Part 1: How to Position Yourself Strategically 🥷

Stop thinking like an admin. Start thinking like an operator.

There is really only one difference between an EA who gets stuck at a low, dead-end salary doing calendar management, and one who earns $150k+ running strategic initiatives.

That difference is their mindset.

👉 Ask yourself: When your exec mentions a problem, do you just listen? Or do you come back with three potential solutions and a recommendation?

Do you need your exec to mention the problem, or have you predicted it ahead of time?

Are you the one showing up with the best read of any given situation, or is your exec still sharper than you?

Do you fear losing your job, or do you know your exec’s life would fall apart without you?

TIP: Make the shift 👇

• Instead of: "Your 3pm got moved to 4pm"

• Try: "I moved your 3pm to 4pm because it conflicted with the board prep you wanted to finish. I also noticed you have back-to-back meetings all week, so I blocked Friday afternoon for deep work…and put in a break so you can pee and have a snack."

Get ahead of problems, don't just react to them.

The EA in my story didn't wait for someone to assign her acquisition management. She saw the problem and solved it. That's operator thinking.

Here's your action plan:

1. Conduct an energy audit of your exec. What drains them? What gives them energy? Build your role around protecting their energy for high-value work.

2. Become the context-keeper. You sit in meetings, you read their emails, you know the politics. Use that context to anticipate what they need before they know they need it.

3. Own outcomes, not just tasks. Don't just book the investor dinner - make sure it advances the relationship

Part 2: How to Get Promoted 📈

Most EAs don't know there are actually two career paths.

PATH ONE: THE EA TRACK

• Junior EA → Senior EA → Executive EA → Chief EA

• You become more strategic but stay focused on executive support

• You might support C-level execs vs VPs, handle more complex projects, manage other EAs, etc.

PATH TWO: THE EXEC TRACK

• EA → Chief of Staff → VP Ops → COO

• You transition from supporting one exec, to owning operational functions outright

Both paths can be lucrative. I know EAs earning $200k+ because they support multiple C-level execs at major companies. I also know former EAs who became COOs and love the role they do and the multiple hats they wear.

HOW TO GET PROMOTED 👇

1. Define what promotion means to YOU. More money? Different responsibilities? Clearer scope?

2. Document your impact. Keep a running list of problems you've solved, money you've saved, and chaos you've prevented.

3. Have the conversation. "I'd like to discuss my career development. Based on my contributions to [specific examples], I'm ready for more responsibility. What would that look like here?"

Part 3: How to Get a Raise 🤑

Most EAs are underpaid because they don't know their market value.

Do your homework:

• Research EA salaries for your industry and company size

• Factor in your scope - supporting a CEO is worth more than supporting a VP

• Consider your impact, not just your title

Time this conversation with your wins, to motivate you to reach higher goals, be even more indispensable, and show up with the intention of collaborating with your exec to find something that makes you both happy.

Are you working harder than ever but feeling like you're not making the impact you're capable of?

You're not alone. Most leaders spend less than a fraction of their time in their Zone of Genius - the high-impact work that actually energizes them and moves the business.

Atlas Assistants changes that.

They don’t just match you with an Executive Assistant. You get a world-class partner, supported by proven systems and ongoing training designed to enhance your workflow.

The results speak for themselves: You shift from reactive to strategic.
From doing what’s urgent to focusing on what’s essential.
From managing everyone else’s agenda to leading from yours.

Ready to reclaim your time for what matters to you?
Click here to be matched with your Atlas EA!

Part 4: How to Actually Leverage Your EA 🤔

👉 Most execs treat their EAs like expensive schedulers. This is expensive and stupid.

Here's what you're missing:

Your EA has something you don't: comprehensive context. They read your emails, sit in your meetings, know your priorities, and understand the interpersonal dynamics on your team.

Stop using them for:

• Just calendar management

• Basic administrative tasks anyone could do

• One-off requests without context

Start using them for:

• Project management for strategic initiatives

• Stakeholder communication and relationship management

• Problem anticipation and solution development

• Cultural integration and team dynamics

How to scope their role properly:

1. Conduct an energy audit (as mentioned above). What work drains you that they could own?

2. Give them real responsibility. Like acquisition management. Or board meeting prep. Or conflict resolution between team members.

3. Include them in strategic conversations. They can't anticipate your needs if they don't understand your thinking.

4. Create advancement paths. If you want them to stay and grow, show them how.

Make sure they shadow you in as many things as possible, so they gain valuable context and insight. Choose your EA based on their IQ and EQ skills.

Part 5: Building the Partnership 🤝

The best EA-exec relationships feel telepathic. Here's how to get there:

For EAs:

• Study how your exec makes decisions

• Learn to communicate in their preferred style

• Understand their long-term goals, not just their daily tasks

For Execs:

• Share context, not just tasks

• Give feedback on their strategic thinking, not just execution

• Defend their authority when they're representing you

Weekly check-ins should sound like this:

• "What's on your mind this week that I should know about?"

• "Where do you see potential bottlenecks?"

• "What would make next week feel like a win?"

And if you’re reading this - you're already ahead.

Because you know where to find the stuff that’s actually good. Like my templates and resources, and this newsletter.

Want more operational content?

Check out Coaching Founder for over a dozen free, downloadable Notion templates to use at your company, and tons of write-ups on how to level up your execs, your teams, and yourself.

About Regina Gerbeaux

Shortly after her role as Chief of Staff, then COO, she opened her own coaching practice, Coaching Founder, and has worked with outrageously talented operators on teams like Delphi AI, dYdX, Astronomer, Fanatics Live, and many more companies backed by funds like Sequoia and Andreessen Horowitz.

Her open-sourced write-ups on Operational Excellence and how to run a scaling company can be found here and her templates can be found here.

She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, daughter, and Formosan Mountain Dog, and can be found frequenting 6:00AM Orangetheory classes or hiking trails nearby.