Be the Ultimate Assistant

by Bonnie Low-Kramen

Foreword by Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis.
A must-have insiders guide! Real life tools and advice for every professional assistant and their high-powered employers. A first-hand look at the world of a celebrity assistant, and its application to the larger realm of all professional assistants. Enlightening and entertaining, this book is filled with true stories and lessons from author Bonnie Low-Kramen's 25+ years working with Oscar-winning actress Olympia Dukakis (Moonstruck). Low-Kramen is also a co-founder of New York Celebrity Assistants (NYCA).
THE AUTHOR COMMENTS... "I love being an assistant. In fact, I strive to be an ultimate assistant, someone who seeks excellence and improvement - not just on some days, but every day. I don't always succeed, but this is what I try to do. Are you so inclined? Ultimate assistants are like that, and I am privileged to know quite a few, including some whose experiences are in the book. I wrote the book for three reasons. The first is that this work is frequently misunderstood and has been subject to warped misconceptions by the media. The second is that there are too few resources for assistants, and certainly not only those who work for celebrities. Third, there is a tremendous curiosity about the work. I decided that I was in a unique position to set the record straight and tell it the way it really is to those who actually want to know the truth of it!"
18 chapters include: How do you find a job? Glamour, Glitz and other perks. Salary & Benefits. Stories & quotes from assts. Skills & Qualities Needed. Public Speaking. Event Planning. Resources-To-Go.

Genres: Professional Development, Business

Paperback

First published January 28, 2004

About the author

For twenty-five years, Bonnie Low-Kramen worked as the personal assistant to Oscar-winner Olympia Dukakis. From there, she became a sought-after author and TEDx speaker on workplace issues. Bonnie is committed to training assistants to succeed at the highest levels.

Her new book, Staff Matters: People-Focused Solutions for the Ultimate New Workplace, is a revolutionary and thoughtful approach to bridging the gaps between all staff in the post-pandemic world.

Through her writing, workshops, and speaking engagements in thirteen countries, Bonnie strives to bring the voice of the staff to the forefront to build an ultimate new workplace for our children and grandchildren, the staff of the future.

Reviews

[D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Resource!

Even though I am not sure my goal is celebrity assistant, I would consider it. There is so much incredible information about all kinds of assistant positions: organizations, expectations, books to prep and prepare you, useful websites to use on the job, how to negotiate a salary. If I had purchased this book as a hardcover, I would have expected to pay at least $40 and happy to pay it. I will refer to it again in the future.

[Rachelle Cobb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look at the work of someone behind-the-scenes of a famous person’s life.

“This book is my take on this wonderful, unique profession called Celebrity Assisting, and its application to all professional assistants. It’s most of what I know about it, and is certainly what I love about it.”

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick easy read that I read on a flight. Great tips and reminders.

[Dana Shockman · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a decent quick read but very outdated and very specific to celebrity assistance.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't say I took anything new away from this book. It's definitely geared towards celebrity assistants but I asked myself a few times if this was just a book for name dropping and horn tooting.

[411Junkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be the Ultimate Assistant's tips and guidelines are great to use for any type of assistant and proves to be a valuable resource, but what I loved most, is Ms. Low-Kramen's mission. Her mission is to educate the general public and reaffirm her peers on the positive aspects of the profession and it is felt through out the book. Being in the profession myself, I can relate to some of the stereotypical views some people have of assistants, but the working relationship between the employer and assistant is often times more positive.
I recommend this book to all assistants, regardless if you assist a celebrity or not. Ms. Low-Kramen has captured the essence of what it takes to be an assistant in today's world, whether you're brand new to the profession or if you've been around for a while.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for anyone who desires to be an indispensable assistant!

Acting on a co-workers recommendation, I read this book cover to cover in two days! Ms. Kramen knows exactly what qualities make up a great assistant who gets things done!

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Incredibly helpful resource as I consider a possible career change. It would be helpful if the book included more scenarios that are good for "first time assistants" to be aware of, but I'm hoping some of these topics might be discussed in greater detail the podcast from the author I've recently discovered.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating insight into the world of celebrity assistants - the perks and some of the things you are expected to do! Bonnie Low-Kramen is well qualified in that she works for Olympia Dukakis and her husband, as well as founding the New York Celebrity Assistants organisation.

[Maksym · Rating 3 out of 5]

Expected more.

The book is very simple without many tips which you can implement immediately. I didn't liked examples with cool names and in general read in 1 hour.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good tips for being a great assistant or knowing whether or not you could handle being one.