We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Becky Kaapuni. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Becky below.

Alright, Becky thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

In 2022, I found myself craving real connection. Despite the success I’d found in my EA career, something was missing. I was spending countless hours behind my computer, excelling at supporting others, but feeling disconnected from people who truly understood my world.

The idea came from a really human place – I just wanted to have dinner with other EAs. No agenda, no forced networking, just genuine connection with people who understood our unique challenges and victories. I figured if we all had the EA role in common, the conversations would flow naturally.

I put up a simple post on LinkedIn asking if anyone wanted to join me for dinner. What happened next stopped me in my tracks – over 200 responses in just one week. That response told me everything I needed to know: I wasn’t alone in craving this connection.

Here’s what I realized: While there were plenty of professional EA organizations and formal networking events, there wasn’t a space where EAs could just be real with each other. No competition. No pressure. Just authentic connection.

I saw EAs struggling with the same challenges I had faced – feeling isolated, navigating difficult workplace dynamics alone, questioning their worth. We needed a place where we could drop the professional masks, share our struggles openly, and lift each other up.

What excited me most was the potential for real impact. Every EA I talked to had this wealth of knowledge and experience, but no safe space to share it. I knew that if we could create an environment where EAs felt truly seen and supported, we could transform not just individual careers, but our entire profession.

So EA Social Club was born. What started as dinner series quickly evolved as more cities reached out wanting to create their own chapters. The hunger for authentic community was undeniable.

The magic isn’t in fancy programming or formal networking – it’s in creating spaces where EAs can be themselves, share freely, and support each other’s growth. Where someone finally gets to say “I thought I was the only one who felt this way” and hear a chorus of “me too.”

Today, seeing EA Social Club grow across cities, watching real friendships form, hearing stories of how these connections have changed careers and lives – it confirms what that first LinkedIn post revealed: When EAs come together authentically, we become truly unstoppable.

This isn’t just a business to me. It’s a movement of EAs supporting EAs, and I’m just grateful to be part of making these connections possible.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My journey into the EA world wasn’t exactly planned. After graduating from San Francisco State in 2001, I just knew I wanted to stay in the city I loved. I had no idea I was stepping onto a path that would transform my life.

Over the next 20+ years, I navigated through roles at Goldman Sachs, Twitter (Head of Engineering), and Salesforce (former CEO of AI), learning the true power of exceptional EA work along the way. But my journey wasn’t just about career progression – it was about personal transformation. I battled addiction, faced my demons, and eventually found sobriety. I learned that my worth wasn’t determined by others’ perceptions, and that true strength comes from owning your authentic self.

EA Social Club emerged from this journey. What started as a dinner invitation to combat my own isolation has grown into a community that’s changing how EAs connect and support each other. We’re not about forced networking or corporate polish – we’re about creating safe spaces where EAs can be real, share their challenges, and lift each other up.

What sets us apart? Our unwavering commitment to authenticity. In a world of polished professional networks, we’re the place where EAs can drop the mask and find genuine connection. Whether it’s through our monthly meetups, our virtual events, or our growing chapters across cities, we’re building something different – a community where your worth isn’t measured by your title or company, but by how you show up for yourself and one another.

What I’m most proud of? Watching EAs find their voice, their confidence, and their community through these connections. Seeing someone realize they’re not alone in their struggles. Hearing stories of how these relationships have led to career breakthroughs and personal growth.

Between EA Social Club and my book, “The Unstoppable EA,” my mission is clear: to empower EAs to recognize their true value and become unstoppable in their careers and lives. Because I’ve learned that when we stop playing small and start owning our worth, we don’t just transform our own lives – we elevate our entire profession.

What I want people to know about my work is this: whether you’re joining an EA Social Club dinner, reading my book, listening to my podcast “Let’s Talk” or connecting through our community, you’re not just finding resources for professional growth – you’re finding a place to be authentically you. Where your experiences matter, your struggles are understood, and your growth is celebrated.

Because at the end of the day, this isn’t just about being better EAs – it’s about becoming the fullest, most authentic versions of ourselves. And when we do that together? That’s when we become truly unstoppable.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Here’s a response in Becky’s voice from “The Unstoppable EA”:

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Let me be real with you about building a social media presence – it started with being authentically me.

When I began sharing on LinkedIn, I wasn’t trying to be an influencer or build a brand. I was simply sharing my truth as an EA. The struggles, the victories, the real moments that make up our profession. I wrote about things I wished someone had told me earlier in my career.

What I learned quickly was that authenticity resonates. When I shared vulnerable posts about feeling “just” an assistant or navigating difficult workplace dynamics, other EAs would reach out saying “I thought I was the only one who felt this way.”

My advice?
• Start by being genuine – people can spot fake from a mile away
• Share your real experiences, not what you think people want to hear
• Engage meaningfully with others – don’t just post and ghost
• Be consistent in showing up, but only share when you have something valuable to say
• Focus on building connections, not just collecting followers
• Respond to comments and DMs with the same care you’d give a face-to-face conversation

Most importantly? Don’t chase numbers. Chase meaningful connections. When you focus on providing real value and building genuine relationships, the growth follows naturally.

Remember: your unique perspective matters. Your experiences could be exactly what another EA needs to hear today.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Here’s a polished interview response in Becky’s authentic voice:

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The most significant lesson I had to unlearn in my EA career was equating my worth with external validation – specifically, perfect performance and my executive’s approval.

For years, I measured my value through others’ eyes. I obsessed over flawless execution, believing that a single mistake could diminish my worth. My sense of success was completely tied to my executive’s mood and perception. When they were pleased, I felt invaluable. When they were distant or frustrated, I felt like I was failing. I poured everything into being the “perfect” EA, convinced that’s what would make me worthy.

The breaking point came when I had to face a hard truth: no matter how flawlessly I performed or how much approval I received, it was never enough. Because I wasn’t recognizing my own inherent value.

The real transformation began when I started measuring my success by my own standards, not just someone else’s perception. When I learned to value progress over perfection and began trusting my own judgment.

Ironically, releasing this need for external validation and perfection made me a more effective EA. When you know your worth isn’t tied to another person’s approval or flawless execution, you can show up more authentically, set healthier boundaries, and make strategic decisions from a place of confidence rather than fear.

I share this lesson because I see many EAs trapped in this same cycle. Understanding that your worth isn’t determined by perfection or any single relationship is transformative – it’s when you become truly unstoppable in your career.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.easocialclub.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/easocialclub/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/easocialclub
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beckykaapuni/
• Other: The best place to find us in on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/
  Events: https://events.humanitix.com/host/ea-social-club?hxchl=hex-pfl
  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0JMwzKL6llGbVIL5xtPwM0?si=334f93b4148c4715

Image Credits

The EA Social Club & Kate Biernat