202: She built a global business for assistants, starting with a simple blog.

In this episode, Nicky Christmas shares how she went from Executive Assistant to founder of The EA Campus and what it really takes to turn a side project into an international platform.

Instead of following a traditional career path, Nicky created something that didn't exist at the time: a space for assistants to learn, grow, and be taken seriously. Today, her platform reaches thousands of Executive Assistants and Personal Assistants globally through online courses, virtual summits, and a strong professional community.

But this conversation goes beyond her story.

We talk about:

- The real shift from Executive Assistant to entrepreneur
- Why so many assistants are still underestimated in today's workplace
- The gap between skills and recognition in companies
- How AI tools and digital transformation are changing the assistant role and why many organizations are falling behind

This episode is a must-listen if you're ready to think bigger about your Executive Assistant career, step into a more strategic role, and explore what's truly possible beyond the job title.

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This is what Nicky says about herself and her work:

Hi! I'm Nicky Christmas. Let me tell you about The EA Campus.

Back in 2011, I launched what would become Practically Perfect PA as a passion project, while working full-time as an Executive Assistant to the COO and CFO of a global insurance organization.

At the time, there were few resources for Assistants, and I wanted to create a platform that not only provided guidance but also reshaped the conversation about the role of Assistants.

Practically Perfect PA quickly became one of the leading voices in the online learning space for Assistants - long before virtual training and digital communities became the norm. Over the last 15 years, our platform has evolved, staying ahead of trends and continuing to provide relevant, cutting-edge content that moves the conversation forward while actively challenging and shifting outdated perceptions of the Assistant role.

As an international speaker and thought-leader, I've had the privilege of traveling the world, engaging with thousands of Assistants, and sharing strategies to help them excel.

In 2025, we officially rebranded as The EA Campus, a space designed to cater to the evolving demands of Assistants today. The EA Campus continues to push boundaries, offering virtual summits, online courses, and a thriving community, all designed to meet the changing needs of Assistants globally.

Our commitment has always been to put our audience's needs first, ensuring that every Assistant, at any stage of their career, has access to the tools, knowledge, and community support they need to thrive.

LINKS:

🔴 Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/teZvJvDrxOw

- Diana Brandl on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-brandl/
- EA Campus Conference: https://theeacampus.com/conference/

- Executive Office Insights Newsletter: https://the-socialista-projects.com/#newsletter
- Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qBSDjTfYOG2x6qos7dKkS
- Podcast on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/the-future-assistant/id1493106661

The Executive Office Insights Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3QH8HL8oWIC0HzHWvb5KLd

Guest Picks
9-5 by Dolly Parton

201: In this episode, we break down why decisions inside companies often stall, even when everyone seems aligned. Tina Ramamurthy shares her experience from working inside a CEO Office and explains what happens between strategy and execution as companies grow.

Tina Ramamurthy has built a career in the space between decisions and execution, where good intentions drift and effort quietly replaces strategy. She focuses on what happens as complexity increases and systems start to bend.

At Babbel, she built and led the CEO Office as the company scaled from €100m to €300m on the path to IPO readiness. From the CEO Office, she designed and ran the leadership infrastructure that held it together, defining decision frameworks, prioritisation systems, and operating rhythms. She carried cross-functional work that did not sit neatly in any one team, built and led executive communications, ran board processes, and built the EA function as leadership infrastructure rather than support.

She began her career at J. Walter Thompson, working on global accounts including Ford Motor Company, before founding a brand and communications consultancy with clients including Sony Music, Radisson Hotels, and the Reserve Bank of India. Across her career, she has worked with leadership teams in Berlin, New York, Melbourne, London, and India. That experience reinforced a simple reality: leadership systems only work when they reflect the people, stage, and conditions they are built for, which is why her work is designed, not templated.

She is the founder of TMR & Co., where she works with founders and CEOs to build and embed CEO Offices that make strategy executable without relying on individual stamina. This includes both embedded, fractional Chief of Staff support that steps in to execute and absorb complexity, and focused build work to design and stabilise leadership systems. The work focuses on decision flow, executive communication, leadership capacity, and building high-performing EA teams. She uses AI deliberately to automate execution that does not require judgement, preserving human capacity for the decisions that matter.

She holds a Master's degree in Communications from RMIT University, Melbourne.

LINKS:

🔴 Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Xj0JbrD3_n0

- Diana Brandl on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-brandl/
- Tina Ramamurthy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-ramamurthy/
- TMR & CO Website: https://tmrandco.com

- Executive Office Insights Newsletter: https://the-socialista-projects.com/#newsletter
- Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qBSDjTfYOG2x6qos7dKkS
- Podcast on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/the-future-assistant/id1493106661

The Executive Office Insights Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3QH8HL8oWIC0HzHWvb5KLd

Guest Picks
Ben Clock - Ultimately

200: What is it really like to work at the highest levels of American politics?

In this episode of the Executive Office Insights Podcast, Opal Vadhan shares her extraordinary journey from an intern in the Obama White House to becoming the personal aide to Vice President Kamala Harris.

As a first-generation Indian American raised in Queens, New York, Opal offers a powerful perspective on leadership, public service, and the importance of empathy in high-pressure environments. She reflects on her years working closely with Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton before joining the Biden–Harris administration, where she served as personal aide to Vice President Harris.

The conversation explores leadership lessons, the power of empathy and trust, the reality of 24/7 political work, and how executive support professionals can thrive even in an era shaped by AI.

Whether you are interested in politics, leadership, executive support careers, or personal growth, this episode offers rare behind-the-scenes insights into the world of public service and the inner workings of leadership at the highest level.

Opal Vadhan is a distinguished public servant and trusted advisor who has worked at the highest levels of American political leadership. She is a former Senior Advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris and previously spent five years supporting Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton. Over the past decade, Vadhan has played a central behind-the-scenes role, known for her empathy, leadership, and ability to make others feel seen and heard.

Vadhan began her career on Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign as a member of the national advance team. Following the campaign, she continued with Secretary Clinton as her Executive Assistant and Trip Director from 2017 to 2021. During that time, she was also a collaborator on The Book of Gutsy Women, the New York Times bestselling book by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton.
In 2021, she joined the Biden-Harris administration as Special Assistant to the President and Personal Aide to Vice President Harris, supporting the Vice President throughout the administration and the historic 107-day presidential campaign.

A first-generation Indian American raised in Queens, New York, Vadhan earned a dual degree in Communications and Women & Gender Studies from Pace University in 2015. Her experience working in high-trust support roles for the only two women to receive the Democratic nomination for President offers rare insight into executive leadership, diplomacy, and the essential role of operational professionals in public service.

Beyond serving in government, Vadhan has a strong commitment to service. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked full-time with World Central Kitchen, helping deliver more than eight million meals to New Yorkers in need. And she is the recipient of the Luminary Award from She's the First, a non-profit supporting girls education in underserved communities.

LINKS:

🔴 Watch the Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XTs685MurGk

- Diana Brandl on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-brandl/
- Opal Vadhan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/opal-vadhan-52666739/
- Executive Office Insights Newsletter: https://the-socialista-projects.com/#newsletter
- Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qBSDjTfYOG2x6qos7dKkS
- Podcast on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/the-future-assistant/id1493106661

The Executive Office Insights Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3QH8HL8oWIC0HzHWvb5KLd

Guest Picks
Opal Vadhan: The Man by Taylor Swift