#366: Deborrah Mac Kenzie on Executive Assistant Superpowers

Deborrah Mac Kenzie-Meneades has over 30 years of experience in executive support.

In this episode of The Leader Assistant Podcast, Deborrah shares her assistant career story, including a bit from her experience leading EA teams, and talks about superpowers assistants have.

Show notes -> leaderassistant.com/366 

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Transcript

unknown 0:52

The Leader Assistant Podcast exists to encourage and challenge assistants to become confident, game-changing leader assistants.

Jeremy 1:10

Hey friends, welcome to the Leader Assistant Podcast. It's your host, Jeremy Burroughs, and I'm excited to welcome you to episode 366. You can check out the show notes for this episode at LeaderAssistant.com/366. So today we're going to be talking about EA superpowers, and my special guest is Deborah McKenzie. Deborah is in Boston, is that right?

Deborrah 1:40

Yes, just about like 30 miles a little over north of Boston. Yes.

Jeremy 1:45

Awesome, awesome. Well, welcome to the show. Um Deborah is currently an executive business partner and has a uh great career in executive support. So we're excited to have you on the show and chat a little bit about your story and your career. Uh, and then of course, uh, all about uh EA superpowers. So before we jump into your career, tell us uh what's one thing you like to do when you're not working?

Deborrah 2:14

Uh so my me time is riding my mountain bike or my summit bike, and I don't have to worry about cooking, cleaning, and what have you. It's all about me.

Jeremy 2:26

Nice. What's the for for a uh non-bike expert? What's the difference between a mountain bike and a summit bike?

Deborrah 2:35

Okay, so the summit bike you can pick up with two pinky fingers. It's super light, and it only has about three gears. Some people have two gears, and you're going straight up the summit.

Jeremy 2:49

Gotcha.

Deborrah 2:49

And yeah, I can do a lot of that in Vermont. I was gonna try to ride in Mount Washington, but I have not done it yet. So I will stay in Vermont for now.

Jeremy 3:02

Awesome, love it. Well, that's that's great. Uh, so tell us a little bit about your career. How did you end up becoming an EA?

Deborrah 3:13

Uh so where do I start? My undergrad is in fashion design, and that's what I started to do first and really loved it, but it was just myself, the sewing machine, and my stereo. And I got a little bored of that. Probably after a year, I remembered an aren't always talking about being a secretary, and it fascinated me what she got to do and what have you. And my my mother as well got to do a little bit of that too. So my aunt went to Birdt School, and I chose also to go to Birdett School, and it's located in the Boston area. I can't remember where hers was, I think it was out in the suburbs. But um, we were rivals with um Katie Gibbs, and it just was a school for 10 months, I think it was, and we would go to school from like eight to five every day. And yeah, I liked it and I'm still in it. And I I it's kind of funny as an EA, and I think we can all agree to this. I know we have many titles, but what other position in the world or business gets to have as much fun as we do? Because we can create it in any direction and again using your superpowers to do it. And to me, I I think that's awesome.

Jeremy 4:54

Love it. I love it. So what's your okay, so that's maybe one of the parts of the job that you love. What's one of the most frustrating parts uh about being an assistant uh over your career?

Deborrah 5:06

I think I guess being overlooked. Um because I I did strive to be the executive business partner. I did not make it. I know you introduced me that way, so I'm still striving. I'm not gonna give up. Um and uh yeah, it's hard. I think it's a hard battle for any executive assistant or any admin position to grow. And that is uh has been a struggle. And hopefully it will end.

Jeremy 5:44

Yeah, so when you say strive for it, so is that something that you're in the process of trying to get your title get a title change essentially?

Deborrah 5:53

Yes, yes. And it's not so much about the title, it really isn't. It's it's a goal. It's a goal that's been set, and I just have to conquer it.

Jeremy 6:05

Yeah.

Deborrah 6:06

And I feel like I'm there. I just still you know, I'll still go for it.

Jeremy 6:13

Yeah, totally. So tell us about where you're at currently then.

Deborrah 6:18

Okay, so currently I am using many superpowers, and you're probably asking, what are superpowers? So they can be um work great under pressure, highly confidential, constantly challenging myself. So definitely challenge yourself, strong follow-up skills and follow-through skills, employee gratitude. So where I work, we use this program called Wish List, and we get to say thank you to other employees, even the senior leadership team. It's actually really nice. It even puts birthdays on there and things like that. And learning to keep positive. I know it's a hard thing to do, but keep in that moment and being known that you're trustworthy, because this allows you to be that sounding board and to, and it, in my opinion, it's always helped me to be part of the, if you want to call the CEO round table. So where the SLT sit, you yourself, and you get to speak. And you're present also at annual retreats that you put together. Ours are usually in the New England area. It's not like we have to fly to them. So that's nice. Not that I haven't done trips like that, um, but it just makes it a little nicer that it's locally. And I guess typical administrative work is well. And I think that's about it for my superpowers. Well, there's more, but I don't want to talk about all of them.

Jeremy 8:09

Yeah, so what uh when did your mindset shift um throughout your career as an assistant from hey, you know, I'm just a I'm just a task doer, or I'm just a you know order taker, to I'm actually I've got these superpowers, I'm actually a leader, I've actually got influence, and this is more of a uh strategic partner career than just doing what people ask me to do.

Deborrah 8:39

Yes. So I started off as a marketing secretary, and from there I went into administrative assistant, and from there I was the executive assistant to a CEO. And then at that point, I could see where I was needed and would step in. So at that point, also we worked on in a subsidiary company, and when my CEO went to the larger company, I didn't know where I was gonna stand. And he said to me, I hope you're coming. So, of course. And then he was he headed up the strategy department in this company, and I guess I created great branding because when the new CEO came on board, he said, Who's the best EA? And I was voted, and I was super excited, and that was really the seat that I knew I had to learn and grow in. And that was a good I think I want to say 30 years ago.

Jeremy 9:51

Right.

Deborrah 9:52

So I've been supporting CEOs, CFOs, um, legal counsels ever since then. Um, but primarily CEOs. I like the business part. The CFO side, I'm okay with numbers, I but I'm more into the business. And I've always heard, and I'm not sure if it's true, you're either good at one or the other. So you're either a business person or a number person, and I guess I'm business.

Jeremy 10:22

Nice, nice. Yeah, I'm definitely not a numbers person. I like to I like it when the numbers, I like it when our goals are quantifiable and I can and trackable, but I don't like when I have to be the one to to do the math and figure out the numbers.

Deborrah 10:38

Yeah.

Jeremy 10:41

Awesome. So really it sounds like the the big shift for you was when that EA to CEO position opportunity came, and then the CEO and the leadership team was very like supportive and um you know affirmed your your value.

Deborrah 11:04

Yes. And then by like 2006 or seven, I worked at a company where they allowed me to get my master's degree and they paid for it. So at that point, I learned a lot, like a lot of the financial end as well as the business end, how outside of the company, you know, affects the company and the overall and what have you. And again, I leaned towards the business and as well as the marketing side. So I love being creative. As EAs, I know we have to be creative as well and problem solving and what have you. So I think that helped a lot as well. I'm not saying everybody has to get a master's degree, but I I you know was appreciative that the company said, Hey, would you like to do this? And I was on board. Yeah. It's it's helped me tremendously.

Jeremy 12:03

How so you did that while you were working?

Deborrah 12:05

Yes.

Jeremy 12:06

So how long did it take?

Deborrah 12:07

And it was kind of cool while I was working on we did like four-day work weeks, 10-hour shifts. And my classes, I would do all my homework on Friday, and my classes were on the weekend, sometimes in the evening, but primarily on the weekend.

Jeremy 12:22

Wow.

unknown 12:22

Yeah.

Jeremy 12:23

So do you how about how long did that take? Do you think three years? Three years? Wow.

Deborrah 12:28

Yeah, it was tough.

Jeremy 12:29

I was gonna say that sounds like a busy three years.

Deborrah 12:32

Yeah, no, it was tough. I think my dog even hated me.

Jeremy 12:38

Well, that's awesome. So, what would you say is something that you learned on the job that you didn't that you just there's no way somebody could learn in the formal education MBA process?

Deborrah 12:54

Well, I that's kind of funny. There's I guess there's a lot of things. One would be personalities, there's always different personalities. Um I know that there's this book. Um I forget. It's that that book in graduate school helped me out because of personalities. So it's like four different pillars, and you put those people in those pillars, then you know how to speak to them. Because sometimes when you say something communication-wise, even written, you the verbal part might get lost, the written part gets lost, and or it's just a big no, we've done that, blah, blah, blah. So that book helped me to say, well, let's look at it this way, or well, how did you see it? Like, what went wrong? Like it helped me to ask the right questions than just say, oh, okay, it's been done, forget it. So I think that was a huge step that I and I still use it today. Actually, I just finished a six-month program with um a company for administrative people, and I was I learned my new superpower that I'm a very eloquent writer. Um, I didn't realize that, but I actually hear it when I speak as well now. And I'm glad she, you know, let me know.

Jeremy 14:22

That's awesome.

unknown 14:23

Yeah.

Jeremy 14:24

So let's talk a little bit about your network or your working relationship with other assistants. Did you work on a team of assistants uh throughout your career? Have you been the only assistants? Um, and then if you have been the only assistant, how did how did you like maybe try to network with other assistants at other companies? Tell tell us a little bit about that.

Deborrah 14:48

Okay. So I've it's been a little bit everything. I've been part of a team. I I've been the senior EA to the administrative team three times. And what I usually do is I go by their strengths. Whatever they're strong in, that is that workload's going in that direction. Um, mine always seems to end with points. So um I excel in SharePoint, I excel in PowerPoint. So if there's a any other program out there that ends at a point, let me know. Um but so I've always been asked by like HR, can you do this for me? Because I'm highly confidential, I'm happy to uh orchestrate anything for them. So I always seem to have a dotted line in that direction. And and to actually train other EAs. This is how PowerPoint works, let's make it fun, bring in pitches, and let's like see how they change and things like that. So um, in and even with um what is it? Um like calendar setting, people don't realize that it has like a calendar so that you can put the time in it so it's on the other side of the world. I've seen EA sit there and count the hours and then put the time in, and I'm like, what are you doing? Like it already does that, and like being able to help them with things like that, and then saying, hey, let's put together a monthly meeting so that we can drive and train one another and see what one another knows that the other doesn't know has always helped. And yeah, how did they look there as a team?

Jeremy 16:44

So, how did you end up leading those in those points in your career where you were kind of overseeing the EA teams? Was it something that you you know were looking for? Like, hey, uh I want to do this, or did they just throw, hey, sorry, uh Deborah, you're in charge of these assistants now.

Deborrah 17:04

Yeah. So no, I wasn't looking for it, and it was tossed my way, and uh I it was just kind of funny. I I just remember going home saying, How do I do this? and looking at myself saying, Well, these are my strengths, what are they? So I would meet with them individually to find out what their strengths are and then bring them together as a group and say, you know, how do we use one another's strengths? Do we want to be in a bullpen and people say, hey, I need help with Excel, I'll give it to you. Because if you can't support your CFO, somebody else in that group has to be able to support them if you don't have that skill set. But we're gonna teach you how to and then just keep building it from there. Um and I think the last almost 10 years, maybe I've been the solo EA. There hasn't been any other EAs. I mean, I think companies have really buckled down on, you know, keeping a lean kind of employee organization. I don't think any company wants to lead people off or what have you, so keeping it lean um has helped, you know, yeah get out of that problem. And it and it's I'm actually fine with it because now I get to team up with either senior leadership, management, directors, get their spin on different things that maybe I don't see it. And I believe that's helped me as well. Yeah. Being flexible.

Jeremy 18:51

Yeah, I could see how you know if you're leading a team or you're part of a big EA team, you're spending a lot of time with them, it takes takes away some of that opportunity, or it could take away some of that opportunity to learn from those executives and um, you know, pull you away from some of those maybe leadership team meetings and whatnot.

Deborrah 19:09

Yes. No, I agree. Yes.

Jeremy 19:12

Well, Deborah, what what's something is as we wrap up, thanks again for being on the show. What what's something that you wanted to share with or maybe some final thoughts um with assistants all over the world who are listening right now? Um and no pressure though, because they're just doing their dishes and they're just driving to work. There's it's not like they're uh they're you know, it's not a super pressure moment, but there are uh hopefully thousands of people listening right now, and uh there are assistants in different parts of the world, uh different sizes of organizations, different sizes of teams, different temperaments of executives, um, and everything in between. So what's uh what's something you want to share now that you've got the microphone?

Deborrah 20:00

Um I think what comes to mind when we talk about superpowers, find out what your superpowers are and really get good at them. And how do you find out what they are? You will definitely hear about them during your annual review. What you're not good at and what you're good at. And the ones you're good at, just keep getting better at them. Then next year, add more. It could even just be one, but know that you're getting better at it and really get better at it. It's it's helped my career. Um, I've often been asked by CEOs why do you do what you do? Um, because I'm good at it. It's like going to work and having fun, not really. I mean, it's You gotta balance a lot of stuff, but I'm having fun what I do and and growing. It's just if you're not growing, maybe you're gonna find the right EA position and what have you, but it's it truly is. It's been a really nice career for myself. Um and really find her superpowers and make them as strong as possible. It truly has helped me.

Jeremy 21:22

Love it. Well, thank you, Deborah, for sharing. And uh for those that want to connect with Deborah, I've got the show notes at leaderassistant.com slash three six six and we'll link to your LinkedIn uh page so people can connect and say hi. Um and uh yeah, just uh really appreciate you taking time out of your day and thank you for your uh support work over the years and in the career, the administrative professional career. Um, and hopefully we'll get to uh connect in Boston sometime.

Deborrah 21:59

Yes, I would love that. And I think we can all say thank you for your great book as well. I um if you look as I show you here, I have many tabs. So they've helped me. I like keep it simple when you do a task, the action and what have you. So that's helped me. It's those simple things, you know, like sometimes we overthink.

unknown 22:23

Yeah.

Jeremy 22:24

Well, that's great. Thanks for the the kind words and for reading the book and um marking it up and putting all the post-it notes in the in the in the tab. So uh, but yeah, thanks again. Best of luck to you, and thank you everyone for listening. Again, leaderassistant.com slash three six six to check out the show notes, and we'll talk to you next time.

Deborrah 22:44

Great. Thank you.

Diana 22:45

Have a great day.com.