Happy Friday! We hope you’ve had a great start to November, I still can’t believe how fast the year is flying.

I’ve gotten a wave of messages the past few weeks, readers, LinkedIn followers, and EAs saying they’re scared of layoffs, hearing rumors of a restructure, or already impacted.

My heart breaks every time because I’ve been there. And I know how quickly the self-doubt hits:

“Am I not great at this?”
“Is this my fault?”

The truth: No!

Layoffs are almost always caused by overspending, budget cuts, missed forecasts, leadership changes, or department consolidation, not your performance.

Let’s jump in👇

With love and lots of Coffee, ☕

Chrissy

Whether layoffs are happening around you or you’re just feeling the shift in the air, here’s what every EA should be doing right now to stay ahead:

Don’t wait until you’re panicking or emotional. Update it while you’re calm. Add your wins, your scope, and the tangible impact you’ve had this year.

If you haven’t kept receipts, now is the time. Use the Win Tracker (linked below) so you’re not scrambling to remember what you accomplished.

📥 Download our free Wins Tracker and start keeping track of every win, big or small. It’s the easiest way to stay ready when opportunities (or surprises) hit.

Quiet performers get overlooked during restructures. Visibility doesn’t mean bragging, it means making your value obvious. Share updates with your exec, tighten your weekly reports, and remind stakeholders what you’re driving forward.

Treat your LinkedIn like your professional portfolio, not just another social profile. Highlight the problems you’ve solved throughout your career, the offsites you rescued, the chaos you untangled, the executives you leveled up & the systems you built.

LinkedIn is often the first place recruiters check, so give them something that stands out. And don’t just post, connect! Add other EAs, operators, and leaders you admire. Your network is an asset, use it.

Not when you need something- now. Check in with former coworkers, past managers, and EAs you admire. A simple “thinking of you” message goes further than you think.

Join Office of the EA for The Art of EA Event Planning, a free virtual panel + networking session powered by Offsite, designed for the EAs who somehow make chaos look effortless.

We’ll cover real strategies, hard lessons, and the behind-the-scenes magic behind everything from board dinners to multi-day offsites.

🗓️ November 19 | 12:30 PM ET
🎟️ Free to attend — register now before your exec forwards you the link 😉

Right now, every open EA role has hundreds (sometimes thousands) of applicants. If you want to rise to the top of the list, you can’t rely on a résumé alone. Here’s what actually moves the needle:

Recruiters skim. Executives skim faster. Your résumé and LinkedIn should spell out impact, not tasks.

Wrong: Managed calendars.
Right: Optimized scheduling flow, giving my exec back 10+ hours/month.

Share real numbers, real wins, and real results.This is where your Win Tracker becomes your competitive edge.

A polished LinkedIn profile, a strong headline, a tight summary, and a few featured projects or wins go a long way. Think: “If someone looked me up for 30 seconds, what would they learn?”

When everyone says “detail-oriented” and “organized,” you stand out by demonstrating it. Include a calendar of availability, a Loom intro, or a case study-style bullet about a project you ran.

Most EA roles are filled quietly 🤫 Reach out to your EA network, former execs, past managers, and operators you admire. Warm intros beat cold applications every time.

Polite persistence signals you’re engaged, not desperate. A quick, concise follow-up often jumps your application to the top.

If you’ve been impacted by layoffs or you’re exploring new opportunities, I’m officially expanding EA + operations recruiting under Office of the EA. I’m helping candidates navigate the market, prep for interviews, and get in front of companies that actually know how to partner with strong administrative talent.

And if your company is hiring? Reach out!

I have access to one of the strongest EA networks in the space, from strategic Executive Assistants to senior-level Business Partners, and I can help you find the right fit quickly.

Whether you need talent or you are the talent, I’ve got you.

Because sometimes the only way through uncertainty is to blast this song, shake it out, and remind yourself that better days are coming.

Follow our Spotify playlist for inspo! 🎧

Because when we find tools that actually make our jobs easier, we share them. Here are a few favorites we use and love, all with a little something extra for the Office of the EA community:

🏢 Offsite.com — Plan stress-free retreats and team gatherings (they were the MVPs behind our Philly dinner 👏).

🎉 Confetti — Virtual and IRL team experiences that don’t feel awkward. Book a trivia, cocktail, or wellness event in minutes.

🗓️ Vimcal EA — The scheduling tool built for Executive Assistants. Clean interface, fast shortcuts, chef’s kiss.

🤝 Bondly — Plan stress-free retreats and team gatherings (they were the MVPs behind our Philly dinner 👏).

🎧 Endel — Personalized soundscapes that help you focus, sleep, and recharge. Perfect background for inbox triage or deep work mode.

📦 Amazon Finds — The EA Survival Kit: from blue-light glasses to desktop organizers to the coffee that fuels these emails. (All Chrissy-approved, of course.)

💼 TealHQ — The ultimate career toolkit for EAs. Track jobs, update your resume, and organize your professional goals — all in one dashboard.

🍷One Hope— 🍾 Gifts that pop, pour, and give back. From bubbly to bold reds—and everything in between—ONEHOPE has the perfect gift for every client, team, or celebration. Plus, every bottle gives back to a meaningful cause. 💕

Support Office of the EA by exploring any of these tools through our links — it helps keep our newsletter (and caffeine habit) going strong. 💪