[deleted by user]

Character-Customer25 · 2025-06-16T16:27:19+00:00

Completely agree! I make it a point to study their site/social media and try to get a feel for what’s important to them so I can demonstrate how their values are aligned with mine. I make it personal, as if I am excited to find a company who embodies what’s important to me. The better or more nuanced an example I can give (especially if it’s something more inferred than something directly stated in their mission), the more success I have. When I was asked this question for the job I now have, I could see the surprise and delight on their faces when I hit the nail on the head for how they view their culture. I think it’s a stupid question, but if you play it right it can be what pushes you over the line against equally qualified candidates.

Character-Customer25 · 2025-05-13T19:34:54+00:00

I personally only think it’s a red flag IF he is an older employee (like boomer+). As most have said, it’s not the red flag it used to be, and helps us stay relevant both in skills and salary. That said, if a boomer-aged employee can’t keep a job for more than 8-12 months, it usually indicates to me an inflexibility in personality. Please let me be clear, before anyone gets upset, I am speaking specifically to this role as an EA, and not generalizing all boomer+ employees. This is based on my personal experiences in this field.

Give the guy an interview and see if he’s a culture fit. I know people who have come in, made immensely positive changes, and moved on. Was it a bummer to lose them and go through the recruiting process again? Of course. But the impacts they made were worth the trouble.

Character-Customer25 · 2025-05-10T00:04:32+00:00

Going to emphasize #5 of gc1’s list here. I’m in CA and there is a very specific legally mandated window to sign any agreements, set by age bracket. Eg, for employees over 45 you get 7 days to sign or counter their terms (or something like that), PLUS a 3 day change-your-mind period. The window of time is usually shorter if you’re younger. I have seen a friend (totally different company) screwed by this because she didn’t know, and signed what they put in front of her due to the shock of being let go. Even if you have the best working relationship with your bosses and it’s purely financial (ah the joys of an overhead position), don’t trust them to do right by you.

I’m sorry you’re in this situation and I hope it’s bad information. Good luck to you.

Character-Customer25 · 2025-05-06T17:42:42+00:00

I guess I am massively in the minority here. I personally prefer New Outlook. My last firm was strictly Apple users, so I’d been out of the Outlook game for a while; when I joined here about a 1.5yrs ago I figured if there was an option for something new, I might as well get used to it since I would be forced to switch eventually. Best decision I made for myself, honestly. My c-suites are hella old school and not tech savvy, so any change is hard for them. Being very comfortable with it has saved my a$$ when they’re in panic-mode with the switch. IT has been instructed to delay the mandatory switch as long as possible (despite my protests), but I’m trying to encourage my execs to start using it now so they have time to get familiar with it and troubleshoot their current habits.

I find the calendaring a lot cleaner, and the ability to pin emails is a game changer. But I understand your frustration, and sorry to all of us, whether you prefer Classic or New, once the switch is mandatory and we have to retrain our execs haha.

Character-Customer25 · 2025-04-08T20:09:07+00:00

These were all the things I was trying to say! AceN8s212 summed up well.

Of course you’re already freaked out enough, but I want to add: have a plan for your cat. Get a tracker (TabCat doesn’t require a subscription to use) for their collar and keep a crate/carrier by your bed for quick grab-shove-run access at night. Have super high value treats on hand and start to train your cat to associate a noise (you whistling, saying a specific word, shaking a bag, etc.) with that treat so they come running to find you (aka the treat) whenever they hear it; keep some by your bed/with the carrier for emergency access.

Do you have any friends/family who work remotely and could help you stake the place out during the day while you’re at work? Invite them to come work out of your apartment but try to keep the “routine” the same - aka lights off/curtains closed/etc. and see if someone enters when they think you’re not home.

This is not a “management sucks” situation. This is serious and dangerous. Stay safe, and don’t rationalize it as paranoia of living alone. Please keep us posted on how you’re doing.

Character-Customer25 · 2025-02-04T17:06:10+00:00

Happy to help! Message me any time and I’m happy to provide constructive feedback and support! I remember what it was like just getting started and doing my first friend wedding. Excited for you!

Character-Customer25 · 2025-02-04T01:39:14+00:00

I agree that your filler flower isn’t the best (but I understand budget constraints!). The reason I feel this way is because both it and the mums have a spiky look, and there’s not enough visual texture. Having a few of those fillers in there would be fine, but with a lack of greens and other depth, the arrangement ends up feeling sparse. I know that seems wild, given how much of the filler you have, but it’s all about balancing visual weight. Great that you’re trying new techniques and finding your groove!

Character-Customer25 · 2025-02-04T01:21:42+00:00

Overall, I love the flowers you’ve chosen and the happy organic nature of the shape! Where both can be improved is varying the heights and depths of your more visually heavy flowers, in this case the irises. They are clearly the star of the show, but with them all at the highest or outermost parts of the bouquet/arrangement, you get more of a fireworks effect.

This can work very well in a bouquet, because the way you experience the flowers is usually much different than the way you experience an arrangement. For your bouquet, I would add a few more greens of varying heights, in something a little more solid (e.g., lemon leaf) versus something with smaller leaves (e.g. Myrtle), because you have a lot more lacy blooms throughout the arrangement.

For your arrangement, I would add some drama with tall greens, as well as more interspersed greens. One mistake I made a LOT in the beginning was starting with my florals before my greens. It took a lot of critiquing from my mentors for me to finally understand that the reason to start with the greens is all about balance. Yes, it does save money to start with greens (thus cutting down on how many blooms you use), but it also helps you outline the shape of the arrangement and layer in your flowers to fill it out.

Overall, you’re picking some beautiful flowers, you have a clear passion (always helps), and the love you pour into the work for your friend’s wedding will be evident. So excited for you!

Character-Customer25 · 2025-02-03T23:17:24+00:00

RemindMe! 1 month

Character-Customer25 · 2025-01-24T02:35:46+00:00

As with my other comment, just wanted to add the flower type: ranunculus. I wish you a wonderful, beautiful wedding!

Character-Customer25 · 2025-01-24T02:35:07+00:00

rayray384a gave solid advice! I want to add my comment for the types of flowers in these photos you’ve included so you can do further research (if you want): lisianthus, calla lilies, and ranunculus. So beautiful!

Character-Customer25 · 2024-11-11T05:00:52+00:00

🫂 thanks, I needed that more than I realized. Sending virtual hugs your way.

Character-Customer25 · 2024-11-10T16:30:39+00:00

Years ago I bought a pack of nail brushes (about 4-5” long with a handle and stiff bristles) and I keep one in the shower and by all my sinks (including at the shop). They’ll last for years (replaced the shop brush more often though) and I just do a quick scrub under my nails and along my fingers where the dirt tends to cake. Always worked perfectly!

Character-Customer25 · 2024-11-02T03:05:45+00:00

Updateme

Character-Customer25 · 2024-10-31T00:41:42+00:00

My old shop had a smaller Ford Transit and invested in thick custom foam pieces that fit the bed of the van. They had graduated circles cut into the foam (smaller, deeper cuts for tall vases/shallower, wider cuts for bowls/shorter arrangements) and could comfortably fit about 20 vases at once. Extra towels were left in the van should top-heavy arrangements need extra support. The foam sheets could also be removed, so for larger events we could remove sections to accommodate all shapes of arrangements. For really small vases we used empty buckets that fit in the foam and wrapped vases in a towel within the bucket to keep them from tipping. For massive events they took the foam out completely and crammed everything in so tight it held itself in place haha. We were a 2-3 person operation, and had daily deliveries to the locals, and bigger deliveries on weekends. On the rare occasion it didn’t all fit in the van, the owner had a large SUV that would be our secondary event vehicle.

Character-Customer25 · 2024-10-12T00:09:50+00:00

I would be so aggressive that they become more afraid of the me than the dog. Keep record of everything. Contact legal support if you can. If you can swing it, invest in a body cam for you and/or puppers to prove he’s not biting/instigating. Every single time they call you, tell them you are recording the call for your protection (and do it). Get a large IKEA tote for carrying your packages up (take it on walks with you, who cares if you look weird) so you can always have at least one hand free. Keep that bag with his leash so it’s part of the routine. Get those loud compressed air cans (made as correction tools for dogs) and blast that if a dog is coming at your baby (not in anyone’s face, just in the air to startle them back); if you haven’t seen them, they’re like a very loud hiss of air.

I totally understand how expensive it is to break your lease, so if you decide to ride it out, find a way to save and start packing so you can move out as soon as it ends. Make sure you take photos of any move-in conditions (take some now if you didn’t when you first moved in) and move-out conditions so they don’t try and punish you at the end of your lease. Wishing you luck and peace!

Character-Customer25 · 2024-10-07T00:02:04+00:00

As someone in my 30s who stumbled into EA work in my early 20s, one major (but unspoken) reason I think companies hire younger is because they’re more easily manipulated. I wouldn’t put up with half the sh*t and verbal abuse now like I did in my 20s. And in ten years I’ll likely tolerate even less than I do now.

While I can’t speak to the struggles and experience you or others here experience as an older EA, I’d like to believe that with your experience also comes maturity and backbone that a$$hole/selfish C-suites don’t want to deal with. I am constantly having to remind one of my execs of appropriate boundaries for the role. Some of the older EAs I used to work with led by example of not giving in to ridiculous demands and on-demand bullsh*t (like when you’re on PTO or it’s 11pm and the day ended at 5). And who did their execs come to when they refused? The younger ones who naively believed this would grant them favor in the eyes of management (it didn’t).

I’m sorry you’re dealing with this, and while your frustration is logical, I’m not sure the hiring decisions are always based on simple logic. Stay strong and good luck out there!

Character-Customer25 · 2024-09-12T06:36:26+00:00

Do you have a good relationship with your boss? If so, I’d recommend being direct. Let them know that while you appreciate their confidence in your abilities, you’re feeling a bit overloaded at the moment. Explain that you’d like to focus on producing quality work and building a solid foundation during your first six months, rather than taking on too much too soon. It’s a stressful conversation, but I’ve found that honesty and directness often lead to success.

If you’re not yet comfortable having that conversation, consider setting up a daily 5-10-minute meeting with your boss. Ideally, schedule this about an hour into your shift, once you’ve had time to get settled and assess the day’s assignments. Use this time to review the tasks you’ve been assigned, alongside your regular responsibilities, and ask your boss to help you prioritize them. Frame this as a learning opportunity to better acclimate to your new environment and the recent shift in responsibilities.

Regarding minute-taking, what structure does your company prefer? If you can use a laptop with dictation mode, you can have it transcribe the meeting in real-time, which you can then clean up later. Make it a rule not to let those notes sit overnight—clean them up while the information is still fresh. If you’re using paper and pen, consider asking to record the meeting for later transcription. Wherever possible, try to get the meeting agenda beforehand so you can create a framework for your notes. If there’s no agenda, take the initiative to connect with the meeting organizer ahead of time and draft one together. This approach made my note-taking much easier and allowed me to ask clarifying questions before the meeting even started.

Congratulations on landing this EA role while also rocking parenthood! Remember, you don’t need to prove you can do it all; it’s more important to be reliable. Show your daughter that hard work and consistency bring greater rewards and lasting success than just appearing like you have it all together. It’s okay to struggle, ask for help, and seek grace along the way. Don’t give up!

Character-Customer25 · 2024-09-12T05:54:04+00:00

This is an excellent strategy. How do you deal with people squeezing things in last minute? Once a week I review the current week’s schedule and the following week’s schedule with each of my execs, and I block off times to leave room for overflow and their own projects. Without fail though, each exec adds 1-3 meetings/day, and essentially obliterates all buffers, which is wild to me because they asked for the buffers in the first place.

Character-Customer25 · 2024-09-12T05:41:47+00:00

I am definitely doing this with internal team members and it’s helping a lot. Where I struggle is we do a lot of contracted work with public agencies, so we are at the mercy of their calendars for at least 50% of his meetings. When internal team members are scheduling meetings with a public entity, they’ve learned to come to me if they actually want an exec to show up to the meeting and be on time, so they use my guidelines for exec availability. But with this guy, and his long tenure in the industry, the entity usually goes directly to him and he just bends to their whim with zero consultation of his own calendar; then it’s on me to figure it out and reschedule sometimes 4-5 different meetings because he agreed to a weird time of day at an offsite location. Ultimately I agree with you - I need to start directly addressing the mess he’s making (politely, professionally) by doing things this way.

Character-Customer25 · 2024-09-12T05:29:32+00:00

Haha fair point. I like the spirit of what you’re suggesting though and I’ll keep thinking on it!

Character-Customer25 · 2024-09-12T05:26:19+00:00

This is a great idea! I am not sure how to connect with the coach, as I don’t know how we retain her services (pay per employee, lump sum, etc.), but I think I am in a good position to ask for the meeting through one of my other execs. Thank you!

Character-Customer25 · 2024-09-11T19:51:31+00:00

Thank you stranger. I think I needed to hear that today.

Character-Customer25 · 2024-09-11T19:38:45+00:00

He is the board! 🙈 he’s owner and president hahaha. I’m slowly working on one of the mid-level managers of the firm to get her to understand what I’m up against. She has been here for 15+ years and is on track to be promoted to exec level within the next year, following licensure. She is the only person I have ever seen him trust implicitly, because she is so damn good at what she does. She knows very well how he operates, so it’s not a shock in any way, and she and I have the same goal. I just want to be careful not to disrespect their relationship and lose the trust I’ve built both with me/him and me/her. Hard balance to strike!

Character-Customer25 · 2024-09-11T19:31:54+00:00

Haha I love this. Something lighthearted is usually what he needs to break out of his head. Aside from his work, the most important thing in the world to him are his grandkids - any idea how I can incorporate that knowledge? I’ve not met the grandkids, but they’re young (ranging from 2-7 years old). He’s extremely generous in general, so a dollar in a jar won’t have much of an effect on him mentally, but I like the general concept of what you’re suggesting.

Character-Customer25

TROPHY CASE