Law EA Amy Franklyn talks reflects on her life and the importance of your personal brand
From a young age, my mum taught me that believing in myself was the most important thing which gave me the confidence to do anything I wanted. From the age of three, mum spent her time taking me to Ballroom and Latin dance classes which I know formed a big part of the person I am today. Back then, I didn’t realise that it would be the thing that would teach me to go out there and perform. But, it did. I remember my dance teacher telling me that the way you carried yourself was key – and she was right. Shoulders back, head high and a look at me attitude which at first felt a bit strange because who likes a show off?
I soon realised that you had to be your own biggest fan in order to get noticed. Dad taught me to be competitive by telling me that you never get anything for coming second place and of course, he was right. You had to be the best, you had to stand out and always push yourself to be better. Being competitive with yourself is OK but with others, not so much. It’s fine to set yourself targets and goals but never compare yourself to somebody else.
I learned early on in my career that you have to be as reliable doing the small things that some people may find dull and un-interesting as you are in the bigger and more exciting things in your role. That reliability becomes part of your personal brand. It means that people know that if they give you something, it will get done to the highest possible standard every-time no matter how big or small the task. At my first firm I worked for a female partner who saw my potential very early on and believed there was nothing I wasn’t capable of. I learnt a lot of core skills from this partner and we still remain great friends today. My second role was in an international law firm where I started working for a national team head. This partner had very forward thinking views of how the role of a PA should look.
“Together we tried to breakdown the perceived limitations of PAs.”
After many meetings and discussions, it was agreed that I would have a very outward facing role and be heavily involved with clients and their PAs and play a vital role in helping the team to expand. As a recognition of that hard work, I was then promoted internally where I was fortunate enough to work for another great partner who stood behind me every step of the way. In this role, I developed management skills, EA skills and mentoring skills which would be vital in my next role. I have taken all that I learnt on board, which is now at the forefront of my current role as EA to head of corporate at international law firm Bird and Bird. I am lucky enough to work in a team and for a boss where the role of an EA is recognised, valued and promoted, and I feel more at home here than anywhere I’ve been so far and I manage a really great team of PAs who are very supportive.
In my humble view, networking is absolutely key to success. It takes up a lot time but is imperative in order to be successful. Some weeks, I am out every-night at networking events chatting and catching up with like-minded individuals, discussing our roles and sharing experiences and of course looking at where the PA role is heading and coming up with ways to help PAs in the workplace upskill.
More recently, I proudly became a fellow of the EPAA (Executive and Personal Assistants Association). Making an effort and always developing yourself is key in my opinion. I love to learn and every day I teach myself something that is going to be valuable and beneficial. I continue to complete short courses at the Open University and am always looking at ways to improve my CV and continue to develop my personal brand.
