If you’re on social media, you’re familiar with Arielle Charnas: the “OG” Instagram tastemaker behind popular lifestyle brand, Something Navy.
For those of you loyal followers, you’re no strangers to her powerhouse team of #girlbosses.
But ever wonder what they do when they’re not gushing over Ruby and Esme?
Lucky for you, we’ve got the inside scoop.
Whether they’re organizing Arielle’s busy schedule or coordinating the kids’ after-school activities, Bailey Miller and Sophia Katz are Arielle’s right-hand-women.
See Also: Arielle Charnas Talks Motherhood And What's Next For Something Navy
Known as some of the hardest-working ladies at Something Navy, B&S wear many hats. And boy, are they chic.
If you need to get to Arielle, you’ve got to get through Bailey and Sophia first.
Two halves of a whole, B&S are a formidable force that can’t be messed with.
We sat down with the girls themselves for a behind-the-scenes look into the chaotic life of a personal assistant.
You don’t want to miss this!
Can you share your exact title?
I’m Arielle’s Executive Assistant. I am basically an extension of Arielle - I help balance her everyday life and work life.
How did your past work experiences prepare you for your current role?
As much as I want to say that I was prepared, I honestly wasn’t. I’ve naturally always fallen into the assistant role because I really enjoy staying organized, maintaining a schedule, and just overall keeping myself busy. Even with all of these traits, this role is something that I've come to learn over time. There's not really much you can do to prepare because being a personal/ executive assistant takes learning the person that you're working with; you have to just jump in and figure out what works and what doesn't.
You described yourself as a liaison between the team and Arielle. How do you make sure that “no stone ever goes unturned?”
Making sure no stone ever goes unturned is the hardest part of my job. Even when you think you have everything covered, something new gets thrown your way, but that's what makes this role so interesting. I never get bored. As I mentioned before, the most important thing is staying organized because the more organized you are the more prepared you are.
In what ways has your role evolved since Sophia joined the team?
When I first started, on the Something Navy front, we were a team of seven, and on the home front, Arielle had two kids. Now, we are a team of forty at Something Navy and Arielle’s family has grown to three kids. The growth of both her family and the brand came with a lot more responsibilities daily. As much as I wanted to believe I could handle it all, it just wasn't feasible for one person. Sophia joining the team has been the biggest help. We work together to tackle all of the day-to-day tasks, it’s really a 2 man job! She’s made my life so much easier and I could not be happier that she’s on our team
Can you share your exact title?
I am a personal Assistant for Arielle. Bailey and I work together in keeping Arielle’s personal and work life organized and on schedule. We also work closely with all of the teams within Something Navy to streamline what tasks, approvals, etc. Arielle is needed for.
How did your past work experiences prepare you for your current role?
I always knew I wanted to be in fashion, I worked in sales and merchandising straight out of college and also had some experience working fashion week events and assisting celebrity stylists. After gaining this experience, I felt I was ready to do something a bit more hands-on in the industry and then I came across the personal assistant role. It was meant to be. I’ve always been a planner - in my personal life I’m always the one in the group planning dinners, trips, etc. I’ve never shied away from a busy schedule either. The personal assistant role allows me to utilize these planning and organizational skills, while also giving me the opportunity to work with every team at Something Navy. The experiences and learning opportunities I've had so far are unmatched.
A lot of people don’t know all of the hard work that goes into being an executive/personal assistant. Can you talk a bit about your day-to-day responsibilities in these roles?
B: It’s hard to map out a day-to-day because every day is so different. That said, we handle everything that you would typically peg an assistant to handle times ten. The most important thing that we handle is balancing Arielle’s schedule - between her personal and professional life, there’s a lot to get done, plus things are ever-changing. Making sure that we’re on top of what’s happening and able to prioritize what is most important to Arielle and Something Navy is what we spend a bulk of our time doing. We have our hands in everything that Arielle has her hands in so that if need be we can step in and help out as much as possible.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of your job? What has been the most challenging?
S: I’ve been an SN follower and customer since I can remember, so for me, becoming a member of the team has been a full-circle moment. I love working with Arielle and the team day-to-day and learning what goes into everything behind the scenes. Seeing the results of my work almost instantaneously (as a result of social media) has been really rewarding. On the flip side, not many people realize all the work that we’re doing behind the camera to bring these moments to life.
What is one myth you would like to debunk about being a personal assistant?
B: That all we do is get coffee. Arielle actually gets coffee for me every morning, ha.
S: The Devil Wears Prada is not an accurate depiction of what being a personal assistant is actually like. As much as Arielle is my boss, she has also become a friend and a mentor. There’s also so much more to the role than simply keeping track of a calendar.
Your roles deal with both professional and personal matters. How much of what you do is for Arielle personally? How much is for the brand? Is there synergy between the two?
B&S: We deal with both her personal and professional life evenly. Our job is to create synergy between the two so that Arielle can be the best version of herself in and out of the office. Something Navy is more than just a brand, it embodies her as a person and is such a big part of her life that the two really go hand in hand.
You described your workflow as “Arielle is the octopus, we are the tentacles.” How would you further describe your relationship with Arielle?
B: First and foremost, Arielle is our boss. That said, we have a really unique relationship in which we spend a lot of time one on one with each other. We’re constantly learning from our conversations, as well as the conversations with other team members that we sit in on; it’s important to us and Arielle both that if it comes down to it we’re equipt to make decisions.
As a personal assistant, how do you establish a level of trust with your employer?
S: The trust doesn’t just happen overnight. It takes time and repeatedly showing your commitment and dedication to the job at hand. From there it naturally develops. In our case, I think it tends to develop a bit quicker than usual because we do work with her very closely to manage her personal life.
Photography by: Courtesy Something Navy Team
