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Interview with Tara M. Sims

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This week, I'm thrilled to introduce Tara, a dynamic leader and accomplished Regional Administrative Manager at a leading global real estate firm. As the founder and CEO of Evolved Assistant, a virtual assistant agency, and author of Evolved Assistant: Unlocking Success in a New Era for Administrative Professionals, Tara is a recognized authority in administrative excellence. I'm so excited to share her incredible wisdom with you today!


Tara, with over two decades of experience supporting C-suite leaders and now as a Regional Administrative Manager at PGIM Real Estate, you've clearly evolved beyond traditional administrative functions. What was a pivotal moment or key realization that propelled you from a highly skilled EA to a "dynamic strategic problem solver and executive partner" within large organizations like Comcast and PGIM?


Honestly, the turning point was less about a single moment and more about a shift in perspective that happened over time, but one of the biggest catalysts was during the pandemic. I was supporting the president of our division while also managing a team of assistants. And suddenly, all the things we were used to doing, onsite meetings, travel planning, in-person coordination, stopped. What didn’t stop was the need to add value.


That’s when it hit me: being effective in this role isn’t about checking boxes or doing tasks. It’s about thinking critically, identifying where the gaps are, and positioning myself as someone who could help close them. I facilitated a virtual brainstorming session with my team to explore how we could stay relevant in a fully remote environment. We talked about asking to be in rooms we weren’t usually invited to, finding new ways to support executives, and creating value when visibility was limited.


That moment forced me to think more strategically, not only about what I needed to do differently, but how I could help others level up, too.


What's one concept or actionable strategy from "Evolved Assistant" that you believe has resonated most strongly with your readers, and why do you think it's so impactful for today's administrative professional?


The idea that “you are the common denominator in every professional experience” really seems to strike a chord.


I wrote that line because so many assistants feel stuck waiting for a better manager, a better organization, better titles, something outside of themselves to validate or elevate them. But the real power comes from recognizing that your evolution doesn’t depend on your company. It starts with you.


That’s why Evolved Assistant centers on the 4Ms framework: Mindset, Management, Marketing, and Maintenance. It’s a structure that helps assistants take ownership of their careers no matter their current environment. And I think the message of reclaiming your agency and intentionally designing your own path is deeply empowering.


For administrative professionals who find themselves increasingly responsible for event coordination within a corporate setting, what's one piece of advice you'd give them about leveraging their existing administrative skills to excel in event planning and demonstrate their strategic value?


You already have the foundation. You’re just scaling it. Event planning is really project management in a more public-facing wrapper.

So, my advice is: approach every event like it’s a business initiative. Think beyond the logistics. Ask: What’s the goal of this event? Who are the stakeholders? What are the key takeaways we want attendees to walk away with? Those questions move you from “planner” to “strategic partner.”


And document everything—your timelines, budgets, vendor relationships, debriefs. Not only does it help you build a repeatable process, but it also gives you concrete wins you can speak to later. That’s how you begin to market your value beyond the task list.


As an executive partner, how do you define that relationship, and what's one actionable strategy an administrative professional can implement today to start building that level of trust and strategic collaboration with their leader, particularly within a large corporate structure?


To me, being an executive partner means being the person your leader doesn’t want to make a move without. It’s rooted in trust, proactivity, and a shared commitment to business outcomes, beyond simply task completion.


One strategy that any assistant can implement today is calendar ownership. That calendar is not just a tool for scheduling. It’s a strategic lever. It tells the story of what the executive values, where their energy is being spent, and whether or not they’re positioned to deliver on what matters most. When you begin to curate time instead of just filling it, you shift to a new level of strategic impact. That means protecting white space, prioritizing what’s on the calendar based on business goals and intentionally building in prep and follow-up time for critical meetings. It also means having the awareness to look at the flow of the day and ask: is this calendar setting them up to lead effectively, or is it just activity for activity’s sake?


When you manage time with that level of thoughtfulness, you’re helping your executive protect their decision-making capacity and stay aligned with the bigger picture.


That’s a powerful thing. That’s when trust starts to build. And that’s how you begin to evolve from a scheduler to a strategic business partner who’s directly influencing outcomes.


What's the biggest compliment you could receive about the impact of your work (your book, speaking, training) on an administrative professional's career?


The compliment that would mean the most?


“I see myself differently because of your work, and I finally gave myself permission to dream bigger.”


That’s it. That’s the legacy. Because I didn’t always see the full possibility for my own career when I started out. I knew I loved the work, but I didn’t always know how far I could take it or that I deserved to build a career that

fulfilled me.


If Evolved Assistant can be the thing that lights the spark for someone else and if it helps an assistant feel seen, valued, and ready to take up space, then I have done what I came to do.


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Tara M. Sims is a dynamic leader and accomplished Regional Administrative Manager at a leading global real estate management firm. As the founder, owner, and CEO of Evolved Assistant, a virtual assistant agency, and author of the book, Evolved Assistant: Unlocking Success in a New Era for Administrative Professionals, Tara is recognized as an authority in administrative excellence. She has over two decades of experience supporting C-suite leaders and senior executives. Tara’s passion for elevating the role of administrative professionals is evident in her work, her writing, and her speaking engagements, where she inspires others to unlock their full potential and drive organizational success.


Her full bio can be found here: https://www.evolvedassistant.com/meetthefounder



 
 
 

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