Member Spotlight – Marta Vallespin

The Officials Member Spotlight Marta Vallespin

Each month we highlight one of our members, not only because they are fabulous people but also because we fully believe that shared experience and knowledge is important and makes everyone better people.

What is your name?
Marta Vallespin Terry

Where are you at in the world?
London, UK

What is your job title and place of work?
EA at The Officials and a Private PA for hire.

How long have you been an admin or assistant?
I have worked in admin for over 15 years. I have been an Office Manager, EA and Private PA within the sector. But I have also worked in other sectors and areas.

What are your favorite admin tools?
My little red notebook and Post-its. I always carry them with me. There is something about writing things by hand. G Suite follows straight after, accessible from wherever and whenever, it offers all the tools I need to keep me organized, structured and secure.

How do you stay on top of your to do list?
Currently, I love Google Assistant. I mostly work from home (particularly in these times, as are we all) and being able to say ”Hey Google” from my chair and set reminders, add items to lists and set calendar events is fantastic! She checks in on me, and that is exactly what I need to make sure everything gets done.

What is your favorite part of the job?
Being an Assistant typically means that no two days are the same, getting handed a lot of very different tasks and challenges. And this means that there is quite a lot of learning opportunities. I love being entrusted with something I may not know a lot about, learning about it, tackling the challenge and succeeding!

Tell us something you are proud of professionally?
I recently started my own business, a food venture. It is exciting and scary! I don’t know whether it will take off, but it is a risk and a challenge I am happy to take on.

We are fixers. We are magicians. We are strategists. We are doers. We are decision makers. We are wizards. We are coaches. We are kick-ass partners.

What is some of the best advice you’ve been given that relates to your job?
”Assistants are so much more than just Assistants, believe it Marta!”. Yes, sometimes we get the coffee, order office material and file documents. But we are also enablers. We are facilitators. We are fixers. We are magicians. We are strategists. We are doers. We are decision makers. We are wizards. We are coaches. We are kick-ass partners.

What website do you visit the most?
Google without a doubt! – how did people survive without it before?

Currently watching/reading/listening to:
I love having music on as much as I can: when I am cooking, when I am working, when I am commuting, when I am cleaning the house…music is a powerful tool: it can lift your mood, it can motivate you, it can calm you down, it can inspire you. I honestly believe you can soundtrack every little aspect of your life, everyday. My ”Liked Songs” playlist on Spotify is awfully long!

I love reading, if only I had more time for it…I am currently reading Jonathan Van Ness’ ”Over The Top”. Love the guy, one of the first public figures I have come to truly admire.

I do my best to limit drama in my life only to what comes out of the TV screen, but as it is my only source of it, I have to admit I go all out with Grey’s Anatomy. Yap, I have been devotedly following the show for the 16 years, something I haven’t admitted so publicly before! Shonda Rhyme is the only person in the world who can literally shred me to pieces and at the same time make me feel like I can rule the world within 45 minutes.

If you were handed a plane ticket to go anywhere in the world where would you go and why?
Oh my, where wouldn’t I go? At the moment I am torn between three places: back home to the South of Spain to the gorgeous Cadiz – amazing weather, beautiful beaches, food to die for, friends and family…what else do you need? California – the more I go the more difficult it is to leave! It is very similar to Cadiz, minus the hummingbirds. Mexico – I really want to take my husband, rent a car, visit friends, discover new places and enjoy!

Why are you a member of The Officials?
Because of Lauren. This is about to get cheesy, so if you dont like that sort of thing, skip this question. Lauren, don’t cry!

I came across Lauren on LinkedIn, there was something familiar about her, so I did some research and observed her interactions for a bit. She sounded like a well-rounded, friendly, warm, fun, badass, smart human. Someone who truly believes what she is working for and fighting for: Assistants. It was inspiring! In one brave act I reached out and said I wanted to be part of The Officials. But not just as a member, I wanted to help build The Officials, I wanted to help her achieve what she so dearly believes in…and here I am today – best decision ever!

So even though I wanted to be a member when I only knew about Lauren, the amazing, fun and smart community that is The Officials is also a reason I stayed. It is such a valuable and powerful thing to have and be a part of.

Oh, and that ”something familiar” about Lauren? Without knowing her I felt I had known her for a while, as if we had grown up together, and I was right. The same has happened with fellow members.

Is there anything else you would like to share?
There is a lot more I would like to share, but we all have to get on with our lives. LOVE what you do, in every aspect of your life, it is so massively important and, unfortunately, such an underrated statement.

I’m not crying! You’re crying! Are there onions in here? The Officials are so lucky to have someone as wonderful and passionate as you as a member of the community and on The Officials team, Marta!

If you would like to connect with Marta and our many other incredibly supportive members then join The Officials HQ. We are waiting to welcome you with open arms.

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