Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?: And Other Questions You Should Have Answers to When You Work in the White House

by Alyssa Mastromonaco

but keep it on your radar—you eat less, look younger, have a better attitude, and make better decisions if you get enough sleep.

Everyone knows how easy it is to Google.

The woman I was interviewing wasn’t living in a commune in the forest with no Internet access. Not knowing who I was didn’t make her look like an independent spirit or focused on her own work—it just made her look bad.

I was the first woman to occupy the physical office whose previous inhabitants included George Stephanopoulos, Rahm Emanuel, Karl Rove, David Axelrod, and David Plouffe. That might mean something to you, or it might not

mean anything at all. It’s not exactly the kind of job six-year-olds are naming for the “What do you want to be when you grow up?” question. It’s not even the kind of job precocious 26-year-olds are gunning for. Most people who hear the title don’t really know what I did. (Though they know enough to be impressed—especially if you say it kind of loudly, while raising your eyebrows and making a big gesture.) Jobs like this—the kind of job of which there are many, the kind that are definitely good but that no one teaches you to want—are found only with an open mind and a willingness to do your own thing.

It forever formed my opinion on how we should help those in need: humanely and respectfully. Maybe that sounds obvious to you, but unfortunately there are a lot of people who would disagree.

When the president of the United States tells you your words are powerful, it can be pretty shocking. I honestly didn’t think

anyone would give a shit if I sent a snippy email.

It was good advice, specifically ...

time but generally as it relates to any kind of replying-all in life: Think about how what you say could af...