Assistant is a little bit of a catchall time period. Certain, assistants schedule conferences, take notes, and retrieve espresso, however they will additionally act as a quasi-concierge, sending fruit baskets to prime shoppers and shopping for items for companions. In an effort to unearth the extremely particular materials wants of highly effective individuals, we sat down with “Wendy,” who’s been an assistant to a New York Metropolis–based mostly health and wellness influencer and TV host since 2020. We spoke along with her concerning the label-maker she makes use of to regift her boss’s undesirable PR samples, the milk crates she buys by the dozen, and the tequila reserved for shut mates solely.

After answering a job posting on an area Hoboken weblog, Wendy was employed because the influencer’s first full-time assistant to assist her cope with an inflow of latest followers and types approaching her for collaborations. Wendy’s duties embrace managing her boss’s calendar, aiding with social media (writing posts and responding to feedback and messages), coordinating journey, and sometimes styling.

One other main a part of her job is regifting undesirable merchandise from PR mailers to the influencer’s shut family and friends. Throughout her first month, Wendy took notes on her boss’s preferences on what to maintain and provides away as they sorted by means of mailers. To maintain: slim water bottles as a result of they slot in her luggage. To offer away: any make-up and hair merchandise that weren’t from her favourite manufacturers. Now, Wendy does this every day utilizing her information from that first month. “She will get so many PR packages that it’s overwhelming,” she says. “Like, she couldn’t use all these things in a lifetime.” On the identical time, Wendy’s boss makes some extent to ship extra private items to family members for birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays.

“As a result of it’s simply free PR, it’s not so severe,” Wendy says of deciding who will get what when she divvies up undesirable PR packages. Nonetheless, she retains a Google doc of the recipients’ addresses and makes twice-a-week mail runs, throughout which she ships out about 5 packages every journey. To chop down her time on the submit workplace, she all the time has a inventory of USPS containers on the influencer’s condo and makes delivery labels by copying and pasting addresses right into a program that’s linked to her label-maker.

As a method to present a bit extra effort in sending these castoffs, Wendy frequently orders from the jewellery model Little Phrases Undertaking, which makes bracelets with beads spelling out “Love,” “Happiness,” and “Power,” to incorporate within the containers to family and friends. Wendy marks her boss’s shut mates’ and relations’ birthdays and anniversaries on her calendar so she will be able to plan forward (and order bracelets that match the event, when doable). Wendy says she’ll additionally have a look at their Instagrams to get a way of which bracelet will align with the recipient’s aesthetic. And she or he buys a wide range of colorways “so not everyone seems to be sporting the very same factor.”

Wendy says she’s gotten to know a number of the influencer’s family and friends and tries to ship gadgets they’ll truly like. However Wendy’s boss likes to present her closest mates — “individuals she’s identified since childhood or school” — a bottle of Casamigos on their birthdays as a result of it’s the influencer’s favourite model. “It’s by no means despatched to work colleagues,” Wendy says, as a result of “not everyone seems to be into arduous liquor or tequila.” As a substitute, if Wendy is requested to present alcohol to different influencers she’s aware of, she orders Champagne from Parcelle as a result of its delivery occasions are quick and it provides bottles at numerous value factors.

A number of occasions a yr, when the influencer will get “hyperfixated on overhauling” her closet, Wendy can be tasked with shopping for organizational gadgets. She additionally generally assists with one-off, last-minute duties, like ordering customized T-shirts for her boss’s wedding ceremony or choosing up an emergency cellphone case.

Wendy has bought at the least a dozen of those bins for her boss, which she makes use of to retailer her sweats, athletic garments, and a few sneakers. These wicker baskets match the influencer’s impartial home-décor aesthetic, however they might consistently snag on her garments. So Wendy got here up with an answer: torn-up pillowcases that she match inside as liners.

Except she’s understanding, Wendy says, the influencer is all the time in heels. Wendy’s boss swears these foot pads make strolling simpler and extra comfy, so she has Wendy insert them in each pair of heels her boss owns. Each few weeks, Wendy goes by means of her boss’s shoe assortment to switch worn-down pads and readjust any which have lifted or shifted. She additionally retains at the least one spare in her bag always.

Although Wendy says she’s needed to have her boss’s display mounted at an area mall kiosk on at the least three events, the influencer nearly by no means has a case on her cellphone as a result of she likes the way in which it seems to be with out one. “It provides me main nervousness,” Wendy says. After the primary restore, Wendy instantly ordered one of many first circumstances she might discover on Amazon that matched her boss’s type and would arrive the subsequent day. “I used to be like, We’re going to nip this within the bud proper now,” she says. Whereas Wendy nonetheless hasn’t persuaded her boss to make use of the cellphone case regularly, she brings it on journeys. “It might be my worst nightmare to run round a random metropolis to get her cellphone mounted,” she says. “Fortunately, I haven’t had to try this but.”

Given the influencer’s rise in reputation, she now frequently does TV internet hosting, guest-teaches health lessons, and attends back-to-back brand-sponsored occasions on a weekly foundation. She additionally throws month-to-month ladies’s networking occasions at her residence, for which Wendy organizes the catering.

For the influencer’s networking occasions, Wendy usually orders from Chipotle for about ten individuals: a build-your-own bowl buffet of hen, steak, and fajita greens, and tortilla chips and queso on the aspect. This could usually value about $200, however the influencer advised that Wendy attain out to the chain’s PR group to see if it might sponsor her occasions. Now, Wendy emails the group any time they’ve a gathering deliberate, and the model takes care of the remaining. “Generally I’ll inform them ten individuals, they usually’ll ship over a lot meals that they should carry it up on a cart from my boss’s condo constructing,” she says, including that the leftovers often final her at the least per week.

Final Halloween, the influencer was on the fence about attending any brand-sponsored events. “I knew she was going to finish up going,” Wendy says, however she didn’t need to purchase her a fancy dress till it was confirmed. The day earlier than, her boss determined to go and tasked Wendy with discovering her a “cute, enjoyable, and flattering” costume. Wendy went to an area Spirit Halloween and dug by means of the remnants. “It was completely empty, only a joke,” she says. However she did discover this cowgirl costume with pink fishnets and silver fringe that matched her boss’s daring, colourful gown sense. (She additionally purchased a pair’s Bob’s Burgers costume for the influencer and her husband as a backup.) The cowgirl costume was a success on Instagram, with followers commenting and DMing to ask the place she received the costume. Wendy answered on her boss’s behalf, regardless of being “barely embarrassed” by the way it was “actually simply the very last thing left in Spirit Halloween the day earlier than.”

Wish to be featured in Assistant Information? In case you’ve been an assistant up to now three years and need to inform us about your boss’s procuring habits (anonymously or not), e mail [email protected] with “Assistant Information” within the topic line.

The Strategist is designed to floor probably the most helpful, professional suggestions for issues to purchase throughout the huge e-commerce panorama. A few of our newest conquests embrace the most effective zits therapies, rolling baggage, pillows for aspect sleepers, pure nervousness cures, and bathtub towels. We replace hyperlinks when doable, however be aware that offers can expire and all costs are topic to vary.