Elle Tyra is an Executive Operations Specialist currently serving as Executive Assistant to the President of ABC News.
In this episode of The Leader Assistant Podcast, Elle talks about the rise of executive operations, how it changed her career, and how it enables her to better function as a leader within her role.
LEADERSHIP QUOTE
Recognize opportunity when it’s in front of you and take advantage of it.
– Soraya H.
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ABOUT ELLE
Elle Tyra is an Executive Operations Specialist. She has served as Executive Assistant (EA) to the President of ABC News, the CEO of the New York Times, and the President of Hauser & Wirth, a global contemporary art gallery.
As a passionate EA advocate, Elle is at the forefront of shifting the perception of administrative roles and expanding their value and status by inspiring both executives and administrative professionals to view these roles not as static, but as dynamic positions with the potential for growth that leads organizational change and maximizes executive efficacy. She is committed to helping transform how administrative professionals see themselves, and how the world values their contributions.
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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Elle Tyra [0:00 – 0:38]: Hi, my name is Elle Tyra. I am currently executive assistant to the president of ABC News. I’m so excited to be here with you today. And today’s leadership quote comes from a dear friend of mine named Sariah Haas who has had a wildly successful career. The best advice that she’s ever given me is to recognize opportunity when it’s in front of you and take advantage of it. The Leader Assistant podcast exists to encourage and challenge assistants to become confident game changing leader assistants.
Jeremy Burrows [0:46 – 1:12]: Hey, friends. Welcome to the Leader Assistant podcast. It’s episode 328 and I’m your host, Jeremy Burrows. And thanks so much for tuning in and listening. Hope you’re having a great day today. I’m excited to be speaking with Elle Tyra. Elle is the executive assistant to the president of ABC News, and we’re going to talk a little bit about her career, her passion for the executive assistant community and yeah. Elle, thanks so much for joining.
Elle Tyra [1:12 – 1:16]: Thank you for having me. This is so exciting. It’s a pleasure.
Jeremy Burrows [1:16 – 1:19]: Yeah. What part of the world are you joining us from?
Elle Tyra [1:19 – 1:36]: I’m currently in New York City, so if you hear any noise at any point, it is because the city is very alive and ruckus. But yeah, I’ve been in New York for about 11 years now, and I’m originally from Columbus, Georgia.
Jeremy Burrows [1:36 – 1:40]: Okay, nice. And what do you like to do when you’re not working?
Elle Tyra [1:41 – 2:00]: When I’m not working, I actually really love cooking. It’s my newfound thing. I think I’ve cooked for a long time and always kind of known how, but now it’s this place of escape that I really enjoy. So if you can’t find me at work, I’m either asleep or in the kitchen.
Jeremy Burrows [2:01 – 2:04]: Nice. Nice. Or asleep in the kitchen.
Elle Tyra [2:04 – 2:07]: Hopefully not. Hopefully not. That’s a fire hazard.
Jeremy Burrows [2:08 – 2:15]: Oh, that’s great. So tell us about a little bit more about you personally. Do you have kids or pets or both?
Elle Tyra [2:16 – 3:00]: I don’t currently have any of those. And I moved to New York for the art world. Actually. I started studying art history in high school. I wanted to get my master’s in history of art and the art market from Christie’s. That’s what brought me to New York. I became a sales assistant at an art gallery and I was curious to transition that into EA work and the rest is history. But if I’m not in the kitchen, I’m probably also consuming art somewhere. That’s a huge passion of mine. And I think honestly also kind of informs the way that I think about things and sees the world. So you can’t really separate me from my art background too much.
Jeremy Burrows [3:00 – 3:11]: Nice, nice. And what. Tell us about your assistant career then. How did you. You said you kind of used transition to being an assistant. What made you want to be an assistant?
Elle Tyra [3:11 – 4:15]: I was kind of plucked into it, you know, I mean, I waited tables forever. And I think that I saw similarities in serving others and serving one person solely. I know that I like to see people happy and successful and thriving and enjoying what they do. So there was a little bit of a connection there. But honestly, I was working at an art gallery as a front desk associate and did really well at that. And someone said, I want you to be my assistant. So it was a little bit thrust upon me. But I knew that without wanting to go into sales, there would be only so far I could go in the art world. There are other avenues. But I was really curious about translating sales assistant work into executive assistant work and wondering how far it would take me. So the opportunity came around to be an executive assistant to three vice presidents. @ the time at CBS was CBS Interactive. And I just kept climbing and kept going and now here I am.
Jeremy Burrows [4:15 – 4:18]: Wow. So how long have you been an assistant now?
Elle Tyra [4:19 – 4:31]: Something like eight years. Okay, seven or eight years. And it feels a little bit like dog years. 25 years. No way. Only eight, right.
Jeremy Burrows [4:31 – 5:04]: Awesome. So then how, you know, you worked at the, you worked your way up. You worked at the New York Times, and looks like you were the EA to the Chief Operating Officer and then the CEO. So kind of as you worked in your career and kind of leveled up and literally leveled up, what, what, what did you learn from that experience? How can assistance listening, you know, if they have those aspirations of working their way up the chain, if you will, how do you recommend they go about it?
Elle Tyra [5:05 – 7:35]: Yeah, I would definitely say don’t be afraid to take chances, don’t be afraid to take risk here and there. Because at the time I was at CBS and I applied for this EA to the COO of the New York Times role. I didn’t think I would get it. I was like, oh, they’re never going to call me. But at the time, Meredith Kopit Levian was COO of the New York Times. And I got a call, made it through the interview process, and definitely was also driven by my love of operations. That’s something that still attracts me to the business and to executive assistant work in general. And so working for the CEO did feel like a right fit. And I was just really attentive to her function. And what was required of her and some of the knowledge that she was required to have her leadership style, really diving into understanding what it was going to take to keep her afloat the best that I could. And then after about a year or so, maybe a little less, she made CEO. And so that was a little bit of a learning curve for both of us, right? Because she went from being heavily operational to heavily strategic and learning how to, like, level up the room herself and, you know, take on really massive issues and then trust her team with them and then move on to the next thing. So I think seeing her grow and being really attentive to what was going on for her and understanding how that would require me to grow as well, because I had to guard her in different ways and shepherd a different type of work, even though as assistants, as administrative professionals, there’s always that through line to what we’re going to do to drive someone forward. But you do have to tweak it slightly depending on the needs. So I would say if you want to grow in your career, just being really mindful of what brings you joy and what it is that you’re after and why you might be a match for someone, and then also being mindful at the same time to the nuances of each role and when you’re supporting someone. And I think that’ll take you really far, because that experience, right, of having seen a different leader up close, having seen different leadership styles, what makes something successful or what makes something an area for growth, all of that is going to make you a better partner.
Jeremy Burrows [7:37 – 8:06]: That’s great. Well said. So what? You know, sometimes an executive gets promoted, and there’s a little bit of a question or debate or process as to whether or not the assistant goes with him. You know what I mean? And so was there. Was it a pretty natural transition? Was there a little bit of work that you had to do to kind of go with the CEO to the CEO promotion? How did that work?
Elle Tyra [8:06 – 9:12]: I mean, here’s the funny thing. They interviewed me, knowing that was in the works for her, okay? And so they were like, she has what it takes to support a CEO. I boozled, Right? But I think that she saw something in me. And obviously the interviewing team saw something in me from the very beginning that they knew that I was capable of moving with her in that transition. I do know sometimes there is a little bit of a transition and a questioning as well. Sometimes that does happen for executive assistants. And I would say just be really honest with yourself about whether or not that’s a transition. That you want to make, because sometimes you might be moved into work or an area of the business that you might necessarily be passionate about, or are you really passionate about seeing this one person thrive and succeed, regardless of where they go? Because I have a colleague that goes wherever her executive goes, regardless of the company. I think there’s something really powerful in that as well.
Jeremy Burrows [9:12 – 9:28]: Yeah, nice. So you did that role EA to the CEO for a year plus. Tell us about your transition out of the New York Times and how you ended up where you are today.
Elle Tyra [9:28 – 11:31]: Sure. I ended up getting a call from the art world. And I think at that time I was like, am I really done with the art world? And it was also a smaller company. It was an opportunity to potentially have greater impact. If you’re going from a company that’s thousands of employees to a few hundred, I knew that. That I would be able to take on different things, more things, and see a vantage point of a totally different operation and maybe settle a few things with the art world that were left unanswered. So I went to support the president of Hauser and Worth, and there came a point during my time there that we had some really honest conversations about what he was want out of an assistant and where my career was going. And because I did want to take on more, and he wanted someone that was really committed to those foundational elements that are really important. He said, you know what? I think you’re amazing. I love what you do and everything about you. Let’s look at transitioning you out of this role and finding someone who is a better fit for what I’m looking for right now. And when the time comes and you feel like you found that thing, you know, I’m always here as a resource for you. And I happen to have had a connection that I made back in my CBS days that said there’s a new president incoming to ABC News. Like, would you like to make history with this person? Kim Godwin at the time was president, and when there was an opening for her to have a new assistant, I got the call and I was excited to go work with her. Kim Godwin retired. Gosh, maybe six months, maybe more now. Kim Godwin retired, and I’m now working with Alman Kadamich, who’s the new president. And here I am.
Jeremy Burrows [11:33 – 11:39]: Awesome. So you’re. Yeah. You’ve got a busy plate, I would guess.
Elle Tyra [11:39 – 12:10]: I do. I mean, it’s like, given the news cycle, given everything that goes on with supporting the president of an organization, it’s definitely busy. And I Think some of the things that we’re going to get into later, executive operations and really how I hone my skill set, I think that’s what keeps me afloat. And I just continue to rely on systems and processes that I’ve built or ways of looking ahead to make sure that I’m like running the office as smoothly as I can.
Jeremy Burrows [12:11 – 12:27]: Love it. Well, let’s dive in then. So this idea of executive operations, how has that evolved over your career and how have you embraced that? And how would you even define, you know, executive operations?
Elle Tyra [12:27 – 14:10]: Yeah, yeah. I mean, to be quite honest, when I started supporting Meredith Levy and at the New York Times, I took on so much more scope and it was just a huge eye opening experience to everything that goes with supporting this major CEO from where I’d only been exposed at the VP level before. And it was like, okay, what are we going to do? Because I’m drowning, she’s drowning. We got to get it together. And it became more about understanding her priorities, driving them forward, being strategic with the time and calendar, interfacing with the team, being that step ahead of her and really supporting her in a strategic way. I define executive operations as proactively managing the priorities, people and systems that touch the executive office. And this is something that can really translate across really any administrative professional role. This is about understanding what their priorities are driving your executive forward in them, filling in gaps where necessary, asking the critical questions at the top of a project. Is there a piece of comms that’s going to go out with this, how we identify the decision makers? Where is this in flight? Is this a meeting that the executive needs to have? Are they prepared? Do they have the meeting materials? How do they best digest just the meeting materials? It’s asking all of those questions. So you’re providing the best support possible and just understanding there’s an operational element to the executive office and you’re going beyond those foundational pieces to really support strategically in an operational way.
Jeremy Burrows [14:12 – 14:26]: So when did you realize that or when did you see that it was more than just scheduling meetings and, you know, doing the tasks that you were assigned. When did, when did that revelation hit in your EA career?
Elle Tyra [14:28 – 17:13]: I mean, I could answer that a few ways. It was also her, you know, saying like, well, have you, have you read the document? Or this is where I am in it. Or, you know, I also had the benefit of having her bring a coach in to really level up my skill set. And so I worked with Melissa Peoples very closely for a time and she, you know, bestowed on me A lot of her wisdom. So I think it was a combination of the two. A combination of like really having that cheerleader to say, like, these are some of the things that need to happen and just recognizing for myself, does she feel prepared? Why not? If she’s not. If I don’t know what this is, she wouldn’t know. If I don’t think she’s ready, she’s probably not. Have I seen her prepping for this at all? Like, asking all of those strategic questions? And I think there just also came a point when I had to have some confidence in myself and meet with the executive team myself, take my own one on ones bi weekly, monthly, understand, like, what’s going on in their org, because I need to better. The better I understand the subscription business or whatever that deal is they’re trying to land, the better I can drive them forward and spot gaps as they come up. So I think it was this real mix of starting to see through her eyes that this is going to be more than like calendar expenses, travel inbox, but going ahead and taking a crack at that comms, going ahead and sending that email on her behalf. Once I learned her voice, you know, and I think just even taking that with me to Hauser and Worth, once I was there, I was quick to recognize you don’t need to be in these meetings. I can run this meeting for you and I can let you know when there’s a decision that needs to be made or when the team is ready to interface with you and bring you back in. And he started to trust me. I would say you’re not doing your leadership meeting today. I’ve got that. I’ll give you notes. And he trusted me to loop him back in. Right. So I think all of that really started when you realize they can only be in one place at one time and there’s only so many hours in the day. How can I move them forward? Because you start to see this link between, like, I move, she moves, I move. You know, you start to notice you two are really tethered. So how can I move in a way that allows greater movement for them?
Jeremy Burrows [17:13 – 18:43]: Yeah, I love that. And side note, Melissa Peoples is awesome. I had her on my podcast, it seems like forever ago now as episode 13. So if you want to check out that interview with Melissa, it’s LeaderAssistant.com13. But yeah, I love what you said about executive operations. The way I kind of think about it and have thought about the last few years is as I’m supporting my executive people Often ask me, hey, how do you train yourself, develop yourself, how do you become a better assistant? And the way that I’ve kind of shifted my mindset over the last few years is instead of thinking how do I become a better assistant? I think about how can I do more of my executive’s job? And so I’m almost thinking, how do I be a better CEO versus how do I be an assistant? And so it’s similar what you said with executive operations. It’s like, hey, researching that project they’re working on, knowing what they’re talking about, almost sometimes more than they even know what they’re going through. Because you did all the reading of the report, you drafted, the response, you thought through all the different variables and who would need to be made aware of this change and aware of this project update. And so, yeah, so you said it more eloquently than I could. But that’s kind of my mindset of like, hey, you know what, I’m not trying to be a better assistant, I’m trying to be a better CEO and I’m trying to help my CEO do their job.
Elle Tyra [18:44 – 19:24]: That is absolutely so powerful. When you start sitting in that executive chair yourself and you start thinking, well, what would I think if this were my day and I had this deadline coming up? What would I think if somebody sent me a 90 page deck, you know, that I clearly not going to have time to read. Not my style, you know, or how would I feel if I know I like to absorb as much information as possible and all somebody sent me was two pages, you know, the more that you start really thinking like this is my company too, the transition becomes really powerful.
Jeremy Burrows [19:25 – 19:59]: Yeah, yeah, well said. Well, let’s talk a little bit about the function as a leader within our roles and how you know, that another practical shift in our day to day and how we function as a leader. But then also the mindset of like seeing ourselves and, and assistance, listening, seeing themselves as leaders. How have you done that in your career? And how would you encourage and bring out those leadership qualities and assistance?
Elle Tyra [20:00 – 22:53]: Absolutely. I think what has been so major for me is understanding that I want to be seen in my own right as an autonomous entity, obviously still integral and important to the executive and the executive office. But once you start understanding this is my career, that I’m moving forward, that I’m chasing, that I’m building, that I’m growing, how are you representing yourself? What is your executive presence? How do you want people to see you and understand you and interact with you? So even if My executive is traveling. I might still go into the office because it’s good for people to see that I’m my own entity or I’m representing even in that absence. Right. Even if he’s not there, he looks and he sees me in the room alongside all the rest of his team. So understanding that you are part of the executive team as much as everyone else. There came a moment when I was at the New York Times where I was looking around the room, I was in a meeting, and I thought, well, this is the Chief Marketing officer. They’re focused on marketing. This is the chief Technology officer. They’re a stakeholder in that. What am I a stakeholder in? I’m a stakeholder in making all of this come together. I’m a stakeholder in driving all of this forward in unison for my executive and bridging that gap and seeing yourself as a stakeholder in your own right, and then wanting to develop your expertise, if that is, you know, strategic management, strategic planning, growing your acumen in an area of the business that you’re really curious about. A lot of that really helped me to become a leader and see myself as a leader. I think once you kind of realize that a lot of people would love to be in your position or maybe not want to be in your position because it is a little higher than what they want. I mean, to be honest, I wasn’t going for EA to the CEO, and then I found myself there, right? So at the time, I was like, I didn’t want this either, you know, but just kind of realizing that people are looking up to you and there is a leadership component to what you’re doing and where you sit in the Org. And even if you are sitting, you know, three layers down from the CEO, you can still impact, change, understanding. Like I said before, it’s your career that you’re driving forward. And you aren’t just executive assistant, and that’s all. You’re an executive assistant, and that’s really important. And a lot of things wouldn’t move forward without you. And you, you lead a lot of things.
Jeremy Burrows [22:55 – 23:09]: That’s great. Elle, thank you so much for sharing your story and inspiring Assistance of the world. Is there any final thoughts or last words that you want to share with assistance listening all over the world?
Elle Tyra [23:10 – 23:48]: I just want assistance to know that what you do is really important. And there can be times when you’re like, if I send one more bottle of champagne, but, you know, but just don’t forget to continue reaching, continue seeing yourself as integral, as important as capable and striving and continue to come back to your why, what it is that gives you joy and what your goals are and just continue to reach and stretch. And the more that you do that, I think the further that you’ll go and the more you’ll become a leader assistant.
Jeremy Burrows [23:49 – 23:55]: Incredible. Thank you so much. Again, where’s the best place for people to reach out if they want to say hi and connect?
Elle Tyra [23:56 – 24:14]: Well, first of all, thank you so much for having me. This has been so much fun. I had so much fun talking to you. You’re welcome to find me on LinkedIn. You’re welcome to find me on Instagram if want to see maybe what’s going on in the art world around New York City. But just don’t be shy. I’m happy to connect.
Jeremy Burrows [24:14 – 24:36]: Awesome. Well, we’ll put the links in the show notes so you guys can reach out to Elle and say hi and connect and yeah, thanks again for being on the show. Thanks for being an advocate for the EA community and we’ll hope to connect again soon.
Elle Tyra [24:36 – 24:59]: Thank you so much. It’s my pleasure.
