Tina Banuelos

I attribute my success to having an incredible mentor early in my career, one of my managers who was not just a boss but truly mentored me. She helped me get past the feeling that I didn't have a voice and showed me that I do have a voice because I know what's going on in my company and my organization. She really helped me understand that I have a seat at the table. When there were struggles, she would encourage me to try to figure it out myself first, to really look at what's happening, what's causing the roadblock, and whether I can fix it myself before coming to her. She allowed me to do my job as an assistant but also to grow within that job. That mentorship helped me recognize that the EA role can be what you want it to be. Over the years, I've grown my job to be a strategic partner, and I think EAs have really shifted in probably the last 10 years from being just the admin piece to becoming true partners. If you build a partnership with your executive and they see your value, you can become anything. I've also been fortunate to have great managers who allowed me to work outside of the box and take on responsibilities that helped me grow beyond traditional administrative duties.

The best career advice I received came from one of my managers who became a true mentor to me. She helped me understand that I have a voice and that I shouldn't be afraid to use it. A lot of assistants have trouble asking for help or don't feel like they have a voice, and she really helped me get past that. She showed me that I have a seat at the table because I know what's going on in my company and organization. She also taught me to try to solve problems myself first, to really look at what's happening and what's causing roadblocks, and to figure out if I can fix it myself before asking for help. That advice helped me grow from just doing administrative work to becoming a strategic partner who actively contributes to the organization's success.

What I would tell young women starting off as executive assistants is that the role is what you want it to be. Over the years, I've grown my job to be a strategic partner, and I think the EA role has really shifted in probably the last 10 years from being just the admin piece of calendars and scheduling to something much more. If you build a partnership with your executive and they see what your value is, you can become anything. You don't have to stay in the EA role. You can become a chief of staff if you wanted, or you can move into an individual contributor role. Don't think of yourself as just being boxed in. The key is to really build that relationship with your leadership, learn the business deeply, and look for opportunities to become more than just administrative support. Make your role whatever you want it to be, because it truly can evolve into a strategic partnership if you're willing to grow it.

I think the biggest challenge in the EA field right now is making your role whatever you want it to be, because that can be difficult if the leader or your manager doesn't see the value in an assistant. If your manager isn't on board and doesn't support you to grow and to be all that you can be, whether you have a degree or you don't have a degree, it becomes a real stumbling block. An EA role could be a really awesome job, but if the manager doesn't support you, it can really limit what you're able to accomplish. I think it varies by company and depends on the baseline they set and what they allow. At the same time, there's tremendous opportunity for EAs who are willing to evolve the role beyond traditional expectations. If you can build that partnership with leadership and they recognize your strategic value, you can grow into so much more than just administrative support.

In my work, I value collaboration, mentorship, and employee engagement above all. I believe that if your employees are happy, you're going to get the best out of them and they'll enjoy coming to work. That's why employee engagement has been such a big piece of what I do throughout my career. I also deeply value being there for other assistants as a mentor and support system, because I know that sometimes EAs can feel isolated and no one really understands the role unless you've been in it yourself. I want to be that shoulder to cry on and help other assistants get through the roadblocks and speed bumps they face. I'm passionate about helping our EA team be the best they can be and creating an environment where people want to come work on our team. In my personal life, family always comes first. I love spending time with my family, and I also enjoy creative outlets like loom knitting and painting, which allow me to relax and express myself artistically. During COVID, I even incorporated these creative activities into team-building experiences, doing online painting classes with my EA staff for two years and with my leadership team, which was a lot of fun and helped us stay connected during challenging times.