Jeremy Burrows is dedicated to helping executive assistants become effective, empowered leaders within their organizations, without burning out. As the EA to the Founder and CEO of Capacity, Jeremy knows firsthand how challenging it can be to support senior executives at today's fast-paced companies.
Sensing a need for a peer-driven forum, Jeremy founded "The Leader Assistant Podcast," which has become the highest-rated assistant podcast in the United States.
Jeremy recently invited Savoya executives Meagan Gleason and Dominic Miraglia onto the podcast to discuss best practices for managing executive ground transportation. We followed up with Jeremy to ask five questions about the evolving EA role.
More and more, EAs are expected to be business-supporting rather than person-supporting. That means engaging in activities that actively grow the business and reporting on those activities regularly. In most organizations, EAs now manage budgets and take on key marketing and sales functions, such as customer outreach and event management.
The most effective EAs set specific, measurable business goals that drive company and career growth, and clearly articulate their value to their organizations.
Avoid the Task vs. Outcome Trap
My friend Jillian Hufnagel wrote an article about this that I shared on my blog. She stresses the importance of getting executive buy-in on goals: not just the "what," but the "why."
One of her best pieces of advice is to avoid the task-versus-outcome trap. A task is what you did, like automating the process for requesting purchase orders. The outcome is the actual value you delivered: "I increased efficiency and visibility for tracking outstanding POs, which decreased late payments by over 60%."
There is a big difference between the two, and articulating outcomes is what earns recognition.
Honestly, not much has changed, and that is the problem. Air travel and lodging have transformed dramatically, and rideshare services have completely disrupted the taxi market. Black car services, on the other hand, have been very slow to modernize.
The traditional process still looks like this: you call a dispatcher, give them trip details over the phone, and then hope everything goes right. Half the time, you end up on a three-way call between the driver and your executive, guiding them to find each other.
Safety is also a bigger issue than it used to be, especially for high-profile executives. I want to know exactly who they are getting in the car with. More companies are now implementing security protocols that govern who executives can and cannot travel with, and that is a wise move.
Savoya offered their service to my wife and me for a night out so I could experience it before interviewing Meagan and Dom on the podcast.
First, I was impressed by how easy it was to plan the trip online, door-to-door. I could build a multi-stop itinerary without ever opening another tab; addresses auto-populated from Google Maps directly in their portal. I could even set custom traveler preferences like the temperature of the car, radio station, and snacks.
Second, the notifications were exceptional. I received a pre-trip text with full driver and vehicle details, including a photo of the driver. I was notified when the driver arrived onsite and exactly where to meet him. When my wife and I needed to change the pickup time last minute, it was simple and stress-free.
Finally, the driver was a total professional. Meagan and Dom spoke a lot about Savoya's driver vetting and training process during the podcast, and I now understand why that matters. The car was spotless, and we felt safe and well cared for the entire time.
Our jobs are fast-paced and unpredictable, which is a perfect recipe for constant stress. Force yourself to slow down. Be mindful of your emotions. Take deep breaths and methodically think through each situation before reacting. Calm, methodical assistants are the ones executives trust most.
Jeremy Burrows hosts the Leader Assistant Podcast, the highest-rated assistant podcast in the US. Learn more at leaderassistant.com.
The Leader Assistant Podcast is a show hosted by Jeremy Burrows that helps executive assistants develop leadership skills, manage their workload, and grow within their organizations. It is the highest-rated assistant podcast in the United States.
EA responsibilities have expanded significantly. Assistants are now expected to contribute to business goals, manage budgets, support sales and marketing initiatives, and report on measurable outcomes. The role has shifted from administrative support to strategic partnership.
Task-based goals describe what was done, such as automating a process. Outcome-based goals describe the business impact of that action, such as reducing late payments by 60%. Executives respond to outcomes, not task lists, so framing goals this way is critical for recognition and advancement.
Unlike air travel and lodging, black car services have been slow to adopt technology. Many providers still rely on phone-based booking, offer no real-time tracking, and lack automated flight monitoring. This creates unnecessary friction and risk for both the executive and the coordinator.
Savoya offers an online booking portal with auto-populated addresses, customizable traveler profiles, real-time driver tracking, automated notifications, and a rigorous driver vetting process. These features eliminate the manual effort and uncertainty common with traditional livery providers.
EAs should focus on articulating outcomes rather than activities. Tracking and presenting measurable results, such as time saved, costs reduced, or revenue-impacting tasks completed, gives leadership a clear view of the EA's contribution to the business.
Real-time visibility, proactive communication, and responsive support. You need to see where the car is, get updates without asking, and reach someone immediately when something changes. Savoya delivers all three from one managed platform.
Without flight tracking, a chauffeur may arrive at the originally scheduled time and miss a delayed executive entirely. Savoya tracks the aircraft with ADS-B data and resets the pickup to actual wheels-down, so the car is there when your principal walks out.
A managed service actively monitors every trip, intervenes when something goes wrong, and coordinates between driver and client. An unmanaged service connects you to a driver and leaves the rest to chance. The difference is most visible during a disruption, a flight delay, a no-show, a last-minute change.
Ask for their trip-completion rate, their driver-certification process, and their support availability, and ask for references from similar clients. Savoya completes 99.8% of trips without issue and is trusted by 61% of the Fortune 100.
Most trace back to three gaps: no real-time monitoring, weak communication, and inconsistent driver standards. Without proactive oversight, a small issue becomes a major disruption. Savoya's managed model closes all three with LiveOps trip monitoring, automated notifications, and the 14-point Chauffeur Vetting System.
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