Send us a text

In this episode, Craig Bryson and Jodie Mears talk about one of the biggest challenges assistants face.

Many of us wait for permission before we take action or put ourselves forward.

Craig and Jodie explore why this happens, how the role has changed, and what it looks like to move into a more proactive and confident place in your career.
They talk honestly about the fear of being seen, the pressure to look busy, and the belief that hard work will speak for itself.

They share real stories from their own careers and explain how small, steady actions help you build a strong reputation over time.

Listener Question
“I often hear that personal brand matters even when you are not looking for a new role. But what does that actually mean for an assistant? How do I show my value without feeling like I am selling myself?”

Expert Contributor
Émer McCarthy, Principal Consultant at C&C Search, explains what a personal brand looks like for assistants.

She shares why your personal brand is simply the reputation you have when you are not in the room, and how small, helpful actions build trust over time.

Emer also talks about reliability, sharing solutions, asking for feedback, and supporting your network.

Episode Highlights

• Why assistants get stuck waiting for permission and how to break the habit.
• The mindset shift that helps you move from doing the work to showing the value.
• How to use quiet days to spot problems, try new ideas, and be more proactive.
• Why hard work alone will not make you visible and what actually does.
• The banker and builder mindset that helps you grow instead of staying stuck.
• A simple explanation of personal brand for assistants who do not want to brag.
• The small daily actions that build trust, confidence, and new career chances.

Value Bomb
Émer McCarthy: " it's simply the reputation that you have when you're not in the room"

Support the show

Help us stay visible to you by sharing this episode with someone in your circle as well as following and subscribing so you never miss an episode.
Supporters will get a shout-out on social media and in future episodes.

Got questions? Don't hesitate to submit them via our website. Buckle up and join us on this journey of discovery and personal growth.

Follow and contact us on our socials
Website
LinkedIn
Pinterest
X
TikTok

Send us a text

In this episode, Craig Bryson and Jodie Mears explore how assistants can build influence and visibility inside their organisations through intentional relationship-building. From bridging departments to boosting confidence, they unpack why internal networking is one of the most underrated career tools for EAs, and how external connections can quietly feed back into your internal success.

Listener Question
“I keep hearing that internal networking is important, but I have no idea where to start. What does it actually look like in practice for an assistant?”

Expert Contributor
Kristina Willis (Head of Customer Success & former EA) shares a practical roadmap for assistants to begin internal networking, from identifying who to know, to starting small conversations that build momentum.

Episode Highlights

• Internal networking 101: why assistants need to be visible beyond their exec
• The long-game mindset- networking when you’re not desperate for outcomes
• Building bridges across IT, marketing, and reception for faster results
• How internal visibility protects your career when your exec moves on
• Turning external relationships into internal wins
• The introvert’s guide to confident connection
• EA-led onboarding: the simplest way to start internal networking

Value Bomb

Kristina Willis: “The goal should always be to look inward first and ask yourself, who do you admire at your company and why?”

Support the show

Help us stay visible to you by sharing this episode with someone in your circle as well as following and subscribing so you never miss an episode.
Supporters will get a shout-out on social media and in future episodes.

Got questions? Don't hesitate to submit them via our website. Buckle up and join us on this journey of discovery and personal growth.

Follow and contact us on our socials
Website
LinkedIn
Pinterest
X
TikTok

Send us a text

In this bonus episode, Craig Bryson and Jodie Mears are joined by Fiona Young (founder of Carve) to go past “draft my email” and “summarise this deck.” We unpack how assistants can use AI for real, outcomes-focused impact: diagnosing diary inefficiencies, building lightweight automations, sharpening decision-making, and even “vibe-coding” practical tools without being a developer. If you’ve dabbled and now you’re asking “What’s next?”, this one’s for you.

Listener Question
Danielle (Boston, investment management):
“I’ve used AI for basics like emails and slide decks, but I want to spot patterns, remove bottlenecks and anticipate needs. How do assistants move beyond simple tasks and free up time for higher-value work?”

Episode Highlights

• AI beyond time-saving: use it to challenge your thinking, surface blind spots, and strengthen judgment
• COIF prompting (Context, Output, Intent, Format): a simple way to get higher-quality results consistently
• Tool-stacking wins: combine systems to automate end-to-end workflows
• Calendar analytics that matter: analyse time use and propose real changes
• Better briefings, faster: market intel, competitor scans, VIP prep
• Becoming a builder: why “vibe-coding” with AI is now within reach for EAs
• Mindset shift: define your higher-value work first; then use AI to create the capacity to do it

Value Bombs
Craig Bryson: “I’m looking at AI as helping me do the things that are monotonous and mundane so I can focus on the things that are important that the AI cannot do. (00:06:49)

Jodie Mears: “It’s not just about prompt writing, begin, middle and end. Can you confidently articulate to someone verbally if they were in person the same way you're articulating to the LLM online? It's that kind of conversation.” (00:15:50)

Fiona Young: “If you look at what's the next level, it's actually AI can help us to literally think differently. It can fill in for gaps in our thinking. Fill in for our biases, for our blind spots, to be able to actually be a sparring partner. (00:08:00)

Free Resources
Download Fiona’s Carve prompts guide + prompt library: https://joincarve.com/prompts-guide-signup

Support the show

Help us stay visible to you by sharing this episode with someone in your circle as well as following and subscribing so you never miss an episode.
Supporters will get a shout-out on social media and in future episodes.

Got questions? Don't hesitate to submit them via our website. Buckle up and join us on this journey of discovery and personal growth.

Follow and contact us on our socials
Website
LinkedIn
Pinterest
X
TikTok