Bonnie Low-Kramen
Speaker, Author & Trainer at Ultimate Assistant Training & Consulting Inc.
Education Management
Education: Rutgers University, BA
Jacksonville, FL, USA
Biography
Her TEDx talk is called "The Real Reasons People Quit." For 25 years, Bonnie worked as the Personal Assistant to Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis and is the bestselling author of Be the Ultimate Assistant. An expert in workplace issues, her work was profiled in a Forbes cover story in May, 2019. Her workshop by the same name is one of the Top Conferences to Attend in 2018-2021. She is a consultant on workplace bullying to the World Administrators Summit and is on the Editorial Board and is a contributing writer for Executive Secretary Magazine. Traveling to 14 countries and 38 states, Bonnie’s clients include the Four Seasons, Starbucks, Amazon, and British Parliament. Bonnie is known for her passionate commitment to transform the workplace for the humans of all colors and genders who populate it, especially women. She is working to end discrimination, close the wage gap between women and men, and to break the cycle of workplace bullying. A native New Jerseyan and a Rutgers University grad, Bonnie knows that the secret sauce for an ultimate workplace are cultures of respect and embraced diversity. For more information: www.bonnielowkramen.com
Forbes cover story:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2019/05/31/the-ultimate-assistant-academy-inside-the-elite-training-program-for-americas-top-executive-assistants/?sh=16a076052355
Additional resources discussing:
Discrimination – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NreWTIc6rNg
The wage gap – https://www.bonnielowkramen.com/2020/09/25/how-is-hr-really-deciding-how-much-to-pay-you/
Workplace bullying – https://www.bonnielowkramen.com/free-resources/workplace-bullying/
Passion
When I hear from someone from one of my classes or from a world away, who tells me that my message inspired her to ACT and that act has changed her life. Sometimes that means successfully negotiating for a raise or a promotion or a title change. Sometimes that means confronting her bully or harasser and it works! And sometimes it means finding her voice to speak up about an issue that matters and to her happy surprise, others care about what she has to say. And sometimes it means that someone I touched is paying it forward and helping others to ACT too. Perhaps this last one is my absolute favorite thing because this is how the world will truly change. I know that and it makes me smile. It’s more than a smile though. These issues are personal. Having managed and survived an abusive marriage informed how I can help others. Knowing the pain of discrimination from anti-semitism from an early age helps me relate to all who feel judged unfairly.
Featured Video
I am willing to travel
More than 100 miles
When it comes to payments
I generally get paid for speaking but make exceptions
Topics
Best Story
The Sunday morning in 2004 when Olympia Dukakis called me to say she had read the final draft of my book. Her words: “Bons, you really have something here. Don’t change a word.” That unconditional love and belief was like rocket fuel to my soul and my confidence. Fast forward to 2012 and standing on stage in London in front of 250 women and looking at their faces and knowing that I hold information that they need to know and want to know. I felt at home and knew, really knew, my mission and my purpose. This clarity and absolute certainty gave me peace. I now have the privilege of sharing these ideas with others all over the world and each time is a gift that I yearn to keep doing.
Origin Story
I grew up in Belleville, NJ. Being one of very few Jewish girls in my school meant anti-semitism and that meant understanding discrimination from age 7. And that meant spending time alone, dreaming of working in show business when it was okay to be different. I have gotten to where I am today by standing on the shoulders of giants – namely, my mother Ruth Low and my employer of 25 years, Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis – and many other amazing women. My own voice began with a whisper and gained volume over time with the encouragement of others and a growing belief in myself. This included initiating and surviving a divorce after 27 years of an abusive marriage. I understand the courage and support that takes.
I loved show business as a child, majored in theatre at Rutgers, and even tried to work as a professional actress for about 5 minutes. Actually, it was 3 months. In Chicago. In the winter. That experience sent me straight into theatre box offices where I learned the business of show business and that led me to Olympia Dukakis theatre in New Jersey. Neither one of us thought we would work together for 25 years and become lifelong friends. And perhaps most importantly, she is my mentor and wow, do I understand the power of that which is why I speak and teach it. I know first-hand why women need to help other women to succeed. I have experienced the power of partnership with women. What that requires is to shine a bright and honest light on how we are all socialized in order to break those destructive cycles. I wrote a book about my experience called “Be the Ultimate Assistant” which is being read all over the world. My writing led to speaking and teaching and a passionate commitment to making the workplace a better place. I have now done my work in 14 countries which is something I never expected. My decision has been to take the adversity I have experienced and turn it into messages that truly help others in a profound way. These messages can only happen because I lived it.
Example talks
The Elephant in the Room: Workplace Bullying
Never one to duck away from a controversial subject, Bonnie shines a light on an epidemic problem that affects 7 out of 10 offices and over 65% of employees at least once in their careers. Bullying slows us down and stops us dead in our tracks. If you have ever witnessed or experienced bullying, you know that it takes many forms – from the “Devil Wears Prada” irrational diva, to the co-worker who intentionally withholds important information to the manager who applies rules to certain people and not to others.
All of these bullying behaviors are toxic to a happy, healthy, and profitable workplace. With first-hand experience, Bonnie shines a bright light on the issues and more importantly, the proactive and realistic solutions that can support us to end bullying once and for all. Together, we will break the silence and eat the elephant...one bite at a time.
Building the Ultimate Leader/Assistant Partnership
Assistants are often referred to as right arms, eyes, ears, backbones, time-savers, glue, and culture carriers. When fully leveraged, they can also be a leader’s true executive business partner, otherwise known as your most powerful secret weapon who gives leaders the most precious gift of all – time and peace of mind.
This program brings leaders together with their assistants. Leaders will learn how to maximize effectiveness, productivity, and profitability by fully utilizing their Assistant. Assistants will gain insights about taking their work to the next level for the benefit of their leader, themselves, and the companies they represent.
Note: If you don’t currently employ an assistant but are thinking about it, you should attend this program. After all, if you don’t have an assistant, you are an assistant.
Together we will pull back the curtain on what makes this partnership tick and how to sustain it for the long term. The goal of this highly interactive training will be to learn instantly actionable ways to empower each of you – and have a great time doing it.
Spoiler Alert: Like all healthy and strong partnerships, the one between leaders and assistants takes time, energy, and work. The ROI can be beyond expectations. You’re worth it.
Women Shutting Off the Default to Help One Another Succeed
The default messages women get loud and clear when we are young girls are steady, and strong, and they stay. As in forever. They are dangerous and do not serve women. The default can also be referred to as our autopilot behaviors and unconscious bias.
These are some of the messages we received from our families and society when we were young.
Know your place & don’t veer too far from it.
Don’t step on toes, don’t make waves, or trouble.
Be seen, not heard. And, sometimes, be invisible.
Be pretty, be quiet, and be perfect – at least in how you look. We are trained to compete with one another for the approval of men.
Don’t come across as too smart or a know-it-all. Don’t brag or toot your own horn – you might be viewed as conceited or full of yourself.
You get the picture. Get ready to see what you already knew deep inside but you just couldn’t put your finger on it… and then together, we will shut it off so that we can finally open up and succeed beyond our imagination.