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Celebrity assistants have a demanding job. The role requires being on call outside of normal working hours, working proactively to anticipate the needs of their boss, and protecting their boss’s schedule and privacy. It takes someone who is engaged, professional, and a team player—and searching for the right person to fill the role takes skill. “I might as well be a scientist instead of a recruiter, because I’m putting people under a microscope,” says Susan Levine, founder and CEO of Career Group Companies, which has placed assistants with celebrities including Kevin Costner, Maria Shriver, and the Kardashian-Jenners. “I need to be a very good listener with the client first and equally a good listener with the candidate. I make sure that everything that the candidate wants fits what the actor wants, and vice versa.” In any profession, there are overarching qualities that help you perform well in your job. The key to a long-lasting hire, however, is focusing on the person behind the skills, says Monique Helstrom, an executive assistant recruiter and former assistant to author and speaker Simon Sinek. “Ultimately the relationship is human,” she says. “Human connection is something you have to search for.” Bonnie Low-Kramen, author of Staff Matters: People-Focused Solutions for the Ultimate New Workplace, says a strong working relationship comes down to chemistry. “If an executive or a celebrity is choosing between two candidates, they’re going to choose who they feel they’ll be most compatible with,” she says. As a result, hiring can be an exercise in matchmaking. While not every manager is going to be a high-profile individual, hiring managers can learn some tips from celebrity assistant recruiters on how they go about finding the right candidates: Start with the Boss An important tool for finding the right person is a well-written job description, says Helstrom. “You need to be blunt,” she says. “I interview the executive quite thoroughly. I also interview people that they know and love. Some pieces will connect to their values, and some pieces will look for slightly opposite skills. I describe both sides thoroughly, so that I can attempt to weed out those that don’t fit the bill.” For example, the manager may value honesty and need someone who is not afraid to speak up. Or the manager may be a high-energy person. Finding someone who has a calmer demeanor could bring better balance to their relationship. Levine likes to find out what an executive’s Achilles’ heel is. “Like any relationship in life, in order for there to be compatibility and synergy, you need to know what makes someone tick,” she says. “If they didn’t care for the last assistant they had and are replacing them, what was it about that person that annoyed them?” Find Matching Values Having a good understanding of the person behind the management role can help guide the interview. Helstrom asks questions that reveal if their values are in alignment. She likes to ask “What do you value in a personal and professional experience? And give me some examples of the last time you lived one of those values.” If one of their values is living with integrity, for example, Helstrom wants to hear a story about a time when they didn’t drop the ball, even though there were things against them that could have stopped them from doing their job. “Did they take ownership of the project?” she asks. ““I want to see if the behavior is what the executive wants, but I also look at their body language. Does what they’re saying match how they’re acting?” Assess Their Engagement Some candidates want a job, and some want this job. To determine how important the role you need to fill is to the candidate, Low-Kramen, who was the personal assistant to actress Olympia Dukakis for 25 years, likes to check if they’ve done their homework. “Not just homework, but deep homework,” she says. “What do they know about the organization, and what do they know about the people involved, even the recruiter. You will be able to tell very quickly if they’ve done their homework or if they ask questions that could have easily been found on Google.” During the interview, Helstrom assesses engagement by making sure the person is prepared. “I’ve had people come to the interview and say, ‘What interview is this for?’ or ‘What job is this for?’” she says. “I ask them ‘Why do you want this job?’” Measure Professionalism Personality is what’s going to get you the job, but you need a high level of professionalism, says Levine. “[Your boss] is not going to be your friend over the years; you might develop a relationship, but it’s a job,” she says. Different roles will measure professionalism in different ways. For a celebrity assistant, confidentiality is an important value. Helstrom says one of her favorite ways to discern the candidate’s ability to maintain the employer’s privacy is asking them questions about their former executive. “I’ll say, ‘Tell me about your last executive,’ or ‘Tell me about the worst executive you’ve ever had,’” she says. “I want to see if they start getting personal. If they dish to me, they’re dishing to other people.” Another way to get insights on someone’s level of professionalism is by checking references. In addition to talking to previous employers, Low-Kramen looks at candidates’ social media platforms for clues. “[Posts are] evidence of discretion and what is appropriate to be putting out publicly,” she says. “I don’t think it’s a big reach that an executive or hiring manager might think, ‘If she or he is presenting themselves like this on social media, that may be what they’ll do with me.’ Your private life is your private life except when it impacts your professional life. It speaks to their professionalism and dedication to the career. I know of assistants who have not been offered jobs because of what’s on social media.” Finally, Low-Kramen looks for common courtesies that might indicate how someone behaves in a professional setting. For example, does the candidate stand when the interviewer enters the room? Do they look you in the eye? Did they silence their phone? If you meet them for a meal in a restaurant, how do they treat the waitstaff? “All of this shows respect and deference to the situation,” she explains. “They should make it intentional that the most important person they’re talking with right now is you.” View the full article

If you’re feeling anxious about AI right now, you’re not alone. It’s reasonable to wonder whether AI will soon be able to do a lot of what we used to think of as human work. As of now, this technology has already shown some degree of promise for all of the following very human psychological skills: diagnosing diseases, writing code, summarizing and teaching information, predicting markets, brainstorming, product design, project management, coaching, and much more. We probably all know some optimists who think AI will be merely an efficiency tool that gets you 80% there and humans will still be needed for the other 20%. But even in a scenario like that, some current jobs will surely be lost. I’m not going to try to predict the future and say what is right. I’m just pointing out that there are plenty of reasons why many of us are worried, anxious, or downright afraid of AI taking our jobs at some point. Psychology has something very valuable to offer here. What this is really about is living with uncertainty. One good way to live well—perhaps even happily—with uncertainty is to start by understanding what the worry, anxiety, and fear (WAF) are there for. As University of Michigan Professor Ethan Kross explains, emotions are useful sources of information. When it comes to WAF, very often the information is that there is something coming in the future that you can’t fully control and you want the outcome to turn out a certain way. In other words, WAF serves a function—to help us try to control the future. That can be adaptive at times, like when preparing for a major licensing exam. It’s a specific goal where you can control the outcome in some important ways. Worrying about whether certain topics will be covered on the exam can help you do some downside planning. Feeling a little anxious on the morning of the exam can help you stay energized and focused. Having some fear about what would happen if you failed to study enough and were embarrassed with the results can motivate you when your motivation lags. All of that helps you try to control the future. Trying to control the future is not so adaptive when it’s not meaningfully possible, such as when the future is as uncertain as it is with AI. In this context, downside planning can have no end, the anxiety can be chronic because there is no singular event—like the exam—coming up to apply it to, and the fear of failure can feel unending when any job you might have or prepare for might be taken away by AI. But the truth is that no one can know what capabilities and impact AI will have in the future. There’s a place for some guessing and downside (or upside) planning with AI, but that’s different from the ongoing and repeated fears many have of AI taking their jobs. WAF in this case often leads to a general sense of doom and hopelessness. It no longer serves an adaptive purpose. Instead it holds you back—and it’s unpleasant. However, the information in the WAF is still useful. The information is often that you seek a greater sense of control over your career success. What can you do to gain some sense of control and reduce WAF when the future is so uncertain? It all comes down to bringing your focus to what you can control. These three steps can be a great way to do so: Honor that goal of having a sense of control, and find a better way to get there. Focus on what you can control, which, in this case, is the present and your use of AI now. Answer this question: What do I want to do with AI now? For example, I need to engage in negotiations from time to time. On occasion, I find I am quite cynical about the chances that the other side will play fair or be open to listening. So one way I want to use AI right now is to get guidance from experts on cynicism. I might not have access to Jamil Zaki, author of Hope for Cynics. But I know that researchers have often found that your beliefs and attitudes make a big difference in how things turn out. So if I wanted to change my cynical attitude about my negotiation, I could ask AI to suggest a few pointers that Zaki would likely recommend to help me to approach a negotiation with hopeful skepticism rather than having already cynically written the other side off. When you focus on what you want to do with AI now, you do two things that should decrease the WAF feelings. One is that you increase your sense of control, which has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety. The other is that, rather than trying to avoid what you fear, you reorient toward approaching what you desire. So it’s more about desire and less about WAF. Shifting your focus to what you want that is within your control now, as pertains to AI, can help you live well with the uncertainty around how AI will affect your job. Often people try to gain control over a highly uncertain future by dwelling on what the future could hold. But this leads to avoidance and distracting negative WAF feelings. Paradoxically, shifting your focus to the present and to what you want that is within your control now, can be the best way to set your future self up for success. As you get to know the technology you can build a more constructive relationship with it. View the full article

Engineering company expects to suspend share trading at end of April because of work needed to prepare 2024 accountsView the full article

Private equity interest comes as UK’s largest water utility is fighting to avoid renationalisationView the full article

Paul Marchant leaves retailer after probe into allegation about his behaviour in a social environmentView the full article

And replies on CoreWeaveView the full article

According to some studies, the average person touches their phone 2,617 times every day. And, on average, we now spend an average of 5 hours and 16 minutes per day on our phones. When I was young, our phones were just a tool for communication with others, but those days are long gone. They are now an almost essential device to get through our days. Even more, when you think about it, they have become the screen and lens through which we experience life. We scroll, text, shop, track, plan, capture, play, and navigate every day—all from a device we carry in our pocket. With a device that has become so powerful in our lives, it is important that we are intentional in how we structure it and use it. Not just in terms of the amount of time we spend on it (although that is incredibly important), but how we use it. Are we setting up our phones, and the apps we download for it, in a way that improves our life or detracts from it? Are the apps on your phone helping you live an intentional life focused on the things that matter most—or distracting you from it? Distraction is everywhere these days. But unlike many of life’s interruptions, the apps on our phone are entirely within our control. Every single one is something we chose to download, chose to keep—and chose where to place on our screen. Some apps are helpful, no doubt. They serve a clear purpose—whether it’s finding directions, tracking habits, locating information quickly, learning a new skill, focusing on a hobby, improving productivity, capturing family memories, or connecting with others. These tools can absolutely improve our lives and drive an intentional life. But not all apps serve us. Some only consume our time and attention. They distract us from people and relationships. They steal our focus and dash our productivity. They compel shopping and poor financial decisions. Some stir up stress in our lives. There are some apps on our phones that do not motivate us to live our best lives. They offer the illusion of a better life while simultaneously pulling us further from the people and purposes that matter most. I encourage you to look at the apps on your phone in a new way today. Ask yourself about each one, “Is this app helping me live the life I want and achieve the dream I have for my life?” Because if it’s not, it’s distracting you from it. And the power to decide how your phone is going to serve you is in our hands today—literally. How to Use Your Phone More Intentionally Here are five simple but helpful ways to make sure the apps on your phone are contributing to a more meaningful life rather than keeping you from it: 1. Take Inventory Begin by taking a look at how much time you spend on each app on your phone. Don’t just guess, but actually look. Here’s where to check on an Apple phone and here’s where to check on an Android phone. Decide, right then and there, whether each app (starting with the most used) is one that is helping you live a more intentional life or keeping you from it. 2. Remove One App That Doesn’t Align with Your Values It’s okay to start small. Just choose one app (the higher up your time-used list, the better) that consistently wastes time, distracts you, adds stress, or leads to unhealthy habits. Just one. Delete it—and pay attention to what happens next in your life. If you like who you are becoming after the change, consider finding another… and then another. 3. Make Your Home Screen an Encouraging Place Your home screen receives more of your brain’s attention than anywhere on the phone. It is the first thing you see when you turn on your phone and has the potential to immediately encourage intentionality or distraction. Build it strategically. Fill it with the apps that reflect your desires and values: a calendar, a reading app, a journal, a health app, a shortcut to Becoming Minimalist… And move time-wasting, distracting apps—like social media, games, or shopping platforms—to your second or third screen. 4. Do a Little Research on Apps that Support Your Goals Just like there are many time-wasting and distraction-filled apps on the market, there are also many, many wonderful apps and tools available for you to use to improve your life. I encourage you to not just delete time-wasting apps and leave a void, but fill your digital space with tools that help you in life. Whether you’re trying to exercise more, eat better, read more, write better, spend less, save more, focus more, grow in your faith, learn more, expand a hobby, build a habit, or declutter your home—there is likely an app that can help. Sometimes all it takes is thinking to yourself, “I wonder if there’s an app that will help me….” and then googling to see if any options pop up. If you find one that might help, put it on your home screen (see Step #3) to encourage your progress. 5. Review Your App Choices Regularly Apps seem to come and go pretty quickly in our affections and in our attentions. Removing one time-wasting app doesn’t mean we don’t default to another. Or trying out a habit-building app this week doesn’t mean we’ll still use it next week. Set a regular reminder to review your apps. Quarterly, at least. Maybe even more often at first. You can decide—just know creating a phone set-up that serves you isn’t a one-time decision. Take some time to ask questions like: What’s serving you well? What’s becoming a distraction? What’s no longer needed? There is no doubt our phones are powerful tools in our lives. In fact, most of you are reading this article on a phone right now. Let’s work hard to craft them into tools that help us live better, not more distracted. The post Are the Apps on Your Phone Helping You or Hurting You? appeared first on Becoming Minimalist. View the full article

Investors warn that higher bond yields could make it harder for members of the bloc to increase defence spending View the full article

State election has become most expensive judicial race in US history as Tesla boss spends unprecedented amountView the full article

The government must embark on a much more radical programme of structural reformsView the full article

The bank’s integration of Credit Suisse is going well. It’s everything else that’s the problemView the full article

Internal questioning could lead to independent probe after high-profile bungles View the full article

Finance minister says Lisbon will not let rearmament costs threaten budget surplus secured after years of austerityView the full article

Meta has announced a suite of new features for its Threads app aimed at enhancing personalization and user control. The updates, launched March 20, 2025, include expanded topic tagging, follower-only interaction settings, a customizable feed experience, and improvements to video playback. According to Meta, these features are designed to help users express themselves, manage their online interactions, and better connect with communities of shared interest. Enhanced Topic Tagging and Discovery Users can now add up to ten topics to their bio, enabling others to discover shared interests directly from profile pages. Tapping one of these tagged topics leads to ongoing discussions related to that subject, creating an easy pathway to connect with like-minded individuals. The post creation process now includes prompts for trending or previously used topics, making it easier for users to attach relevant tags. Meta noted that internal data shows posts with tagged topics tend to receive more views than those without. Additionally, the redesigned timely topic tags are more visible in the For You feed, streamlining access to trending discussions and encouraging broader engagement. New Controls for Replies and Feeds Users now have the option to restrict replies and quote-posts to followers only. This builds on the Quote Controls feature introduced in November 2024 and gives users more control over who can interact with their content. Meta also introduced the ability to customize feed order. Users can now set a custom feed as their default view when opening the app, tailoring their Threads experience to their preferences. In a continuation of changes announced earlier this year, Meta confirmed it has started phasing civic content back into Threads with a more personalized approach, following updates to its policy on political posts. Improved Video Playback Features Threads’ media player now includes updated pause, play, and skip controls for easier navigation. A pinned progress bar has been added to allow users to move backward and forward through video content more efficiently. Meta stated it will continue to evolve Threads based on user feedback, with the goal of making the app the preferred space for sharing thoughts, ideas, and personal perspectives. Image: Meta This article, "Meta Rolls Out New Threads Features for Personalized User Experience" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Meta has announced a suite of new features for its Threads app aimed at enhancing personalization and user control. The updates, launched March 20, 2025, include expanded topic tagging, follower-only interaction settings, a customizable feed experience, and improvements to video playback. According to Meta, these features are designed to help users express themselves, manage their online interactions, and better connect with communities of shared interest. Enhanced Topic Tagging and Discovery Users can now add up to ten topics to their bio, enabling others to discover shared interests directly from profile pages. Tapping one of these tagged topics leads to ongoing discussions related to that subject, creating an easy pathway to connect with like-minded individuals. The post creation process now includes prompts for trending or previously used topics, making it easier for users to attach relevant tags. Meta noted that internal data shows posts with tagged topics tend to receive more views than those without. Additionally, the redesigned timely topic tags are more visible in the For You feed, streamlining access to trending discussions and encouraging broader engagement. New Controls for Replies and Feeds Users now have the option to restrict replies and quote-posts to followers only. This builds on the Quote Controls feature introduced in November 2024 and gives users more control over who can interact with their content. Meta also introduced the ability to customize feed order. Users can now set a custom feed as their default view when opening the app, tailoring their Threads experience to their preferences. In a continuation of changes announced earlier this year, Meta confirmed it has started phasing civic content back into Threads with a more personalized approach, following updates to its policy on political posts. Improved Video Playback Features Threads’ media player now includes updated pause, play, and skip controls for easier navigation. A pinned progress bar has been added to allow users to move backward and forward through video content more efficiently. Meta stated it will continue to evolve Threads based on user feedback, with the goal of making the app the preferred space for sharing thoughts, ideas, and personal perspectives. Image: Meta This article, "Meta Rolls Out New Threads Features for Personalized User Experience" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Japanese and Korean equities hit as concerns grow over impact on exportsView the full article

Beijing’s reliance on overproduction to offset weak demand at home stokes grievances among trade partnersView the full article

Mortgage lenders and vendors are waiving fees and enhancing program criteria, looking to reduce costs for borrowers and increase their business. View the full article

North Sea steering group calls on ministers to ‘act now to restore investor confidence’View the full article

President has repeatedly mused about a move that would breach the US ConstitutionView the full article

Håkan Samuelsson replaces Jim Rowan at Swedish carmaker after the share price fell 66% over three years View the full article

US president says he is ‘pissed off’ with Vladimir Putin for dragging feet in ceasefire talks View the full article

Action against Eni and Global Oil Terminals follows cancellation of Chevron’s licence in Latin American countryView the full article

Share sales part of authorities’ bid to boost lending amid economic slowdownView the full article

The European Commission has leverage over the obstructive Hungarian premier — it should use itView the full article