Give It Up for Mimy Wraspir, 2018 OfficeNinjas All-Star!
Editor’s Note: Admin Week 2020 festivites are approaching! Register today for OfficeNinjas Con and Admin Bash 2020.
Today’s OfficeNinjas All-Star Award is presented by ezCater! The only nationwide marketplace for office meals and catering.
Ninja Snapshot
Name: Mimy Wraspir
Title & Company: Executive Assistant and Office Manager, Lattice Engines
Location: San Mateo, CA
# Years as an Office Ninja: 10
Recommends: Inflatable neck pillows on travel days
Fun Fact: Ran a pet grooming business prior to becoming an Office Ninja
A good Ninja can keep an office happy and running efficiently. But it takes an All-Star like Mimy Wraspir to manage four offices and support multiple executives, all in different time zones. Her colleagues at Lattice Engines in San Mateo, CA aren’t quite sure how she does it, but they definitely appreciate her work—she received a total of 25 nominations!
Mimy literally runs the flow of how we all operate here; her loyalty and determination to our company well-being is equally fierce as that of the CEO. She nurtures, organizes, advises, defends, and helps anyone—not just her team. We have company values because of her, and she consistently helps us embrace them.
Mimy hasn’t met a challenge she can’t handle, including pulling off a last-minute, company-wide summit that proved to be 100% worth her time, effort, and attention to detail.
Mimy has a way of “getting things done” no matter the challenge, constraints, or expectations. This year, it was pulling a company-wide 2018 kick-off event, with less than a month notice (more like 2 weeks), limited budget, and three-days full of agenda for the entire company (100+ employees). She got this done by working around the clock to pull together the logistics, chasing after various executives to prepare meeting contents, being very creative to save cost (on meals, awards, company gifts), and supporting all employees during the entire event. Everyone had a great time and felt like the kickoff was most productive and informative one that we’ve ever had.
Nearly all of her colleagues highlighted Mimy’s empathy and kindness. Her thoughtful approach to managing a workplace has created a welcoming environment where employees feel supported and equipped to do their best work.
Mimy is the single most important person at Lattice. Her title is Executive Assistant, but her role can really be described as the heart, soul, and glue that keeps us all motivated and connected. Her day job is to make sure our executive staff is being as efficient as possible with their very precious time … Her side job is making sure our positive culture is promoted and spread to all of our offices. She knows every person in the company and makes everyone that she speaks with feel as if they are her favorite person in the world. She works with HR, Finance, IT, and the Office Admins to ensure smooth new employee onboarding. She’s the shoulder that anyone can lean on, and she’s the first to congratulate you on a job well done.
Anyone else feeling inspired to be their best Ninja self? Let’s check in with this All-Star and see just how she does it. Enjoy our Q&A with Mimy Wraspir!
ON: Tell us about the craziest day you’ve ever experienced as an Office Ninja.
MW: Every day is so packed full of hustle and the need to constantly roll with the punches. Does it count if my craziest day was one where all was calm and no audibles were called? It’s like seeing the ocean so calm that the top looks like glass … how often does that happen? Crazy, right?
ON: What’s your favorite part of being an Office Ninja?
MW: Variety. Constant change, whether it’s the people, tasks, or environment. Every day is a new day. I like playing behind the scenes and watching as things unfold. I can come into the office with a game plan and list of priorities for the day, but it doesn’t always mean that my day will go as planned. When the coffee machine stops working, an interview candidate you weren’t notified about shows up, and an impromptu catering requests comes in for that afternoon, an entire morning can get turned on its head.
And of course, all through the day I get colleagues who stop by to visit, ask questions, or place their requests and reminders. It’s a never ending cycle of communicating and coordinating, but it’s what keeps the days flying by—before I know it, it’s time to wrap things up in order to pick-up the kids from school!
ON: What’s the one thing that’s always on your desk?
MW: Post-its. I’d be so lost without them. From gathering reports and verifying expenses for our CEO, President, and Co-Founder to managing travel for our Vice President of Business Development, to coordinating company-wide events, supplies, and team building, I have a lot of different things going on.
I use Post-its and a color-coding system to prioritize and organize by project and importance.
- Red needs to be done before I leave for the day.
- Orange is a medium priority and should be completed within two days.
- Bright yellow needs to be done by week’s end. Light canary yellow is low priority.
I have them stuck everywhere—on my monitors, my laptop, the wall. My mouse pad is a giant post-it for notes and more to-do’s! But it feels so good to crumple them up when I finish a task.
I’m a very visual person, so the less post-its I see, the more accomplished I feel.
ON: Where does your drive come from? What keeps you motivated?
MW: Curiosity and the desire to solve, please, and succeed are my drivers. Ultimately, I’m driven by pleasing others—it’s a great feeling when the results of my efforts positively influence others.
People’s happiness, especially that of my family, feeds my desire to seek more efficient and creative ways to improve in order to accomplish more success.
I genuinely want to produce the best version of me, but what keeps me motivated are my children. Even when times are tough or overwhelming, knowing that what I do is for more than just me, keeps me going. I try to be a good role model for them, and I start every day by putting my best foot forward.
ON: How do you see the admin profession evolving? What do you do to stay ahead of the curve?
MW: I see the admin profession continuing to evolve from basic support into leading roles with more recognizable titles, especially as admins grow their knowledge on how to utilize data to increase efficiencies with their everyday workloads.
My team analyzes data on the reg—we try to recognize trends when ordering supplies, sort our interests for planning events, route travels and meetings, and even manage preferences when ordering snacks and meals. We even request monthly usage data from our Bevi machine to show stats to leadership on how many bottles we’ve saved and change out flavors based upon consumption rates.
In an attempt to stay ahead of the curve, I like to source and apply new applications, vendors, and techniques regularly, as well as gain exposure to “newness” whenever possible. The best way to keep learning is to attend webinars, meet-ups, and social events whenever possible. Combine that with keeping your ear close to the ground on new apps and tools (my favs are Slack, Dropbox, Tripit, WorldTimeBuddy, Boxed, and Duolingo!) and you’ll be on the cutting edge of efficiency!
ON: How do you balance work and personal life?
MW: It’s certainly a teeter-totter, but infusing my work environment with values from home has enabled me to create more reasonable boundaries that provide better balance. Being accountable is a value at home that’s also one of Lattice’s eight values. Everyone plays a part in the bigger picture, so when you do your share, others can do theirs. Having a family-first mentality has allowed me to tend to my family’s needs, as long as my work is handled.
Being able to freely express how important family is to me has allowed me to communicate more openly with my execs and set expectations around availability, response times, and deadlines.
Once I leave work and my kids are in the car, work doesn’t get any more attention until the kids are in bed or the next day. My execs and I have a communication process that works very well.
1. Email anything and everything you may want/need done.
2. Text if something needs attention within a couple hours.
3. Text deets, then call if urgent.
I’ve communicated this to my execs, which is why I can successfully support so many at once.
I hope my commitment to a work-life balance has and will continue to inspire those around me to strive for that balance. In fact, several of my execs now have time blocked on their busy calendars for things like a doctors appointment, driving their children to school, or even having dinner with their family.
I also have delayed and timed emails that are not urgent which helps keep them from responding during certain hours.
These small considerations have actually created a bond between me and my managers, as I understand both their strong work ethic, and their love for their families.
Once I leave work and my kids are in the car, work doesn’t get any more attention until the next day or when the kids are in bed. I’ve communicated this to my execs, which is why I can successfully support so many at once. I encourage my execs to follow my lead and protect their time with boundaries too. This has actually created a bond with my managers.
ON: You’ve helped influence the culture and values at Lattice. What are your suggestions for helping other Ninjas do the same at their workplaces?
MW: First, identify what you have the passion to change, then gain the support of leadership. A lot of Ninjas are passionate, but they need the courage to speak out and share what they want to create.
When I started, the culture at Lattice was fairly quiet, and cubicles contributed to the siloing of departments and colleagues. I wanted to create a bubblier workplace where people could communicate openly, and cultivate a set of values everyone shared. Upon expressing that desire to leadership, I worked with a small team to create eight values that represents Lattice as a whole.
My favorite value that came out of that experience is “Embrace Your Quirkiness”. To me, this means that you can (and should) come to work as you are and not worry about “high school drama or criticism,” since everyone functions in their own way. We now have more frequent gatherings and team building events where Lattizens of all departments come together to socialize, share, enjoy, and simply be themselves.
Along the way, you may find mentors who can help empower you to do what you really want to do. Energy from doing something freely is infectious because it’s genuine. Stay focused on what you want to achieve. Include people and be authentic. This is another value at Lattice…”Find a Mentor, Be a Mentor”.
As I look up to others to learn from and advise me, I hope I’ve reciprocated for others who’ve sought my thoughts/words.
Some seek their manager as a mentor, but really, your mentor can be anyone you look up to, trust and respect for guidance. I have a number of people that I turn to for different situations. One of my most impactful mentors worked with me a while back. A former employer, Steve Barton, taught me much of what I know and certainly molded my work ethic into what it is today. The variety of skills and business strategies he shared influence how I approach people and think about business.
ON: What are the top 3 traits of an OfficeNinjas All-Star?
MW:
1. Empathy – understand what and who you’re working and dealing with in order to progress to the bigger picture. Be driven by the facts and not the emotions.
2. Resourcefulness – be creative and solution-minded. Think outside the box. Ask yourself, “How else can this be done?” Reach out to your network for help/advice. Never settle for the answer, “no”, as there should always be a way.
3. Accountability – be reliable and able to consistently get things done. Take a look at the bigger picture to understand how your part plays into things. Be transparent. Handle your business, so others can handle theirs.
ON: Lattice Engines is a highly analytical and data-driven company. Yet, you’ve helped create a culture of warmth and connection. What’s your secret?
MW: If you show you care and share, others will too. Work might be the common factor, but everyone is so unique and interesting.
Some people have the most unexpected hobbies and interests (we’ve got people into lock-picking, book writing, and gaming), some are incredibly talented (like our musicians, dancers, and regular hackers), while others share amazing stories about their travels, past experiences, and their simple preferences.
Water cooler conversations, group meals, impromptu socials, and surprise treats are just a few ways you can add to the mix to encourage people to connect on different levels. We have lunches on Fridays where everyone is encouraged to eat together like a big family. As people move out and fill in, neighboring seats share plans for the weekend, tell tales about their families and kids, and sometimes everyone just shares in conversation and laughter.
Part of an admin’s job is also to understand the energy of the office. Being aware of quarter-end, when events are, or when releases occur, prompts good timing for surprise treats and socials where people can decompress and celebrate their hard work. We’re a bunch of foodies, so introducing new cuisines definitely gets people in our office talking and sharing.
Because of this built camaraderie, there have been times where I’ve picked up lunch for people that I know would not be able to break away for lunch due to deadlines. Unexpectedly in turn, these same people have taken care of me on days they’ve seen me stormed with work and unable to get away.
ON: What’s one thing you’ve done that’s been the most impactful in advancing your career?
MW: Finding and developing relationships within a community of like-minded people outside of Lattice has allowed me to continue growing in my current role and build a greater network.
Thanks to OfficeNinjas, I have come to find many people that I can relate with and a few that I’ve come to form relationships where we communicate with each other regularly.
It’s great to chop it up with someone else who understands, yet will give you an outside, unbiased POV. These relationships have also exposed me to people I never would have connected with otherwise.
ON: What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
MW: Learn what empathy is, and don’t mistake it with sympathy. This was shared by one of my most memorable employers, Steve Barton. Empathy is about understanding people. It keeps you from being judgmental and allows you to find more common ground.
ON: Lattice Engines is spread out across four offices. Yet, you’re still able to make employees at all the sites feel like a part of the team. What are your tips for keeping remote teams connected?
MW: Regular check-ins, even if it’s via Slack or text, and making a point to get video time in whenever possible.
Schedule quarterly face-to-face visits, which are necessary to help remote employees feel connected to HQ.
Capitalize on opportunities to celebrate as a whole company such as summer picnics, quarter-end successes, volunteer events, holidays, and kick-offs. The annual company-wide kick-off is golden opportunity for us.
ON: You travel on a regular basis to support Lattice Engine’s remote sites. What tricks have you learned to make business travel more enjoyable?
MW: Inflatable neck pillows are a great companion aboard flights and are easy to quickly deflate for storage. I believe mine is a Travelsmith inflatable neck pillow and I love the ability to adjust the firmness and easily adjust to support your head from nodding forward.
Make time to experience something new or explore more of the area you travel with each visit. Schedule it into your calendar to ensure it happens. I love to try all different kinds of food and visit popular restaurants, so I try to make reservations and schedule in a new restaurant on each trip. I also try to schedule time to explore the city when possible such as walking trails or visiting landmarks … sometimes visiting establishments to source as possible event venues is also enjoyable “win-win”.
Inviting a colleague to join me also ensures that I’ll make stick to the planned trip. And FaceTime with my family helps to minimize the distance.
ON: How do you keep up with the demands and changes of a company that’s moving so rapidly?
MW: It’s important to stay aligned with the leadership team and surround myself with a reliable team. If you can anticipate a roadblock, you’ll be better prepared for the detour.
I have regular check-ins with most of the executives. I own their schedules, attend company meetings, and play a part in whatever is going on at the time. This helps me anticipate things before I’m asked to do them. I call this “Auto-Magic;” I automatically fix things before anyone knows what’s wrong.
ON: OK, we’ll set the scene: you have less than 30 days notice, a limited budget, and three days full of agenda items for the entire company of 100+ employees. How do you pull together a kick-off event that everyone is still talking about months later?
MW: Ask the right questions, get organized, and hit the floor running. Although the logistics and agenda matter, the experience spiced with little details also matter.
Finding a balance between achieving the business objectives and showing folks that they’re valued, all while having fun and building bonds between people, is key to pulling together a successful kick-off event that everyone speaks of months later.
—
Mimy, if you’re planning the event, put us on the guest list!
As part of her prize package, Mimy will receive a $1,000 credit from ezCater, proud Admin Week partner!
View the complete album from our photo shoot at Lattice Engines with Mimy!
All on-site photography of our featured Ninja and her workplace is courtesy of Oh Snap! Visuals. Oh Snap! is OfficeNinjas’ go-to photography company for headshots and events. They travel nationally, produce stunning photographs, and are a dream to work with!
Today’s All-Star is brought to you by ezCater:
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Congratulations!
Congratulations Mimy! I feel like we have a lot in common :)
Congratulations Mimi
Congrats, Mimy!
Oh my gosh, Mimy… I COMPLETELY GET YOU!! I too am so visual, and I appreciate your priority system for tasks. I do the same… Post-It’s EVERYWHERE! :-) Congratulations!
Congratulations Mimy on being an awesome Office Ninja!
You Rock Mimy!! :)
Congrats!!
Way to go!!!!
Congrats Mimi for being an AllStar Ninja
I love the idea of delaying the non-urgent emails to encourage family time among all employees! I can’t wait to share that with my team!
Congrats!!
congrats!
Another inspirational ninja! Once again, got some many tips and ideas from Mimy! Kudos to you and thanks for sharing your story and ideas!!
Congrats and Kudos! You really have what it takes to be an Office Ninja!
Great Job!
Congrats! :D
Congratulations, Mimy!!
Congrats! You really inspired me today. Thank you!
Good job!
YOU ROCK Mimy!!!
Congrats!
Congrats Mimi!
Being an Admin All-Star is no easy feat! Well done Ninja!
I use Post-it Notes also as an organizational tool. I joke that I feel like a short order cook and the Post-its are my daily orders. Congratulations Mimy.
That’s so cool! We should all aspire to be like Mimy.
Congrats!
WOW….what an amazing Ninja! Lattice is so lucky to have you on their team! Great job Mimy!
Great Article
What a great Q and A!! I struggle with keeping our remote offices engaged.
You deserve it, congrats!
Congratulations Mimi!
Congrats!
Congratulations!!
Congrats, fam!
Awesome, Congrats!
Congratulations!!!
Congratulations Mimy – keep up the great work!
Congratulation – I copied what you said about empathy and I’m putting it up in my cube -good words to live by!!!
congrats!! :)
Congrats Mimi!
Many congrats Mimy!!
Way to go Mimi!! Well deserved!
Congrats!
That’s pure awesomeness, Mimy! Congratulations!!
Mizzy, you are a superstar to handle all those executives in different time zones. Do you ever sleep?
I love Mimy’s idea with the post-it notes except I’m too OCD to have that many post-its laying around everywhere. LOL Any ideas for us OCD people?
Congrats!
Congrats Mimi, love the colored Post-Its for to-do items!
color coding, my sanity
super star!
my hero, my inspiration, and what I strive for daily
Great Article!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Congrats! Great job!
sums it up perfectly for this office ninja!
Great feature!
I can’t live without my post-its either! Congratulations, Mimy!
Love your methodology! Congrats!
You are a rock star!
So exciting! Congratulations!!
congrats!
Congratulations!
Very proud to be a Ninja among this vast group of inspirational people!
Congratulations Mimy! Well deserved!
Congratulations Mimi
Congrats Mimy!
Congrats!!!
I love how you’ve communicated with your Executives how the process works. It allows you to effectively do your job and, it’s obvious, you’re a valued member of their team. Congratulations on your win!!
Congratulations! I love that you said “Ask the right questions”. I have learned this is critical to my success and trustworthiness.
Congrats!!
Congratulations Mimy!
Way to go Mimy!
Congrats Mimy! I think I’ll use your color-coded post it notes for organization, I use them for various reminders but this is a good idea. (thumps up)
Way to go Mimy! You are a true inspiration!!
Congrats Mimy! I love the career advice about learning empathy and understanding that it is much different than sympathy. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us!
congrats
Go Mimi! Best part from your article is embrace everyone and their special quirkiness. It definitely takes all types of talents to make the world go round.
congrats, Mimy!
Congrats!
Congrats!
Wonderfull and exciting! Congratulations Mimy!
Congrats!
You go girl!
Congratulations Mimy! That’s Right, show ’em how it’s done!
Such a vast skill set. Congrats on the award!!
Congratulations!
Congrats Mimi. I myself am learning how to anticipate roadblocks. And when they do show up, sometimes the slower detours can be the funnest. Enjoy!
Congrats, Mimy! I love her work/home balance strategy!
Congratz!!
Awesome job! You Rock!
Congratulations, Mimy!
Congrats!!!!
Congrats!
Congrats Mimy!
I love your post-it color coding system! Congratulations!!!
I love Mimy’s work at work and home at home stance. It’s so important to remember that you are as important in both places, but also, your focus is important, too. Congrats, Mimy!
I love the idea to “Embrace Your Quirkiness”.
Congrats!
Congrats!
Congrats!! #officeninjasrock
Mimy, I loved your Post-It system! I also love how you embrace the quirkiness of the staff.
Congrats Mimy Wraspir! You deserve to win OfficeNinja All Star! I am the Executive Assistant to the President and the Executive Vice President of my company. Your leadership qualities and winning attitude is exactly what every executive team needs.
Mimy is an inspiration to us all!
Congratulations, Mimy! Love your work-life balance.
Congrats! :)
Congrats, Mimy! A true inspiration.
Congrats!
Congrats Mimy! I enjoyed reading your interview. I’m glad to know that someone else keeps their desk, monitor, etc filled with post it notes. I’ve been dubbed the “sticky queen”. Keep up the great work!
I loved this article. Mimy sounds like an amazing ninja- so upbeat, innovative and dedicated to both work and family. A real inspiration. And the fact that 25 of her co-workers recommended her for the All-Star award speaks to her marvelousness :)
Congrats, Mimy!
I like the idea of using different color post-its to reflect task deadlines.
Congrats Mimy!
Congrats, Mimy! I love the idea of texting urgent matters!
Great choice!!
Congrats!!
Congratulations Mimy! I really appreciate how you influence your executives to make time for their families too; many times they’re the last ones to actually follow through on that.
I may just have to add “Embrace Quirkiness” to my motivation board!
Congratulations, Mimy! You are a true inspiration.
Congrats Mimy! Sounds like an office/company environment that would be a benefit to all who work there. :)
Congrats girl!!! You rock!
Congratulations Mimy! You are incredible!
Congrats Mimy!!!
Congrats! I especially love the tip about making sure to do some side tourism when you are traveling for work. It is so easy to get stuck in the hotel and never see the city you are in.
Congrats!
Admazing & Awesome Job!! Congratulations!
Great work Mimy!
Congrats to you Mimy Wraspir!!!
this is great! Congrats, Ninja-Mimy! You earned it!
Congratulations, Mimy! What a rockstar!
Congratulations!
Yay!
Congratulations!!
Congratulations!
Mimy, you are incredible! I’m so inspired by how you work your tail off for amazing results at work, then are able to dedicate yourself so fully to your family after. As a soon-to-be working mom (!), this is something I aspire to.
Great job Mimy!
OFFICE NINJAS ROCK!!!
Great article, and congrats Mimy!!! Loved your statement “If you show you care and share, others will too. “
Congratulations!!
You rock, Mimy
Hi Mimi – Congratulations on being selected as an OfficeNinjas All-Star! On behalf of the team at ezCater we’re tremendously proud to support the work you’ve done to support the Lattice Engines team. You’re an inspiration and this recognition is well deserved. Congrats again and enjoy Administrative Professional Day!
Congrats!
It’s so true. Post its are life savers.
Congrats, Mimy!