Ep. 48 From Disney to the Boardroom: Joan Burge’s Impact on Admin Excellence

In the latest episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi sits down with Joan Burge, founder and CEO of Office Dynamics International, shares her trailblazing journey in elevating the role of administrative professionals. Since launching her company in 1990, Joan has been on a mission to transform how assistants are trained, viewed, and valued in the business world.Joan talks about the mindset shifts that are essential for administrative professionals to step into their roles as strategic business partners. She emphasizes how professional appearance, communication, and leadership skills can directly influence perception and career opportunities.She also reflects on standout moments in her career — including the honor of training Disney’s top assistants, a milestone that reinforced the impact of her work. Joan opens up about the challenges she’s faced, including navigating a personal health crisis that reshaped her perspective on resilience, leadership, and the power of a strong support system.The conversation highlights the evolving demands of today’s workforce, from the difficulty of hiring quality talent to the need for marketing strategies that speak to both administrative staff and corporate decision-makers. Joan also shares the vision behind her Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence — a high-touch, deeply personalized experience designed to meet professionals right where they are.Joan’s passion for empowering others shines through, as she continues to expand her reach and help administrative professionals thrive with the tools, training, and confidence they need to lead.BIOJoan Burge is known as the red-lipstick-wearing “Rock Star” of administrative and executive assistant training.Joan is an accomplished author (8 books), professional speaker, consultant and corporate trainer. She is the creator of The Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence™; World Class Assistant™ Certification course; Star Achievement Series® Certification and Designation course; 30+ customized workshops, 200+ educational videos, 150+ articles and nearly 1,000 blog posts for executive and administrative assistants.Her company, Office Dynamics International, is a global industry leader which offers a broad range of solutions and provides high-performance, sophisticated executive and administrative assistant training and coaching. One thing is clear: Executive assistants, their executives, HR business partners, administrators, and managers have come to rely on Office Dynamics International, because “only Joan is Joan.”To connect with our guest, click on the links below:Office Dynamics LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/office-dynamics-international/Joan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanburgeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/officedynamics/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficeDynamics/YouTube: www.youtube.com/@OfficeDynamicsIntlTikTok: tiktok.com/@officedynamicsThreads: https://www.threads.net/@officedynamics Connect with me:Spotlight to Scale: Spotlight to Scale BlueprintLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/