Ask An Assistant

Jess Lindgren shares lessons learned, best practices, and actionable advice from her 20+ years as an administrative professional. Submit your questions at askanassistant.com for consideration!

AAA68 | Speak Soon! 05/06/2025

AAA68 | Speak Soon! Esteemed Colleagues, hello! It's been too long...and it will be juuuuust a bit longer. I'm feeling much improved on the pneumonia and bronchitis front, but now I've lost my voice! Two of my favorite housemates step in to record in my stead. I hope to drop an episode or two later this week - I miss you! xo Jess /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/36450295

AAA67 | See You Next Week 04/29/2025

AAA67 | See You Next Week Still riding high on the recovery train! While I am much improved since falling ill on April 14th, I have a long way to go. I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/36351420

AAA66 | AdminProDay 2025 04/22/2025

AAA66 | AdminProDay 2025 Happy Administrative Professionals Day/Week to all who celebrate! At the time of recording, I am recovering from having pneumonia and bronchitis at the same time! The message up top is short and sweet, the episode that follows is evergreen and dear to my heart. All tickets to Ask An Assistant #AdminProDay events have been refunded. Thank you to everyone who enrolled, your belief in me is humbling, and I look forward to learning together later this year, and always. I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/36255015

AAA65 | AI - Yay or Nay? 04/15/2025

AAA65 | AI - Yay or Nay? Esteemed Colleague Jen has questions about AI - do I use any, can I recommend any programs, and do I worry that AI is coming for my job as an EA? I'm hosting three sessions for Administrative Professionals Day 2025 - it would be an honor to have you join me for any/all of them: I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/36144040

AAA64 | Scheduling the Right Amount of Time with Anyone and Everyone 04/08/2025

AAA64 | Scheduling the Right Amount of Time with Anyone and Everyone Esteemed Colleague Nat writes in with a question about scheduling the right amount of time with people who need time on their executive's calendar. I'm hosting three sessions for Administrative Professionals Day 2025 - it would be an honor to have you join me for any/all of them: I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/36048445

AAA63 | April Housekeeping 04/08/2025

AAA63 | April Housekeeping Welcome to April housekeeping! Ask An Assistant Episode 15: Administrative Professionals Day happenings: // (no H!) // Let me know how you're cultivating/maintaining community, whether at home or at work. It's so important - now more than ever. <3 I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/36048525

#AdminProDay Announcement 04/01/2025

#AdminProDay Announcement See you there! xo Jess /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/35955405

AAA62 | Responsive vs Reactive 03/28/2025

AAA62 | Responsive vs Reactive Let's talk about the importance of language when it comes to considering ourselves to be responsive vs reactive! I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/35902145

AAA61 | My Favorite Scheduling Tool 03/18/2025

AAA61 | My Favorite Scheduling Tool Today's question comes from Esteemed Colleague, Kate. They have a question about scheduling tools, and I Have Thoughts. Listen in and let me know what you use! I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/35740495

AAA60 | Job Hunting Tips 03/11/2025

AAA60 | Job Hunting Tips Today's question comes from Esteemed Colleague, Rae. They have a question about job hunting, and I share my thoughts on the matter. I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/35622560

AAA59 | Remote, Hybrid, and In-Office Work Arrangements 03/05/2025

AAA59 | Remote, Hybrid, and In-Office Work Arrangements Today's question comes from Esteemed Colleague Caitlyn. Welcome, listeners from the Leader Assistant Podcast! I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/35539815

AAA58 | March 2025 Housekeeping 03/04/2025

AAA58 | March 2025 Housekeeping I'm coming to your ears with a few housekeeping items for March 2025! Employee Appreciation Day is Friday, March 7th, 2025. You can listen to , and know that the advice is evergreen. It's time change o'clock in a decent chunk of the world this weekend! has the details for the first half of the year's time change. You can also listen to on Daylight Saving(s) Time, and know that my rage at the time shifting system is evergreen. A full episode will release by EOB Pacific today. AAA 59 needed a little more time in the editing phase than usual. If you're feeling fancy, please consider signing up for the and/or (and/or Apple podcasts premium once I get that set up). Your support means the world, and I don't have a show without you. . I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/35524055

AAA57 | Tips for Remembering Names 02/25/2025

AAA57 | Tips for Remembering Names Esteemed Colleague Brenda is asking for tips on remembering names in the office. Spoiler alert - like so many things in life, it's a practice! I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/35418855

AAA56 | Clean Your (Physical) Desktop | Roughly Quarterly 02/18/2025

AAA56 | Clean Your (Physical) Desktop | Roughly Quarterly It's Roughly Quarterly time! Here is a refresher on the projects we tackled in 2024: Q1, Template Refresh, AAA 8: Q2, Seek and Destroy Large FIles, AAA 20: Q3, Subscription Audit, AAA 30: Q4, Email Signature Refresh, AAA 43: AAA 11, Office Cleaning Schedule: I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/35324520

AAA55 | Dogs in the Office 02/11/2025

AAA55 | Dogs in the Office Esteemed Colleague Vanessa wrote in to ask about whether they should allow dogs in the office. The answer is simple but nuanced. Let me know what you think! I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/35233870

AAA54 | Dongles 02/04/2025

AAA54 | Dongles Esteemed Colleague Lauren wrote in to ask about a pet peeve in the office relating to adapters, and asked if I could relate. COULD I EVER. Lauren, you're not alone, and I hope my commiseration (and solution) prove helpful. I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/35141845

AAA53 | With vs For | Importance of Language Series 01/28/2025

AAA53 | With vs For | Importance of Language Series Today, I'm talking about the importance of language, and specifically, the notion of working WITH someone vs FOR someone. This has been a very important practice in my life - let me know how it sits with you! The other episodes in the Importance of Language Series that were mentioned in this episode: AAA 25: AAA 40: I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/35042395

AAA52 | Minimizing Distractions on your Phone 01/21/2025

AAA52 | Minimizing Distractions on your Phone Let's talk about minimizing distractions on our phones! I try to think of my phone as a tool rather than a toy, and minimizing distractions as a practice. Let me know if you try any of these tips and how you feel after. :) I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/34936440

AAA51 | Supporting Employees, Colleagues, and Fellow Humans Through a Disaster 01/14/2025

AAA51 | Supporting Employees, Colleagues, and Fellow Humans Through a Disaster Go Fund Me campaigns for Black families in LA: Solidarity and Snacks: Junior High LA: Leola Lula, my esthetician, who is replacing skincare routines for people affected by the fires: Blair Imani: Caroline Moss's suggestion to 'adopt' a GFM and see it through to its goal: Nora McInerny's formula for helping: ----- I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/34846085

AAA50 | January 2025 Housekeeping 01/07/2025

AAA50 | January 2025 Housekeeping Burnout session: I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/34752820

AAA49 | Until Next Year 12/31/2024

AAA49 | Until Next Year Until next year, Esteemed Colleagues! xo Jess Top three episodes of 2024: AAA 26 | 1:1 Frequency and Format: AAA 39 | Task Management Systems: AAA 42 | Weird Requests: I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/34666740

AAA48 | Unplugging Over the Holidays 12/24/2024

AAA48 | Unplugging Over the Holidays Burnout session: Esteemed Colleague Abby needs advice for ACTUALLY unplugging from work over the holidays. I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/34596690

AAA47 | Owning up to Mistakes 12/17/2024

AAA47 | Owning up to Mistakes Esteemed Colleague Dana needs advice for a big, expensive mistake. I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/34480260

AAA46 | Laptop Bags For The Executive Assistant On The Go 12/10/2024

AAA46 | Laptop Bags For The Executive Assistant On The Go Esteemed Colleague Julie wants to know what I'm using for a laptop bag these days, and what she might consider for herself. I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/34360225

AAA45 | Scheduling Annual Board Meetings for your Exec 12/03/2024

AAA45 | Scheduling Annual Board Meetings for your Exec Does your exec serve on a dizzying number of boards? Does the cadence of the meetings stress you out? You've got this! Give Ask An Assistant #45 a listen (that's this one), take some notes, and get your exec's board of directors service wrapped up in a nice, tidy little package. With a bit of proactive maneuvering, managing board meetings, travel, and follow up can be a breeze. I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/34148555

AAA44 | Gifting in the Office 11/26/2024

AAA44 | Gifting in the Office As 2024 winds down and we are eyeballs deep in the holiday season, gifting is top of mind. Give this episode a listen for my thoughts on giving a gift to your executive. Spoiler - it depends! Other Ask An Assistant episode mentioned in this episode: Boss's Day, AAA 37: I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/34148260

AAA43 | Roughly Quarterly Email Signature Refresh 11/19/2024

AAA43 | Roughly Quarterly Email Signature Refresh Roughly Quarterly projects from 2024 Q1, Template Refresh, AAA 8: Q2, Seek and Destroy Large FIles, AAA 20: Q3, Subscription Audit, AAA 30: Q4, Email Signature Refresh, AAA 43 - that's this episode! I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/33990537

AAA42 | Weird Requests 11/12/2024

AAA42 | Weird Requests Ask An Assistant episode 17, Good/Fast/Cheap: Ask An Assistant episode 6, Time Split Talk: I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/33892207

AAA41 | Mail Merges 11/05/2024

AAA41 | Mail Merges How to do a mail merge, I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/33788532

AAA40 | Specificity in the Workplace | Importance of Language Series 10/29/2024

AAA40 | Specificity in the Workplace | Importance of Language Series Time zones and names and days of the month, oh my! Obviously, this specificity doesn't only apply to the workplace, take these thoughts and apply them in your world wherever they're...applicable. Episode 10/my thoughts on DST: I always love to hear from you: Book a 1:1 with me: Lay your comments, questions, thoughts, and concerns on me. Have an awesome week! xo Jess Want a note from me and my IBM Selectric II typewriter? Write to me here and I'll type back soon: Jess Lindgren 4465 E Genesee Street STE 114 Syracuse, NY 13214 /episode/index/show/askanassistant/id/33663592

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