Beyond the Desk: Admin Advocates

Preparing for the CAP exam can feel like a solo journey — but it doesn't have to be. In this episode of Beyond the Desk: Admin Advocates, hosts Rachel Suman and Melissa Mahoney sit down with Brenda Van Meter, CAP, one of the driving forces behind the launch of IAAP's CAP Study Groups, for a conversation about what happens when exam preparation becomes a shared experience.

Designed as a guided, peer-based learning journey, the CAP Study Groups pair independent study with weekly live virtual sessions led by experienced CAP-credentialed facilitators — giving candidates structure, accountability, and a community of people who are all working toward the same goal.

Whether you've been thinking about your CAP for a while or are finally ready to commit, this episode will show you exactly what support is available — and why you don't have to figure it out alone.

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What does it look like when a leadership experience actually changes the way you show up — not just in the room, but back at your desk, in your partnerships, and in the way you see yourself? In this episode of Beyond the Desk: Admin Advocates, hosts Rachel Suman and Melissa Mahoney sit down with Julie Knoth, CAP, an Aspire: Next Level alumna to talk about what came after. 

After the sessions, after the connections, after the flight home — what shifted, what stayed, and what she does differently now because she was in that room. This isn't a highlight reel. It's an honest conversation about real, lasting impact and what it means to invest in yourself in a way that keeps paying forward long after the conference ends. If you've ever wondered whether an experience like Aspire is worth it, this episode is your answer.

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Every organization depends on its administrative professionals. But investing in them — with intention, with structure, and with the expectation of real, measurable results — is rarer than it should be. In this episode of Beyond the Desk: Admin Advocates, hosts Rachel Suman and Melissa Mahoney sit down with Veronica Ingram, CAP, IAAP's AdminElevate Training Manager, to talk about what it looks like when that investment is done right. The AdminElevate Experience is a flexible, facilitator-led professional learning framework built specifically for administrative teams — and it meets organizations exactly where they are. Whether you're an admin professional who has been quietly wishing your organization would invest in your growth, or a manager or HR leader looking for a credible, practical way to do exactly that, this conversation is for you. Because when the people who support every function of the business are equipped to show up at their best, everyone wins.

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What does it take to build professional development content that actually meets admins where they are — and challenges them to grow? CAPstone brings administrative professionals together to build real-world skills, learn proven best practices, and grow in a community that strengthens impact and elevates performance. But behind every course is a commitment to making sure that content stays relevant, rigorous, and worthy of the professionals it serves. In this episode, Rachel and Melissa sit down with Teresa Stewart, CAP — chair of IAAP's Professional Development Forecasting Committee — to talk about what CAPstone is, why these certificate courses are such a powerful investment for admin professionals, and the peer review audit process that Teresa and the panel are leading to ensure every course delivers on its promise. This is a conversation about standards, growth, and what it looks like when the admin community takes ownership of its own professional future.

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The Partnership Playbook was built on a simple but powerful belief: that the executive-admin relationship is one of the most underinvested partnerships in any organization.

In this episode, Melissa Mahoney and her Executive Administrative Partner, Chris Cason, don't just talk about that belief — they live it. Together, they open up about the final three sections of the books and what it meant to explore them as two people already in the work together.

This is a conversation about trust, about growth, and about what becomes possible when a partnership stops being functional and starts being something more.

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What if the biggest barrier to stepping into your leadership potential isn't skill — it's identity? In this episode of Beyond the Desk: Admin Advocates, hosts Rachel Suman and Melissa Mahoney welcome Danielle Adams-Wiltshire, PCC — certified professional coach, TED fellows coach, facilitator, and the trainer behind IAAP's Aspire: Next Level leadership conference — for a conversation that starts with a simple but powerful premise: administrative professionals are already leaders. 

The question is what happens when you truly believe that about yourself. Danielle brings her coaching expertise and her deep connection to the administrative profession to explore what it means to lead with executive presence, strategic thinking, and authentic influence — not by becoming someone different, but by uncovering what's already there. 

And if you're ready to take that next step in community, Aspire: Next Level is coming to Chicago this September — and this episode is your invitation to imagine yourself in that room.

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Administrative professionals have always been the ones keeping everything on track — the timelines, the priorities, the people, the moving parts. But what happens when you pair that instinct with real project management strategy and the right tech tools to back it up? That's exactly what the Innovation Lab at Summit 2026 is designed to find out. In this episode of Beyond the Desk: Admin Advocates, hosts Rachel Suman and Melissa Mahoney sit down with Innovation Lab facilitators Mary Beth Imbarrato and Vonetta Watson-Edwards for a conversation about what it really means to lead projects with clarity and confidence. From hands-on Microsoft 365 workflows to the post-Summit virtual cohort that keeps the momentum going, this episode is your insider's preview of one of the most high-impact add-on experiences at Summit 2026 in Los Angeles. Whether you're already comfortable in a project lead role or just starting to see yourself in that seat, this conversation will meet you where you are — and push you further.

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What if the most powerful thing you bring to work every day isn't your skills or your systems — but your capacity for genuine human connection? That's the question at the heart of Beyond the Desk: Admin Advocates hosts Rachel Suman and Melissa Mahoney's conversation with Shola Richards, the kindness champion, bestselling author, and returning favorite of the IAAP community. Shola is back — first as a guest on this podcast, and then on the Summit stage in Los Angeles, where his opening keynote, Our Power Is in Our Hands, will set the tone for the entire Summit 2026 experience. In this conversation, Shola unpacks what it really means to be a culture carrier and connector, why kindness is not the same as niceness, and how administrative professionals are uniquely positioned to be the most powerful change agents in any organization. You'll leave with practical strategies you can put to work immediately — and with a serious case of Summit FOMO if you aren't already registered.

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What would it mean to have someone fully in your corner — asking the right questions, holding space for your growth, and helping you see what you can't always see in yourself? In this episode of Beyond the Desk: Admin Advocates, hosts Rachel Suman and Melissa Mahoney get personal. No guests, no agenda — just an honest conversation about their own experiences with coaching and what it's opened up for each of them personally and professionally. Because coaching isn't just for executives or people in crisis. It's for anyone ready to move. And if you've ever been curious but not quite sure it's for you, this episode is your invitation. Plus — IAAP is bringing a complimentary coaching experience to Summit 2026 in Los Angeles, and you won't want to miss what's waiting for you there.

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What does it really mean to earn the Certified Administrative Professional credential — and what does it take to get there? In this season premiere of Beyond the Desk: Admin Advocates, hosts Rachel Suman and Melissa Mahoney sit down with IAAP's credentialing manager Katie Mercier, CAP, for a conversation that's equal parts personal and practical. Katie brings a rare perspective: she's not only the expert behind the program, she's a former admin who earned her CAP and knows firsthand what it means to claim that credential for yourself. Together, they explore what the CAP signals to the world, the courage it takes to sit for an exam, and an exciting new way to do it — surrounded by your peers at IAAP Summit 2026 in Los Angeles. Whether you've been thinking about your CAP for years or just heard about it for the first time, this episode meets you where you are.

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