Liliya Susong is a Senior Administrative Assistant at Nestlé North America. An immigrant to the US, she has 11+ years of experience as an EA with international companies and counting – now on the US side!
In this episode of The Leader Assistant Podcast, Liliya shares her journey navigating culture gaps as an immigrant to the US, communication, networking, and working with an assistant team.
LEADERSHIP QUOTE
If you were stripped of your title, would people still follow you?
CONNECT WITH LILIYA
ABOUT LILIYA
Liliya Susong is a Senior Administrative Assistant at Nestlé North America. An immigrant to the US, she has 11+ years of experience as an EA with international companies and counting – now on the US side!
Originally from Moscow, Russia, Liliya holds two Master degrees from top Moscow universities, majoring in Linguistics and International Relations. She speaks Russian, English and some German. During her college years she worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, but after graduation pivoted her career to become an Executive Assistant.
Over the years she has worked in international law firms (Noerr and Norton Rose Fulbright), security and cyber companies (Sfera JSC, Group-IB) and a HNWI family office. She has experience building and leading Admin teams from scratch and effectively training new hires.
Some highlights of her career include:
- Advocating for, leading and coordinating every step in Sfera JSC, a Russian software developer and system integrator joining the European Emergency Number Association (EENA). Sfera was the first company from Russia to join the Association and present at the EENA Conference.
- Taking an active part in coordinating CyberCrimeCon (annual global cybersecurity conference) to streamline processes around international guests’ travel, negotiate with the hotels and sponsors to get discounts, and save additional costs by involving volunteers.
- Liliya also managed the visit of Mr. Noboru Nakatani, executive director of INTERPOL’s Global Complex for Innovation, to Moscow to sign a data exchange agreement.
Liliya is active in the EA community – she is a member of the global Chief of Staff Association and ASAP (American Society of Administrative Professionals), and a published author with profiz.ru – a Russian magazine for admin professionals.
Liliya also volunteers as an Ambassador for MASA program, connecting the Jewish diaspora with Israel through subsidized programs for young adults.
Liliya lives in Washington, DC, with her husband. In her free time she enjoys reading, baking, food photography, long hikes, and DIY renovation projects.
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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
00:00:00.000 –> 00:00:06.540
LILIYA: Hi, I’m Liliya Susong, and my favorite leadership quote is, If you were stripped of your title, would people still follow you?
00:00:06.640 –> 00:00:06.700
JEREMY: Thank you.
00:00:13.307 –> 00:00:20.947
<v SPEAKER_3>The Leader Assistant Podcast exists to encourage and challenge assistants to become confident, game-changing leader assistants.
00:00:20.967 –> 00:00:30.653
JEREMY: The Assistant Good morning, all executive assistants.
00:00:30.913 –> 00:00:35.913
JEREMY: Are you looking for a way to elevate your skills or earn that promotion you’ve been eyeing?
00:00:36.793 –> 00:00:44.453
JEREMY: Nova Chief of Staff’s Online Certification Course provides you with the knowledge and confidence you need to stand out on the job.
00:00:45.153 –> 00:00:58.913
JEREMY: 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.
00:00:59.613 –> 00:01:05.793
JEREMY: Visit leaderassistant.com/nova to learn more and secure your spot.
00:01:06.393 –> 00:01:10.933
JEREMY: That’s leaderassistant.com/nova.
00:01:12.553 –> 00:01:14.793
JEREMY: Hey friends, welcome to The Leader Assistant Podcast.
00:01:14.813 –> 00:01:24.413
JEREMY: It’s your host Jeremy Burrows and I still am getting over my illness, but hopefully my voice is not too low or too raspy for you today, but the show must go on.
00:01:24.453 –> 00:01:28.993
JEREMY: So I’m excited to kick off episode 268.
00:01:29.013 –> 00:01:33.633
JEREMY: You can check out the show notes at leaderassistant.com/268.
00:01:34.293 –> 00:01:38.513
JEREMY: leaderassistant.com/268.
00:01:39.073 –> 00:01:44.613
JEREMY: So today I am excited to be speaking with Liliya Susong.
00:01:45.313 –> 00:01:49.173
JEREMY: Liliya is Senior Administrative Assistant at Nestlé North America.
00:01:53.273 –> 00:01:54.813
JEREMY: Liliya, thank you for joining us.
00:01:55.793 –> 00:01:56.713
LILIYA: Thank you for having me.
00:01:56.733 –> 00:01:57.433
LILIYA: I appreciate that.
00:01:58.173 –> 00:02:00.893
JEREMY: What part of the world are you in and where are you from?
00:02:01.093 –> 00:02:03.153
JEREMY: Give us a little bit of the personal background.
00:02:04.073 –> 00:02:05.473
LILIYA: Right now, I’m in Virginia.
00:02:05.713 –> 00:02:08.693
LILIYA: I’ve been all over the map for the past decade.
00:02:09.273 –> 00:02:11.053
LILIYA: I’m originally from Russia, Moscow.
00:02:11.213 –> 00:02:16.453
LILIYA: I also lived in Israel because I happened to be Jewish, and I spent about a year in Israel.
00:02:17.653 –> 00:02:23.253
LILIYA: For the past four years, I did not count specifically, but I relocated to the states with COVID.
00:02:23.353 –> 00:02:24.833
LILIYA: I actually got locked down.
00:02:25.873 –> 00:02:31.533
LILIYA: My partner at the time, now my husband, he was speaking at Harvard.
00:02:31.753 –> 00:02:36.153
LILIYA: I came to be with him and support him, and the next thing I knew, I was staying for good.
00:02:36.713 –> 00:02:42.653
LILIYA: Since then, I changed locations around the states about four times, and again, not counting, just going on.
00:02:42.673 –> 00:02:44.093
JEREMY: Nice.
00:02:44.113 –> 00:02:45.413
JEREMY: What part of Virginia?
00:02:46.953 –> 00:02:47.373
LILIYA: Arlington.
00:02:50.653 –> 00:02:51.193
JEREMY: Good deal.
00:02:51.213 –> 00:02:52.633
JEREMY: Well, I was born in Virginia.
00:02:52.653 –> 00:03:03.233
JEREMY: That’s a fact that some people know, but I moved to Kansas City, Missouri when I was one, so I basically from Kansas City, but I was born in Virginia.
00:03:10.953 –> 00:03:11.273
JEREMY: Yeah.
00:03:11.293 –> 00:03:16.193
JEREMY: First, before you jump into your career, what’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not working?
00:03:18.593 –> 00:03:19.293
LILIYA: Two things.
00:03:19.433 –> 00:03:19.973
LILIYA: Baking.
00:03:19.973 –> 00:03:20.913
LILIYA: I’m a huge baker.
00:03:20.953 –> 00:03:21.793
LILIYA: I love baking.
00:03:21.813 –> 00:03:22.513
LILIYA: I love cooking.
00:03:22.533 –> 00:03:23.693
LILIYA: So anything in the kitchen.
00:03:23.713 –> 00:03:24.793
LILIYA: The kitchen is my happy place.
00:03:25.573 –> 00:03:29.273
LILIYA: The house at large, I’m huge about DIY renovations.
00:03:29.293 –> 00:03:29.733
LILIYA: All that.
00:03:30.033 –> 00:03:35.393
LILIYA: I will not be original if I say I like photography and traveling, and all the good things.
00:03:37.133 –> 00:03:38.653
JEREMY: I got to ask a question.
00:03:39.253 –> 00:03:42.933
JEREMY: DIY stuff, what’s the project you worked on recently?
00:03:44.933 –> 00:03:52.113
LILIYA: My favorite project, my big baby is we have a cabin in the Smoky Mountains, and I renovated it top to bottom.
00:03:53.133 –> 00:04:02.113
LILIYA: That included some furniture renovation, like big flipping projects, and I spent, I want to say about 40 gallons of paint alone.
00:04:02.613 –> 00:04:07.513
LILIYA: So my husband was saying that if he didn’t move around the house fast enough, I would paint over him.
00:04:11.093 –> 00:04:20.793
JEREMY: Oh man, yeah, so we rehabbed our house, and we’re renovating the house across the street for my parents, and my brother renovated his and my other brother renovated his.
00:04:20.813 –> 00:04:32.813
JEREMY: So we’ve done a lot of DIY YouTube videos to see how to do things, and there’s certain things that I try not to do myself because I’m just like, it just doesn’t fit my temperament.
00:04:33.133 –> 00:04:41.513
JEREMY: Like for example, laying tile is something that I’m just like, I don’t know, that’s one thing I’m trying to avoid learning how to do.
00:04:41.533 –> 00:04:44.313
JEREMY: My brother does it, so thankfully he did it for me.
00:04:44.333 –> 00:04:45.233
LILIYA: Well, you’re a good team.
00:04:46.033 –> 00:04:46.913
JEREMY: Yeah, exactly.
00:04:46.933 –> 00:04:47.613
JEREMY: Yeah.
00:04:47.633 –> 00:04:51.693
JEREMY: I do all the dirty demo destruction and stuff that’s just-
00:04:51.713 –> 00:04:52.753
LILIYA: Letting the stress out.
00:04:53.073 –> 00:04:54.053
JEREMY: Yeah, exactly.
00:04:54.453 –> 00:04:57.633
JEREMY: Fill the dumpster up and then he comes in and makes things pretty.
00:04:57.813 –> 00:05:00.233
JEREMY: So awesome.
00:05:00.253 –> 00:05:04.413
JEREMY: And then the other question I was going to say, what’s one of your favorite things to bake?
00:05:06.073 –> 00:05:09.913
LILIYA: Oh, that is difficult because I bake so much.
00:05:10.593 –> 00:05:18.333
LILIYA: Off the top of my head, probably Pavlova, the meringue and the fruit and the whipped cream and all that.
00:05:19.333 –> 00:05:33.773
LILIYA: And actually a fun fact, when I joined Nestlé, I discovered that one of the products that is actually in my department, in my team, it is Nestlé Lollachera Dulce de Leche, which is boiled condensed milk.
00:05:33.793 –> 00:05:34.613
LILIYA: Do you know the product?
00:05:35.933 –> 00:05:36.213
LILIYA: Yeah.
00:05:38.893 –> 00:05:42.213
LILIYA: I grew up with that for me and I was born in the Soviet Union.
00:05:42.373 –> 00:05:43.693
LILIYA: This is a childhood memory.
00:05:44.433 –> 00:05:47.773
LILIYA: And I did not expect to discover it stateside.
00:05:48.433 –> 00:05:50.173
LILIYA: When I did, I was so excited.
00:05:50.393 –> 00:05:59.953
LILIYA: And I started explaining to my family that growing up as a kid, there was that very special treat that you got very, very rarely because it was a pain in the butt to make it.
00:06:00.653 –> 00:06:03.693
LILIYA: But there is a thing which looks like it’s from Tia Press.
00:06:04.913 –> 00:06:06.893
LILIYA: It makes little nut shells.
00:06:07.573 –> 00:06:11.813
LILIYA: And so then you fill those wafer nut shells with dulce de leche.
00:06:12.493 –> 00:06:15.293
LILIYA: And you give it to your kids as a little treat.
00:06:15.313 –> 00:06:18.473
LILIYA: It’s like a little nut filled with dulce de leche.
00:06:19.033 –> 00:06:20.033
LILIYA: I adored those.
00:06:20.233 –> 00:06:27.113
LILIYA: I was absolutely shocked to see that Amazon actually sells those presses to make the nut shells.
00:06:27.793 –> 00:06:28.773
LILIYA: So I made that.
00:06:28.873 –> 00:06:30.273
LILIYA: I brought it into the office.
00:06:30.293 –> 00:06:32.733
LILIYA: I introduced everybody to the taste of my childhood.
00:06:33.453 –> 00:06:38.153
LILIYA: And this is an amazing little bridge, both culturally and in my kitchen.
00:06:39.593 –> 00:06:40.253
JEREMY: That’s amazing.
00:06:40.293 –> 00:06:40.873
JEREMY: That’s awesome.
00:06:40.893 –> 00:06:43.213
JEREMY: And yeah, and you work at Nestlé.
00:06:43.233 –> 00:06:43.773
JEREMY: That’s crazy.
00:06:45.013 –> 00:06:45.933
LILIYA: Yeah, exactly.
00:06:46.693 –> 00:06:47.873
LILIYA: What were the chances, right?
00:06:49.273 –> 00:06:49.953
JEREMY: So, okay.
00:06:49.973 –> 00:06:51.153
JEREMY: So tell us about your career then.
00:06:51.173 –> 00:06:54.473
JEREMY: How did you end up in the assistant role?
00:06:56.673 –> 00:07:04.853
LILIYA: I do not know a single person, and correct me if you know somebody, who grew up saying, I will be an assistant.
00:07:05.293 –> 00:07:08.893
LILIYA: People usually grow up with a very different vision of their future.
00:07:08.893 –> 00:07:12.693
LILIYA: Like, I’ll be a fireman, I’ll be a doctor, I’ll be something exciting.
00:07:13.553 –> 00:07:19.153
LILIYA: And I do not know anybody in our field who would say, yeah, I wanted to be an assistant and I became that.
00:07:19.953 –> 00:07:24.293
LILIYA: Usually, it’s a very wind and path, and it’s always very interesting to connect with colleagues.
00:07:24.313 –> 00:07:26.373
LILIYA: And explore what led them into the role.
00:07:26.873 –> 00:07:28.873
LILIYA: So for me, I have two majors.
00:07:28.893 –> 00:07:32.813
LILIYA: My first major is linguistics, and my second major is international relations.
00:07:33.653 –> 00:07:35.253
LILIYA: And this is where I wanted to be.
00:07:35.433 –> 00:07:42.273
LILIYA: I wanted to be with the Ministry of Exterior, and I wanted to be bridging those cultural gaps in a very different capacity.
00:07:43.033 –> 00:07:45.793
LILIYA: But my father fell ill.
00:07:45.953 –> 00:07:48.613
LILIYA: I had to pivot and go for a career.
00:07:48.633 –> 00:07:52.873
LILIYA: You know, government roles do not happen to be very lucrative in any country.
00:07:53.453 –> 00:07:57.233
LILIYA: So I had to make that very, very fast pivot.
00:07:57.393 –> 00:08:08.133
LILIYA: And I was thinking, what skills do I have and how are they transferable to a different field that can be a better fit for me and that can actually be something interesting.
00:08:09.173 –> 00:08:15.973
LILIYA: And this is how I stumbled into that role, which was with a German law firm and they wanted an assistant translator.
00:08:16.813 –> 00:08:17.893
LILIYA: And this is what I became.
00:08:17.913 –> 00:08:21.713
LILIYA: And, you know, the rest is history.
00:08:23.193 –> 00:08:24.973
JEREMY: So I’m looking at your LinkedIn.
00:08:24.993 –> 00:08:27.493
JEREMY: How long now have you been an assistant then?
00:08:28.813 –> 00:08:29.833
LILIYA: Oh, my gosh.
00:08:29.853 –> 00:08:31.833
LILIYA: Since 2009, I’d say.
00:08:32.493 –> 00:08:32.833
JEREMY: Okay.
00:08:33.293 –> 00:08:33.733
JEREMY: Awesome.
00:08:33.813 –> 00:08:35.233
JEREMY: Yeah.
00:08:35.313 –> 00:08:42.633
JEREMY: And then how did you did you get the Nestlé job while you were living in the States?
00:08:43.133 –> 00:08:45.553
JEREMY: Or, you know, what was that whole process like?
00:08:46.213 –> 00:08:48.353
LILIYA: Yeah, that was a whole big deal.
00:08:48.633 –> 00:08:51.573
LILIYA: When I relocated, like I mentioned, I relocated before COVID.
00:08:52.233 –> 00:08:58.313
LILIYA: So being locked down, I was on a different type visa and I was not eligible to work.
00:08:58.453 –> 00:09:07.473
LILIYA: And then with all my transitions and getting legal in the States, I was just home, DIY projects and all that.
00:09:07.633 –> 00:09:08.453
LILIYA: It was beautiful.
00:09:09.293 –> 00:09:18.053
LILIYA: But I was very willing to get back onto the market and to see how and where I can take my career here stateside.
00:09:18.673 –> 00:09:27.373
LILIYA: And so when I got my employment authorization and I started upgrading my resume and actually being active on LinkedIn, Nestlé found me.
00:09:29.093 –> 00:09:31.233
LILIYA: And that was a perfect cultural match.
00:09:31.253 –> 00:09:33.553
LILIYA: I’m extremely happy to be where I am.
00:09:33.633 –> 00:09:35.433
LILIYA: I think it’s an amazing company to work for.
00:09:37.053 –> 00:09:37.453
JEREMY: Love it.
00:09:38.493 –> 00:09:58.213
JEREMY: So what are some challenges or even tips with assistance navigating the cultural differences and being an immigrant trying to get a work visa or language gaps?
00:09:58.553 –> 00:09:59.613
JEREMY: There’s all those things.
00:09:59.633 –> 00:10:02.013
JEREMY: I mean, we could probably talk about all these topics all day.
00:10:05.313 –> 00:10:13.933
JEREMY: But I even had a couple of assistants reach out on our community recently and they said, Hey, do you know any companies that are hiring that will sponsor a visa, for example?
00:10:14.413 –> 00:10:20.833
JEREMY: And so anyway, just talk to us about that process and your story and just share whatever you want to share.
00:10:20.853 –> 00:10:22.633
JEREMY: It’s just fascinating.
00:10:22.993 –> 00:10:24.153
JEREMY: Your story is fascinating.
00:10:24.173 –> 00:10:27.073
JEREMY: And I just would love to hear about it.
00:10:27.333 –> 00:10:33.913
LILIYA: Well, you know, first things first to the people who are reaching to you to ask about companies that will sponsor a visa.
00:10:34.413 –> 00:10:40.093
LILIYA: I would say that is pretty rare because when you go through a bureaucratic process, it is no small feat.
00:10:40.953 –> 00:10:49.953
LILIYA: And for the company to do that for somebody, you need to be in a very, very highly skilled, highly unique and highly valuable role for the company to want to invest.
00:10:50.873 –> 00:11:09.573
LILIYA: Having said that, I don’t think it’s impossible, but I think the right transition path would be to work for a global company in your country of origin and then see if you can transition with the company, with the role, build those relationships, network, make everybody you can aware that this is something that you want.
00:11:10.073 –> 00:11:11.713
LILIYA: And then possibly that can happen.
00:11:12.593 –> 00:11:14.113
LILIYA: This is not how it happened for me.
00:11:15.273 –> 00:11:26.833
LILIYA: My husband is American, so my relocation was through a spouse visa and I’m still in the process of sorting out the intricacies of American bureaucracy.
00:11:26.833 –> 00:11:35.013
LILIYA: You would think coming from Russia, you are very well familiar with bureaucracy, but American bureaucracy is a whole different beast.
00:11:35.813 –> 00:12:01.193
LILIYA: So I always say that, you know, if you’re an immigrant and you’re job hunting in the States, regardless of your role, it can be an EA role, it can be any other role, but I think it’s only fair if you bring up the concept of immigration, how it changed you personally, what you have learned from this personal journey, because immigration means that you are very brave, you are stepping out of your comfort zone daily.
00:12:01.933 –> 00:12:10.393
LILIYA: It means that you are very willing to learn and you’re learning on your feet, because you are completely immersed, like you’re dropped in a different culture.
00:12:11.853 –> 00:12:14.113
LILIYA: And you have to adapt very fast.
00:12:14.293 –> 00:12:18.153
LILIYA: And being able to adapt fast is the essence of the EA role, right?
00:12:18.653 –> 00:12:25.813
LILIYA: Being able to deal with a lot of bureaucratic, complex processes is the essence of the EA role.
00:12:26.853 –> 00:12:32.893
LILIYA: Being able to stand up for yourself and politely push back if you need to is the essence of the EA role.
00:12:33.593 –> 00:12:42.953
LILIYA: Being that person who leads not just for people around you, but also for yourself, again, is completely in line with the EA role.
00:12:43.453 –> 00:12:53.933
LILIYA: And so managing change, managing bureaucracy, pushing your own limits daily, this is definitely something that enhances your resume if you’re an immigrant.
00:12:54.373 –> 00:13:00.533
LILIYA: I think a lot of people are kind of shy in thinking that, hey, I’m an immigrant, what do I actually bring to the party?
00:13:00.673 –> 00:13:01.473
LILIYA: I’m different.
00:13:02.013 –> 00:13:02.693
LILIYA: You’re different.
00:13:02.913 –> 00:13:03.633
LILIYA: It’s OK.
00:13:03.713 –> 00:13:04.493
LILIYA: It’s actually great.
00:13:05.133 –> 00:13:07.713
LILIYA: You can make it a very strong plus point.
00:13:14.153 –> 00:13:16.753
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00:13:46.133 –> 00:13:46.233
JEREMY: Thank you.
00:13:51.683 –> 00:13:52.283
JEREMY: That’s great.
00:13:53.023 –> 00:13:53.723
JEREMY: It’s well-said.
00:13:53.743 –> 00:14:09.423
JEREMY: And I think that even just the tip about from encouraging people who are asking about companies to sponsor visas, say, hey, work for a global company that’s in your home country and go from there.
00:14:09.443 –> 00:14:11.603
JEREMY: That’s a really good tip that I’ve never really thought of.
00:14:11.603 –> 00:14:13.203
JEREMY: So thanks for sharing that too.
00:14:14.323 –> 00:14:15.143
LILIYA: You’re very welcome.
00:14:15.163 –> 00:14:21.963
LILIYA: And I will be happy to talk to anybody who is in the immigration process or willing to speak about that kind of experience.
00:14:22.463 –> 00:14:27.743
LILIYA: Because I do think that being that voice for the community, our EA community, that matters.
00:14:28.103 –> 00:14:33.383
LILIYA: I’ve talked to a few people who are in this process, in this journey from different countries.
00:14:33.783 –> 00:14:37.883
LILIYA: We’re all navigated differently, but we do build a very similar skill set.
00:14:38.343 –> 00:14:40.303
LILIYA: So I think there is efficiencies to be gained.
00:14:41.063 –> 00:14:41.903
JEREMY: Yeah, definitely.
00:14:42.783 –> 00:14:55.263
JEREMY: And for those listening, I will put Liliya’s linked in URL in the show notes at leaderassistant.com/268leaderassistant.com/ 268.
00:14:55.283 –> 00:15:00.003
JEREMY: So you can check out her LinkedIn profile and reach out and say hi.
00:15:01.043 –> 00:15:02.403
LILIYA: I’m always open to connections.
00:15:03.163 –> 00:15:03.583
JEREMY: Awesome.
00:15:03.803 –> 00:15:11.823
JEREMY: So let’s talk a little bit about that, that culture gap and communication and the language differences.
00:15:11.843 –> 00:15:12.983
JEREMY: How many languages do you speak?
00:15:15.043 –> 00:15:15.543
LILIYA: Oh my gosh.
00:15:15.583 –> 00:15:16.383
LILIYA: I’ll be honest.
00:15:17.243 –> 00:15:21.163
LILIYA: Russian native, English fluent, fluent enough.
00:15:22.623 –> 00:15:25.403
LILIYA: The rest are very well-forgotten.
00:15:25.423 –> 00:15:27.663
LILIYA: I used to speak pretty fluent German.
00:15:27.683 –> 00:15:33.623
LILIYA: I used to speak various degrees of Hebrew and Serbian and French.
00:15:34.403 –> 00:15:39.463
LILIYA: But I would not want to be bashful and say I speak those languages.
00:15:39.483 –> 00:15:44.883
LILIYA: I really only speak two and I can maybe communicate in German a little bit.
00:15:45.223 –> 00:15:45.583
JEREMY: Nice.
00:15:46.163 –> 00:16:04.043
JEREMY: So then how have you in your career bridged that gap, the cultural gaps, and then specifically Russia and USA, but whether it’s with networking, communication, or anything, even just the strategic partnership with your executives.
00:16:04.103 –> 00:16:10.403
JEREMY: So talk to us about your journey through bridging those gaps.
00:16:12.603 –> 00:16:26.883
LILIYA: Immodestly, I will say, I think I’m very uniquely positioned because those two degrees of mind that I mentioned in linguistics and in international relations, they do equip you very well for navigating a different culture.
00:16:26.943 –> 00:16:36.143
LILIYA: I started learning English when I was four, so I am a very fluent, I very rarely have trouble explaining myself, but I’m also human.
00:16:36.223 –> 00:16:52.923
LILIYA: So yes, when I’m very tired, when I’m at work and I have a hundred things running through my mind, an avalanche of emails coming into my inbox, people wanting things from me, I may have a brain freeze moment.
00:16:53.443 –> 00:17:02.083
LILIYA: We all have that regardless of the language we speak, but I think people who do not speak the languages needed, they get a little self-conscious about it and I do too.
00:17:05.063 –> 00:17:07.103
LILIYA: I know those words.
00:17:07.283 –> 00:17:09.003
LILIYA: Why can I not remember them now?
00:17:09.583 –> 00:17:12.463
LILIYA: But you always manage to explain yourself, of course.
00:17:13.383 –> 00:17:16.923
LILIYA: Again, this is just something that you have to roll with.
00:17:17.183 –> 00:17:48.663
LILIYA: It’s very, very nice if your company recognizes that we’re all from different backgrounds, and you need to give your international colleagues a minute to compose themselves, or help them find that word that they’re roping for, or just be nice and smile and signal in a human way that we are okay, we are communicating, nobody’s getting frustrated at you for not being able to recall something momentarily.
00:17:50.883 –> 00:18:06.403
LILIYA: Again, having said that, what helps to bridge the cultural gap is, of course, reading and watching a lot of videos, and those might be any daily YouTube videos, any shows that reflect the current culture.
00:18:06.423 –> 00:18:13.003
LILIYA: And sometimes, again, it might be just a silly show, which is, you know, nothing much.
00:18:13.623 –> 00:18:29.523
LILIYA: And you would maybe not be proud to mention that I’m watching this, but this, whatever this is, has the current people, like, it was shot several months ago, not years ago.
00:18:30.043 –> 00:18:38.043
LILIYA: So you will be picking up on the current accent, on the current words, on the current way of communication, and you will be seeing what’s normal.
00:18:38.523 –> 00:18:40.203
LILIYA: You will be learning a lot about the culture.
00:18:41.143 –> 00:18:55.643
LILIYA: So things that I have learned growing up with the language, learning the language, I think for a lot of people just watching daily news and watching some, you know, videos and some podcasts that can be very helpful.
00:18:57.383 –> 00:18:58.423
JEREMY: That’s really interesting.
00:18:58.443 –> 00:18:59.143
JEREMY: Yeah.
00:18:59.143 –> 00:19:09.363
JEREMY: What’s maybe one of the key shows, if you’re willing to admit it, what’s one of the key shows that you watched early in your process of trying to figure out?
00:19:09.483 –> 00:19:10.623
JEREMY: Or maybe you still do.
00:19:11.403 –> 00:19:13.483
LILIYA: Look, early in the process was in the Soviet Union.
00:19:13.483 –> 00:19:15.663
LILIYA: Nobody watched shows then, right?
00:19:16.343 –> 00:19:17.983
LILIYA: That was a very different story.
00:19:18.003 –> 00:19:21.363
LILIYA: You need to remember that I grew up behind the Iron Curtain.
00:19:22.163 –> 00:19:40.243
LILIYA: And I actually owe it to my parents that in an astounding burst of creativity, absolutely unexplainably, people who grew up in the Soviet Union and did not speak any foreign languages, did not see any reason for, like, why would you learn a foreign language?
00:19:40.403 –> 00:19:46.903
LILIYA: It’s a very, very closed society, but they decided that the kids should be learning English.
00:19:47.063 –> 00:19:53.743
LILIYA: And when I was four, they got me a tutor, and I do not remember myself not speaking English.
00:19:54.583 –> 00:19:57.283
LILIYA: So that’s just me.
00:19:57.783 –> 00:20:16.003
LILIYA: But speaking of shows, you know, funny shows, like you said, if I’m not afraid to admit it, Queer Eye, you get all the current language, you get a very diverse cast of characters, something like that.
00:20:16.843 –> 00:20:39.283
LILIYA: Or, you know, if you are a little more confident and can stomach a different degree of linguistic proficiency, maybe something like Formula One, you know, a lot of topics being discussed, because a lot of things around leadership and competition, which are, in a queer way, work related.
00:20:39.963 –> 00:20:40.683
LILIYA: So why not?
00:20:40.903 –> 00:20:45.763
LILIYA: Pretty much anything can be your helping stepping stone in that journey.
00:20:45.783 –> 00:20:47.103
JEREMY: Nice.
00:20:48.483 –> 00:20:51.403
JEREMY: So what about working with your executives?
00:20:51.763 –> 00:21:16.083
JEREMY: So tell us about maybe if you have a story or a challenge or a success story or all of the above, but basically that dynamic relationship between you, the assistant, and your executive and you’re trying to build the strategic partnership and you’ve kind of maybe butted heads or had a misunderstanding and how did you work through that?
00:21:16.283 –> 00:21:19.723
JEREMY: Anything like that, talk to us through that journey as well.
00:21:20.223 –> 00:21:27.583
LILIYA: You know, I will take a step back from executive and take it to the very first stepping stone, the interview process.
00:21:28.903 –> 00:21:32.703
LILIYA: Because for me, this is where the fundamental difference lies.
00:21:33.543 –> 00:21:43.203
LILIYA: And here again, I’m speaking as a private individual, just about my personal experience of somebody who grew up in the Soviet Union slash Russia and then relegated to the US.
00:21:43.883 –> 00:21:49.623
LILIYA: But the cultural differences become very, very apparent when you start interviewing for the job.
00:21:50.303 –> 00:21:53.803
LILIYA: Because America is a very informal culture.
00:21:54.363 –> 00:21:55.683
LILIYA: You start with a small talk.
00:21:55.703 –> 00:21:56.943
LILIYA: Hey, how are you?
00:21:56.963 –> 00:21:58.363
LILIYA: You know, what’s the weather like?
00:21:58.443 –> 00:22:00.303
LILIYA: Oh, I see you have a cute cat.
00:22:00.463 –> 00:22:03.583
LILIYA: Oh, you know, this is a very, very lovely wallpaper.
00:22:04.483 –> 00:22:20.543
LILIYA: And I know a lot of people from post-Soviet space, and I’m very intentionally saying post-Soviet, because it’s not just Russia, it’s all the countries of the former Soviet bloc, who grew up in a very, very stifling culture where you do not do small talk.
00:22:20.663 –> 00:22:25.883
LILIYA: You know, Russians are notorious for not smiling, for not being those happy, shiny people.
00:22:26.663 –> 00:22:34.383
LILIYA: And when you come from that background and the interviewer is being all nice and asking you personal questions about your family, how’s your family?
00:22:35.183 –> 00:22:37.303
LILIYA: Why are you asking me about my family?
00:22:37.323 –> 00:22:38.363
LILIYA: I don’t know you.
00:22:39.803 –> 00:22:44.023
LILIYA: This is the reflex that sort of kicks in automatically.
00:22:44.043 –> 00:22:46.703
LILIYA: This is your factory setting, if you will.
00:22:47.723 –> 00:22:56.283
LILIYA: And you need to be very, very mindful to overcome the factory setting and to be like, OK, I am in my case, I’m in America.
00:22:56.523 –> 00:23:02.763
LILIYA: I’m a smiley person and I do small talk and I discuss weather and I’m happy.
00:23:02.943 –> 00:23:08.403
LILIYA: And then when we do all that, we very gradually transition into talking about business.
00:23:08.843 –> 00:23:10.563
LILIYA: It does not make me less professional.
00:23:11.223 –> 00:23:15.383
LILIYA: It actually signals to the recruiter that I’m fine.
00:23:15.643 –> 00:23:16.923
LILIYA: I can communicate.
00:23:17.383 –> 00:23:20.083
LILIYA: I can fit in with the company culture.
00:23:21.083 –> 00:23:27.343
LILIYA: But what a lot of people, a lot of Russian people that I personally know do, they are so buttoned up.
00:23:27.723 –> 00:23:30.563
LILIYA: It’s so hard to relax and have a conversation.
00:23:31.423 –> 00:23:33.683
LILIYA: And it’s a human interaction.
00:23:33.823 –> 00:23:39.463
LILIYA: And recruiters talk to a lot of people and they sense that unease immediately.
00:23:40.243 –> 00:23:42.683
LILIYA: And that may impact the first impression that you’re making.
00:23:42.703 –> 00:23:45.623
LILIYA: You know, this is somebody who cannot communicate well.
00:23:46.843 –> 00:23:48.223
LILIYA: They can communicate well.
00:23:48.583 –> 00:23:51.723
LILIYA: They’re just very shy and they maybe don’t know how to.
00:23:52.943 –> 00:23:55.183
LILIYA: But it can be a deal breaker.
00:23:55.323 –> 00:24:01.763
LILIYA: So this is something that I would advise to learn very early in the job hunting process.
00:24:02.483 –> 00:24:03.763
LILIYA: How is it done here?
00:24:03.763 –> 00:24:05.803
LILIYA: How can I adjust my personal style?
00:24:06.883 –> 00:24:25.803
LILIYA: And then hopefully when the interview is successfully over and you’re in the company and you’re building relationships within, again, your former factory settings that you carry with you may impact how you communicate, may impact how you lead or follow.
00:24:26.383 –> 00:24:29.963
LILIYA: Again, America is a very collaborative culture, generally.
00:24:29.963 –> 00:24:40.763
LILIYA: Regardless of the company, I would say that Americans are good team players and they want to have that feedback from every person on the team and they want to align with everybody on the team.
00:24:41.683 –> 00:24:42.863
LILIYA: Russia is very authoritarian.
00:24:44.083 –> 00:24:45.243
LILIYA: Russians do not do that.
00:24:46.583 –> 00:24:49.063
LILIYA: The boss has an opinion, everybody else follows.
00:24:49.803 –> 00:24:53.623
LILIYA: You have to be very, very brave to challenge that.
00:24:54.463 –> 00:25:04.783
LILIYA: And challenging somebody, especially if that somebody is in a higher position of power, is never or rarely ever welcome.
00:25:06.083 –> 00:25:07.523
LILIYA: In America, it’s mostly fine.
00:25:07.703 –> 00:25:14.863
LILIYA: You actually earn points for doing that because you’re thinking about the business and you’re challenging to bring more efficiency in the process.
00:25:15.443 –> 00:25:20.843
LILIYA: Or you’re challenging it because as an assistant, you see that there is a watch out and you need to make everybody aware of it.
00:25:21.523 –> 00:25:32.363
LILIYA: So where Russians will tend to blindly follow or just execute, in America, it’s totally okay to say, hey, let’s think about it.
00:25:33.223 –> 00:25:35.583
LILIYA: What I feel is this.
00:25:36.363 –> 00:25:42.463
LILIYA: And I feel strongly about it because I’ve had similar experiences when things did not quite work out as planned.
00:25:43.043 –> 00:25:47.183
LILIYA: And this is what I suggest and how we can turn this around and make it successful.
00:25:47.903 –> 00:25:49.503
LILIYA: Just the line on what success looks like.
00:25:50.623 –> 00:25:51.943
LILIYA: So this is very, very different.
00:25:52.803 –> 00:26:11.483
LILIYA: And again, in conjunction with that, I would say that because Russian culture is being so harsh, if you will, you have this inherent mistrust of why is everybody so nice to me?
00:26:11.503 –> 00:26:13.303
LILIYA: Why is everybody so friendly?
00:26:13.963 –> 00:26:15.503
LILIYA: Can I trust those people?
00:26:15.523 –> 00:26:18.823
LILIYA: You know, it’s a funny catch-22 in your mind.
00:26:18.823 –> 00:26:20.623
LILIYA: It’s like, how do I handle that?
00:26:20.823 –> 00:26:22.643
LILIYA: Are they really as nice as they seem?
00:26:23.443 –> 00:26:29.023
LILIYA: And back in Russia, I know a lot of people saying, well, Americans always smile and this is insincere.
00:26:29.043 –> 00:26:35.943
LILIYA: And my point has always been, and especially with me becoming an American, Americans mean it.
00:26:36.443 –> 00:26:37.703
LILIYA: They do smile.
00:26:37.723 –> 00:26:39.383
LILIYA: They are nice, polite people.
00:26:39.403 –> 00:26:40.483
LILIYA: Nothing wrong with that.
00:26:41.663 –> 00:26:49.323
LILIYA: But again, this is just a little something that works differently in the origin culture and something that you have to be very mindful of.
00:26:50.323 –> 00:26:58.003
LILIYA: And I think that it’s very helpful when you build a relationship with your executive if we speak about the executive assistant role.
00:26:59.243 –> 00:27:15.523
LILIYA: If you make your executive aware of why you may react differently to certain things, why you may be a little shy to express yourself and you need a little encouragement, or why you are constantly double checking, are we okay?
00:27:15.823 –> 00:27:17.983
LILIYA: Are we really okay?
00:27:19.503 –> 00:27:24.463
LILIYA: And it helps a lot if you just have those touch bases constantly.
00:27:25.723 –> 00:27:28.863
LILIYA: And you make sure that you are on the same page.
00:27:29.423 –> 00:27:37.783
LILIYA: They understand where you come from, you understand where they come from, and you find that golden middle in how you communicate.
00:27:37.803 –> 00:27:41.843
JEREMY: Yeah, that’s well said.
00:27:41.863 –> 00:27:50.303
JEREMY: So when it comes to interacting with fellow assistants, I’m assuming there are a lot of assistants at Nestlé.
00:27:50.323 –> 00:27:51.323
JEREMY: Nestlé is a big company.
00:27:51.343 –> 00:27:51.743
LILIYA: That’s correct.
00:27:52.783 –> 00:27:53.943
JEREMY: So you work with a team.
00:27:54.883 –> 00:28:00.203
JEREMY: What is, how has that worked?
00:28:00.783 –> 00:28:05.223
JEREMY: What are some tips for working with a large assistant team?
00:28:06.923 –> 00:28:13.363
JEREMY: You know, interacting and supporting each other, as you also support your executives.
00:28:13.383 –> 00:28:16.463
JEREMY: Just talk to us about working on a team of assistants.
00:28:16.563 –> 00:28:20.383
JEREMY: Because a lot of assistants, you know, like me, I work, I’m the only assistant at my organization.
00:28:21.503 –> 00:28:32.823
JEREMY: But I spoke with a team of assistants in Florida yesterday, and they had, I think it was like, you know, 90 something assistants at their organization.
00:28:32.963 –> 00:28:41.523
JEREMY: And so I love to hear from other people that work in team, in large team of assistants and just kind of hear about that dynamic.
00:28:42.723 –> 00:28:49.323
LILIYA: I feel that you are both in a very good position, being the sole assistant in your own competition.
00:28:50.783 –> 00:28:56.463
LILIYA: And also in a somewhat disadvantages position, because you don’t have peers to talk to.
00:28:56.483 –> 00:29:02.743
LILIYA: And I feel that you compensate a lot through the podcast, because you have built an amazing community and an amazing network.
00:29:03.723 –> 00:29:07.883
LILIYA: And I’m a huge fan of building a network wherever you are.
00:29:07.903 –> 00:29:18.603
LILIYA: And regardless of how many assistants there are in your company, I think that for an EA, it’s not good if you allow yourself to be siloed.
00:29:19.743 –> 00:29:23.483
LILIYA: Because cross-pollination is a great thing.
00:29:23.843 –> 00:29:26.083
LILIYA: You learn a lot from your colleagues.
00:29:26.103 –> 00:29:32.083
LILIYA: You learn how they deal with similar situations, keeping confidentiality in mind, of course.
00:29:33.383 –> 00:29:38.103
LILIYA: But you can always learn from somebody else.
00:29:38.103 –> 00:29:44.963
LILIYA: You can always learn a more efficient way to do something, or you can brainstorm and create a solution together.
00:29:45.763 –> 00:30:02.583
LILIYA: So part of why I love being at Nestlé is that we have a robust EA community, and you can always come to your peer or senior, and you can always ask a question, or you can always find a mentor, or you can be that mentor for somebody else.
00:30:03.383 –> 00:30:11.903
LILIYA: And I think that it propels you forward so much faster, and it gives you so much comfort that you’re not alone.
00:30:12.243 –> 00:30:14.523
LILIYA: You actually have people that you can talk to.
00:30:15.103 –> 00:30:20.543
LILIYA: And again, speaking of confidentiality, sometimes certain things you cannot ask outside the organization.
00:30:21.363 –> 00:30:23.983
LILIYA: But if you’re inside, that’s an advantage.
00:30:24.003 –> 00:30:28.763
LILIYA: You can actually share more information than you would normally share with an outside world.
00:30:33.423 –> 00:30:34.583
JEREMY: And what was the…
00:30:34.623 –> 00:30:44.443
JEREMY: Could you tell us the story of a challenge that you’ve had with colleagues or with being in a team or maybe at a former organization?
00:30:45.423 –> 00:30:49.503
JEREMY: Maybe what’s one of the struggles that you’ve had in your assistant career?
00:30:49.523 –> 00:30:57.563
JEREMY: It could be related to working with a team, but it could also just be a challenge in your career as an assistant, one of the hardest things about your assistant role.
00:31:01.863 –> 00:31:07.663
LILIYA: I want to try and make it culture gap related again, so not so much of a challenge.
00:31:08.183 –> 00:31:10.223
LILIYA: Feel free to edit this out, of course.
00:31:16.763 –> 00:31:23.883
LILIYA: One of my favorite movie quotes is a quote from The Race, the movie about Jesse Owens.
00:31:24.043 –> 00:31:24.923
LILIYA: Do you recall that one?
00:31:26.543 –> 00:31:27.583
JEREMY: I’ve seen it.
00:31:27.603 –> 00:31:31.003
LILIYA: He’s the black American runner in the Olympics.
00:31:33.983 –> 00:31:34.423
LILIYA: Watch it.
00:31:34.443 –> 00:31:35.743
LILIYA: Just my personal recommendation.
00:31:35.763 –> 00:31:36.343
LILIYA: Great movie.
00:31:36.663 –> 00:31:41.403
LILIYA: Really, really great movie based on real events, real story.
00:31:41.963 –> 00:31:42.983
LILIYA: Very powerful.
00:31:44.003 –> 00:31:49.423
LILIYA: So him being a black American, he was just working in cotton fields, picking cotton.
00:31:50.303 –> 00:32:02.723
LILIYA: And then he gets discovered and his coach gives him that very zesty pep talk about, hey, you know, you need to work very hard and you need to be ready for this and that.
00:32:02.743 –> 00:32:04.383
LILIYA: And we will practice so much.
00:32:04.403 –> 00:32:10.303
LILIYA: And as your coach, I’m telling you that this is extremely hard work and 100% commitment.
00:32:10.323 –> 00:32:12.243
LILIYA: And Jesse listens to him.
00:32:12.603 –> 00:32:17.563
LILIYA: And the coach concludes by saying, are you ready to work hard?
00:32:17.763 –> 00:32:19.023
LILIYA: Can you work hard?
00:32:19.783 –> 00:32:25.463
LILIYA: And Jesse goes, sir, I’ve been picking cotton for so many years.
00:32:26.583 –> 00:32:39.983
LILIYA: So sometimes I feel that way when I talk to my peers here in the States, just because the culture back in Russia was so different and the expectations were so different.
00:32:41.023 –> 00:33:07.303
LILIYA: So I felt that when I started interviewing in the States, you know, if you look at my LinkedIn, if you look at my resume, a lot of my roles say executive personal assistant, because one of the bigger differences on the market is that the assistants in Russia usually get this executive role with a lot of personal support, and this is not really negotiable, and this is just how the market is.
00:33:07.323 –> 00:33:21.603
LILIYA: And the degree, the percentage of the tasks that you get in personal and business may vary, but almost inevitably an assistant in Russia will be tasked with some personal things.
00:33:22.523 –> 00:33:42.063
LILIYA: So in my experience, in one and the same role, when I was supporting the same founder of the company, within one business day, I could be managing something like getting the head of Interpol into Russia to sign an agreement.
00:33:43.123 –> 00:33:55.223
LILIYA: And then on the side in the evening, I would be driving to the airport to pick up the cat that my executive decided to purchase on the spur of the moment.
00:33:56.383 –> 00:34:09.823
LILIYA: And then I would be responsible for making sure that the cat actually has cat food and, you know, cat beds and the scratching posts and that the housekeeper knows how to deal with that.
00:34:11.143 –> 00:34:15.583
LILIYA: So you balance a lot of different things in one in the same role.
00:34:16.223 –> 00:34:23.063
LILIYA: And when you come to America, where I feel that mostly, and again, I know that this is not completely the case.
00:34:23.243 –> 00:34:28.563
LILIYA: I know that some people have roles which have that mix of everything.
00:34:28.803 –> 00:34:35.783
LILIYA: But mostly, if you’re hired as an executive assistant, that means business only.
00:34:35.803 –> 00:34:39.903
JEREMY: Yeah, especially in larger companies.
00:34:40.203 –> 00:34:40.763
LILIYA: Exactly.
00:34:40.783 –> 00:34:43.183
LILIYA: You just you do not do any personal tasks.
00:34:43.663 –> 00:34:44.783
LILIYA: This is not an expectation.
00:34:45.543 –> 00:34:58.663
LILIYA: And so when I was interviewing, I was feeling a lot of unease, not really push back to me as a candidate, but a lot of unease on the part of the companies where they would be like, yeah, but you’re a personal assistant.
00:34:59.643 –> 00:35:03.383
LILIYA: And I’m like, no, yes and no.
00:35:04.423 –> 00:35:06.003
LILIYA: I’m not just that.
00:35:06.823 –> 00:35:11.683
LILIYA: I actually am a business assistant and executive assistant in the first place.
00:35:12.243 –> 00:35:16.683
LILIYA: And I have led teams and I have hired people and I have been a chief of staff.
00:35:18.303 –> 00:35:27.383
LILIYA: And yes, on the side, I have also juggled personal matters, which does not make me any less efficient at the business part of my job.
00:35:28.483 –> 00:35:36.423
LILIYA: But somehow people just could not fit it into their heads that this is the way it works in a different market.
00:35:37.383 –> 00:35:40.043
LILIYA: And I got so many questions about that.
00:35:40.683 –> 00:35:48.543
LILIYA: And several times when I was declined a role, and I would reach out to get earnest feedback and ask what’s happening.
00:35:48.723 –> 00:35:52.403
LILIYA: I’m not understanding why we seem like a good fit.
00:35:52.943 –> 00:35:58.823
LILIYA: I respect the choice of a stronger candidate if you have found one, but I want to know how I can be better.
00:35:58.843 –> 00:36:09.223
LILIYA: And a lot of times I would get this, you know, we were concerned that you were a personal assistant, and that would be that ultimate facepalm situation for me.
00:36:09.243 –> 00:36:10.323
JEREMY: Yeah, yeah.
00:36:11.963 –> 00:36:26.303
JEREMY: Yeah, that’s yeah, because I’ve been an executive slash personal assistant my whole career pretty much, but that’s because I’m support the CEO, and it’s a more of a startup smaller organization environment.
00:36:27.403 –> 00:36:39.963
JEREMY: But I also enjoy doing the personal side as well, because I think that my executive has one life and I manage their one life and manage their most valuable asset, which is their time in their personal and professional life.
00:36:40.523 –> 00:36:42.503
JEREMY: And so their time and energy.
00:36:43.563 –> 00:36:50.823
JEREMY: So, yeah, but I’ve definitely heard of that before where it’s like, you know, I talked to assistants in Europe and they call them PAs.
00:36:51.503 –> 00:36:54.983
JEREMY: And but but they’re actually executive assistants.
00:36:55.003 –> 00:36:58.103
JEREMY: It’s just they this is a different exactly.
00:36:58.183 –> 00:37:11.423
LILIYA: And my my my response to the companies that I interviewed with and to people I communicate with was always, look, regardless of how you see my title, this is the same skill set.
00:37:12.023 –> 00:37:13.423
LILIYA: You’re managing a project.
00:37:13.503 –> 00:37:16.163
LILIYA: It’s just that your project happens to be your executive.
00:37:16.583 –> 00:37:20.083
LILIYA: Like you just said, you’re managing time, the most valuable resource.
00:37:21.223 –> 00:37:27.123
LILIYA: And however you manage that in whichever capacity, personal or business, your skills will remain the same.
00:37:27.923 –> 00:37:29.343
LILIYA: You need to be very organized.
00:37:29.363 –> 00:37:32.983
LILIYA: You need to be able to track multiple concurrent processes.
00:37:33.003 –> 00:37:35.263
LILIYA: You need to be able to manage teams.
00:37:35.283 –> 00:37:36.683
LILIYA: You need to be able to lead.
00:37:36.703 –> 00:37:38.983
LILIYA: You need to be able to build that trust.
00:37:39.963 –> 00:37:47.983
LILIYA: You need to be able to keep things confidential and recognize which is confidential without your boss explicitly telling you things.
00:37:49.383 –> 00:37:55.163
LILIYA: A lot of similarity in whichever role, if you will, whichever facet of the same role you’re in.
00:37:56.383 –> 00:37:56.663
JEREMY: Yeah.
00:37:57.443 –> 00:37:57.963
JEREMY: Well said.
00:37:58.683 –> 00:38:01.323
JEREMY: Well, Liliya, thank you so much for sharing your story.
00:38:01.343 –> 00:38:13.043
JEREMY: We could talk a lot more, but I want to respect your time, and I appreciate, you know, your willingness to share your LinkedIn so that people can reach out and connect with you offline.
00:38:14.523 –> 00:38:20.303
JEREMY: And yeah, it’s a fascinating story and best of luck to you and your career.
00:38:20.443 –> 00:38:24.723
JEREMY: And hopefully we can connect in person someday.
00:38:26.963 –> 00:38:30.303
JEREMY: But, you know, I’m going to put you on the spot at the end of this episode.
00:38:30.323 –> 00:38:43.343
JEREMY: I want to ask you if you’d be willing to say a quick word in your native language in Russian for the guests.
00:38:43.363 –> 00:38:44.123
JEREMY: Is that OK?
00:38:44.143 –> 00:38:45.463
JEREMY: Would you be willing to do something?
00:38:45.483 –> 00:38:46.423
LILIYA: Yeah, absolutely.
00:38:46.443 –> 00:38:48.903
LILIYA: I mean, this is funny.
00:38:49.243 –> 00:38:53.283
LILIYA: I do not get asked to speak Russian in my role.
00:38:54.143 –> 00:38:55.423
JEREMY: Oh, well, there you go.
00:38:55.443 –> 00:38:55.863
JEREMY: There you go.
00:38:57.043 –> 00:39:02.963
JEREMY: Something simple like thanks for listening to the podcast.
00:39:03.943 –> 00:39:06.163
JEREMY: Keep leading well, assistants of the world.
00:39:07.463 –> 00:39:08.803
JEREMY: I’ve still got the COVID fog.
00:39:08.823 –> 00:39:12.063
JEREMY: I’m still a little healing up.
00:39:12.203 –> 00:39:16.783
JEREMY: You say what you want to say, but I would love for you to wrap up the conversation with something quick.
00:39:23.103 –> 00:39:23.343
LILIYA: Okay.
00:39:23.363 –> 00:39:25.783
LILIYA: Thank you for being with me this evening, Jeremy.
00:39:25.803 –> 00:39:30.063
LILIYA: I’m very pleased to be here on The Leader Assistant Podcast.
00:39:36.563 –> 00:39:37.143
JEREMY: Beautiful.
00:39:37.163 –> 00:39:38.263
JEREMY: Now tell us what you said.
00:39:41.043 –> 00:39:50.203
LILIYA: Thank the audience for being on the podcast with you and myself, and wish them good luck, regardless of where they are in their journey and where they want to be.
00:39:51.723 –> 00:39:52.163
JEREMY: Love it.
00:39:52.223 –> 00:39:53.183
JEREMY: That’s awesome, Liliya.
00:39:53.203 –> 00:39:54.023
JEREMY: Thank you so much.
00:39:54.143 –> 00:40:05.703
JEREMY: And again, to reach out to Liliya and say hi and connect with her, you can go to leaderassistant.com/268, leaderassistant.com/268.
00:40:05.723 –> 00:40:07.223
JEREMY: Thank you again for being on the show.
00:40:07.943 –> 00:40:09.183
JEREMY: Thank you, everyone, for listening.
00:40:09.823 –> 00:40:11.063
JEREMY: Keep leading well, friends.
00:40:11.363 –> 00:40:13.083
JEREMY: And yeah, we appreciate you.
00:40:24.866 –> 00:40:27.366
LILIYA: Please review on Apple Podcasts.
