36.580 –> 00:01:39.040
JEREMY: Chapter 20, Networking.
00:01:40.980 –> 00:01:47.300
JEREMY: No one, not even your best friend, has the ability to understand what we, assistants, go through.
00:01:48.220 –> 00:01:49.240
JEREMY: Monique Hellstrom.
00:01:51.700 –> 00:02:03.000
JEREMY: Similar to how a mountain trail guide won’t know what it’s like to be on a glacier unless they’ve been on one, the only group of people on the planet who truly get what assistants go through are other assistants.
00:02:04.620 –> 00:02:13.740
JEREMY: Your executive and coworkers won’t understand at a deep level, and you’ll likely change executives, coworkers, and companies throughout your career.
00:02:15.400 –> 00:02:20.400
JEREMY: However, a strong network of assistants will stick with you through the good, the bad, and the ugly.
00:02:21.440 –> 00:02:25.500
JEREMY: Not to mention, your network of assistants will often help you land your next job.
00:02:26.740 –> 00:02:40.160
JEREMY: To remedy the isolation and loneliness I felt in the middle of my career glacier, I reached out to assistants on LinkedIn, Slack, Facebook, Twitter, you name it, anywhere I could find assistants to connect with.
00:02:41.240 –> 00:02:43.600
JEREMY: I networked until I couldn’t network anymore.
00:02:45.100 –> 00:02:54.800
JEREMY: I began to ask for advice, share tips, and exchange stories with assistants from Boston and Omaha to South Africa and Australia.
00:02:56.520 –> 00:03:00.520
JEREMY: As my LinkedIn network continued to thrive, more doors opened.
00:03:01.460 –> 00:03:06.260
JEREMY: I was recruited for senior executive assistant roles at companies such as Facebook and Amazon.
00:03:07.740 –> 00:03:14.560
JEREMY: I flew across the world to train assistants in Germany, Hong Kong, and Thailand and got paid to do so.
00:03:16.520 –> 00:03:19.100
JEREMY: Grow your network before you need it.
00:03:20.520 –> 00:03:22.780
JEREMY: Don’t get stuck on a glacier with nowhere to turn.
00:03:23.920 –> 00:03:26.620
JEREMY: Instead, grow your network so you have one when you need it.
00:03:28.240 –> 00:03:32.200
JEREMY: Add value to LinkedIn, Slack, and Facebook communities.
00:03:33.780 –> 00:03:36.300
JEREMY: Go to local assistant meetups or conferences.
00:03:37.380 –> 00:03:41.480
JEREMY: If there aren’t local events, start an assistant happy hour or a lunch and learn.
00:03:42.720 –> 00:03:48.180
JEREMY: Ask other assistants to grab coffee, or hop on a video call to share your hapies and crappies from your week.
00:03:48.800 –> 00:03:50.300
JEREMY: Oops, I mean highs and lows.
00:03:50.740 –> 00:03:53.380
JEREMY: Happies and crappies are what we do with our boys at the dinner table.
00:03:55.040 –> 00:04:00.640
JEREMY: Growing your network is one of the best ways to prepare for the inevitable glaciers you’ll face throughout your career.
00:04:02.180 –> 00:04:10.600
JEREMY: Be a Generous Networker When I was single, my good friend shared an unwritten rule for dating I’d never heard.
00:04:11.640 –> 00:04:15.060
JEREMY: He said, You can’t kiss her until you find out her middle name.
00:04:16.400 –> 00:04:19.520
JEREMY: Now, I don’t know if this rule is applicable in today’s dating scene.
00:04:19.740 –> 00:04:21.440
JEREMY: I’ve been happily married for a while now.
00:04:22.560 –> 00:04:25.940
JEREMY: But in a way, you can apply this tactic to your professional network.
00:04:27.240 –> 00:04:33.060
JEREMY: No one likes the networker who tries to sell you something or asks you for a favor as soon as they find out your name.
00:04:34.220 –> 00:04:35.760
JEREMY: They could at least buy you a drink first.
00:04:37.140 –> 00:04:40.800
JEREMY: To be a Leader Assistant, learn how to be a Generous Networker.
00:04:42.280 –> 00:04:47.420
JEREMY: As you’re connecting with people, in person or online, keep this question on the top of your mind.
00:04:48.400 –> 00:04:51.020
JEREMY: How can I truly help this person at this moment?
00:04:52.300 –> 00:04:55.220
JEREMY: Helping could mean you listen to them rant about their day.
00:04:56.180 –> 00:05:00.720
JEREMY: It could mean you suggest a software tool that solves the exact problem they’re wrestling with.
00:05:01.640 –> 00:05:06.880
JEREMY: You could introduce them to a friend in their industry or share their blog post with your LinkedIn network.
00:05:08.220 –> 00:05:11.740
JEREMY: Notice how none of these examples involve you getting something out of them.
00:05:12.780 –> 00:05:16.100
JEREMY: In other words, help others but don’t keep score.
00:05:17.220 –> 00:05:26.120
JEREMY: If you help people without an expectation they will owe you something in return, you’ll master the art of networking and grow a high-quality, game-changing network.
00:05:27.320 –> 00:05:39.000
JEREMY: Networking as an Introvert I can keep a conversation going for hours with Meg, my brothers, or my best friends, but throw me into a room full of strangers and I’m spent after about 11 minutes.
00:05:39.980 –> 00:05:42.960
JEREMY: If you can relate, you’re probably an Introvert like me.
00:05:44.220 –> 00:05:49.140
JEREMY: Sure, I’ve developed my extroverted skills over the years, but I still love me some me time.
00:05:50.740 –> 00:05:53.620
JEREMY: Here are some tips on how to network as an Introvert.
00:05:55.320 –> 00:06:06.560
JEREMY: Start small Don’t go to an event with 100 assistants and expect to meet every single one of them, remember their names, and strike up a quality conversation.
00:06:07.940 –> 00:06:14.620
JEREMY: Start with a smaller meetup, or if a large event is all you can find, focus on a small corner of the room.
00:06:16.240 –> 00:06:21.900
JEREMY: Commit to meet three or four new people and be prepared to ask a few go-to questions.
00:06:23.240 –> 00:06:25.580
JEREMY: What’s your favorite part about being an assistant?
00:06:26.260 –> 00:06:29.020
JEREMY: And what’s one thing you wish you could change about your role?
00:06:29.180 –> 00:06:30.460
JEREMY: Are a couple of my favorites.
00:06:32.360 –> 00:06:41.860
JEREMY: Know your limits Give yourself permission to leave the party after you meet your goal, but keep going if your social juices get flowing.
00:06:43.080 –> 00:06:46.080
JEREMY: Just know your limits and don’t push yourself too far past them.
00:06:47.860 –> 00:06:52.020
JEREMY: A good way for an introvert to burn out is to overdo it with social interaction.
00:06:53.760 –> 00:06:54.880
JEREMY: Don’t just network.
00:06:55.560 –> 00:06:56.120
JEREMY: Connect.
00:06:57.720 –> 00:07:00.880
JEREMY: Networking is about connecting with people at a meaningful level.
00:07:02.260 –> 00:07:05.340
JEREMY: If you’re like me, you get bored with small talk pretty quickly.
00:07:06.400 –> 00:07:11.360
JEREMY: You’d rather talk about a big problem you’re having, or share a heartwarming story about your kids.
00:07:12.480 –> 00:07:19.360
JEREMY: The good news is, when you focus on a few people, you have more time to take conversations to a deeper level than, how’s the weather?
00:07:21.140 –> 00:07:29.380
JEREMY: No matter how extroverted or introverted you are, engaging in relationships with other assistants is an investment that all game-changing leader assistants make.
00:07:31.220 –> 00:07:42.660
JEREMY: Six Ways to Grow Your LinkedIn Network When I was in between jobs, I looked where most look when faced with a career change, my LinkedIn network.
00:07:43.980 –> 00:07:48.680
JEREMY: I thought LinkedIn was the ugly duckling of social networks, so it had been years since I had logged on.
00:07:49.900 –> 00:07:52.040
JEREMY: I might have had a few dozen connections at the time.
00:07:53.240 –> 00:08:07.160
JEREMY: As I began to manage my professional identity, I noticed people were actively engaged, posting, commenting, sending messages, recommending people for new jobs, and participating in like-minded groups.
00:08:08.900 –> 00:08:15.200
JEREMY: I was shocked to discover the goldmine that was LinkedIn, and I instantly regretted my lack of participation.
00:08:16.960 –> 00:08:27.480
JEREMY: After spending a few years networking on all of the major online social platforms, LinkedIn consistently stood out as the best place to meet and interact with assistants.
00:08:28.820 –> 00:08:33.520
JEREMY: So I tried out a variety of methods to increase my LinkedIn connections and followers.
00:08:34.700 –> 00:08:46.220
JEREMY: Most failed, but I eventually discovered a few methods that worked, and I was able to grow my LinkedIn network from 2,800 to 16,700 plus people in around 10 months.
00:08:47.380 –> 00:08:52.240
JEREMY: The following six tactics helped me achieve this growth, and I still use these today.
00:08:54.000 –> 00:08:54.220
JEREMY: 1.
00:08:54.820 –> 00:09:08.680
JEREMY: Reach out to assistants in your city One of the most effective ways to grow your LinkedIn network is to reach out to assistants in your area and invite them to join you for happy hour, lunch, coffee, etc.
00:09:10.120 –> 00:09:12.400
JEREMY: LinkedIn makes this very easy for you to do.
00:09:13.540 –> 00:09:26.980
JEREMY: Visit leaderassistantbook.com forward slash bonus for a link to my LinkedIn guide, where I share step-by-step instructions on how to perform an advanced search for assistants in your area.
00:09:29.180 –> 00:09:29.520
JEREMY: 2.
00:09:30.280 –> 00:09:37.820
JEREMY: Connect with assistants around the world In today’s world, it’s easy to connect with assistants on the other side of the planet.
00:09:38.720 –> 00:09:45.200
JEREMY: There’s no reason you can’t build a professional relationship with an assistant just because they’re not within driving distance.
00:09:46.580 –> 00:09:50.460
JEREMY: Here’s an example of what you could say when reaching out to assistants outside of your city.
00:09:51.660 –> 00:09:52.460
JEREMY: Hi, First Name.
00:09:52.860 –> 00:09:56.740
JEREMY: I’ve been an assistant for several years, but I failed to grow my network.
00:09:57.320 –> 00:10:00.380
JEREMY: I’m hoping to change that and would love to connect and learn from you.
00:10:00.940 –> 00:10:02.220
JEREMY: Would you be up for connecting?
00:10:03.760 –> 00:10:04.120
JEREMY: 3.
00:10:04.680 –> 00:10:10.380
JEREMY: Thoughtfully engage in online threads Don’t just like everything.
00:10:11.300 –> 00:10:14.640
JEREMY: Leave thoughtful comments on other posts you find interesting.
00:10:15.600 –> 00:10:19.860
JEREMY: Ask questions and share with friends who would think the topic is interesting.
00:10:21.860 –> 00:10:23.540
JEREMY: Don’t be a passive consumer.
00:10:24.540 –> 00:10:28.660
JEREMY: Be an active user who contributes to the global assistant community.
00:10:30.220 –> 00:10:37.040
JEREMY: When you do engage in online conversations, don’t ask manipulative or passive-aggressive questions to start a debate.
00:10:38.040 –> 00:10:39.920
JEREMY: Also, don’t talk down to people.
00:10:40.520 –> 00:10:47.200
JEREMY: You’re not going to build trust and add value if you’re always critiquing, judging, or looking to stir the pot.
00:10:48.840 –> 00:10:49.200
JEREMY: 4.
00:10:49.540 –> 00:10:58.560
JEREMY: Write engaging posts on LinkedIn Start your own conversations by posting statuses or articles on your LinkedIn profile.
00:10:59.740 –> 00:11:03.040
JEREMY: I usually post about topics I’m passionate about or experienced in.
00:11:04.140 –> 00:11:10.880
JEREMY: My most commented on, liked, and shared posts are ones in which I ask for input from the Assistant community.
00:11:12.620 –> 00:11:14.840
JEREMY: I’ll ask people to comment if they can relate.
00:11:15.660 –> 00:11:22.380
JEREMY: I’ll often provide a short list of multiple-choice answers so they can engage with the post without having to type out a long answer.
00:11:23.720 –> 00:11:28.140
JEREMY: The more I limit the work needed to interact with a given post, the more people engage with it.
00:11:29.200 –> 00:11:32.720
JEREMY: Whatever you decide to share, remember to add value to the broader community.
00:11:34.080 –> 00:11:34.480
JEREMY: 5.
00:11:34.980 –> 00:11:37.540
JEREMY: Switch your connect button to the follow button.
00:11:38.760 –> 00:11:47.600
JEREMY: If you get traffic to your profile because you’re more active on LinkedIn or you have another website sending people to your LinkedIn profile, this tactic can work very well.
00:11:48.760 –> 00:11:53.420
JEREMY: You can change the main connect button on your profile to a follow button.
00:11:55.060 –> 00:12:00.640
JEREMY: This gives people the opportunity to follow you with just one click when they’re viewing your profile.
00:12:01.160 –> 00:12:08.700
JEREMY: Instead of them having to hit connect, decide if they’re going to add a note or not, then come up with something to say in that note.
00:12:09.740 –> 00:12:16.460
JEREMY: To give you some context, today I have almost 16,000 connections, but I have over 21,000 followers.
00:12:17.500 –> 00:12:20.280
JEREMY: My followers can still see and engage with my posts.
00:12:21.020 –> 00:12:23.920
JEREMY: I’m just not connected with them, and I don’t follow them.
00:12:25.120 –> 00:12:31.080
JEREMY: As of now, there’s a limit to how many connections you can have, but no limit to how many followers you can have.
00:12:32.580 –> 00:12:38.100
JEREMY: I can’t promise you that making this switch will work as well for you as it has for me, but it’s worth looking into.
00:12:39.880 –> 00:12:40.300
JEREMY: 6.
00:12:40.500 –> 00:12:42.460
JEREMY: Improve your profile’s visibility.
00:12:43.640 –> 00:12:50.880
JEREMY: You can manipulate profile settings to help more people connect with you and increase the odds that people will accept your requests when you reach out.
00:12:51.860 –> 00:12:55.920
JEREMY: First, make sure your profile picture is visible to those who aren’t connected to you.
00:12:57.040 –> 00:13:01.460
JEREMY: I personally hold off on sending or accepting connections if I can’t see a profile picture.
00:13:03.220 –> 00:13:07.680
JEREMY: It communicates to me that you’re either not real or not that engaged on the platform.
00:13:08.880 –> 00:13:18.320
JEREMY: Speaking of pictures, you’ll want to showcase a professional profile picture or a headshot and a solid banner image, not the generic LinkedIn one.
00:13:19.580 –> 00:13:23.560
JEREMY: Next, make your summary and bio visible to those who aren’t connected with you.
00:13:24.500 –> 00:13:28.540
JEREMY: How are others going to be interested in networking with you if they don’t know anything about you?
00:13:29.560 –> 00:13:35.320
JEREMY: Recruiters and executives looking to hire a leader assistant would also like to read your bio and summary.
00:13:36.740 –> 00:13:42.200
JEREMY: Lastly, edit your privacy settings to show your education and work history to those you’re not connected with.
00:13:43.120 –> 00:13:47.880
JEREMY: The point of LinkedIn is to expand your professional network, so don’t be shy.
00:13:49.060 –> 00:13:52.620
JEREMY: Have fun, spice up your profile, and happy networking.
00:13:53.280 –> 00:13:58.100
JEREMY: Alright, check out the show notes at leaderassistant.com/153.
00:13:58.940 –> 00:14:00.040
JEREMY: We’ll see you next week.
00:14:11.016 –> 00:14:13.796
<v SPEAKER_2>Please review on Apple Podcasts.
00:14:14.856 –> 00:14:16.656
JEREMY: goburrows.com
