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New Year Planning

Dec 17, 2024 | Business, Delegation, Productivity, Uncategorized

Preparing Your Business for Success and New Year Growth

As the end of the year approaches, it’s time for small business owners, entrepreneurs, and executives to reflect, recharge, and recalibrate. The holiday season often brings added responsibilities and stress, but with intentional planning, it can also serve as a springboard to success in the upcoming year. Here’s how you can set your business up for a successful year-end and start the new year ready to thrive.

Reflect on the Past Year

The first step in preparing for the year ahead is reflecting on the one that’s ending. Take a moment to ask yourself these critical questions:

  • Did I meet the milestones I planned for this year?
  • Was I able to deliver the quality of product or service I aspire to?
  • Do I feel fulfilled and balanced, or was I overwhelmed by the stress of work?

These reflections are essential not only for evaluating your business performance but also for assessing your personal well-being. Life moves quickly, and as an executive or entrepreneur, you likely spend a significant amount of time planning for others—your team, family, and business. But how often do you plan intentionally for yourself?

Aligning Operations with Your Goals

Creating a solid plan for the year ahead means focusing on your business goals and aligning your operations to achieve them. If you’ve struggled to balance your responsibilities, it might be time to consider bringing in an executive assistant. At Athena Executive Services, we specialize in crafting custom support plans tailored to your unique needs, giving you the freedom to focus on what truly matters to you.

Define Your Purpose and Visualize Success

Start by visualizing where you’d like to be at the end of next year. What does success look like to you? Is it a business milestone, such as increasing revenue or expanding your team? Or is it personal, like spending more time with your family or transitioning into a more flexible schedule? Reflect on these questions:

  • Do I have time to work on what truly matters to me and grows my business?
  • Can I step away from work to enjoy time with family and friends without anxiety?
  • Am I balancing the demands of a growing business with my desire for a full, satisfying life?

Determine Priorities and Delegate Effectively

The key to achieving your goals is identifying what only you can do for your business and delegating everything else. Start by listing the tasks that require your expertise, such as strategic planning, building client relationships, or creating visionary goals. Then, identify the administrative or time-consuming tasks—emails, invoicing, scheduling, and marketing—that could be handled by an assistant.

Imagine what you could accomplish if you freed up the time spent on these tasks. How might it impact your business and personal life over the next year? Partnering with an executive assistant can transform how you allocate your time, allowing you to focus on the work that drives growth and fulfillment. 

 

Create a Business Plan That Reflects Your Aspirations

Your business plan should reflect your unique aspirations—not someone else’s vision. Define what you want to deliver, how you want to impact your industry, and the legacy you want to build. At Athena Executive Services, we understand that no two executives are the same, and neither are their goals. That’s why we work to custom-match you with the ideal assistant to help you create systems that align with your unique vision.

 

Start the New Year Strong

By reflecting on the past year, determining your priorities, and delegating effectively, you’ll be positioned to hit the ground running in January. Partnering with an executive assistant can provide the support and structure you need to achieve your goals and maintain balance in your life.

 

Let’s make the next year your most successful and fulfilling one yet. Contact Athena Executive Services today to learn how we can help you craft a support plan tailored to your needs.

 

Case Study: RISC Zero

Nov 27, 2024 | About Athena, Business, Case Study, Delegation, Getting Started with an EA, Productivity

 

Case Study: RISC Zero

Background:

RISC Zero, a brand-new start-up, came to us smack in the middle of the pandemic, August 2022. They were in need of executive assistance to support their operations and leadership team. It was no coincidence they were referred to us by a former Athena client and startup CEO herself!

How it all began:

Soon, Brian and Ash found themselves speaking with Jennifer Tracy, Business Development & Client Care manager here at Athena. They needed support with many garden-variety admin tasks: email organization, schedule management, travel arranging, CRM updating, shepherding documents that needed signatures, along with some personal tasks. 

Neither had ever had an executive assistant before. Brian was candid with us right from the start when he said, “I’m just not good at delegating.” 

After Jennifer, like a doctor looking at a patient, assessed the situation and learned about all they were dealing with, she turned to her partner here at Athena, Dorian who she works shoulder to shoulder with every week. 

NEXT STEPS:

Dorian is the Performance Manager here at Athena. She oversees all the staff and ensures they are getting top-notch performance coaching on a regular basis. She keeps track of who on the staff has bandwidth available for a new client. Jennifer and Dorian regularly collaborate on which Executive Assistant to pair with which client. This collaboration is where the magic happens!

They selected a great executive assistant named Vee to work with the executives at RISC Zero. 

Jennifer then regularly checked in with clients Brian and Ash, while Dorian and our Performance coaches were regularly checking in with Vee. Part of the secret sauce at Athena is how the “partnership” gets built. What we are really in the business of is a high-performing, high-caliber “partnership”. 

Three months later Brian said he was so impressed by Vee and inquired about Vee working for them full time. Vee said that she was indeed interested in working for them full-time. RISC Zero took advantage of the Conversion Clause in the Athena Master Service Agreement, which allows a client to pay a fee to take their Athena Executive Assistant and bring them on to their own staff and payroll. 

This happens from time to time and as long as it’s something that the EA wants, we encourage it. We want all parties to really get what they need and want from this partnership, even if that means we lose an amazing resource like Vee. 

So we say goodbye to RISC Zero and Vee and wish them well. 

But the story isn’t over. Plot twist!  Eight months pass and Vee has been highly effective and promoted at RISC Zero. But that left the EA position open. Where did Vee go to get that EA position filled? Back to Athena Executive Services!

Now Vee is the Client, meeting with Jennifer to discuss finding a new EA for Brian, along with three other new executives, Manasi, Joe, and Nicole. 

Athena Executive Services provides two Executive Assistants to support the four executives. One of those EAs is Nathan! Nathan and Manasi formulate their partnership and Nathan gets the advantage of standing on the shoulders of the great foundation Vee had built. Fast forward 11 months and . . . you guessed it. RISC Zero decides to buy out Nathan and take him as their own staff member, as they did with Vee many months prior.

CHALLENGES ALONG THE WAY:

Throughout all engagements, RISC Zero was a strong advocate for the value of Athena’s services. Vee’s performance as an EA was impactful, leading to RISC Zero’s preference to continue sourcing talent from Athena.

Leadership changes at RISC Zero brought some challenges: 

  • With one leader’s departure, expectations around EA services shifted.
  • Conversations between Jennifer (from Athena) and RISC Zero saw some misalignment in expectations.
LESSONS LEARNED:
  • Expectation Management: Changes in leadership necessitate a clear communication strategy regarding expectations for EA services. Regular check-ins are essential to ensure alignment across all parties involved.
  • Value of Talent: The initial success of having a standout EA like Vee underscored the importance of placing the right talent in executive roles and maintaining relationships with clients through quality service.
CONCLUSION:

The collaboration between RISC Zero and Athena Executive Services highlights the critical nature of aligning expectations during leadership transitions. While Athena demonstrated the ability to provide exceptional executive assistance, ongoing communication and clarity on service delivery are vital for sustaining long-term relationships and ensuring mutual success.

Case Study for Athena Executive Services

Oct 31, 2024 | About Athena, Business, Case Study, Delegation

Best Selling Author, Gary John Bishop

“My career is about to go ape-shit”

This case study demonstrates one of the many different places our potential clients find themselves before they hire us. Gary was in the ideal place when he approached us – a place that many entrepreneurs and executives don’t get to, or can’t see.

What was ideal was that he looked out ahead at his career and saw a potential train wreck coming. He saw the success trajectory that was out ahead of him. That is the ideal time to be searching for a high caliber, Executive Assistant (EA). Most people come to us in the middle of the train wreck or when they are already overwhelmed, completely swamped and drowning (And that’s fine. We can jump in at those time as well.). Some people have been overwhelmed for so long that they think, “You don’t understand. This is just how my life is.” As if it could be no other way.

(Sidebar – True story: A couple years ago an attorney who was looking for an assistant shared with us that her car had broken down on the side of the road the prior week. She was so busy that she didn’t have time to deal with it and had been uber-ing to work all week. Wow.)

Over time we will write more right case studies to demonstrate the many different places that our clients are at when they first connect with us, and the many different places they hope to get to with the help of an Executive Assistant. No two clients are alike. While there are some commonalities in what has people finally reach out and consider hiring a remote executive assistant, and while there are some common things that most all Executive Assistants do, ultimately each partnership between an executive or a business owner and their assistant is unique and special.

For this, our first case study, we’re going to profile one of our favorite clients, Gary John Bishop, best-selling author of “UNFU*K Yourself”.

Background:

We reached out to Gary via LinkedIn to share about the services of our firm. He asked us a couple questions, and then asked that we follow up next quarter. In January of the following year we followed up and checked-in. A few months later we were on the phone discussing his needs and in the next month he started working with his virtual Executive Assistant, Tim.

Gary could see the explosion about to happen in his life. Not all of us can see the overwhelm or train wreck coming, but he could. He started doing the planning and critical thinking as he looked out ahead. This was brilliant. He was committed that he would be able to have the success that was coming his way, while not sacrificing what is sacred for him – time with his family.

The potential Train Wreck:

He eventually wrote the book. He was going to simply use it promote his coaching business. But Oops! The book went viral. 35,000 copies were sold! This is unheard of in the “self-published” Self Help book industry. Harper Collins was going to republish it, and it was on deck to also get republished in the United Kingdom. Again, unheard of!

Within a week three publishing offers came to him. The first one to contact him was Harper Collins. He quickly Googled the top 10 publishing agents and called the first six. One of them was on the phone with him in 15 minutes. Now his life was on a new trajectory.

He said to us, “I’m going to need someone more and more. In the short term I may need them to just manage my current clients. But then a lot more is going to be coming.”

Then he said something we hear frequently, “I’ve had people take things over in the past and it hasn’t gone the way I want.” He added, “It all as to be perfect! There has to be integrity and impeccability with everything! My career is about to go ape-shit.”

People are often unsure of exactly what they want their Executive Assistant to do. That is no issue for us. Through exploration conversations with us, you will discover what you can delegate and what would be the best things to start delegating in the beginning of your relationship with your Executive Assistant.

Gary rattled off what knew he wanted to delegate right off the bat, and what was important to him:

• I need someone I can swear with! (obviously)
• I don’t have much time to develop people
• They have to generate themselves
• I want to move all my clients to Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
• I want someone to make that transition happen and make it smooth

We sent Gary the questionnaire that we send all prospects as part of our exploration process. When we got on the phone to discuss his answers during the Complementary Consultation Session, we ended up only discussing two of the questions and his answers. At that point we were clear what he needed from us.

After the consultation, here is what he saw that he would need from his EA:

• Deal with all client-related stuff, so he could write. And write, write, write.
• Deal with all calendar shuffling, which he hated
• Bring new clients through the onboarding process
• Keep an eye on the Accounts Payable and crosscheck what’s happening in Quick Books and PayPal
• Send reminders to clients who are late with payments
• Clear his calendar when needed
• Move all his clients to Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday
• Manage his schedule with interviews, radio shows, podcasts, etc.
• Check his inbox every day and by Friday at 5pm there must be NO emails in the inbox
• Get to the source of the issues he was having with Outlook

We wrapped up the consultation with him saying to our CEO, “Gina, I need someone to handle a whole host of BS so that I can honor these priorities! My top priority is to be the best husband and father. That is #1. My second priority is being an author and my third is being a coach. And oh, I also need someone who is un-offendable.”

Enter Tim Long, Part-Time Remote Executive Assistant for Gary John Bishop

Just for reference, Gary is Florida and Tim is in California. Tim supports two other east coast clients for Athena Executive Services and now enjoys an early morning lifestyle, that lets him spend more time with his son and family in the afternoon.

The kinds of projects and tasks that Tim did in the early stages for Gary included:

• FreshBooks management, then moving Gary’s bookkeeping to QuickBooks
• Investigating issues with an email account and working with Gary’s team to figure out what was malfunctioning
• Interview scheduling for Podcasts and TV interviews
• Client scheduling and setup: This included the specific items that needed to be covered with Gary’s new coaching clients prior to their first appointment. Tim ensured they got a welcome email regarding all the time and invoicing logistics, along with a questionnaire for them to fill out before their first call. Tim also organized and planned-out their coaching program 9 months out and ensured that their invoicing was managed.

Later they added to Tim’s plate:

• Facebook management
• Publishing media posts on Gary’s website to his followers
• Coordinating travel for conferences and speaking engagements

Originally, Gary, had Tim working 10 hours each week and after about four months, when they added social media and other more detailed projects, they added additional hours and Tim continued working 15 hours a week for Gary.

Regular Communication:

Clear and effective communication is critical in any relationships and throughout all the stages of a partnership. In the beginning, Gary and Tim spoke about once a week for about five to 15 minutes. That is much less than most effective partnerships usually require between an EA and an executive or entrepreneur. Having just this brief weekly touch-base was possible because Tim and Gary communicated also via email and text. This was also possible because Gary came to us already so highly trained in how to delegate work and how to ask for exactly what he needed or wanted.

Now, many months later into their partnership, they speak about once every two weeks or so, sometimes a little less. And those calls vary from three minutes to 35 minutes depending on what needs to get discussed.

Tim’s Take:

“While my interactions with Gary are not many, one of the things I love most about working with him is how simple we work. Everything is quick and concise. There is no BS between us and it all flows smoothly. We curse, we laugh, and we get to work, I like that!”

Creating Systems That Work for You Now

Jul 30, 2024 | About Athena, Business, Delegation, Getting Started with an EA, Productivity

 

As you may know, I was part of Athena on its inception day several years ago. I was the first contractor hired here and was a part of our firm’s growth for four years before being offered an opportunity to serve an impact investing firm as their Chief of Staff. During those next first four years, I was in awe of how Gina managed the company. She documented EVERYTHING in Word documents. If I ever needed to pick up the ball and run anything in the organization I could, because there was a Word doc somewhere with those details and every step I would need to take and how to do it.

While I was away, Gina promoted Jennifer Tracy, who was one of our great EAs, to Operations Manager. Jennifer was able to take all of those documents and run Athena’s operations. During this time, Gina didn’t relinquish all of her responsibilities but instead worked for Jennifer to make sure she had everything she needed to win in her role as the Operations Manager. (Then Gina had time to learn pickleball, and well, she’s been a little busier since then!)_

Fast forward two years and I return to Athena. Jennifer transitioned to become our Business Development and Client Care manager, and I stepped into the newly-created Operations and Performance Manager role, and Gina continues as CEO, den mother and pickleball maven. We also have a dedicated Executive Assistant, Corene, who helps us three run this ship. 

For the first few months of my return, the turnover was smooth sailing, but things were changing. Until this time, Gina had delegated tasks, projects, and the heavy lifting to either Jennifer or her own EA, but now there was a new cook in the kitchen. Very quickly we saw that keeping track of who owns what was becoming murky. 

Jennifer and I would talk about what’s next with a client or a team member, but neither of us communicated the changes with Corene. We kept emails and correspondence in our inboxes which can work when only two people are in the loop, however, now we had four people who needed access to all the information. Through these growing pains, we discovered where the cracks in the foundation were and knew we needed to create clarity around project ownership and improve how we run the business. 

This is where my superpowers kick in. I LOVE systems! I thrive on creating and implementing systems. There is nothing more grounding for a CEO, manager, or entrepreneur than having the accurate status of projects and tasks. I have used many different project management systems over the years and Asana is the software I thought would fit Athena’s needs best. It has taken time to build out new systems and workflows and it is still an ongoing process. We continue to fine-tune, put in the steps we discover are missing, add new workflows as projects emerge, and find the best ways to automate workflow so we are working smarter. 

What I was not expecting, while implementing new systems and processes, was how delighted our EA, would be. She was thrilled to have one place where everything was assigned and tracked. She could easily see who assigned a task or project, and what was needed to move things forward while being able to report her progress back in the same format. The clarity it provides all of us is freeing and empowering!

There is a point in every company where how we’ve always done things won’t get us to where we want to go. What got us here, won’t get us there, right?

Is there an area in your company or organization where it’s time for a  refresh, pivot, bringing in new systems, or doing a massive overhaul?

We would love to hear from you. Let us know what you are dealing with in your organization!

~ Dorian

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Are you interested in learning more about hiring your own Virtual Executive Assistant? Click here to schedule a free consultation with us.

Does Having an Executive Assistant Feel Too Fancy?

Jun 19, 2024 | About Athena, Business, Delegation, Productivity, Uncategorized

 

 

Do you ever have the experience that you work all week and then most of the weekend you’re still working, but for a different boss? Do you shift from working for your boss or your company to working for the family or household?

Even though I’m 52 and the term “adulting” came along long after I became an official adult, I love the term because it points to a distinct set of tasks or projects that we all deal with. We don’t call it “work”, because it’s not something we get paid for. And yet it is work. Why? Well because it certainly doesn’t seem like play or rejuvenation.

Adulting includes thrilling activities such as: 

• Scheduling your car to get to the dealership for an oil change or maintenance at a time that fits in your schedule.
• Scheduling any appointments, you and your family may have.
• Remembering all the family and friends’ birthdays and anniversaries, and getting cards or presents to the right people, in the right place, at the right time.
• Shopping for airline tickets or an Airbnb for you and the family.
• Researching things to help you support aging or ailing family members.
• Planning the upcoming family birthday party or reunion and getting the slideshow done for it as well.

 Researching and finding answers to things such as:

1. What would it take for my 87-year-old uncle to go from being on Social Security to Social Security disability?
2. If I pay off my car loan early, will I be penalized?
3. What are some possible nice (and free or cheap) places where we could host a small event?
4. I saw something that mentioned that Amtrak would haul your car. Does that exist on the West Coast? (The answer is No, BTW.)
5. When and where are there pickleball tournaments near where I’ll be in California in the fourth quarter this year?

The list goes on and on! 

What is your adulting? What is not work, not play, and yet not all that enjoyable? Take a second and think of a few things from the last week that fall into that category.

This is the stuff that is stealing time away from you being with your family, doing the hobby you enjoy so much, tending to your fitness and wellness (mental or physical), or just sitting still and doing nothing for 5 minutes (try that! I dare you!)

Our team at Athena Executive Services is committed that all of your life is great and that your most important priorities get honored. This means providing you with someone who helps you be your best self while doing your highest priority activities like being with your family, meeting with your leadership team, or visiting your mother.

We are committed that you are a joyous light for all of those around you, and frankly, I think you want that too. You want to have energy and vitality and be inspiring; on your best days, you do that. You are that.

But all this “adulting” can often get in the way and wear you down.

The answer? DELEGATE it. 

It was many years into running this company before I started practicing this myself and it was a game changer. At first, it felt fancy to delegate what seemed like personal matters, yet I was tired of my evenings and weekends being taken up with those necessary evils. I didn’t feel comfortable saying to my partner or best friends, “I’ll have my assistant look into that for us.”

My partner would say, “Can you look into this for us, G?” And I would say, “Yep. Sure.” Then to myself, I would say “I do not want to be the EA of this household!” I started delegating it. Now, a couple of years later, my partner John will say, “Could you have Corene look into this for us?” Why yes, I can, babe. Love that idea!

One of my best friends and I had a spa day to celebrate our birthdays a few months ago. My assistant planned it for us. My friend said, “Would Corene do that for us every year?” Why yes, she can!

Personal things that my EA does regularly for me, which frees me up to spend time being with people I love the most, doing things I love the most, or napping and doing things that rejuvenate me:

• Books all my travel. I fly to see my mom once a month for 4 days
• Order our Nespresso coffee when we run out
• Researches my latest ideas, thoughts, and whims
• Gets all of our holiday cards out at the end of the year
• Sends all birthday cards (along with Mother’s and Father’s Day cards, sympathy, graduation, etc.) and she finds, orders, and ships gifts for all kinds of people in our lives

You get the idea. You can utilize and lean on your assistant for almost anything. And a high-caliber assistant loves that. Why? Because they want your WHOLE life to work. They want to free you up to be the best you. The best YOU at home, at the office, and in your community!

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Are you interested in learning more about hiring your own Virtual Executive Assistant? Click here to schedule a free consultation with us.

 

What could you delegate off your plate today?

May 20, 2024 | Business, Delegation, Getting Started with an EA, Mental Health, Productivity, Uncategorized

There really is a world of delegating effectively and turning over projects and tasks to another person in a way that leaves you freed up to go do the things that are a higher and better use of you and your unique talents and expertise. We will always shout this from the rooftops! When you are doing things that you enjoy and that utilize what you uniquely have to contribute to your organization or society, it is enlivening and fulfilling.

Over the years I have curated, read and written many things on the subject of delegation. It something I frequently discuss as a podcast guest. It is what feeds and fuels our firm. If people don’t delegate, we don’t have work to do.

Let’s say however, you already delegate to others, and you have become effective at that. Maybe you have even become really masterful at it. And now maybe, like with me, it thrills you. There is no low-level stuff that you feel obligated to do any more…

For instance, recently I saw an ad on Facebook for a silly mug and I said to myself “I HAVE to get that for my mom.” In the next 20 seconds, I sent the link to my Executive Assistant and asked her to do it. I will probably forget I delegated that, but I will hear from my mom when she gets it, and she will be delighted, and I will be delighted all over again that I did that.

Gina Cotner, CEO, Athena Executive Services

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Are you interested in discovering what you can delegate off your plate and learn more about hiring your own Virtual Executive Assistant? Click here to schedule a free consultation with us.