Assist With Impact

#100 Celebrating Serendipity

04 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A solo episode celebrating 100 episodes of the podcast. Celebrating you, the lovely listener. Celebrating me for sticking with this project and celebr...

#99 Staying Calm, Clear & Centred: Interview with Linda Emslie

27 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Linda Emslie escaped the corporate rat-race and embraced a new career as a Transformation and Wellbeing specialist running her business Lovlali and us...

#98 Celebrating The Launch of My EA Career

20 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this solo episode I share with you the reasons behind my announcement that I am rebranding the business side of Being Indispensable under the banne...

#97 Interview With Michelle Broadbent: A Planner, An Organiser, A Wing-Woman and a Cheerleader for Female Entrepreneurs

13 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Throughout her career, Michelle Broadbent has been the eyes and ears for intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs across an array of industries. She has helped...

PodBombing During Covid-19: A Bit Of Fun With Kate VV

06 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A bit of fun with my daughter who is self-isolating at home during her first year at university. She is sharing a home office with me and so has been ...

#96 Presenting The Best Virtual You: Interview with Kaye Ure

31 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For many of us the Covid-19 pandemic will mean the first time we're working from home. Presenting your best self online in whatever virtual setting yo...

#94 What We Can Control In Uncontrollable Times

16 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In these times of volatility and uncertainty it can feel like we can't control anything. In this short episode I just wanted to encourage you that you...

#93 Three Ways To Show Up As Indispensable In 2020

04 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A solo episode where I share three techniques/tips that I find invaluable. I've chosen these three specifically because I use them all the time in my...

92. Road Rambling: Roaring Into 2020 In Your Own Unique Way

14 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to 2020. In this road rambling* episode Liz explores how social media can leave us feeling overwhelmed amidst the onslaught of posts telling u...

#91 Looking Back On 2019

23 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Wishing all my listeners a safe and happy Christmas. This episode is a wrap up of my year. I hope you enjoy listening to it and look forward to bringi...

#90 Knowing Your Manager's Communication Style

27 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode is all about why it's essential to understand your manager's preferred communication style. How to think about and evaluate this and s...

#89 POWER Skills for Indispensable Assistants - Curiosity

14 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The sixth in a series on POWER Skills for Indispensable Assistants. These are often called 'soft' skills but they are anything but soft.  I believe t...

#88 POWER Skills for Indispensable Assistants - Leadership Skills

29 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The fifth episode in a series about the essential POWER skills for Indispensable Assistants.  Recorded from my hotel room in Freemantle Western Austr...

#87 POWER Skills for Indispensable Assistants - Assertiveness Skills

15 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

AIOP 2019 National Conference - Liz has two tickets to giveaway. If you have the ability to get yourself to Freemantle, Western Australia then email l...

#86 POWER Skills for Indispensable Assistants: Influencing Skills

02 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the third episode in my mini-series focused on POWER skills for indispensable assistants. This week the topic is Influencing Skills. Being ...

#85 POWER Skills for Indispensable Assistants: Communication Skills

19 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The first episode in a series of episodes I'm doing on what I call Essential POWER Skills for Indispensable Assistants. Otherwise (and inadequately) d...

#84 POWER Skills for Assistants: Introduction

19 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This weeks episode is the first in a series of episodes that will focus on what Liz describes as POWER skills for Assistants. In this episode she outl...

#83 Indispensable Skills: Above & Below The Line Thinking & Behaviour

31 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

My philosophy is 'progress over perfection' and remembering to be kind to ourselves. But I'm also all about being self-aware and I came across this wa...

#82 Road Rambling: The Festival of 50

17 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Road rambling including audio of me narrowly avoiding random elderly driver in a Suffolk country lane!

#81 Interview with Lucy Brazier (Part Two)

03 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hot on the heels of Part One, here is Part Two of my interview with Lucy Brazier, CEO of Marcham Publishing, specialist  publishers  of  Executive...

#80 Interview with Lucy Brazier (Part One)

01 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Thrilled to bring you Part One of my interview with Lucy Brazier, CEO of Marcham Publishing, specialist  publishers  of  Executive  Secretary  M...

#79 Indispensable Skills - Interview with Andrea Clarke, author of 'Future Fit' (Part 2)

19 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Part Two of my interview with Andrea Clarke, author of Future Fit, How to Stay Relevant and Competitive in the Future of Work.  Find out more about A...

#78 Interview With Andrea Clarke, author of Future Fit (Part 1)

19 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Part One of my interview with Andrea Clarke, author of Future Fit, How to Stay Relevant and Competitive in the Future of Work.  Find out more about A...

#77 On Being: Road Ramble

12 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A reflection on an instance of what can only be described as male entitlement. Enjoy! Back to normal programming next week with Part 1 of my interview...

#76 Indispensable Skills: Future Fit by Andrea Clarke

29 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is a book review focusing on Chapter 4 of Future Fit by Andrea Clarke. I think this is a must-read for you because I believe that what wi...

#75 You Are More Than "Just An Executive Assistant"

23 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this weeks "Being" episode Liz reflects on a comment that was made by a participant in a workshop she ran last week. The workshop was about equippi...

#74 Indispensable Skills: Four Steps To Unhooking Your Emotions At Work

08 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Liz shares the four step approach outlined by Kathi Elster and Katherine Crowley in their brilliant book "Working With You Is Killing ...

#73 Being Human: Tips On Believing You're Good Enough

17 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In last week's episode I mentioned Amy Morin and her books on mental strength. This week I'm riffing on an Instagram post where she mentioned five tip...

#72 Indispensable Behaviours: My Recommended Reading List

03 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

I've created a new reading list on the 'resources' page of my website of books that I have read and found incredibly useful.  Go to www.beingindispen...

#71 Being A Practically Perfect PA Virtual Summit Speaker

27 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Receive a 10% discount on the ticket price by entering the code vspeaker10 at checkout Follow this link to reach the website: http://bit.ly/virtuall...

#70 Indispensable Skills: What is a Personal SWOT Analysis & Why You Should Do One

21 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Listen to this episode to get the lowdown on what a SWOT analysis is and how it can be one more tool in your self development kitbag.  Stephen Covey ...

#69 On Being Human: How Life Can Change In An Instant

05 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A special episode dedicated to Kelly Exeter. If you would like to read Anthony Exeter's six rules of life go to this link: https://www.mamamia.com.au/...

#68 How To Influence Without Authority

27 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The day to day reality for Executive Assistants is that they are required to get stuff done with no formal authority to give them clout with the peopl...

#67 On Being Human: Melting Moments

20 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A short and sweet episode this week recounting my experience at a coffee meeting yesterday to give you some insight into what it's like trying to look...

#66 Indispensable Skills - How To Develop A Shadow Organisation Diagram

11 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This weeks Being Indispensable episode is a tutorial on how to create a shadow organizational diagram as outlined by Jo Miller, an executive  coach a...

#65 On Being: Getting Up To Speed In 2019

06 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Look I made a rhyme...'getting up to speed in 2019'. Today's episode is a long time coming. I've been on a hiatus from the podcast due to family 'stuf...

#64 Indispensable Skills - Managing Your Manager

08 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Liz takes you through a play by play from one of her recent coaching engagements. In this situation the Executive Assistant was litera...

#63 On Being - An Update On 2018

12 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A check in episode sharing how 2018 is tracking for Liz on the family front. Hope your 2018 is going swimmingly! I'd love to meet you...please connect...

#62 Being Indispensable - What Is It That Makes You Indispensable As An Executive Assistant

31 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Melba Duncan says the value of an EA or Administrative Assistant is managing things your boss doesn't even know you're doing. But if they don't know y...

#61 Road Ramblings - Opening Doors I Didn't Even Know Were There

11 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A 'road rambling' episode ruminating on how much it means to have the support of listeners like Susan J and how I thank the universe that starting my ...

#60 Two Years Of Being Indispensable & Executive Secretary LIVE Comes To Sydney

27 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Being Indispensable is celebrating its two year anniversary and to help plan ahead I've created a listener survey. If you could spare a few minutes I'...

#59 Saying Yes In Order To Say No - Indispensable tips for Executive Assistants

28 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode is sharing two tips from a recent keynote presentation I did in Sydney for Office Professionals Day.  Firstly, how thinking like a Sa...

#58 About Being: I've Written A Book!

01 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Super excited to announce that I have a book coming out later this year. Yes, I will be able to officially call myself an author!!! With a working tit...

#57 Five Tips To Help Executive Assistants Manage Up

17 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week's episode is my five starter tips for approaching the topic of Managing Up. Managing Up can also be described as managing by influence. It's...

#56 About Being - Showing Compassion To Yourself

09 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing on the theme of 'being' in this episode Liz shares how in pursuit of her 2018 word 'Strengthen' she has engaged a personal trainer and has ...

#55 How To Approach Difficult Conversations - Steps for Executive Assistants

12 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Liz outlines techniques that she teaches in her workshops that focus on taking a step by step approach to preparing for and engaging i...

#54 About Being - Building My Strength In 2018

26 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The first episode about the 'being' part of Being Indispensable for 2018. Recorded on one of my walks it's all about how I've turned a corner in the i...

#53 Being Indispensable - The 10 Skills You'll Need By 2020 (And Beyond)

13 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

 According to the World Economic Forum there are 10 skills that will be vital for us to possess from 2020 and beyond. Funnily enough these are 10 ski...

#52 Changing It Up For 2018

06 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As some wise person once said, a change is as good as a holiday. Well I've had a holiday and am finally getting back to work so it's now time for some...

#51 Wrapping Up 2017 & Tying A Bow On It (Solo)

18 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A belated wrap-up of 2017 focusing on my words for the year - Move, Consider & Consistency and how I score myself against delivering on their promise....

#50 Celebrating An Important Milestone - A Road Rambling Episode

29 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Fifty episodes is a momentous milestone in the world of podcasting. Most podcasts don't make it to double digits let alone a half century. This episod...

#49 - Why Negotiating Is A Process Not Just A Conversation

15 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode is a road rambling sharing some of the points I presented to an audience of Executive Assistants at a conference in Sydney run by Intr...

#48 - How To Interview Your Boss To Clarify Expectations & Perceptions

08 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

A key area for festering mistrust and misunderstanding between Executive Assistants and their manager is around expectations and perceptions. Failing ...

#47 - How Hallie Warner is the definition of 'Lead & Assist' (Interview)

31 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Hallie Warner is the Chief of Staff for Adam Hergenrother.  For the last seven years Hallie has been Adams right hand person. She epitomises the word...

#46 - (Interview) Discovering Unicorns In Disguise With Roxanne Calder

25 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Today's podcast guest is Roxanne Calder, Managing Director of boutique office support recruitment firm EST10 based in Sydney, Australia. Roxanne has b...

#45 - Reminding Yourself That You're A Kickass Assistant

17 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We all know the benefits for team and personal morale of giving positive feedback. The weird thing is that when we are on the receiving end we can oft...

#44 Surf Rambling - Checking In

19 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Liz opens up about how anxiety and confidence issues have got in the way of her bringing regular episodes out.  This is an issue Liz has fought on an...

43. EA Leadership Summit Wrap Up - Part 2

29 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week is Part 2 of my two-part Road Rambling. It's a wrap-up of what was an excellent EA Leadership Summit 2017 run by The Growth Faculty. In the ...

#42 Watch Out Adelaide, Here I Come!

16 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week is Part 1 of my two-part Road Rambling. It's a wrap-up of what was an excellent EA Leadership Summit 2017 run by The Growth Faculty as well ...

#41 Road Rambling - I'm Back!

27 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Liz explains her recent podcasting hiatus and shares the reasons why her break has been so fulfilling. Liz is also looking forward to ...

#40 The Executive Assistant As Brand Ambassador - Conversations at Nvidia

06 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Episode #40 of Being Indispensable shines a light on two Executive Assistants (or Administrative Assistants as they are known in the USA) who work at ...

#39 Road Ramble - There's No 'Harm' In Being Kind

30 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

One thing I find really unfortunate about the realm of Executive Assistant forums is the way there seems to be a tacit acceptance that it's okay to ju...

#38 How To Stay Calm Under Pressure

23 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Staying calm under pressure is an important skill for Indispensable assistants to focus on. In Episode 38 Liz shares what it means to be unflappable, ...

#37 The What's In It For Me Question - Helping Your Executive Get Socially Savvy (Part 4)

16 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Episode 37 is the final episode in my miniseries devoted to helping you get your C-suite leader on the social media bandwagon. In this episode I disc...

#36 LinkedIn Monitoring Using The Rule Of Five - Tactics For Executive Assistants

09 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Part 3 of my series on how to help your C-Suite leader engage in social media, specifically LinkedIn. In this episode I outline a 5 step process of m...

#35 LinkedIn Tactics For Executive Assistants, Part 2 - The HOW

02 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Part 2 in my ongoing series on Helping Your Executive Get Social - being strategic and proactive in managing your business leaders social media engage...

#34 Why You Need To Help Your Executive Harness Their Social Profile

25 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Episode 34 of Being Indispensable is the first of two episodes that focus on the way engaging in social media can be a great way of demonstrating how ...

#33 Checking In On 2017 - One Quarter Down, Three To Go (Solo)

18 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

2017 is a quarter complete and it's time to get an update on how Liz is tracking with her 'Words of 2017' as well as a Health & Wellness update. This ...

#32 Building A Strategic Partnership With Your Executive

09 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Creating a strategic partnership with your C-Suite Executive is a topic of much discussion amongst Executive Assistants and educators in the professio...

#31 Road Ramblings: A Hot Sweaty Mess

02 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Coming to you from a park bench in downtown Palo Alto, California. More a garden ramble than a road ramble, Liz explains the purpose of her trip to th...

#30 Strength In Our Connections - Part 2 of Interview With Sue McComasky

20 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In Part 2 of my interview with Sue McComasky we discuss her role as National President of the Australian Institute of Office Professionals (AIOP) and ...

#29 Strength In Our Connections - Interview With Sue McComasky, National President AIOP (Part 1)

20 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Sue McComasky is an indispensable Executive Assistant who is passionate about her role and the Business Leaders she supports. The intention of Being I...

#28 Create A Great Elevator Pitch That Describes Your Business Leader

13 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week's solo episode is all about passion. Indispensable Executive Assistants demonstrate passion. They are passionate about their role, about the...

#27 Why You Need To Control Your EA Destiny - Interview With Adam Fidler (Part 2)

06 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In Part 2 of my interview Liz shares some initial results from her Survey of C-Suite Executives where she has been investigating how elements of Adam...

#26 Why You Need To Control Your EA Destiny - Interview With Adam Fidler (Part 1)

27 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In my interview with Adam we discuss his belief that Executive Assistants must take charge of their professional destiny because if they fail to do so...

#25 Get Started On Your Personal Skills Audit

20 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Liz has developed a 5 step process to identifying the skills, values and behaviours that will make you an indispensable Assistant to your business lea...

#24 How You Can Be A Star Without Needing To Be The Star

13 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

A solo episode sharing an aha moment that Liz has experienced in the process of developing a new intro for the podcast. It's a short 15 minute episode...

#23 How Wellness Is The Key To Thriving Not Surviving As An Executive Assistant - Interview with Sonia Petersen

06 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Sonia Petersen has over 15 year's experience as an Executive Assistant working with successful leaders within the construction industry. She is passio...

#22 Roxanne Calder Interview: How EST10 Is Uncovering The Invisible Ink

30 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

As Founder and Managing Director of leading boutique office support recruitment company EST10, Roxanne Calder brings a fresh approach to the table. ...

#21 Automating Your To Do List Using Tools Like Trello Can Help Executive Assistants Automate Task Management

23 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Task Management is a fundamental job role of Executive Assistants. Developing and maintaining a well managed 'to-do' list where it is easy to identify...

#20 Road Ramblings - The Christmas Edition

21 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Road Ramblings makes a comeback this week just in time for Christmas. Liz recounts how technical 'isssssews' have prevented her from doing her intervi...

#19 Being A 'Look Behind The Margarine' Kind of Executive/Personal Assistant

15 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A solo episode revisiting a metaphor that came up in Episode 17 with Kate Toon where Kate described herself as the sort of EA/PA who looked behind the...

#18 Why Executive Assistants Need To Get Comfortable With Uncomfortable Conversations

07 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

As Executive/Personal Assistants we are often in the unique position of being aware of 'problems' within our organisation. The mantra "don't bring me ...

#17 Kate Toon Interview - From Personal Assistant to Award Winning Copy Writer and SEO Expert

28 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Kate Toon is extraordinary. She is a copywriter, SEO lover, speaker, podcaster, TV presenter and trainer as well as being a mother, a wife and a small...

#16 Hilary Clinton's Email Scandal - Empathising With Her Executive Assistant & What I Know About Inbox Management

21 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Rumination and reflections on the complex situation HRC's Executive Assistant must have been in trying to juggle the demands of HRC as well as other s...

#15 Seth Godin Thinks We Should Be Indispensable Too

31 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Liz shares how the podcast title Being Indispensable was chosen in complete ignorance of the fact that Seth Godin had explored the concept in his book...

#14 Mindfulness & Revisiting the Myers Briggs Type Indicator Test

31 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week is all about making space to care for herself. As part of this Liz is doing some self-reflection and beginning the process of putting into p...

#13 Road Ramblings: Sharing about Job-Sharing

25 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Two weeks into the job-share Liz reflects on her learnings so far....systems and processes, or the lack there-of can become glaringly obvious when you...

#12 Road Ramblings: Getting Real With Myself

16 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Liz comes clean about how she hasn't allowed herself permission to not be okay post treatment for Breast Cancer. In pretending that life has gone on a...

#11 Minibee - Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies For Executive Assistants

31 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A Minibee (Mini Being Indispensable) episode where Liz ruminates on what she's learned from reading about the four tendencies that Gretchen Rubin outl...

#10 Jan Jones: Exceptional Assistant & CEO Whisperer (Part 2)

21 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In Part 2 of this interview with Jan Jones, author of "The CEO's Secret Weapon", Liz talks to Jan about the benefits of Exceptional Assistants sharing...

#9 Jan Jones: Exceptional Assistant & CEO Whisperer (Part 1)

14 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Jan Jones is an author, a businesswoman and an exceptional assistant in her own right talks to Liz about her fantastic book "The CEO's Secret Weapon" ...

#8 Embracing Creative Entitlement & Big Magic

06 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Liz opens up about the challenge of continuing to pursue her podcast journey when every fibre of her being is telling her to run away...

#7 Minibee: Habits To Break: Guilt & Over-Apologising

29 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In a week where Liz is struck down with Sinusitis and has to take a day off work, she reflects on 'guilt', a most unhelpful emotion and shares how she...

#6 Sonja Firth: Pioneering Virtual Assistant and LinkedIn Trainer

21 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In the first interview for the Being Indispensable podcast, Liz interviews Sonja Firth, an Executive Assistant who epitomises the description 'capable...

#5 Top 10 Executive Assistant Traits & Amy Cuddy TED Talk

13 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Liz gives an update on the results of her LinkedIn survey question and discusses Amy Cuddy and her research on Presence. How we can us...

#4 Road Ramblings, A Trap For Young Players

12 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The first in what is planned to become a regular addition to the Being Indispensable podcast library - road ramblings. This episode focuses on the per...

#3 Ernst & Young Australia Transforms Executive Assistant Support

12 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Liz ruminates on the potential ramifications of Ernst & Young Australia reducing costs by rolling out Virtual Assistants to support Partners and Senio...

#2 The "How", My Path To Becoming An Executive Assistant

12 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Liz outlines the role serendipity played in her decision to become an Executive Assistant. How a lunch with a friend led her to pursue...

#1 The "'Why'

12 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Being an Executive Assistant can be isolated and lonely. The relationship with the business leader whilst personal and close requires the assistant...