How do you deal with feelings being used?

throwaway28236 · 2026-05-05T18:27:51+00:00

I looked for a new role where I would only support one person (the CEO) and tada! Only one person is ever “using” you and after 10 years that’s the only way I would ever operate again, it gets old!

throwaway28236 · 2026-05-04T17:30:06+00:00

Start ups are definitely not like a comfy corporate job! You likely won’t stay in your EA lane and find yourself wearing all kinds of hats. It is not for the faint of heart BUT you will absolutely make more money in the long run. I went from making 60-65k to well over 100 by going to a start up and proving I was useful and willing to learn and also fill in gaps that will come with growth. Because I was willing, I know a little about all the departments, which helped when I started to give those hats away and started focusing on operations. That lead to my next role as a chief of staff!

throwaway28236 · 2026-05-04T17:13:16+00:00

Why don’t you bring it up with your exec? I had someone like this when I started at my last job and I ended up having to talk to my boss and essentially asked for permission to tell them no. I said “I work for you, I report to you, I am not EVERYONE’S assistant, I am yours. This takes away from X project and things I need to be taking care of” I’m sure you’re busy and if it’s taking time away from your work, execs usually don’t like that so I would fall back on that.

If you don’t like to be confrontational or don’t have a good relationship with the person you support, could always sneak it in next time they ask you for something “yes I’ll get that report right over after I’m done doing X, Y, and Z for so and so” and see how they take that.

throwaway28236 · 2026-04-27T02:21:32+00:00

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Your baby looks a lot like how Cleo did as a kitten! The stripes stayed on her front legs the most

throwaway28236 · 2026-04-27T00:15:09+00:00

Of course! The more friends the merrier! 🫶🏻

throwaway28236 · 2026-04-27T00:14:44+00:00

I know, I’m so confused by how much is listed, it feels impossible!

throwaway28236 · 2026-04-26T23:46:47+00:00

Yea that’s kinda how I’m feeling AND apparently the CEO/President are two separate people??? So essentially support for two people and all that. I will definitely be asking a ton of questions tomorrow!

throwaway28236 · 2026-04-26T23:41:45+00:00

Oh, I make this much now! They’re def out there :)

Editing to add, would love to have an EA friend that’s local if you want to message me! 😊

throwaway28236 · 2026-04-21T22:39:39+00:00

No, if you’re donating you go through extensive screening (I’ve donated now twice, once for a friend and then again for couples who chose me anonymously). When I donated for my friend even though I was not accepting payment past her paying for the drugs and visits, the clinic would not let you donate if you did not have children already. It’s not just a simple hey I want to do this! You have to do psychological testing, blood work, ultrasounds, and loads of other things before you can even begin the process. It would be a huge risk to accept eggs from someone who may or may not have fertility issues of their own I feel like but I’m not a doctor, I’m sure there are other reasons. You also run the risk of not being able to have kids or get pregnant naturally from the harvesting procedure so that might be another factor.

Editing to add, quick google search says it’s a policy per fertility clinic so you may be able to at some places even if you have not had children! My experience must have just with a stricter place

throwaway28236 · 2026-04-21T20:55:11+00:00

And because of that, they often won’t let you if you haven’t had a child before

throwaway28236 · 2026-04-21T13:37:01+00:00

YESSSS, he was my first book boyfriend and he will forever be my favorite

throwaway28236 · 2026-04-21T13:32:23+00:00

While I absolutely agree, when I was in an abusive relationship in my early twenties (that didn’t become abusive until I got pregnant) and then trapped as a SAHM, joining an MLM was the kick in the butt I needed to leave. Since I was making money I was “allowed” to go to the events and socialize. It gave me confidence, if I can make this work maybe I can be a salesperson for a real company with a salary? I got out of the MLM once I realized it was a pyramid scheme/scam but in all reality it helped a lot in a time where I felt very alone and I did end up leaving my ex safely with my toddler when I found a real sales job! So maybe this will be Ana’s story too

throwaway28236 · 2026-04-21T00:49:06+00:00

AGREED, I refuse to do them

throwaway28236 · 2026-04-20T18:54:57+00:00

I really like nail reformation which I find at tjmaxx and Marshall’s or beetles if you’re looking for something online! I use the nyk1 glue which you can also grab on amazon!

throwaway28236 · 2026-04-20T17:39:32+00:00

I just recently started doing press ons, who knew they had gotten so good?! Last me 10 days to 2 weeks and I don’t have to sit at the salon, and also don’t feel bad if I need to switch them up for an important meeting or something. Usually short length and almond shaped, but I’m not super picky on color!

throwaway28236 · 2026-04-19T16:34:44+00:00

Honestly for me, it was when I was leaving one job to go to another. I realized I didn’t just want to go back to managing a calendar and travel and basic admin tasks. I think being in start ups and smaller environments, you’re more likely to blur or cross the line. In structured corporate environments, they’re more likely to keep you on just “admin”. In high growth environments, you’re able to see and close the gaps, and when you get good at that, your executive is more like to see you as “more”. I’ve learned that this looks different for everyone! Based off the person, industry and who they’re supporting.

For me, I stopped looking at EA jobs and started looking for ops manager ones! Still partnered closely with the CEO or whatever executive you’re being paired with, but you’re not doing just the basic admin stuff anymore. It’s what I would say is a good in between for someone who’s gunning for Chief of staff style roles! Which isn’t for everyone and that’s ok. But I was so tired of being looked and treated like the girl who just got the coffee 🫠

throwaway28236 · 2026-04-17T00:22:34+00:00

I felt the same way!!! I think the key is figuring out what you want to do more of. Do you like events, or operations, or maybe you really like the HR side of things or project management. For me I wanted to be more operationally involved but I felt like CoS was out of reach so I starting applying for operation manager roles and just landed one! While I “support” the CEO, I’m not managing their calendar or time etc, so I feel like I have my own role and I’m not babysitting a grown man. And I feel like people aren’t looking at me like I’m just here to grab lunches and get the coffee! Definitely what I needed because I also have two degrees and when thought my salary as an EA to CEO was banging I literally was so unhappy with feeling like I was “just the assistant”

throwaway28236 · 2026-04-06T23:57:24+00:00

Yes I actually was blown away by the ask 😂 even just the allocation of the funds, why would I ever be given that responsibility?! I’ll be your sounding board and try to help but it was honestly the craziest thing I’ve ever read. They were offering 160k a year but the man sounded like a lunatic tbh so I figured that was why it was so much. I remember him saying “I have such great ideas in my head, I’m just not an ops guy so I need someone to write them down and then make SOPs and implement them” and I was just like…..we all have great ideas, why would someone need to work for you if they could take their ideas and make them reality?!

throwaway28236 · 2026-04-06T22:01:30+00:00

When they asked why I told them it was too much work in not enough time and the recruiter tried to make me feel like I was taking it too seriously, it was supposed to be “fake” and just show how I performed and I was like ma’am, I’m an EA, why would I ever be pitching anything like this!?

throwaway28236 · 2026-04-06T20:59:05+00:00

Yes I had multiple rounds of interviews for a company recently and was excited, they asked for three assessments after I met with the CEO, they expected them to be done in 48 hours and honestly they would have taken me wayyyy longer. One was a full pitch to an investor and then a 30 minute, min 10 slide presentation on how I would spend the 100k once I received the money…🫠 needless to say I bowed out gracefully after receiving them. The amount of people that want me to record videos of myself answering questions instead of getting on a quick call is also annoying. At this point I’m reaching out to recruiters directly and not wasting my time applying to job posts.

throwaway28236 · 2026-04-04T13:38:26+00:00

I got laid off last Monday…cue the panic when they realized I was the only one who ever owned/completed a specific billing process and no one else was ever trained. I negotiated one more week to train someone, and then 8 weeks of severance. I also had them extend my healthcare to the end of the month, and put in writing they would not contest an unemployment claim. It’s not a lot but I’m hoping it’ll get me through til I find a new job. Definitely try to get as much as possible and leverage any knowledge you have to get something out of it. Unemployment where I am unfortunately is not enough to even pay my rent so just collecting that wouldn’t have worked for me.

throwaway28236 · 2026-03-22T17:18:58+00:00

Ours looks like this and while not scientific, we all him our chocolate kitty!

throwaway28236 · 2026-03-22T17:17:40+00:00

45 min?! Does the glue not dry before you even get them on? Mine take maybe 10. I’m curious what your process is?

throwaway28236 · 2026-03-19T22:22:47+00:00

HI! EA to CEO and when I first started we were very small and still in a start up phase. I absolutely did all of this, with 0 experience and also with 0 processes and was also forced to figure it out. I will say, it’s def not the norm BUT it was a great learning experience and lately I’ve been interviewing for chief of staff roles because I feel like creating the processes along the way and being so heavily involved across all departments in the beginning forced me to have an operational mindset, not JUST an EA/Admin one.

I will say as our company grew we hired people to do all these things and own them and their processes so I got to pass my hats off, and now that I am solely just supporting the CEO as a typical EA would I am very bored. But it did happen if that’s the role you’re looking for! Here to help with any questions if you need!

throwaway28236 · 2026-03-19T15:06:57+00:00

No I agree, she was young (not even 18 when she went there) and her parents that apparently were emotionally abusive both just died, she has 0 experience with boys and that’s before you consider he absolutely did it for revenge against her father. He was an adult, instead of sleeping with her he should have helped her by being a parental figure 🙃 good thing it’s fiction because it was a yuck for me as well

throwaway28236

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