REACH - A Podcast for Executive Assistants

RoseMarie Terenzio spent five years as the Chief of Staff to John F. Kennedy Jr. at George Magazine, operating at the center of one of the most highly scrutinized media and celebrity relationships of the 1990s. Working alongside both John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy during the height of public fascination surrounding the couple, RoseMarie managed the constant demands, pressure, and visibility that came with supporting an American icon. Today, RoseMarie is a two-time New York Times bestselling author, co-author of JFK Jr: An Intimate Oral Biography, Executive Producer of I Am JFK Jr., and Vice President at Avoq where she specializes in strategic communications and crisis management work for high-profile leaders and organizations. In this episode of REACH, RoseMarie shares what it was really like to support JFK Jr. behind the scenes, navigate the evolving relationship between celebrity and media, and balance the mythology surrounding one of America’s most famous couples with the private realities of the people behind the headlines. To explore more of RoseMarie’s work, click the links below: Fairy Tale Interrupted: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1439187681?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_6GQPE6YGD35C4986D1ZG_1&bestFormat=true JFK Jr: An Intimate Oral Biography: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1668018527?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_VJXGGNAFD1F5YPTPY2XD_1&bestFormat=true Avoq: https://teamavoq.com/people/rosemarie-terenzio/

Happy Administrative Professionals Week! As promised, we have double the content for you this week. On today’s episode of REACH, we’re joined by Nicky Christmas, Founder of EA Campus and a globally recognized voice in the executive support space. Nicky has built her career around elevating the role of the Executive Assistant, helping assistants move beyond task execution and into true strategic partnership. Through EA Campus, she’s worked with thousands of EAs around the world, equipping them with the mindset, frameworks, and confidence to operate at a higher level. What makes Nicky’s perspective especially valuable is her focus on the realities of the role that aren’t always formally taught. The nuance, the judgment calls, and the moments where there is no clear right answer. In this episode, we explore what it really means to operate in the gray. How to make decisions without a playbook, build trust with your executive, and confidently step into a more strategic, operator mindset. It’s not too late to join Nicky in person or remotely. The EA Campus Conference is running this week, April 22–24, 2026, at ISH Venues in London and online. Find out more and register here: https://theeacampus.com/conference/ You can also learn more about Nicky and access her resources at https://theeacampus.com/

In this episode of REACH, we’re joined by Julia Menez, founder of GeoBreeze Travel and host of the GeoBreeze Travel Podcast. Julia is a travel strategist and points expert who has built a loyal following by helping professionals maximize credit card points, airline miles, and loyalty programs to unlock elevated travel experiences. For Executive Assistants and Personal Assistants, travel planning is a critical part of the role. Julia shares how assistants can take a more strategic approach to booking travel, using points and rewards programs to maximize budgets, unlock upgrades, and create seamless, high-quality experiences for their executives. Whether you’re managing frequent business travel or looking to level up your approach to planning, this conversation offers practical insights on how to turn travel logistics into a true value-add. You can learn more about her offerings at: https://geobreezetravel.com/

Supporting a living legend in the food world comes with unique challenges and extraordinary rewards. As Executive Assistant to René Redzepi, the visionary Danish chef and co-owner of Noma, the three Michelin-star restaurant repeatedly named the best in the world, Matthew McGuigan has a front-row seat to one of the most influential culinary minds of our time. Originally from Sydney, Matthew’s path to Noma is anything but ordinary. A professionally trained musician turned entrepreneur, he built his own EA and virtual assistant business in Berlin before finding his rhythm in the fast-paced world of fine dining. His artistic discipline and creativity now help him navigate the intricate choreography behind one of the most celebrated restaurants on the planet. In this episode, we talk about what it means to support one of the world’s greatest food innovators, the power of food to connect people and cultures, and the massive logistical feat of moving an entire restaurant, staff, families, and ingredients for Noma’s legendary global pop-ups.

In this episode of REACH, we’re joined by Tyler Macaulay, Senior Executive of Charter Sales at Quantum Jets, a private aviation company dedicated to making executive travel seamless, efficient, and stress-free. Quantum Jets’ innovative mobile app and dedicated support team give Executive Assistants and advisors everything they need to plan private travel. Tyler brings insider expertise on everything from selecting the right aircraft to navigating private airports, coordinating timing, managing in-flight details, and even arranging for pet travel. Together, we’ll demystify the world of private aviation, explore how it compares to commercial travel, and highlight common pitfalls to avoid when booking flights for your executive. You’ll walk away with practical strategies and best practices to make private travel smoother and more impactful for both you and your executive. Sponsor: Quantum Jets – Seamless Booking and Trip Management Quantum Jets offers an all-encompassing platform designed to simplify private travel and make life easier for busy EAs. Leveraging Quantum’s technology and dedicated support, you can: Compare multiple quotes side by side Communicate securely within the platform (no endless email chains or texts) Access over 1,500+ priced empty legs in real time Live flight tracking from departure to arrival, even on aircraft with blocked tail numbers that are usually not visible to the public Enjoy secure access to trip sheets and invoices anytime It’s everything Executive Assistants need to manage private aviation for their executives, all in one place. ✨ Download the Quantum Jets app today (available on Apple and Android) and use code REACH to receive a $1,000 flight credit. For trips under $20,000, $500 will apply toward your first booking and $500 toward your next. For trips over $20,000, the full $1,000 credit applies to your first trip.

In this episode of REACH, we’re joined by longtime friend of the Maven community and executive coach, Michael “Coop” Cooper. With over 20 years of experience coaching executives and teams, Coop specializes in helping organizations align, collaborate, and perform at their highest potential. His work spans leadership accelerators, team alignment workshops, and coaching on the Brain Types framework, a tool that helps individuals better understand how they think, communicate, and respond under pressure. We dive into what makes a high-performing team, how leaders can foster clarity and cohesion, and the common blind spots that hold teams back. Coop also shares actionable insights for Executive Assistants supporting C-suite leaders, especially when navigating misalignment or communication breakdowns. If you’re looking to deepen your influence, drive alignment across your organization, or better understand how to show up at your best under stress, this episode is a must-listen! If your team or organization is ready to operate at a higher level of alignment, collaboration, and performance, you can explore Coop’s offerings at highperformanceorgs.com.

Bridging the worlds of food, writing, and the behind-the-scenes realities of celebrity chefs, today’s guest is a true powerhouse! Laurie Woolever is best known as the longtime assistant and trusted collaborator of the legendary Anthony Bourdain. But her story stretches far beyond that role, from working as a receptionist, a private chef to a UHNW health-conscious family, to graduating from culinary school and serving as assistant to Mario Batali at the height of his fame. Laurie’s career evolved into food media and writing, culminating in co-authoring several books with Bourdain. A three-time New York Times bestselling author, she completed World Travel: An Irreverent Guide after Bourdain’s passing and penned Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography. Her latest memoir, Care and Feeding, is a raw, witty, and moving reflection on carving out her own voice while supporting someone else’s. In this episode, we dive deep with Laurie into her memoir Care and Feeding and the pivotal events that have shaped her life. Laurie pulls back the curtain on navigating the world as an assistant to larger-than-life culinary personalities, breaking into food media, and forging a new path as a writer. We explore the highs and lows of her journey, as she reflects on years spent supporting others and how it ultimately led her to tell her own story. You don’t want to miss this amazing episode and Laurie’s insights on what it truly means to find your own voice after a career spent amplifying others!

We’re thrilled to bring you a truly special episode of REACH—one that’s been years in the making! For the first time, we’re hearing from both an Executive and her former Executive Assistant in a joint conversation about what it takes to build a powerful, productive partnership. In this episode, we sit down with Varsha Rao, Founder and CEO of Zeal AI, and Sheena Deol, who supported Varsha during her time as CEO of Nurx. Their partnership spanned 3.5 years, and the insights they share about trust, communication, and operating as a true extension of one another are nothing short of inspiring. You’ll also get an inside look at Varsha’s newest venture, Zeal AI—an AI-powered restaurant discovery and booking assistant that’s designed to make planning business meals effortless. Whether you’re booking client dinners, private dining rooms, or just trying to find the perfect spot during travel, Zeal AI is quickly becoming an indispensable tool for EAs. Sponsor: This episode of REACH is sponsored by Zeal AI your AI-powered restaurant discovery and reservation planning assistant designed to make organizing business dinners and meetings effortless and memorable. Whether you’re looking for the perfect restaurant for your team, board meetings, client lunches, including private dining options, near your office or for business travel, Zeal AI brings it all together in one place. Zeal’s intuitive AI search helps you discover and book restaurants across platforms—saving you time and stress and includes reviews from other EAs who’ve booked for business. Zeal AI also has private dining options that have been vetted by other EAs to simplify your work. As a special thank you to our listeners, the first 500 Executive Assistants to visit www.hellozeal.ai/maven will receive exclusive VIP access, including Zeal’s innovative EA agent that helps you handle complex booking tasks with ease. Less planning, more doing—thanks to Zeal AI!

We’re excited to share our conversation with Eliza Leoni, Senior Consultant at Decker Communications, who has extensive experience coaching senior leaders on high-stakes communication. Eliza’s expertise spans a range of critical areas—from leading presentations to large audiences, managing organizational change, and navigating difficult conversations. In this episode, we dive into the role of narrative in driving change, especially for Executive Assistants. You’ll hear how storytelling can shape team dynamics, keep everyone aligned during uncertainty, and help influence without formal authority. This is a must-listen for anyone looking to strengthen their communication skills and make an impact in their organization. Don’t miss out on the valuable insights Eliza has to offer!

In this episode we hear from none other than Libby Moore who spent over a decade supporting the legendary Oprah Winfrey. Prior to her impressive tenure with Oprah, Libby supported Jann Wenner media mogul and co-founder or Rollingstone magazine as his Executive Assistant as well as talk show personality Maury Povich as a Personal Assistant. Libby has been featured for her noteworthy career in publications such as Forbes, Forty Over Forty and Smart Company and today, we get to hear about how she has embraced spirituality in the workplace throughout the various twists and turns in her career. Following her time with Ms. Winfrey, Libby transitioned into her now career as an Executive Life Coach. You can learn more about her offerings at https://libbymoore.com/.

In this episode of REACH, we’re welcoming a baller Executive Assistant panel, showcasing 3 incredibly accomplished executive assistants who worked together at Slack for many years as part of the PDE EA Team. In addition to their roles as individual contributor EAs, as leaders within the EA org they also implemented best practices, developed career pathing for EAs, supported with onboarding and navigated the complexities of an acquisition and the ensuring change management (Salesforce acquired Slack in 2021). Joining us is returning REACH guest from Season 2, Shelley Trask, who formerly supported the CTO of Slack for over 6 years. Next, we’re joined by Sam Andonian who is currently the Lead Admin to Lidiane Jones, CEO of Bumble and has worked for companies like Slack, Google and Disney. And, rounding out our panel is Ellen Grosswiler, who currently supports the VP of Engineering at Figma and was an EA at Slack for nearly 5 years. Together, our esteemed guests will provide valuable perspectives on how they operate as Lead EAs, offering guidance on leadership responsibilities, mentorship, culture and how they navigate a managerial role within the realm of executive support.

With Mother’s Day right around the corner, we thought it’d be fun to do an episode specifically for the working moms! In this episode of REACH, we’ll be delving into a conversation that resonates deeply with many: balancing the demands of motherhood and an elite Executive Assistant career working at the top of the professional ladder. We welcomed remarkable guest Camille Howard for this feel good conversation. Camille’s journey to the top is nothing short of inspiring. A US veteran who transitioned seamlessly into the corporate world, Camille now serves as a C-level Executive Assistant supporting the CEO of Mastercard. Beyond her professional accolades, Camille embodies the essence of resilience and balance, seamlessly navigating the intricacies of both career and motherhood. Listen in as Camille shares her insights, experiences, and invaluable wisdom on how she manages the delicate dance between her role as an Executive Assistant and her cherished role as a mother. We’ll explore the unique challenges she’s encountered, the strategies she’s employed to overcome them, and the profound impact her role has had on enabling the executives she’s supported to also reclaim precious time for their personal lives. And last but not least, Happy Mother’s Day!