Sona Movsesian has been Conan O’Brien’s personal assistant since 2009, although now she’s better known as a co-host/sidekick on the Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast. Sona has become a fan favorite because of her sense of humor, especially when it comes to poking fun at her boss. Turns out, that lack of professionalism isn’t new. As her memoir reveals, and as Conan has never stopped pointing out, Sona isn’t a very hard worker.
The World’s Worst Assistant is a tongue-and-cheek account of how to get away with doing as little as possible at your day job. She’s an expert at watching television on the job (the trashier the better) and wasting the whole morning deciding what to order for lunch. Interspersed with these humorous anecdotes is some genuinely good advice about standing up for yourself, not putting up with mistreatment, and not letting your whole life be defined by your job.
Sona also shares a few memories of meeting celebrities and powerful people, and more powerfully of her trip to Armenia with Conan for a pre-taped bit on his TBS show. While Conan fans probably will probably wish more of this type of material was included, these still provided a nice insight into what it would be like to work for him.
What shines through most in The World’s Worst Assistant is the genuine love and mutual admiration between Conan and Sona. Sure, Conan may constantly mock her and knock cupcakes right out of her hands, but she gives it back just as good. Their improbable dynamic isn’t something most people are going to be able to replicate, but it’s still fun to read about.
