Together We Built: Looking Back on Admin+ Month 2022

We love April because it’s our chance to do one of our favorite things: shower the world’s Administrative and Operations professionals with the appreciation and admiration they richly deserve — but don’t always get.

And we do it in our annual celebration Admin+ Month.

Each April, for over a decade, we’ve honored the Admin+ profession with an extravaganza that includes interactive learning, meaningful networking, entertaining giveaways, and well-deserved awards — all centered around one powerful theme.

This year’s Admin+ Month theme, “Together We Build,” felt especially resonant. Because Admin+ professionals are the ultimate builders — of knowledge, processes, relationships, networks, and communities.

During this month-long experience, participants also built the momentum to keep growing toward a bolder and brighter future for the Admin+ profession. In the process, we affirmed what we’ve long known: no one lifts up each other better than the Admin+ community.

While April has come to an end, we’re nowhere near done reflecting on the love and learnings of this joyous celebration.

Even better? We were able to offer an entire month’s worth of high-quality learning, fun, and meaningful connection completely FREE by reinvesting revenue from our year-round Professional Development Programs for Admin+ teams and individuals.

This year was the first time I participated in Admin+ Month and I must say — I wish I would have done it sooner! I’ve learned so much and met some really great people, whom I hope to stay in contact with outside of this group. OfficeNinjas Team, keep up the great work you do. This was fun and very informative for me. I learned a lot of new things. — Melissa R.

Celebrate the Global Community

This year’s completely virtual celebration meant the entire Admin+ community could engage, learn, and connect LIVE throughout the month — wherever they were.

Thousands of Admin+ pros joined in the festivities from a staggering 22 countries spanning more than 53 industries and comprising breathtaking range of Admin+ roles, including:

• Executive Assistants
• Administrative Assistants
• Office Managers
• People Ops / HR Pros
• Chief Administrative Officers
• Directors of Operations
• Chiefs of Staff
• Executive Business Partners
• Virtual Assistants
• Facilities Coordinators
• And many, many more

That kind of vibrant representation deserves more than little fanfare! 🎉 For some suitable pomp and circumstance, we brought back our popular digital Pop Confetti button so that participants could experience a little burst of virtual confetti across their screens with the click of a button. As always, it was a big hit.

I really enjoyed the excitement and being celebrated! I haven’t been shown appreciation yet this week from my boss and coworkers and I was feeling really down. Attending made me feel better! — Jana H.

Not only did the Hypebook make showing up more intentional and meaningful, but the tools and frameworks it contains can be used again and again as you map out your future.

My life has been enhanced and empowered ever since crossing paths with OfficeNinjas and becoming an OfficeNinjas All-Star in 2015. I continue to be invigorated by powerful resources and tools which are vitally essential to today’s Admin+ pros. I have applied OfficeNinjas’ mantras and affirmations in my everyday life, and the Hypebook is a priceless arsenal for present and future happenings; it is so detailed, organized, and meticulous! — Jennifer M.

Speaking of mapping out your future, here’s a look back at the foundational Admin+ Month experiences you’ll have to build on — and the tools you’ve now got to build with — as you move forward.

April 4 // Admin+ Month Kickoff: Build the Habit!

We know that when it comes to building new habits, the best of intentions can sometimes hit a snag — even for the most fastidious Admin+ professionals.

We started the celebration off with a special Kickoff event aimed at building a new habit toward long-term change. We created the Build the Habit! framework, a step-by-step process packed with actionable tools for setting a plan, activating a habit loop, knocking down roadblocks, and enhancing your life.

Then, we took things a step further by using our AI robots to match Kickoff attendees with other similar habit-seeking peers. The result? Every participant received a curated list of potential accountability partners they could reach out to for support during the habit-building process.

The practical strategies and peer-powered accountability gained in Build the Habit! accomplished more than setting participants on the path to adopting the habits they need to reach their goals; it also helped them forge meaningful connections with new friends.

Admin+ Month could not have come at a better time. My goal for this year is to become better at time management and prioritizing tasks. My accountability buddy will be a wonderful resource in working towards my goal. — Adriana C.

April 13 // Building Trusted Partnerships, Presented by UC Berkeley Executive Education

They also became more aware of different elements of trust and how to exhibit them, with the help of a proven formula called The Trust Equation.

During this intimate, interactive session, participants broke into groups to reflect on the areas they wanted to improve on, and brainstormed how to overcome when trust issues have been identified.

OfficeNinjas and the Berkeley team have been collaborating since 2019 to develop executive-level education programs exclusively for the Admin+ profession, including our first-of-its-kind Administrative Leadership & Communication Program.

Building Trusted Partnerships participants got a taste of this two-day transformational experience designed to help today’s ambitious Admin+ professionals make higher-value contributions and define their authentic style as strategic partners within their organizations.

The Trust Equation is an equalizing tool for us to reexamine our relationships and bring about a stronger relationship base… I found it interesting that a few participants suggested in the chat that they felt uncomfortable with being “intimate” with their boss or colleagues. It would be a great topic to explore with further detail. It takes courage and bravery to step outside of our comfort zone to be vulnerable and share personally. But oh, the reward is tenfold! — Melissa B.

April 19, 20, 21 // Admingling, Rebuilt!

While Admin+ Month saw the debut of brand-new offerings like Building Trusted Partnerships, it also saw the eagerly anticipated return of an iconic OfficeNinjas event: Admingling.

Admingling events are an opportunity to collaborate with peers through in-depth conversations on the topics that matter to your career and the future of the Admin+ profession.

Reinvisioned as a virtual experience, each Admingling, Rebuilt! session brought together peers from all over the country to discuss a topic that’s becoming increasingly important to the Admin+ role: project management.

During these dynamic small group discussions, participants honed in on the key topics of project pre-planning and project design. In addition to sharing insights on what worked for them, they also gleaned wisdom from the experiences of their peers.

The best part? With access to all of the Admingling, Rebuilt! discussion materials in the Hypebook, Admin+ Month participants can step into a leadership role to facilitate their own discussion groups with Admin+ colleagues or peers in their local community.

The three breakout sessions were really fun and it was great to be able to connect with so many different Admin+ professionals during Admingling. A key takeaway was the shared notion that we are all project managers even if it is not our title — and that we should be confident in taking on leadership positions in project planning and company initiatives. — Nicki B.

April 27 // Admin+ Month Grand Finale: Manifesto Maker

We closed out Admin+ Month with one last chance to gather, reflect, and celebrate during our deeply meaningful Grand Finale Giveaway. While there were (of course!) giveaways during this joyful live event, attendees also engaged in one final activity, the shockingly effective and empowering Manifesto Maker.

Every year as we head into Admin+ Month here at OfficeNinjas, we write our manifesto, which guides and inspires us in our planning of Admin+ Month. During this Finale event, participants had the chance to craft manifestos of their own.

In addition to helping you assess the gap between where you are and where you want to be, these manifestos are invaluable catalysts for change. In sharing their manifestos, participants awed and inspired with their admirable vision and vulnerability.

It was a worthy way to send off Admin+ Month — one that provided a final chance for camaraderie and connection while laying the groundwork for the building to come.

The Manifesto Maker is very interesting! I like the idea of values, but have a hard time putting them into practice, or even being able to choose what’s *most* important to me. It’s very helpful to have some structure put around this! — Kelsey

Get Inspired by the 2022 All-Stars

Admin+ Month is packed with highlights, but none shine brighter than our All-Star Award winner reveals! OfficeNinjas All-Star Awards is an online search for the best and brightest Admin+ professionals in the United States and Canada.

From thousands of nominations, we select five outstanding individuals and one stellar team to publicly recognize with an engraved award plaque; beautifully curated prize package from our #1 choice for corporate gifting, Onyx; and an in-depth feature interview shared with tens of thousands of community members. Not to mention the endless admiration of an entire community of their peers.

This year, we honored five fascinating career Admins and one incredible Admin+ Team — each with very relevant takeaways for our community members.

• If you’re looking to position yourself as a strategic partner and feel more confident about sharing your voice, read Leanne Bailey’s empowering Q&A.
• If you aspire to affirm that the work you do makes a powerful difference to the people around you, Analane Powell’s empathetic interview is for you.
• If you’ve ever wrestled with whether or not to follow your instincts into uncharted territory, you don’t want to miss Amanda Nunez’s story about taking a leap and reaping the dividends.
• If you’ve ever encountered a setback that made you feel like the career you crave is out of reach, you’ll find the motivation you need to press on in Tyler Travis’s inspiring example.
• If you tend to steer clear of challenges because you’re afraid of falling short or failing completely, you don’t want to miss Donna Parsons’s thoughtful feature.
• If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if you mobilized a group of passionate coworkers and joined forces to elevate your organization’s entire Admin+ community, then you definitely want to go up-close-and-personal with Stanford Administrative Champions’ (SAC) article.

We urge you to read each winner’s candid Q&A for snippets of their impressive nominations, inspiring stories, and actionable insights you can transfer to your own role and career. And while you’re there, be sure to show them some big love in the comments!

I have loved reading everyone’s articles and learning so much. One thing that kept coming to mind was, “Dang! I’d love to have every one of you on our SAC Team!” Everyone is so inspiring, and it reinforces how lucky I am to be an Admin+ professional and know I’m among a great group of changemakers! — Ginny Smith, Stanford Administrative Champions (SAC)

Relive the Invigorating Giveaways

Would it really be Admin+ Month without a glut of giveaways?

After Admingling, we replaced our thinking caps with construction hats and kicked up the celebration with our annual Admin Day Mega Raffle.

At OfficeNinjas, we don’t just work hard, we play hard. To us, Admin Day is the perfect excuse to cut loose with the community, give away some beautiful gifts, and share some good times.

This year, our Mega Raffle was hosted by OfficeNinjas’ Director of Education Kristin Sgroi and our intrepid Admin+ Month Co-Chairs, Ross Greenberg and Danielle Mack. Assuming their alter egos as an architect, contractor, and designer, they led attendees in a light-hearted mission to help build the first ever Admin+ Global Headquarters. And twelve community members became lucky Mega Raffle winners along the way.

In today’s Admin Day Mega Raffle, I enjoyed the project planning recap, and the fun, silly, non-traditional way of learning. Kudos to the leaders for not breaking character, and for making us laugh. I also loved the feedback of others. You really did a great job of making the virtual setting fun, interactive, and available to many of us who might not have been able to travel! — Christine S.

And because there’s nothing we like more than seeing this community win, we launched a brand-new giveaway booster in 2022: the Points Stacker. To earn even more entries for each of the raffles, all Admin+ Month attendees had to do was complete a series of easy and fun social actions. More actions completed = more chances to score a wonderful prize!

Between our Kickoff Event, Admingling, Rebuilt! events, Admin Day Mega Raffle, and the Grand Finale Giveaway — 22 lucky community members walked away with beautiful prizes!

Admin+ Month Advocates Brought the Love

Admin+ Month wouldn’t have been the same without the help of a passionate crew of dedicated Admin, Ops, and People professionals: our Admin+ Month Advocates.

This 26-Admin volunteer crew from all around the U.S. worked together as one cohesive, collective mind to help us make Admin+ Month an extraordinary experience for our entire global community.

They took this unique leadership opportunity and ran with it!

In addition to demonstrating their love for the profession and the Admin+ community by spreading the word and generating buzz about each of the month’s events, they acted as strategic and creative collaborators in conceptualizing and developing Admin+ Month programming and content.

Some even stepped up as enthusiastic event co-hosts. (Many thanks to Danielle Mack, Ross Greenberg and Zoila Primo!)

And some Advocates brought their contagious energy and sense of camaraderie into every live event chat they entered as Live Chat Champions. We could not be more honored by their partnership, or inspired by their talent, commitment, and ingenuity.

Thank you to our 2022 Admin+ Month Advocates: Adriana Cicciarelli, Allison Zincke-Robles, Amber Gladys, Angela Schauf, Corina Terrell, Danielle Hill, Danielle Mack, Jennifer Pritchett, Jess Jones, Jess Hartley, Kati Norrod, Lisa Nobida, Lisa Marie Santiago, Mary Standiford, Meaghann Diez, Melissa Belda, Nicki Bartels, Nicole Godinez, Nicole Pillatsch, Reggie Cajayon, Ross Greenberg, Stacey Anker, Stacy Lopez, Tyler Travis, Whitney Degerberg, and Zoila Primo.

Being part of the Admin+ community has always been a source of pride for me. Whether attending events or leading them — anytime OfficeNinjas presents the opportunity to get involved, I happily jump at the chance. Being asked to co-chair Admin+ Month this year has been the highlight of it all.

Not only am I getting to recognize and honor the importance of my Admin+ peers globally, and the value that our critical roles add to our organizations. I’m also getting to use my voice to mobilize and inspire an incredible team of Admin+ Month Advocates.

Being an EA isn’t just a career to me, it’s a passion. And being Co-Chair of the Admin+ Month Advocate team is allowing me to share and grow that passion with like-minded peers. How amazing is that? — Danielle M.

Reach Your Career Goals with OfficeNinjas Education Programs

Creating experiences that are both exceptional and accessible has always been central to our mission at OfficeNinjas. That includes Admin+ Month!

Reinvesting revenue from OfficeNinjas Education Programs — our year-round professional development training services for teams and individuals — allows us to continue to bring Admin+ Month to the community for free.

We’re passionate about producing the most progressive training solutions available, including:

• The UC Berkeley + OfficeNinjas Leadership & Communication Program. Are you ready to uncover your authentic leadership style? The only executive-level program of its kind for the Admin+ profession, this 2-day intensive learning experience offers the same leadership and communication skill training taught to top executives by the same UC Berkeley Haas faculty and coaches.
• Architect Your Outcomes: A Strategic Planning Roadmap. Do you feel you and your team could do more… or be better? The solution isn’t trying to get more done. It’s about embracing a new paradigm that focuses on investing time and effort where it matters most. Learn to identify the right priorities — and successfully execute them with this skill-based learning program for Admin+ teams.
• Team Build-Up Mastermind. If you’re an Admin+ team lead looking to create a cohesive, powerhouse Admin+ team and company culture where the Admin role is highly respected, this Mastermind is just for you. During this intimate strategy session, you’ll draft a custom action plan outlining high-impact opportunities to build up your team — and the specifics of implementing them — while making meaningful connections with other Admin+ team leads.
• Custom Solutions for Admin+ Teams. How are you upskilling your Admin+ team for the changed workplace? OfficeNinjas will help you put an actionable implementation plan in place for continued learning and growth long after a Program wraps. Your Admin+ team deserves more. And we’ll help you get there.

Whether you choose to invest in OfficeNinjas Education Programs or decide to create your own blueprint for learning, we’ll be rooting for you every step of the way! We can’t wait to see what you build next.

And if you surround yourself with folks who are willing to hold the ladder while you climb (you’ll do the same for them!) — well, there’s nothing that can stop you from building your dream career.

Sound Off: Share Your Admin+ Month Experience

Congratulations on an incredible month! One full of meaningful connection, intentional skill-building, and thoughtful introspection. Speaking of introspection… we’d love to hear from YOU!

What were your “aha” moments of Admin+ Month? What are you most excited to build using your Admin+ Month learnings?

Share your thoughts on your Admin+ Month experience in the Comments section.