Today we’d like to introduce you to Bonnie Low-Kramen.
Hi Bonnie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew up in New Jersey and dreamed of working in show business as an actress, of course. I majored in Theatre and English at Rutgers University. After auditioning with little success for about 3 months, my first real job after college was in a dinner theatre box office selling tickets making $4.25/hour. Despite the pitiful salary, I loved the job because it gave me contact and access to everyone involved in making the shows, which I found exciting.
Seven years after I graduated, I was introduced to actress and theatre producer Olympia Dukakis, which set my life on a new path. Olympia hired me as the PR Director at the Whole Theatre in Montclair, New Jersey. Eventually, I became her assistant for 25 years and wrote a book from experience called Be the Ultimate Assistant.
An expert in workplace issues, I am a TEDx speaker, published in Harvard Business Review, and my work was profiled in a Forbes (online) cover story in May 2019. I have taught and spoken in 14 countries and 38 states, and have worked with clients that include the Wharton School of Business, Google, the British Parliament, Starbucks, and Amazon. I am working to end discrimination, close the wage gap, and break the cycle of workplace bullying.
A native New Jerseyan and a Rutgers University grad, I know that the secret sauce for an ultimate workplace is building cultures of respect, empathy, and psychological safety. These themes are the basis for my second book, Staff Matters.
One piece of my business is coming to a close in 2026. For 15 years, I have been producing and teaching the 3-day Be the Ultimate Assistant workshops. The Legacy Tour will end in November, 2026 which will give me the opportunity to spend time speaking with our future leaders.
Given that the average age that a leader receives their first formal training in managing people is a staggering age 46, I am pivoting my attention to college students attending business school, the young women and men who are aspiring to be our next CEOs. I don’t want them to have to wait until age 46. Not even close.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Does anyone ever answer yes to this question? For me, my road has often felt like I was climbing a steep, rocky, and icy mountain in a strong wind. As a woman, I experienced bullying, sexual harassment, and discrimination. I was challenged with learning how to speak up for myself to advocate for a fair salary. And I had a hard divorce where the price you pay for freedom is both financial and emotional. My story mirrors many of the women I meet around the world. I learned to seek out and align with the people who wanted what I wanted. I see what is possible when we cooperate and collaborate. Empowerment is supporting others on their journey up the mountain and my intent is to support college students to have a smoother way.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I train Executive and Personal Assistants and the leaders they support in public workshops, corporate events, and conferences. I am known for addressing the challenging issues of our workplace, and I am not afraid to discuss what is slowing us down and stopping us from reaching our goals.
In my book Staff Matters, the staff of the world have a voice in this book. I share their stories, in their own words. After all, they are referred to as the backbone of companies, the eyes, the ears, the heart, and even the soul. If they are that important, why are so many systems in our workplace broken?
There is a serious disconnect between staff in our workplace, and Staff Matters addresses it head-on. In a post-pandemic, AI-obsessed world, I feel an urgency to get a handle on what is happening for the humans behind the keyboards. Once we do that, the solutions are relatively easy to do. The solutions are rooted in respecting the very people leaders pay to do their jobs.
This is the heart of the matter. I care deeply about the future of the global workplace and see that with some careful thought and focused attention from all the constituencies, we could be working together so much better. The stakes are high. As added motivation, I have 8 grandchildren under the age of 12. When they are ready to go to work, I want them to experience a better workplace that Staff Matters has influenced.
I have spoken at two FBLA conferences this year. FBLA is the Future Business Leaders of America. I spoke in Orlando at the Florida State Conference (200 attended) in March and the National Convention in Las Vegas in June which brought together 1300 college students from all over the United States. They are ages 18-24.
In 2027, I will be speaking at the national convention again and I am looking to go onto college campuses and be a guest speaker at business schools. One of my goals is to get my book Staff Matters into the hands of as many college students as possible as a vital resource that gives them their bridge into the new and complicated workplace. After all, I wrote it for them.
Here’s the Dedication.
A Special Message to Business Students and Future Leaders
You will eventually have a staff to manage. When that happens, I want you to be as ready as you can be, equipped with information that will matter on a daily basis.
Know this: your success will depend directly on the success of your staff. No one gets there alone. No one.
Leading others requires moral courage and hard work. The best leaders rely and lean on their staffs. Every page you are about to read will support you to do exactly that. Welcome to Staff Matters.
As a direct result of speaking at the FBLA conferences, I feel honored to have received my first invitation to speak at a college graduation commencement ceremony and I hope that there will be more.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
I have had many mentors and supporters over my career starting with my parents who told me that I could do anything I set my mind to doing and they meant it which was very cool. My employer Olympia Dukakis saw something in me that even I couldn’t see and she opened doors wide for me to walk through. When I wrote my first book, she read it and said, “You really have something here. I’ll write the Foreword for you.” My partner Robert Sanders was my high school boyfriend and so he knows me since I am 15 years old. His belief in me has been rock solid through the publishing two books and traveling the world with me as I spoke and taught.
I am grateful to my colleagues Vickie Sokol Evans and Jennifer Wilner for having my back, being by my side, and telling me the truth.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bonnielowkramen.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bonnielowkramen/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bonnie.Low.Kramen
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnielowkramen/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BonnieLowKramen
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErBWWCBIj4vhAwdF6juIQw
