The Leader Assistant Podcast with Jeremy Burrows

#367: Donata Boston - Former Madonna Family Assistant

• Jeremy Burrows • Episode 367

Share episode

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 1:23:21

Diana Brandl is a longtime C-Suite assistant, and host of the Executive Office Insights podcast.

In this spotlight episode, Diana speaks with Donata Boston - former Madonna family assistant.

Show Notes -> leaderassistant.com/367 

--
It’s the last day of the offsite and it was exactly what the team needed. The CEO pulls you aside to say, “Thank you. This was next level.”

Your secret? You used Offsite. They handled the venues, negotiations, and logistics – so you could focus on shaping the experience.

Sound too good to be true? It’s actually within reach. (And it can even save you money.)

See how at leaderassistant.com/offsite.

--
Are you ready to level up? Enroll in The Leader Assistant Academy at leaderassistant.com/academy to embrace the Leader Assistant frameworks used by thousands of assistants.

More from The Leader Assistant...

Speaker

Today I'm excited to spotlight my friend Diana Brandl's show called Executive Office Insights. Diana has had some amazing interviews over the years on her show, which I will link to in the show notes, so be sure to check that out.

Speaker 1

In the meantime, enjoy this featured episode from Diana's show. leaderassistant.com/367.

Speaker 5

Former EA to Madonna, she also held positions such as chief of staff, grant manager, head of people, and she has been serving in various industries such as music, entertainment, fashion, and finance. So uh the wonderful Donata Boston is my guest today, and every time I talk to her, I'm always fascinated by the things she really puts into perspective, especially those of us transforming and transitioning in our careers. So um she held various functions and now she's a successful entrepreneur. Um she is a matchmaker, she works in recruiting, she works with a lot of talents, and she brings people together, and um she does it in a such a wonderful way because she is a people manager. You can really tell that from the way she speaks, and it's wonderful to have her here as an extraordinary role model out there for our industry. So um I wish you lots of fun listening and watching this episode.

Speaker 4

Welcome everybody to the podcast of Future Assistant, a podcast full of inspiration, encouragement, and empowerment for administrative professionals. Tune in, level up, and get motivated by the stories you are about to hear.

Speaker 5

I know a lot of you have been waiting for it, and um, me too, honestly, because I wanted to bring you that special guest who's gonna be part of the show today. And there's so much to tell you about the wonderful Donata, and yes, I'm pronouncing it in a very German way because there's a reason why I pronounce it this way. But first of all, a warm welcome to Donata Boston. Hello to you, my dear.

Speaker 2

Hi, hi, I'm so excited to be here. So let us so nice to it's so nice to connect with you again.

Speaker 3

I just wanted to let you know it's been a while. I know we've been sort of keeping in touch from a distance, but it's nice to finally be back together and have this conversation.

Speaker 5

Totally. And I remember when we had the live event and we had so many assistants over from Austria, Switzerland, all over Europe, uh, that they have been enjoying the talk so much. So you were so long on my list to have you at the podcast here, and I'm so happy that we finally make it happen. And maybe a few people were actually wondering why I kind of pronounced the name Donata in a very German way, because there is some history. Do you want to share the history with us?

Speaker 3

Yeah, so actually, my dad is German and my mom is Haitian. So I grew up in Germany for most of my childhood. So I was born in the US and we stayed here until I was about three years old. But my whole schooling and my whole really formative years were spent in Hamburg, Germany. So that's where so I speak German, and um, that's really where my roots are. That's really where what I identify with most is that German heritage and those years spent in Germany. So I'm so excited to be here and to talk to this audience.

Speaker 5

Absolutely. And uh I mean, Hamburg is really a special city. I always enjoy going there whenever I have a client there. I'm actually going there twice this year. So I will think of you for sure. Um let's see, let's see how it goes because Hamburg is always tricky when it comes to the weather, probably, as you know. You get lucky or not.

Speaker 3

Yes, that's right. And you know what? It's so interesting because I live in in Los Angeles now, right? Where it's the sun's always shining, and there's a part of my soul that just craves the dark skies, craves the rain, because I'm so familiar with it. So when it rains here, it just feels like home.

Speaker 5

It's kind of wild. Yeah, we can help you with that. I'm happy to send some rain awards a lot, what we have right now. So happy to treat the the LA sun. We can do a house swap. Absolutely. But do is LA your home now? I mean, is everything there when you feel this is the roots now?

Speaker 3

It's so interesting. You know, I just really consider myself a butterfly a little bit. I feel like um the more I'm in motion, the more I get to change sceneries, meet people from all walks of life, the more I feel alive. Um, Los Angeles is definitely my um sort of center of gravity at this point because my kids are going to school here. I have kids that are now six and seven. So it's sort of more challenging to be that nomadic as you are. Um, but um I would say Los Angeles has provided me with some incredible human connections that I value a lot and that I've built my business on now. That being said, I always get really energized and inspired by traveling and by exploring different regions in the US and all and obviously worldwide in Europe in particular.

Speaker 5

We need to get you back to Europe for sure. I mean, we need to make plans. Yes. That would be so awesome to be here with you, actually.

Speaker 3

Um, you know, we've talked about this in the past, right? Yeah. Absolutely.

Speaker 5

So, you know, everyone listening, we need to get her here. So um make sure you connect, of course, with Samata. But uh, first of all, we have so much to to talk about. Um we are actually right now uh ending May. Um and this podcast goes out you know quite fast. So uh once it is live is gonna be June. So kind of a halftime 2024. So, how would you say how's 2024 treating you so far?

Speaker 3

So 2024 and even like the years prior to that have been have felt like a huge transition point in my life and in my career. I think a lot of people have felt this way. A lot of it stems from the pandemic for sure. I think there's just something that happened over the last four years to question a little bit around, you know, what why am I here? What am I here to do? What is my calling? People have been asking more and more of those questions and trying to connect back to their core, to really understanding who they are, how they operate, what makes them different, what I call their your secret sauce, right? It like what is it that you are uniquely designed to bring to this world? And I think especially when you are more of that service, you have that service mentality when you've been an assistant, when you've been a chief of staff, when you've been in that world for so long, you kind of give away so much of who you are to be of service to somebody else, that um there just comes this moment of self-reflection of like, wait a minute, what am what do I want out of life? And how can I start intentionally designing my life and my career around who I am at the at the soul level, right? And so that I've been a part of that where it's been, I've always been really into spirituality and self-reflection. But um, as times have evolved and circumstance our circumstances have changed so much, there was this pivotal point over the last, I think, three years where it was like, okay, it's go time. Like you've been thinking and you've been talking so much about wanting to be a coach, about wanting to be of service to other assistants and really guiding them through the these transition points that you're experiencing, that you've experienced in the past, it's now or never. And so I've really started betting on myself and saying it's it's time to it's time to start making that transition. And it's been incredible, an incredible experience. And I think a lot of what we're going to talk about today is really how we navigate these moments of transitions together.

Speaker 5

Totally. So, you know, looking into the daily routines of Donata, I mean, when you go into reflection mode, is it on a daily base as well? Do you scribble down things in a journal? Or do you have like a mind map or a vision board? Or do you sit down with yourself once a week? Just uh let us know how you do it that you you really have commitment with yourself.

Speaker 3

Yeah, that's such a good question because and I get that question a lot because people always want to know what's the hack, right? Like, how do you get to connect back to your intuition, to disconnect from the noise, from the external need for validation to sort of come back to what do I want? Um, I mean, I dabble in all of it, to be honest. I'm very exploratory, very curious, and very open to a lot of things. So I've done, I do a lot of nature walks. Actually, nature really centers me so much, especially when you have a crazy wild household like I do with kids, with animals, grandmas here. You know, like there's just so much that comes at you every day. I really need those, even if it's like 20 minutes, I need these to consistently have some time to just be on my own and to be in silence. Sometimes I'll listen to a walking meditation or a podcast, but for the most part, really being it, right? So, but for the most part, I recognize there's so much information coming at me that moments of silence, and it's so simple, right? Nature and silence, it's free. It's literally available for the most part every day. Just taking that time though and being consistent with it to just say, okay, wait a minute. A moment of just me with me and creating the space to even hear what's going on underneath the surface outside of constantly performing. That to me is the precious time. Yeah, on top of that, I do, I mean, there's this program that I do here. My neighbor actually created it. I don't know if you've heard of Lacey Phillips. Um, she has another podcast that is all about manifesting the life of your dreams, manifesting your career. She has a platform that I utilize to do meditations, but it's more active self-reflection and working on specific blocks that you recognize in the flow of life and the flow of your career. I love that. I've dabbled in plant medicine as well. I've done ayahuasca ceremonies, I've done all sorts of different alternative options just to see what's out there because I love to provide those resources to the people that I coach, to the people that I help navigate their own um trajectories.

Speaker 5

Yeah, and we need to make sure that we put a few information in the show the show notes, you know. Yeah, definitely.

Speaker 2

We love to share.

Speaker 5

Yeah. Absolutely. And also I really want to recommend because you mentioned that the the walking meditation, what I also love to do, there's a lady called Jell Hamilton out there. Um, the meditation minis. You're awesome to find this out because uh I will also make sure to put in the show notes. I love her. Yeah, she has a great voice, and it's shorter, you know, meditations and some walking meditations there as well. So I definitely have to send you the link over.

Speaker 3

I will say, I will say one thing to be honest. Let me just find uh my pen. Um, I will say that for a lot of us, we think that it's and I was one of them, right? When you hear about meditation at first, and if you've never done it before, or even if you've started doing it and you just start getting this voice that tells you you're not doing it right or you're not doing enough, or it's it's really just about taking the time to disconnect. So if you don't have access to these meditations, even though everything's available now, I really urge everyone to even just take the time to sit in the discomfort of silence. You won't believe how valuable that can be. And you won't believe how much actually happens in the nothingness, right? Because that is such gold nowadays because we're running so fast, so much going on that you just do it consistently. Don't expect to do that and then wake up and be like, okay, what's going on? Has anything changed? It's not about the outcome, it's about just showing up for yourself and then seeing how these micro changes start happening in your life. Yes. Um, it's subtle, it's subtle at first. It can be big, but it can be subtle too. So just keep at it.

Speaker 5

Very good advice. And I think it's a good reminder for those of us listening to our conversation who are always running and the hamster wheel never stops. And I'm one of them. So um, yes, and exactly nature is really one of my greatest gifts. Um, walking, sitting out there listening to the nature or listening in the nature to a podcast. So very happy to see that you have some similar routines because they're really, really helpful for me. So um tell us about actually a little bit about yourself. I mean, um, Donata, the German history, we heard about it, and then all of a sudden there's a last name called Boston. Do you actually have any connections with Boston? Or it's just, you know, the name that obviously is a part of your family. But you know, what else do you want to share with us before we dive a little bit into your career?

Speaker 3

Yeah, so um my um my maiden name was actually Martin, which is like very the most standard German but also international name ever. Um I so I grew up in Germany, loved my childhood. Like looking back, probably not you don't know how to appreciate things when you're in it, but looking back, I had sort of a really idyllic childhood with a very international family and background. So we traveled a lot. We've been, we ex we, my parents exposed us to a lot of different cultures, a lot of different um yeah, types of people and environments at an early age. My mom was a flight attendant, so we were very mobile. Um, but I had these really strong German roots and then went to French school as well. So my mom is a French speaker. So by nature, the the picture of my childhood was just injected with many cultures, many different um types of people that surrounded us. And I think that really informed sort of the trajectory that I took with my career, being really open to just picking up and leaving and trying new things, just always very curious. And I think that really stemmed from the way we were raised as kids. Um, I started studying in Paris after I graduated high school, just because it was the natural um extension to my French schooling in high school. Um, went to the Sorbonne in Paris and studied international business. And again, met so many wonderful people from all types of different backgrounds until once I started working in Paris and realized things were just slow moving, right? You're fresh out of college, the French do things, tend to be just like very um mindful of work-life balance. But when you're young and you have this fire in your belly, you sort of want to go out there and you want to prove yourself and you want to see what's available. Everyone around me was urging me to move to the US because I had my uh the passport, right? I had the citizenship, and it was the last thing on my list, to be honest. I just felt so European at my core. But then it came to a point where I was like, you know what? Just let's just see what happens. Just go out there, see what happens. Paris is not going anywhere, you could always come back. And so I went to New York. My sister was living there at the time and just started exploring again. It was, it happened to be 2008, so there were no jobs available, and especially for someone who was just so fresh out of college and just had dabbled in event planning. There wasn't really much of substance available to me. So it was one of the big transition points, right, of my life, where it was like, wait, what am I doing here? And also, what urged you to just pick up and leave and move to New York? It was almost like I was guided by something greater than myself that was just like, just go, just give it a shot, just try it out. And once I got there, and after looking for a couple of months, I just really fell into the job of a family assistant slash nanny for Madonna. And yeah, just this whole new world opened up that, and I heard I'm sure you hear that a lot. I certainly do now that I'm, you know, uh I do recruiting, is that for the most part, it chooses you. You know, it's the type of role that it's really hard to design uh entering this career. Um it it sort of chooses you, and then it's a matter of can you, do you have the chops? And are you designed to do what it takes to make that career happen for yourself? And that was very much my story as well.

Speaker 5

And you know, you know, working for such an icon at an early stage in your career, I mean, was there are are there still the finch me moments in in your life where you're feeling like they found the opportunity?

Speaker 3

You know, it's so interesting because looking back, I was just happy to have a job. You know, at that point it was, yes, it was very surreal and obviously not something I had on my bingo card, but I was just so grateful to have somebody, anybody, uh, willing to bet on me and willing to give me a chance. And even throughout working in this profession, and maybe that is part of um the reason for my success, is that it never really dawned on me. I never made the connection of who my bosses were to the public and who they who they were to me and and what I needed to focus on to be good at my job, which is so different, right? Like you can't really get sucked into the the noise of what they what their profession is and what you are there to do to really serve at the highest level, which is would which has to stem from a level of humanity. Like you can't get distracted by the performance of it all, and like no pun intended in this case, but it's all it's all very performative at the end. And what happens behind closed doors is just so different, and what the needs are there are so different that unless you're really connected to who you are and how you can be of service to that, you're not going to be performing at the highest level. And so, for whatever reason, right? Like I don't know. We my sister actually started working with me as well. same household for we we kept asking ourselves what is it how come it the the the the the glitz of it was sort of the last thing on the list that that mattered in the job it's obviously very um it's a novelty right to go on the private jets and to go to the concerts and to to live that that that big life as an adjacent partner but it it truly isn't what makes the job special what makes the job special for me was always the people it was always it was the the family making sure everyone was taken care of making sure that the the team dynamic was operating as at its highest there's you put so many hours in you put so much effort into it that unless you're connected to something greater than yourself you just can't it's not sustainable totally it wouldn't have been for me you know absolutely yeah and um and that is so important that we talk about these things because um there's always a certain image out there that you feel like oh I want to work for certain people I want to work in a certain business right so that's why I'm always so happy to bring so many wonderful role models and experts to the podcast who give some some more information about it.

Speaker 5

We had you know um a celebrity recruiter um last year um who gave away so many information about you know it's not always a good life out there not always the fancy stuff and putting in a lot of hours you mentioned it before I think it's it's really um important to see the realistic um job profile behind um but still I mean I can only imagine how many wonderful takeaways you you get out of the role um working for a Madonna and the family behind what what do you see was my two to three learnings out of this time I think so I and I reflect on this a lot in what I do now.

Speaker 3

I think the biggest uh gift and and unfortunately I wasn't really guided at the time right I kind of fell into it and I was kind of winging it for so long in my career. And I understood that I had something special that was needed and that I was able to enjoy this type of work and that I was doing it so genuinely and authentically from a place of service, which always kept me going. But it wasn't until recently that I really realized the the gold that was there. And that's something that I like to share with the candidates that I work with now who are still in these types of roles is look around. You are in contact with the greatest leaders of our time there's so much that you get to draw from the way they move the way they think the way they operate operate you have the front row seat to brill a brilliant mind right whoever we are and whoever we're supporting and in whatever industry they are you're working with brilliant minds pay attention right like as much as you're there to get your job done always pay attention to what's going on around you witness the patterns because success always leaves clues and if we are awake to our experience and not so much focus on what's not working and you know how how difficult certain days can be and that can re it can really wear on you. I'm not disregarding that but outside of that if you connect to the goal that is there and the fact that you are basically getting paid to learn from the best of the best there's just another level of motivation that ignites inside of you. And I've always had like I said this curious mind. So I was always paying attention to okay what is happening? How are people how are we operating here at the highest level and how can I now bring that into my next experience whenever that comes the other thing is you get hopefully you are in an industry that speaks to you. And so you also get a lot of industry knowledge again you're getting paid for training in how does the music world operate outside of the person that I work with what who are who are the agents who are the managers what do they do exactly who are the publicists and who are the other artists around me and how do do they operate? And there's just so much that you can pick up on that and you wouldn't believe how much of that will serve you later on even though it's hard to see it in the moment. I just read this incredible book I don't know if you've read it called Range by David Epstein and it speaks on how generalists can actually be the most innovative disruptors and specialists because they're exposed to so many different industries and environments and they have a collection of data that is so much greater than when you just stay on this one track. And I believe that for myself and I think for most assistants we are these generalists right we are willing to do whatever it takes we're we're typically not necessarily specifically interested in it in one industry. We're just there to be of service but even if you are if you already know that you love the music industry for instance and you fall into it you are now operating at the highest level supporting someone who has all the doors open and you get to see things that most people don't right everything that's happening behind the scenes. So again paying attention to that taking note making sure that you understand you are sitting on a gold mine wherever you are and none of it will be wasted along the way once you start deciding what you are specifically designed to do all of it will matter. All of it will play a role and then for me it was always about the team dynamics. It was always about really understanding okay how do teams operate at the highest level? Who are the special ones who what makes really incredible talent? Who gets acknowledged for what they're doing? What kind of a mindset does it take to really operate at the highest level and to be recognized for the effort that is put into it. So I always really valued talking to my colleagues understanding what they were struggling with, understanding what the needs are in these like really high level support structures and obviously that's like incredibly useful now because I helped design these support structures for the people I used to work with for absolutely it prepared you so well right from the beginning on and then which is also what I find very interesting about your bio is that you transferred that into a chief of staff role and we now read a lot about the chief of staff and how you get there from an EA role.

Speaker 5

So maybe you want to share a little bit of your advice here what was different when you became a chief of staff um was there a different setting was there a different mindset from from you when you transformed into this role because um I think there's a lot of you know different opinions out there when we look into LinkedIn and some articles around um chief of staff some of them say it's super easy to get into this role coming out of the EA role other people say oh no you need to be a very um senior citizen to get into this role and you actually need to have the right you know equipment um and we we do have different systems here over in Europe as well. So when I look into chief of staff's roles out there in major corporations they're sometimes lawyers you know totally different background so I think every company probably also what you see with your clients at the moment is designing the role a little bit different but how did you 100% how did you feel when you made the transition yeah again I think I have a little bit of a forestrum story I feel like you know I was never really fully aware of what was happening.

Speaker 3

I was just like oh yeah this sounds great let me just do it I think I and I don't even want to attribute it to luck only I think it was this naive willingness to just go for it. I was always game I was always willing to say yep let me try it out you know and and sure there are these moments of the imposter syndrome kicks in and you're like wait am I equipped for this but that was really quite um it wasn't very loud in in this in this like these per first formative years of my career it was more about the curiosity really took over and I wanted to learn so much of what I was capable of. And if anybody was willing to give me a chance I was willing to show up and at least give it a try. And that's the other thing I think we're so we want to do such a good job when we're assistants, right? We are just such people pleasers and we're such perfectionists for the most part and we have to recognize we know that just holds you back oftentimes when it comes to just trying something different trying something new stretching way beyond what you're accustomed to. So when I did the transition I went from the entertainment world into finance which is such a different environment for some reason my boss my new um sort of principal at that time had very similar character traits to my previous boss and so I found myself sort of transitioning with ease into this new environment. But as chief of staff what I recognized is I grew such such a strong level of self-confidence coming out of the Madonna job because I'm like look at me like I rocked this like I did I did what I needed to do and I really enjoyed the process. I think there was something really empowering knowing that I that I lasted so long in that job because it is a strenuous environment when you're there 247 and you're you're you know you're connected to everything that's going on and it's it's every day to then coming into a role that was more of an office job already felt like I can do this in my sleep and and then also feeling that empowered from that experience I think I it's it's so crazy how much how you feel about yourself dictates how you're received by others. It's so it's so um it's so incredible to see when we connect deeply to who we are and to what our superpower is and in that moment that was really the case for me because I felt I was feeling myself right you people see you really by the way you present yourself. And so in that moment I think um they were looking for somebody who had a different type of background they weren't looking for someone who was in the financial world and when they met me with my sort of very diverse um upbringing the um international piece I think was really important. But then also the fact that yeah I came from a background that felt a little bit glitzy and they wanted to attract that into their office it just felt like the right match and then it was more of a matter of can I show up and can I be um can I be game can I be really open to receiving all the information that was coming at me I learned things I'd never been exposed to before or had interest in right like the financial world is such a different beast and I just absorbed it like a sponge. You know I just was so excited to learn about how the private equity world operates who are the players what are the terms that they're using and I just remember taking notes of everything and just learning on the fly and it was just incredible and I can only imagine how this also helped you massively to go into entrepreneurship right because absolutely the finance world you know this is something that we as entrepreneurs of course need to consider in so many directions.

Speaker 5

So tell us a little bit you know when was this inner voice all of a sudden there that you felt now is time to do my own thing I want to I want to be my own CEO.

Speaker 3

So there there are many like chapters in between that experience and where I am today but what I would say is um it for me the the true con true confidence can only be ignited in um the experience it's really hard to have a connection to what you're capable of simply by self-reflecting right or or to just be in the in the conceptual oh I could do this I could do that until you get your feet your and your hands in to the dirt and you start really seeing what you're capable of you're not going to fully feel connected to that confidence. You could talk yourself into it but it's more a matter of yeah go in there like be be fully in the game and show up and pay attention and be curious. So from being in private equity I got pregnant actually like I was in there for seven years. So did that for extensive period of time. And what I want to say about the chief of staff role too is there's so many different versions of that title right and so it really depends what it is that the specific like you said the specific industry or the specific company that you're looking at is looking for there's no no two chief of staff roles are the same. In my situation it just happened that they were looking for somebody who had my level of experience and somebody who was willing to really focus on the employee um development side of things which is what I love to do more than anything. Oh my God. It's like and and this is where I recognize wow this is really something and this matters I think oftentimes we're good at something and we sort of take it for granted but my love for people was what really was the right fit here. So if you're looking for to explore a chief of staff role just to go back to your previous question I think it's really it's even more so important to understand what your secret sauce is, what your superpower is and to find the type of chief of staff role that really caters to that, that really is in need of that. Because if you're a great executive assistant, I don't care if you've been a senior executive assistant or if you've just done it for a certain number of time, you've got it down you've got the basics down. So the natural progression is just to get into higher level of leadership where you have a seat at the table to me that's what chief of staff meant is where my voice is really heard and recognized and I'm not simply executing upon tasks that are sort of given to me I get to now contribute. I have a voice I have a point of view I have a perspective to share and when it came to the employees I always had an I always had an opinion I always had a way to innovate the way we connected to each other. So that was natural to me. What is that for you? What is it that keeps you up at night? What is it that really speaks to your soul that you feel like you would do whether you got paid or not this is like what makes you feel so alive and motivated. Once you connect to that and you find the type of role that A needs your basic skill sets but then also needs your voice in the matter because you have an opinion that's where I think a chief of staff role or any other title that you can imagine in that like it could be a director of operations could be anything right these roles are just waiting for somebody like you who is just moved by the topic at hand. So when it came to my transition point I moved so I got pregnant uh which didn't mean I had to stop working obviously but I think for me it just became a moment of deep deep self-reflection and another pivotal transition point where I recognized wow the I was operating at such a high velocity for so many years and never took a break it was time for me to just like go inward go inward and slow down and be really present. I knew the type of matter that I wanted to be was a very present one but I also knew that I that work really mattered to me right and like having my own um self-expression in work mattered to me a lot. So I just took a little bit of time once I had my baby to figure out okay what what's the balance right I had I never had balance I was all into my career and um it took me a little bit of time to figure out okay I could like dip my toes back in. I felt like the chapter of private equity was sort of closing for me. I didn't know that I could do it any other way but all in and that wasn't possible with the baby the way I viewed motherhood. So I started working as a brand manager for a in a fashion uh company and just opened up their US branch and sort of designed the team designed the office and did what I knew to do best. Felt like a bit of a step backwards but it really felt so in line with what I wanted to explore like how does it feel to just do it on my own there was no scratch right and build it up from scratch exactly just taking all of the information that I've learned now seeing people operate at the highest level and now designing my own team and then also scaling back on the amount of hours it was more of a job where I got to go in and clock out. I didn't take any of it home you know what I mean which was new to me to everything was always I was living and breathing the my previous roles 247. So this felt like a nice little balance. And I just want to also encourage everyone listening if you're going through big transition points in your life and you feel like you have to show up in a different way failure is the biggest lesson the biggest lessons that I've learned came from quote unquote failure or quote unquote scaling back or taking steps backwards. It can feel like it's not our progression is not linear especially when you're a generalist especially when you're curious about a million different things give yourself permission to explore everything that gets your attention because I think this idea that things have to be linear and that if you start something you have to see it through and grit and determination I think that's wonderful. Those are wonderful qualities but not at the expense of your soul. Absolutely not at the expense of your intuition telling you this doesn't feel right. Like it's great on paper. And I often say the people who love us the most tend to give us the worst advice when it comes to taking risks and jumping off cliffs. And not doing things traditionally, right? Like my mom, like you turn to the people who've known you the longest, they're not going to tell you quit. You have to really be resourceful. Know who your advisors are in the moments of transitions and of taking risks. And most importantly, listen to your gut. Like, listen to your intuition. Because I can't tell you how many times that has served me when I could have stayed much longer. The private equity job is a perfect example. I could have said, no, this is my bread and butter. This is, I'm so lucky to have this job. But then it would have come to at the expense of who I wanted to be as a mom, who I authentically want to be in my life and in my business. So that transition, yes, to in a way felt very different. It felt so like there was so much space, there was so much time all of a sudden to do things that mattered to me. And this is when I started also doing my um yoga teacher training. And I got into more of that spiritual um self-discovery track, right? That to figure out, okay, who am I at my core? I've given given so much of me to others. Now it's time to give back to myself because I won't be able to show up as a great mother unless I figure out who I am, right? And I'm I'm authentically showing up.

Speaker 5

So you really stayed, you know, true to your values, I believe, and then transition as well. Like the way you view motherhood, as you said before, which I love that you pointed this out because I know we do have a lot of listeners here who have similar situations, like there's a career, there's a family, there's you know, voluntary, uh voluntary projects, there's passion projects. Um, where do I belong right now? Right. Um so you spoke about advisors, and I I keep wondering who were your advisors on on this journey, especially then going into your own, you know, uh business and having the consultancy and everything, and you know, uh opening up into some new fields, right? Who's who's your sounding board?

Speaker 3

Yeah, so it's it I have I have my it's it's sort of like my committee of advisors for different aspects of career. So I think for me it's been really important to understand if I want to, like I said, jump off a cliff and take risk and go off and do my own thing. Who are the people who've either done this before or who are um risk takers in general and who are willing to give me advice that's not going to that are can be devil's advocate but are not going to hold me back from taking the risk? I wouldn't go to my mom with all due respect. She's here in this house.

Speaker 2

But like I wouldn't, you know what I mean? Because I knew you're gonna keep you safe. She was going to want to keep me. She's going to be like, what are you talking about? This is so my mom. So yes.

Speaker 5

And I was the second child going into entrepreneurship after my brother. So she was like, Yeah, tell me about what went wrong. What went wrong? She said, I said, everything was wrong. That's right.

Speaker 3

That's right. But like in those moments, we have to, we have like, I'm I'm I'm able to speak about this now with such confidence. But the amount of times that I was questioning myself, it's not, it's not an easy path. Like, even like that transition point into brand management, felt like, oh my God, like, is this am I doing the right move? Had I gone to the people who just want to keep me safe and cozy and who don't recognize what my soul was yearning for, you can't expect other people around you to understand what your soul is calling for. Your calling is your calling for a reason, right? So we have to sort of disconnect from that noise and from the need for external validation and stay true to ourselves. Is that what was that true to you as well in that moment? Absolutely, absolutely. And so, and so that's that is also the best way that we can start. People ask me all the time, how do I reconnect to my intuition? I feel like it's been there. I remember as a child, I was so intuitive, but I've lost it. But it's always there. The thing is, you have to start listening to it. You have to start taking baby steps into taking this exquisite risk of, I'm gonna bet on myself. This just seems to be the right answer. Let me just try it and not make it such a big deal. You can always pivot. There's always an opportunity to pivot. There's no, it's not the final answer, right? So, from brand management, I went into becoming head of people for a step for a tech startup in Miami, which was like the dream, right? Like being in charge of the people. I learned so much about the onboarding process at the highest level. Tech startups, they don't mess around. Like when it comes to onboarding, there's they're so cutting edge and so systematized in the way they approach um, yeah, just talent acquisition. And then the like they take into account the full life cycle of the employee from the moment they start recruiting to the exit of an employee, everything is so thorough and thought through and efficient. So I got exposed to that, and it was like my mind was blown. Like the amount of efficiency, and I want to speak about AI a little bit here, too, is AI is such an incredible tool that we can utilize wherever we are to um support us in injecting way more humanity into the businesses that we're in. And that is at the foundation of everything I do. It's all about bringing more humanity into business, connecting to humans, taking the time to dig a little bit deeper. And so now I'm this luxury lifestyle support consultant to the people that I use to support. And the reason why I can do things on a very modern level is that I'm not afraid of it. I utilize it to create the efficiency that I need so I can show up on a human level and really connect to the talent, really understand how my clients operate and be able to make incredible, fruitful, long-term connections.

Speaker 5

What's your favorite tool, actually? What are you using? Give us some examples where you feel like, oh, this is my number one go-to.

Speaker 3

I mean, I think anything I would tell people anything that feels like a distraction from what you're truly great at, if there is a tool out there that can systematize it for you, use it and create a really strong foundation for yourself so that you don't get stuck in the weeds of, I mean, even just from utilizing um the tools to pay your bills, to um do your accounting, to like all the administrative stuff, which ironically, I want to do none of that for myself. Like I want it to either be, I want it to be handed off to someone, it's just not where I shine. I can do it in my sleep. It just becomes an energy drain. And I want to stay stuck in my zone of genius, which is the human connection. It's really about getting to understand how people function. So from um utilizing tools like, I mean, Airtable is a great one, right? Like, I don't know that we can survive without it. Um, I utilize Chat GPT for anything that has to do with copywriting. I always give it my spin. I always edit it according to my tone. I think it can only do so much. But to be able to summarize things, the using otter, and I think there's a new platform actually that takes notes for all of my um candidate interviews and being able to really draft up these reports that you used to take forever. Um, I use video recording for um and video interviews for scouting new talents, making sure that I don't spend all day on Zoom meeting people that may not be the right fit. So being able to systematize that and to be able to pick out from the people I interview over a video, hey, I want to meet you. Like you sound amazing. So anything that can contribute to that efficiency where I get to do what I love and what I'm really, really great at 80% of the time. To me, that is what opens up doors, what brings in more opportunity, because you're really able to shine and to attract those opportunities into your orbit.

Speaker 5

Absolutely. It's wonderful. And thank you so much for bringing this up because everyone speaks about AI and how we can integrate it into trial businesses and private life. So very happy to see that you use it as well. I'm a big fan.

Speaker 3

Yeah, what is it? What do you use for like your podcasts or anything like that? What are the tools that you use the most?

Speaker 5

For the podcast, I don't use anything at all because I'm uh I'm having my expert, Sebastian, who's taking care of everything. Amazing. But of course, I'm a big fan of ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, um, people, people write, you know, all these wonderful things. I have my Calendly, people can, you know, easily make appointments with me. There's AI behind, as we know, tons of wonderful things out there. So um especially interesting entrepreneurs, we can't use them very nicely. Yeah.

Speaker 3

Absolutely. I think that the threat of AI is so interesting because at first you feel like, oh, everyone's becoming disposable, right? And the truth is, I think what it's highlighting for me is that never before has it been so important to leverage our human connections, to leverage the actual networking that you're doing outside of even social media, which is a great tool to cast a white net and meet a lot of people and to share what you're about. But for me, it's all been in the networking. That's another thing. Wherever you are right now, whatever job you hold, don't like it's all about your connections. Create really strong connections wherever you are, no matter how you're feeling about your job, whether you're loving it or it's really, it's really a struggle. Look around who are your people in this space that you're in right now, because I guarantee you, you will need those. And you're this incredible connector, I've noticed. Like we're very similar this way, where for me, I'm a master connector. Nothing brings me more joy than to bring people together. I'm all about connecting exceptional, exceptional humans at every level from the recruiting, but also from all the different solutions that we can provide to our clients, right? When a client comes in, no matter what their needs are, whether they need a realtor, a new dentist, or they need a great executive assistant, a housekeeper, whatever it may be, there's a solution for all of it. And my motto is always no man left behind. So I'm going to automatically tap into all of my resources and all the people surrounding me, as I've done with you, um, of saying, hey, do you know anyone that can solve this problem for my client?

Speaker 5

Right. It's really indeed another thing that is similar, right? And that we both have a common. Yeah. Because, you know, um, connecting people and and growing together, that's that's really, really wonderful. And um I love to see when there's new output, you know, uh developing out of the connections I I made. And I know you're all the same.

Speaker 3

So the thing is with and the thing with networking, real quick too, is it's not networking for networking's sake. There's something really um off-putting, especially when you live in a city like LA, um, where people are just it's very much about being self-serving. And you can tell when somebody is networking just for the sake of having another name in their LinkedIn connection, or if people are doing it genuinely because they're connecting with you, because they're present with you. And so understanding who you are in this process of career transition from a generalist to a specialist, and everything that's revealed to you about what your secret sauce is is also an indication of who your people are, who are the people around you who operate at the same level. And for me, it's all about the people who are high, what I call them high-quality humans. It's the people who are really connected to something greater than themselves. And I don't mean this in a like religious or spiritual way necessarily, but it's more so I'm here for a reason. You can tell when somebody has that sparkle in their eyes and they're like, whatever it is that I'm doing, even if I'm bussing tables or if I'm, you know, Madonna's assistant, I'm doing it at the highest level. I'm fully connected to what I'm doing and I'm and I'm going to do it, my, give it my everything. Those are the people, both on the client side and on the talent side, that I love to connect with each other. Because the truth is we need each other. We talk about networking. It's all about connecting the right humans with each other. And what is possible from there is pure magic. I see it over and over again. And I couldn't have built my own business if it wasn't for my collaborations and my network and being able to get really creative, working with people on their projects, then working with me on mine, and being able to just connect to that joint mission that we have, right?

Speaker 5

And it seems that there's a mission for you out there, Donato, because uh, as you were telling, one of the functions was ahead of people, right? Yeah. So there was always a connection with people, with humans. Always. Um, so that this is this is really your mission out there, right? So um Yeah. So tell us about the work you do right now. We we heard a little bit about being a coach, being a consultant, being a recruiter. So tell us a little bit about the consultancy you have and the way you work and who are your clients actually.

Speaker 3

Yeah, so when I I think really that that last piece was that head of people role for the the tech startup, when I realized how much I really loved talking to talent, how I loved making the connection and how good I was, to be honest. Like I just there's something about the recruiting world that felt really stale to me. Um, always, even at a younger age, when I did my own transitions and I worked with agencies, it just felt like there wasn't real candidate advocacy that was there. You know, it was all about the clients and like pleasing the clients and making sure that the commission seemed to be a really big piece of it, versus really being present, really thinking through the greater career trajectory and how one opportunity can serve the next. Also, when we go through career transitions, we're in a very vulnerable place, right? We talked about this imposter syndrome, the fear of making the right choices, the right moves. So for me, being able to be the person that I didn't have at the time when I was navigating these transitions felt like such a calling. And, you know, oftentimes they say we create our purpose from our pain. And it's because we want to become the people we wish we had when we were going through similar situations. So that just that was like a moment of clarity of, okay, I've been doing the coaching at the time. I was already coaching assistants, but also other professionals and founders through uh navigating their own transitions. It was all about, okay, how do I now integrate that? I love the recruiting portion. I love giving the right talent and those high-quality humans an opportunity to really show what they've got and to show to find them the right opportunities that are aligned, that can really see them, that can recognize them for the spark that they bring to a new opportunity. So then I recognized wow, there's really a need for recruiting to be offered in combination with this advocacy piece, with the onboarding piece of really understanding now how to systematize onboarding, how important proper documentation is when you onboard new talent, how important it is to have the right um procedures in place, right? So that people come in and they don't have to fend for themselves. And then also to be able to be a resource along the way once I've placed new talent of being able to coach them through their career transitions and through the different stages of their tenure in their in their role, but also to be able to offer that same coaching to their bosses. So I specialize, like I said, in luxury lifestyle support, uh, which means that I work with a lot of domestic staff. And oftentimes the people who need that domestic support aren't natural people leaders. So they need the support, but they don't know what they don't know. And they don't necessarily know how to lead, um, how to lead people, how to create the right structure to make it a fruitful and long-term opportunity for people to grow, for people to flourish. Nobody wants um revolving doors in their home. You know, most for the most part, I work with people who are really keen on confidentiality and making sure that the people who work for them are an extension of who they are and how they operate, especially when it comes to childcare and all of that. So understanding that and being able to guide these people who have the means, have the lifestyle that demand support, have the luxury of having quality humans come in and helping them, but to recognize that oftentimes the reason it doesn't work out is because the right foundation isn't in place and because people don't know how to lead effectively.

Speaker 5

And one of the core things, if I might add, is expectation management, right? One of the things I always say from both parties, expectation management. You know, talk about your expectations.

Speaker 3

Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 5

It's not clear, I'm sure it's not easy for you to hire the right candidates, right?

Speaker 3

No, it's so true. And it's it's all about, yeah, educating both the client and the candidate on what's realistic. Um, I see it a lot now, and I don't know that it's really specific to one industry. I think people are not not fully connected to what it takes to be successful. They have these glitzy ideas, and TikTok said this, and you know, my friend said that this was possible. And it's really important to have somebody who's an expert and who has again who's seen things from so many different vantage points, who understand, who understands a wide range of different industries to be able to guide you and know actually, this is what's realistic. And actually, if we want this to work and if we want, if you want a long-term um success in this role, this is how it needs to be designed. Understanding the pitfalls and being able to, like, again, like this intuition, the collecting of this data for so long around what works and what doesn't work, you can really uh project early on where things are going to get a little bit slippery, where things can be a Can get a little bit difficult and you can create the right foundation to set everyone up for success. So that's what I specialize in.

Speaker 5

And I can only imagine what a great matchmaker you are because you bring the perspective from the EA chief of staff role, you bring the perspective of the executive role because you've been working with so many different executives out there and leaders, and you learned to, you know, to observe their leadership style. And also being your own, I mean, uh in a kind of a role where you were the brand manager, the head of people. So you were a manager yourself, so you knew exactly what needs are out there. So I think it's a perfect fit to bring into your consultancy. So would you say that's that's now me? It's my calling. I'm I'm here and I'm gonna stay there.

Speaker 3

Listen, I think that there's always more for me. It's so wild. I'm never, I'm never stagnant, but I'm also really mindful of wanting to bring a lot of substance to what I do. So it's not like I'm opening a door and I'm like, okay, onto the next, onto the next. I really want to develop this further. There's a course that I'm creating right now that speaks to exactly what we talked about here, which is this transition point in a career. Whether you're going from becoming going from employee to entrepreneur, if you just want to elevate your game as an employee, what does that look like? And what do you have to be sort of aware of? Um, it's a five-step program that really speaks to speaks to my experience and what has been incredibly beneficial. We spoke about a lot of that here. That's something I really want to um develop and and further look into. I want to do more of these podcasts and interviews and have conversations with others in the fields. I love, love your podcasts. I started diving into it and doing my research. And there's just so much that we learn from each other, right? Like community is everything and finding those communities. I have my own community actually, which I named Cocoon, spelled the German way, Kale Kalen, which is a network of like spiritually curious entrepreneurs uh who just want to know how to how to redefine success on their own terms. So, how do you redefine success in a way that is holistic, that really that's really comprehensive, and then takes into account your spirituality, your career trajectory, how you show up as a mom, how you show up as a wife, and like just the all-encompassing um philosophy of success and how you can make redefine it for yourself. And what I love about it is we have these types of conversations in a smaller setting within the community where we all talk about the pitfalls and what we're going through and what is happening behind closed doors when we're no longer performing in our roles, when the mask comes off and we're in our most vulnerable. We all need those connections. We need the people around us. Talk about, you know, having these advocates and these advisors. There's nobody like others who've gone through what you've gone through before who are doing it right now to help you navigate these moments of just the unknown, right?

Speaker 5

Yeah, it's so true, absolutely. And um I hey, I'm I'm just very happy for you, you know, because you you you are you are so centered and you know, you know, where your passion is and your expertise is and where you're good at. And I also love the way that you said this today. Like I'm I'm good at this, I'm good at that, managing people and you know, having this, um you know, just getting there, taking a deeper dive into every engagement and knowing the needs of the people. And I think we should allow ourselves to say this more often out there. You know, I'm good at this and I'm proud of this, and I I work for this, and now I take the credits, and maybe this leads me to my next position in life, position in business.

Speaker 3

So uh I think I think that's so true. I think that the like the biggest takeaway perhaps for somebody listening to this is really pay attention to where your cure curiosity ignites, right? Where you're just like the things that like we talked about, the things that you could do for free if for the rest of your life, the things that keep you up at night, the things that you constantly find yourself researching, looking up on Google, the books you're reading, what is that thing that is just your um guiding light that's your biggest motivator? Don't disregard it because with the skills that we acquire as assistants and with the things that we're exposed to and how resilient we are, and how willing we are to be of service, we are so capable of becoming the most disruptive and innovative specialists in whatever field we deeply, deeply connect to. You know, and if your soul is in it, if you know that you're connecting to this, that's you living your purpose. Don't question what it looks like or what format it comes in. I'm not even married to the idea that I'm an entrepreneur now for the rest of my life. There could be a job that shows up tomorrow where I'm like, this sounds amazing, let's go for it. I'm never right, okay. But like I love so because people always we put entrepreneurship on such a pedestal. First of all, you guys, you want to be really ready for it. You know, like it's you and you, and you have to be your own cheerleader and you have to figure this out. Luckily, you have people like myself, people like you who are always in your corner and willing to connect you and willing to support you. Look for those people, but also don't put any format on a pedestal. It's all about you, it's not about what form it comes in. It's about you utilizing your voice and your gifts in the most impactful way.

unknown

Yeah.

Speaker 3

So don't worry what form that comes in, but follow your gut and give yourself a chance to explore all of it and see what you're truly capable of.

Speaker 5

Saturate advice, absolutely. And as I was telling you before, I have a lot of people in my network that are, you know, in a transition at the moment. You know, what's the next path, what's the next journey? So um really, really great advice you're sharing with us. And hey, let us know when the course is out. Uh, we're gonna, you know, definitely promote it for our um community. Let us know. Um, very happy to share, of course, again. Fantastic. It's all about support system, right?

Speaker 2

Can I ask you something, Deanna? Sure, of course. What's next for you?

Speaker 3

So you're doing this amazing podcast. You've been nomading around for a long time now. Do you still love it?

Speaker 5

Two years. Two years, actually.

Speaker 3

Two years.

Speaker 5

So we still love it. But it's it's getting to a phase where we feel like time to settle, maybe next year, you know, because okay. We've seen a lot. I mean, imagine two years on the road is it's incredible. And then we are so grateful for the opportunity. And I'm also grateful for my clients, you know, to to allow me to operate this way from Italy, from Spain, from Dubai, wherever. Um it's just incredible how much we grew also as partners and and um also the way I look at my business. But um, yeah, I think 2025 will be a year of transition, you know, finding out what's the next place, where we're gonna stay a little longer in order to you know find out if this is a roof. Exactly. If this is the place to go, we have a few spots on our mind, of course. Um yeah, so let's see if if it's gonna be a little bit more into settlement, but also business-wise, I I love to go more into a producer. Like I have been on these ages, like I have been on these stages giving key notes and doing workshops and whatever. So I learned that I find the most joy working in a closer settings, in very private settings, like a one-on-one coaching or coaching in the executive with the chief of staff or the assistant. So I love these smaller settings instead of going on a big stage. I've I've had this for eight years, eight years of the business now almost. Um, so I really find out that I really um want to focus more on the smaller projects, but also get into a producer role like you know, producing my own events, like I'm producing my own summit. I I just did this this year for the third time. And wonderful, 124 people from um Germany, Switzerland, and Austria joined us in person or virtual. Virtual. But of course, you know, when I'm getting into more of a producer mode, of course, maybe some live events are coming because the people are asking me about it. They say, When are you gonna do a live masterclass and when are you gonna do that? So, and you know, what I also love is like giving the platform to to other wonderful experts out there. So when I get into the producer role, I don't need to be on the stage. And I always say it with um I kind of see it how actors sometimes you know go from that's right, in front of the camera to behind of the camera, like all of a sudden I'm a director, right? And um, and this is how how I feel at the moment that um I don't need to be in front of the camera anymore. Also, what one of the things is the podcast, I'm just the interviewer here, right? Um, so this is something that is definitely uh changing at the moment, yeah.

Speaker 3

I love that. And isn't that sort of it's sort of what I've been doing too, right? Like we are the these assistants and we're front facing, and then we take further and further further steps backwards to become the conductors of it all, right? Exactly. I love that for you. I know I love I love um your spirit, I love your spirit of connecting because there's something so genuinely connected, and I think that's probably why you're so successful at what you do, is you're always so willing to connect, you find such joy in connecting the right people with each other. We're so similar that way, and it's been such a gift meeting you.

Speaker 5

I was trying to remember how we met, and I couldn't actually I've never I think I reached out to you on LinkedIn or something. I I've seen something about something like that.

Speaker 3

Was it like through bass or something?

Speaker 5

Some panel that I was like, we were on the panel, we were on the panel, of course. Yes, exactly. I was blown away by your presence, so I reached out right away. Yeah, that's the same thing.

Speaker 2

Amazing how it happened.

Speaker 3

For everyone listening, that's how it works. Like, really pay attention if you speak from the heart, if you're connected to who you are and you're vocal about it, um, you the people will find you, the connections, and you will know when those like we stay in touch like periodically, right? But we're always always a text message.

Speaker 2

That's right. Like it's wonderful to have that connection.

Speaker 5

And I love getting your messages like, where are you right now? You're you know, the envelope trotter. So it's always funny, and I specifically love when you write in German to me. And of course, I cannot let you go here, you know, finishing up the podcast without saying a few words to our German um listeners, uh German-speaking listeners and viewers. But before we do that, I just want to you know ask you a last private question. I mean you're telling us a little bit about going out into the nature and doing mediation, meditation, sorry, and um you do your yoga, you have your family. What else else is out there that brings you joy? Is there any other hobby or anything where you feel like I instantly have a smile on my face when I do that?

Speaker 3

For me, it's really travel. Like I need, I need we just spend seven months living in Miami. Um, last year before that, we spent a good chunk of time in Mexico and Toulouse. Yeah, I remember. Um, we were in Costa Rica. So we had so many different um uh great adventures, like adventure with my family is really where I get inspiration because I need that lifeline of connection to other humans, right? And I need to know what how people are operating, what they're struggling with, what's going on out there. So for me, it's so nerdy to say, but travel and the work that I do is really what keeps me alive. It's just my it's my lifeline. I love it so much and I love to, I love the um the pace of it. I love to be really busy. I love to coach and guide people through their career transitions, and I love to I get so much energy from people's stories and being able to be of service and connecting the dots for them. So I'm a bit of a workaholic, but in the best sense of the term.

Speaker 5

Because you are mindful, because you're mindful to yourself, and that's that makes a difference, probably, right?

Speaker 3

Yes, and I've always there came a point where I just felt like, what is this concept of looking forward to the weekend, looking forward to vacation, or like that just gives it's giving prison, you know what I mean? If you're constantly looking for the next moment to have a rest or to have a break, to me, like the integration of both and being able to take my work wherever I go, to be able to be adventurous and then still have the connection of being of service to all these great humans that I work with, it's it's a dream.

Speaker 5

Perfect, wonderful. Wishing you all the best, and I'm very happy for this conversation and lots of takeaways for our community. And the last question I would love to ask you, and maybe you want to answer that in German. Yeah, tell me. What do you love about Hamburg?

Speaker 3

Hamburg, Hamburg, Hamburg, the Alster. I think the stuff is so unique, so green, obviously. Um, I think the level are so there's a sincerity, the man merks that they are not unbelievable warm, which they in the friends that man, that man in Hamburg made, are really friends for sustainable friends, right? Sustainable friends, and honestly, there is such an efficiency in the way you navigate life in Hamburg, in Germany in general, but like in Hamburg, it's such a big city. And I remember taking my husband there, and he was just like, the Germans just know how to do it. He's like, There's it all makes so much sense, everything's so logical. Like from the way you enter the train, from the way you exit the restaurant, like everything is placed in such an efficient way to move around. I never recognize it until you take it for granted when you live in it.

Speaker 5

I have to tell you, next time go to Switzerland, they're even better.

Speaker 2

Well, I'm about to go actually.

Speaker 3

My friend's getting married in August, so I will be in Europe this summer. So I'm really and she's in Geneva. I can't wait to be.

Speaker 5

We just got back from Switzerland. Our last stop, the digital novel stop, was uh five weeks, four weeks in Switzerland. So I've been teaching in Zurich, I've been meeting clients around the Zurich area, but we've been traveling around. We were also in the French part, uh, French speaking part of uh Switzerland. And I can tell you they top it. They simply top it, and they know that's incredible how good they are. And I I love to be in Switzerland all the time because you can even see a higher level of ship efficiency there. Yeah.

Speaker 2

I'm so excited now. Bring your husband for sure to explore Switzerland. For sure. And the kids as well.

Speaker 3

So I want to, Deanna, before we leave, I just really wanted to thank you, not just for bringing me on, which I'm so honored that you gave me a chance, but also thank you for everything that you do. I see what you're doing out there, even though we're not in concept communic contact, constant communication. I pay attention and I'm always in the sidelines, sort of paying attention to what you're doing, what you're posting about, what you're doing here on the podcast. It is so needed. It's so needed for people to hear what else is out there to feel it can be such a lonely path, as you know, to be an assistant and to not know where to turn to, how to how to be your own cheerleader, how to encourage yourself to go for more. We are superhumans, you guys. And all of us have our own unique superpower. Fact. Like nobody can tell me otherwise. And you're none of us are excluded from that. So it's just a matter of getting really, really um curious, but also get a lot of joy from um discovering what that is. Don't get stuck in this just blind servitude and like it's all for other people, and I'm such an empath. That's beautiful, that's a beautiful trait, but you're not here by accident. And you're not here to just be echoing the voices of others. You all have something really important to share in this world that is unique to you, that only you can bring to the table the way you do. And I encourage all of you to utilize this platform, what Diana is building here, these types of conversations to remind you it takes all of us to change this world. You know, and we're all here to support you. And I just command you for everything that you're doing because it's so needed.

Speaker 5

Oh, this is so beautiful. Thank you so much to hear this from you. It really means a lot. And I appreciate the very honest conversation we had. Thank you so much for giving away so much great advice.

Speaker 3

Um wait to bring this to come in a guys, I'm currently remembering my website as I told you, so I'm going to do my best to have it up by the time this comes out. But regardless, it's donataboston.com. It's really firstandlastname.com where you'll find everything that I talked about, including how you can sign up if you're looking for a new job, how you can connect in other ways if you want to be coached through career transitions, and also how to access my online community for entrepreneurs, but also any leaders. We're all leaders at the end of the day. If you need community, if you're looking for support, just reach out. And if um for whatever reason you can't get in touch, you can mute me on Donata at donataboston.com as well.

Speaker 5

And you are on LinkedIn as well. So can I use Donata on LinkedIn? I'm sure there's no excuses. Lots of new connections from especially the German speaking community, I'm sure. Absolutely. And I'm sure the Hamburg community is gonna hold up a flag as well for you.

Speaker 3

I love it. I hope nobody in Munich heard me talk about it.

Speaker 5

No, no, no, no. Don't worry. Okay, don't worry. I don't want to get in trouble with the you know, it's it's not a myth. I mean, we all know that the north and the south are totally, totally different personalities, so that's totally fine. And I grew up in Frankfurt the middle, so I'm I'm out of staying out of it. A little bit of all of it. That's amazing. That's amazing. Um, my dear friends, thank you so much. Take good care. Thank you, Alice. Dankeschön. Uh lots of greetings to LA and um, yeah, talk soon. Okay.

Speaker 2

We'll see you soon.

Speaker 5

I know you had a great time listening to this conversation with Donata. I know it was a long, long talk, but there was so much great information coming from her. And this is always the case when I talk to her. She gives such great advice. And I remember when we had around two years ago the live event I organized, the audience was captured by her wisdom and how she is really helping us to understand the situation we're in right now and that we should not be afraid of going to the next path of our journey. So thank you so much, Donata, for being here, and thank you so much, dear community, for listening and for watching, and cannot wait to get your feedback.

Speaker 1

You're listening to the Leader Assistant Podcast.com.

Head Shot

Jeremy Burrows

Host