Empowering Support. Elevating Leadership

Book Valerie Riley for your next keynote, workshop, or event.

Valerie Riley is a visionary speaker for leaders and support professionals.

Meet Valerie Riley

A visionary who’s been on both sides of the executive-assistant partnership.

Valerie helps leaders and support professionals build the trust, communication, and clarity that lead to lasting impact.

Valerie Riley is the Visionary behind Connect Assistant Resource, leading with clarity, connection, and a deep commitment to elevating the role of support professionals. She’s passionate about reshaping the assistant industry—transforming it from a behind-the-scenes function into a strategic asset that creates time, focus, and freedom for leaders to operate at their highest level.

Valerie’s journey began in the San Francisco Bay Area and took root professionally in Dallas, where she spent seven years as an Executive Personal Assistant. That experience sparked a vision: to reimagine what support could look like when assistants are trained, trusted, and empowered to lead. After relocating to Oklahoma City, she founded LifeSquire, a fractional assistant service that grew over 14 years to include a first-of-its-kind franchise model, proprietary technology, and a full-time team serving leaders across nearly every industry. Throughout it all, Valerie stayed laser-focused on hiring, coaching, and championing the unique strengths of support professionals.

Today, alongside her work at Connect, Valerie serves as the VP of People Operations for a tech company in the banking industry and consults with businesses of all sizes to help build strong teams and smart operations. She has been an active member of Entrepreneurs’ Organization for eight years, including a term as the first female president of the OKC chapter.

At home in Oklahoma City, Valerie shares life with her two beloved rescue dogs, Mya and Ellie, a rescue cat named Rosie, and her talented teenage nephew. When she’s not advocating for assistants or streamlining business systems, you’ll likely find her deep into a memoir, refining her morning routine, or pursuing her own path of self-growth.

Topics that drive real change

Sessions designed for both executives and support professionals.

Executives

This foundational session is designed for anyone who works with—or is considering hiring—an assistant. Whether you’re brand new to having support or have years of experience, you’ll leave with practical tools, mindset shifts, and relational strategies to strengthen your partnership. The session includes a mix of lecture, open discussion, and a takeaway workbook to help you apply what you learn.

Key Takeaways:

  • Build a coaching-style relationship—even if it’s been years
  • Identify ways you may be unintentionally limiting the relationship
  • Set up effective meeting rhythms and communication updates
  • Align strengths and purpose between you and your assistant

This session helps leaders know when and how to hire the right assistant—and how to build a partnership that actually works. From self-awareness to interview tips to onboarding, walk away with clear steps to make this hire a game-changer.

Key Takeaways:

  • Support their growth so the role can grow with you.
  • Hire before you’re overwhelmed—don’t wait for burnout.
  • Know yourself to know what support you really need.
  • Spot red flags and must-have traits in interviews.
  • Onboard with intention—early habits set the tone.

This session helps business owners and leaders delegate more effectively with their assistants. Learn how to let go of the right things, create clarity, and build a system that empowers your assistant to lead alongside you.

Key Takeaways:

  • Growing your assistant through feedback and trust
  • Why delegation fails: mindset blocks and lack of clarity
  • What to delegate 
  • How to give ownership, not just tasks
  • Simple systems to support ongoing delegation

Support Professionals

This session dives into the real-world dynamics of setting and maintaining healthy boundaries in support roles. With a mix of reflective prompts, practical scripts, and paired activities, participants will explore how boundaries evolve, how to communicate them effectively, and how to handle common challenges—whether initiated by themselves, their supervisors, or their team. The goal: sustainable, respectful relationships that protect well-being and maximize effectiveness.

Key Takeaways:

  • Boundaries evolve—communicate them. What works today may not work tomorrow. Be proactive in updating and expressing your needs.
  • Off-hours communication requires clarity. Establish expectations early and reinforce them consistently.
  • Boundary issues often come from care. Whether it’s your supervisor trying to support you or you overextending yourself, direct and thoughtful conversation is the remedy.
  • Redirection is a boundary skill. Learn how to gently steer conversations to preserve professionalism and protect personal space.
  • Healthy boundaries support strong relationships. They’re not walls—they’re clarity in action.

This session builds the foundational skills of strategic communication—especially the art of asking the right questions. Through guided exercises, practical tools, and candid conversation, participants will learn how to use curiosity, relationship-building, and their unique roles to drive results and deepen professional connections.

Key Takeaways:

  • Great questions lead to great outcomes – being curious, strategic, and timely makes your communication more effective.
  • The right person isn’t always the one with the right title – identify and nurture relationships that actually move the work forward.
  • Your role is your superpower – use it to gain insight, build trust, and stay three steps ahead.
  • Listening reveals what people value – even complaints can point to priorities when you listen with intention.
  • Small moments matter – relationship-building, responsiveness, and reliability create lasting impact.

This session breaks down the mechanics and mindset of truly effective communication. From asking better questions to mastering nonverbal cues, participants will engage in memorable activities that highlight how easy it is to miscommunicate—and how powerful it is to get it right. With a focus on clarity, adaptability, and self-awareness, this session is designed to sharpen your communication tools both personally and professionally.

Key Takeaways:

  • Good communication is intentional – being clear, consistent, and calm makes you a powerful connector.
  • Everyone communicates differently – learning how others operate is just as important as knowing your own style.
  • Confirmation is everything – never assume understanding; check in, follow up, and clarify.
  • Nonverbal cues matter – what you don’t say still sends a message.
  • Don’t take it personally – communication challenges are often about circumstances, not character.

This interactive session explores the critical role of feedback in personal and professional growth. Through creative exercises, practical tools, and real talk, participants will learn how to give and receive feedback effectively—especially in support roles where it’s often overlooked. You’ll leave with frameworks, language, and confidence to make feedback part of your everyday leadership.

Key Takeaways:

  • Feedback is connection – it’s how we show care, build trust, and fuel growth.
    Effective feedback is specific, shared in context, and focused on next steps (C.O.R.E. method).
  • Receiving feedback is an active process – it starts with openness and ends with growth.
  • Practicing feedback makes it easier and more impactful – in work and life.
  • In support roles, feedback is a survival skill – it’s how we adapt, improve, and stay aligned long-term.

This practical session unpacks the systems behind efficient email and task management—for both yourself and those you support. From structuring to-do lists and using platforms like Asana or Trello, to managing inboxes and delegating communication effectively, you’ll walk away with tools to reduce overwhelm, increase accountability, and support your team with less stress and more strategy. Real-life examples and simple frameworks make it all feel doable, not daunting.

Key Takeaways:

  • Tailor an email system to fit your executive’s needs and style.
  • Manage micromanagement by clearly organizing and tracking tasks.
  • Boost follow-through across your team with shared systems and priorities.
  • Reduce stress through simple, effective organization.

From boardrooms to breakout rooms, Valerie works with leaders and the professionals who support them.

  • Business owners, executives, and organizational leaders
  • Executive assistants, administrative assistants, office managers, and other administrative support professionals
  • Events ranging from keynotes and workshops to breakout sessions and panels
  • Industries including Accounting and Finance, Higher Education, Entrepreneurial Organizations, and Nonprofits.

Real reflections from real people—because impact speaks louder than bios.

  • I’m now equipped with plenty of effective conversation that needs to be had when I return to work. I anticipate using these skills practically, to build relationships and avoid pitfalls in the future.
    David E.
  • I feel more confident in the role of Admin Assistant. I have a double bachelors degree that has nothing to do with my current career. I also gained ways on how to respond to feedback from anyone, not just a supervisor. This is something I really struggle with. I anticipate using these skills in both my personal and professional career. I want to primarily work to empower others while empowering myself.
    First Last

Short clips, big takeaways

Catch a glimpse of the energy and insight.

    • Past clients and events

    Ready to book?

    Share a few details here, and we’ll reach out to gather more information, discuss rates, and talk through how Valerie might support your audience. If you’re on a tight timeline, be sure to let us know!

    Enhance your productivity because of an expertly coached assistant.

    Get the help you deserve to make this match last long-term.

    Schedule a Call