Friday 22 to Sunday 24 September, we will be running an online webathon to raise money for Vickie Sokol Evans, The profession has been shaken by the news that Vickie Sokol Evans, the world’s leading Microsoft trainer, has been diagnosed with stage two breast cancer and is currently undergoing chemotherapy prior to surgery.. The Webathon will feature the greatest line up of trainers for assistants ever assembled in one place and will cost you only $49 for a weekend pass to see as much or as little as you like.
Our lineup includes:
Haydee Antezana, Richard Arnott, Heather Baker, Laura Belgrado, Diana Brandl, Lucy Brazier, Gretchen Breuner, Joan Burge, Ayanna Castro, Courtney Clark, Donna Coulling, Samantha Cox, Danielle De Wulf, Melissa Esquibel, Kemetia Foley, Sue France, Sandy Geroux, Donna Gilliland, Debbie Gross, Cathy Harris, Marie Herman, Ann Hiatt, Corinne Hoisington, Amanda Johnson, Florence Katono, Danel Kuhlmann, Susan Leahy, Tae Lee, Eth Lloyd, Reggie Love, Bonnie Low-Kramen, Marion Lowrence, Else-Britt Lundgren,  Andrea Macarie, Jennifer Magana, Neil Malek, Anel Martin, Helen Monument, Libby Moore, Lisa Olsen, Sherry Parsons, Julie Perrine, Gill Quirk, Rhonda Scharf, Julia Schmidt, Tammy Schroppel, Laura Schwartz, Chrissy Scivicque, Monica Seeley, Debbi Shaffer,  Chantal Sneijkers, Lindsay Taylor, RoseMarie Terenzio, Doug Thomas, Peggy Vasquez, Teri Wells, Catherine Williamson,  and of course Vickie Sokol Evans herself.
We hope that as we have kept the price so low, and the lineup is so spectacular, that you will buy your ticket and dip in and out as you see fit over the weekend.
Buy your ticket by clicking here.
Full details of the subject matter for each speaker and timings will be circulated prior to the event.
If you are unable to attend but would like to donate, please head over to the Audacious Divas site at http://www.audaciousdivas.org/vickie.html.
If you are a trainer or speaker that would like to add your name to the list of participants, please email me at lbrazier@executivesecretary.com.

Other Ways to Help: Share details about this webathon everywhere that you can: via email, social media, newsletters, word of mouth etc. Every additional person that attends will make a difference! And they will learn plenty too!

1. Make a donation HERE.
2. Purchase one of Vickie’s books on AMAZON.
3. Purchase Vickie’s ebook.
4. If you have Vickie’s book, please consider writing a review on AMAZON.
5. Join RedCape Academy.
6. Purchase Vickie’s On-Demand Class to train your teams.
7. Encourage companies to hire Vickie to do a webinar from her home in Texas.
8. Pray.
9. Encourage everyone you know to get checked. Early detection is our best defence. #GETSCREENED

​executivesecretary.com/webathon/

A Note from Julie Perrine -allthingsadmin.com/

One of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to learn something new is to read. And one of the best parts about reading is it's easy to fit into the small chunks of time that you have available throughout the day.

I recently asked a group of assistants I was speaking to what was the last business book or topic they had read about. There were only a few responses. I encouraged each of them to find out what their executives are reading and pick a book to help develop their knowledge on that topic as well. Or better yet, pick a business topic that you really enjoy or want to learn more about, and find a book to expand your learning on that topic.

In the past few years, I've targeted at least one book that I want to read from cover to cover for that year. Then I make it part of my personal development plan for the year. In 2015, I read Forgive for Good by Dr. Fred Luskin. In 2016, I chose Daring Greatly by Brene Brown. My word for 2016 was "choices," so this book was perfect for me to read, study, and engage with as I navigated the loss of my mother, the launch of my second book, and many other personal and professional transitions last year. That led me to Brene's book, The Gifts of Imperfection, as my book and focus for 2017.

My theme for this year has been "living wholeheartedly" - something Brene outlines with 10 specific guideposts in The Gifts of Imperfection. I have also read Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist this year.. It was a powerful reminder of why it's vital to reject the frantic and choose a simpler, more soulful way of living. And I'm currently working my way through Rising Strong by Brene Brown. I've already started my reading wish list for 2018, which includes The Organized Mind by Daniel Levitin and Let It Go by Peter Walsh.

In addition to the book I choose for my personal development, I am constantly scanning and reading sections or chapters of a variety of other books related to topics I'm speaking on, researching, or reading about in the newspaper. I've found that I don't have to read every book from cover to cover to pull valuable information from it. For example, I wanted to improve my presentation training materials, so I have been reading bits and pieces of Beyond Bullet Points, Slide:ology, Presenting With Pizzazz, and Live and Online! I regularly refer to books like What to Do When There's Too Much to Do, StrengthsFinder 2.0, The Art of Speedreading People, Type Talk at Work, and Vickie Evans' 100 Tips books for Windows and the Office 2013 suit e.

There are countless books out there specific to training you on how to become a more effective communicator, develop your leadership skills, get more organized, and become a better administrative professional. All you need to do is pick one skill or topic you want to improve, research the books available, make your selection, and start reading.

Whether you’re between jobs or simply want to improve your admin skills, there are numerous books that can help you do it! So this week, as many kids head back to school, we’re offering you our list of must-reads to help you expand your admin knowledge. We're also sharing lots of tips and advice on our Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages.