Hi Reader, I designed the paperback version of the 2027 Assistant Habits Weekly Planner to kick off in January for a couple of reasons. For one, 2027 begins in January and it's a 2027 planner. :-) The other reason is the publisher has limits to how many pages I can include in one lay-flat paperback book before the price gets a bit out of range. So I decided to stick with a January 2027 through December 2027 paperback design. But when I put the interactive digital version together, the page...
15 days ago • 1 min read
#390: Luiza Jarocki - Senior Executive Assistant at JP Morgan Chase Luiza Jarocki is Senior Executive Assistant at JP Morgan Chase and author of "The Seat Outside the Office: Lessons in Leadership from 25 Years as an Executive Assistant." In this episode of The Leader Assistant Podcast, Luiza shares her journey from a bank teller to a seasoned executive assistant, offering insights on career growth, the importance of curiosity, and the value of consistency and integrity in the profession. She...
17 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, I'll keep this short and sweet. I just launched the digital version of the 2027 Assistant Habits Weekly Planner! Here's what $19.99 gets you: A full-year digital PDF planner (52 weekly spreads + monthly overviews). BONUS: Sep-Dec 2026 are included so you don't have to wait for the new year to start building leadership habits One curated weekly action prompt per week across all core EA focus areas Week-at-a-glance layout with daily schedule plus space for top priorities and notes...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, On this day 6 years ago, I published my book for executive assistants (and their executives), The Leader Assistant: Four Pillars of a Confident, Game-Changing Assistant. It was a day full of refreshing my browser every few minutes so I could screenshot the Amazon bestseller rankings as the book climbed the charts. :-) Here are a few of my favorite screenshots from that day 6 years ago... #1 best seller in the UK (Business Leadership Skills category)! #1 best seller in multiple...
3 months ago • 1 min read
#378: Former Personal Assistant to Archbishop Desmond Tutu - Atrayah Janhe Join Diana Brandl for an inspiring spotlight episode of Executive Office Insights with Atrayah Janhe, former Personal Assistant to Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Atrayah shares her diverse career path – from her start as a secretary and policewoman in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) to managing the Arch's office during his transition to retirement.She offers crucial insights into the evolution of the assistant role, arguing that...
3 months ago • 1 min read
#373: Maaike Knoester Interviews Jeremy Burrows on the 5 Star Assistant Podcast I had the honor of speaking with Maaike Knoester for an interview on the 5 Star Assistant Podcast to discuss my 20-year career as an Executive Assistant, my book The Leader Assistant, and the journey of producing over 360 episodes of my own podcast.In this conversation we talk about challenging misconceptions about our profession. The greatest misunderstanding is that EAs are merely "one-trick ponies" focused on...
5 months ago • 1 min read
#372: A Conversation with Heleen Vink - Management Assistant to the Deputy CEO & CFO at Ingka Group | IKEA In this spotlight, Diana Brandl explores how service skills evolve into strategy as Heleen Vink shares her path from hospitality to supporting the CEO of Ingka Group (IKEA), the calendar audit that reset priorities, and the systems that protect deep work and drive stakeholder engagement. Heleen and Diana also outline how to build an internal assistant network and keep balance through...
5 months ago • 1 min read
Episode 371: Reggie Love - Former Personal Aide to President Barack Obama Diana Brandl is a longtime C-Suite assistant, and host of the Executive Office Insights podcast. In this spotlight episode of The Leader Assistant Podcast, Diana interviews Reggie Love - former Personal Aide to President Barack Obama. The conversation features Reggie discussing his life, career, and time at the White House. He shares his background growing up in North Carolina and his path to working with President...
5 months ago • 1 min read
Episode #370: Jana Franklin on the Biggest Mistake CEOs Make When Hiring a VA Jana Franklin is President of CEO Concierge, a company dedicated to offering high-quality virtual assistant services to busy entrepreneurs, business owners and C-suite levels. In episode #370 of The Leader Assistant Podcast, we dive into the biggest mistake CEOs make when hiring a virtual assistant, the importance of training and onboarding, and how to treat assistants as business partners. It’s packed with insights...
5 months ago • 1 min read