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Finding Balance

Apr 21, 2022 | Business, Delegation, Mental Health, Productivity, Uncategorized

Our clients let us know on a regular basis just how organized their lives are, and how much stress has been removed from their daily existence because they have Rockstar Executive Assistant. We never get tired of hearing about it!

Having a right-hand person in your corner is fantastic, but there are also simple things you should do beyond delegating to ensure you have a balanced and fulfilling life.

This article outlines several things you can do right away to help relieve stress when you aren’t working, like truly shutting down when you’re home and setting firm boundaries.

What are some things you do to bring joy into your life and reduce stress that can come from your career?

Read more at ClevelandClinic.org

 

 

 

Fitting fun and self-care into a busy schedule

Apr 5, 2022 | Accountability, Delegation, Mental Health, Productivity, Uncategorized

I don’t have time for Yoga. I don’t have time to learn Pickleball. I don’t have time to see my parents. I don’t have time for a lunch date with a friend. Someday when I have more time, I’ll be one of those people.

Is that you, or something like you? Some weeks, is this the case? It was for me, for a long time.

There may be many ways to solve this issue. I’ll share with you what made the biggest difference for me .

First it has to be an issue or a problem for you. Not visiting your parents, or not taking time to talk to them has to first become an issue for you. Your current level of fitness or health has to occur for you like an issue, or a problem that you’re out to solve.

(Side note: If you’re 50+ I recommend this book to motivate you about fitness over your next 30 years: Younger Next Year.)

Once you’re committed, once you see something as a problem that you’re out to solve, then what? How to get things that feed your mind or body into your schedule. Your calendar is full. There are only 24 hours in a day.

What to do? SCHEDULE IT & HONOR IT

Put it in your calendar. That thing that you “don’t have time to do” that would really feed you – SCHEDULE IT in your calendar. Your schedule may be so full that you can’t see a space in your schedule to put it for a few weeks. That’s fine. For example you may schedule yourself to go for a walk for 30 minutes every day, starting 2 weeks from now.

Now, here’s the key. HONOR IT. Work around it. When someone asks if you’re available at 3pm on Tuesday and you are going to go for a walk then, you say, “I’m not available then, how about Wednesday at 10am?” You do not need to say anything more than “I’m not available then.”

If you schedule it and honor it, here are some discoveries you may have:

• You can do that 60 minute meeting in 30 minutes
• You can talk to that co-worker, staff person or friend while you’re going for a walk
• You can not always be the one to raise your hand and say, “Sure I’ll do that.”
• You can delegate more and allow those around you to contribute to you more

Once you start honoring the items in your schedule that feed and nurture your mind, body or spirit, you will find that you have more energy for the rest of life. You will find that who is now working, attending meetings, making sales calls, or making dinner is a much happier, more effective human being. You will get better at producing results with less time and less effort.

Gina Cotner, CEO

 

 

 

 

Hooked On Delegation

Mar 25, 2022 | About Athena, Business, Delegation, Getting Started with an EA, Productivity, Remote Work, Uncategorized

For the first few years of owning and operating this business I didn’t have an assistant. I was running a firm centered around the great benefits of having an Executive Assistant, but I had never had an Executive Assistant myself. It wasn’t really a problem, because I knew how to be a great Executive Assistant and I knew how to train others to be great in that role. However, the tailor had no clothes; the cobbler had no shoes.

A few years into the business, we had enough money that we could afford for me to utilize the services of one of our executive assistants. “After all,” I said to myself, “you could have one at wholesale pricing!” In the beginning it felt a little bit like stealing from the company, like I was taking office equipment back to my home to use it for myself.

I started slowly, delegating a little here and a little there. Soon I was hooked.

Now that I was no longer just the receiver of what others were delegating, and I was now the delegator, I got all new perspectives on the world of delegation! I understood the hesitance and the reticence of delegating. Should I? Shouldn’t I? Should I pay for somebody else to do this, or just do it myself? Should I take the time to explain this to my assistant? Will my assistant be able to figure this out? Will she hate doing this?

Over time, I began to delegate more and more, from all different areas of my life, and particularly from the key areas that I most recommended to the Executives we work with:

1. Things that you dislike doing
2. Things that are not in your zone of genius, not one of your superpowers
3. Things that, while they may be fun and enjoyable to do, are not the highest or best use of you
4. Things that you know in reality are going to take more than the 10-minutes you think it’s going to take

Here are some things that I’ve delegated to my EA that fall into those categories.

• Researching and ordering gifts for clients and staff
• Sending cards, emails, or gifts (birthdays, condolences, new baby, anniversary)
• Updates to the website
• Booking an airline ticket
• Going to Amazon to buy those “one or two” things
• Social media posts
• Invoicing clients and running credit cards
• Parts of onboarding a client
• Parts of onboarding a new contractor
• Researching vacation elements (hotel, airline, excursions, rental cars, where will you be able to play pickleball while you are there?)
• Ordering flowers for mom; Easter baskets for grandkids
• Getting off of company mailing lists

I often say to myself, “Don’t go there Gina; delegate it.”

That means don’t go to Amazon to buy one or two things, because before I know it, I’ll be there shopping around for something else that I just thought of, and something else. It’s better to have my EA shop for me, and then send me two or three options of what to choose from. Similarly with shopping for airline tickets. She does the research, then texts me “Gina would you like this option or that option?”. Then I pick and don’t get mired in “shopping around”.

~ Gina Cotner, CEO 

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Looking for an engaging guest for your next podcast? Gina enjoys being a podcast guest and discussing items such as:  

  • Effective Delegation
  • How to turn over entire segments of your business process to someone else (so that you have more time off!)
  • How to have the balance in your life that you want

Click here to learn more about having Athena CEO Gina Cotner on your podcast or inviting her to present at your next virtual meeting, workshop or event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gina Joins the Authentically Successful Podcast

Feb 25, 2022 | About Athena, Business, Delegation, Podcast Appearance, Productivity, Remote Work, Uncategorized

Gina was recently featured on the Authentically Successful Podcast, joining Leadership coach and podcast host, Carol Schultz, to talk about her journey through various entrepreneurial ventures to arrive at Athena Executive Services. 

Gina and Carol speak about the barriers when growing a business, as well as the differences between what Athena offers and what inexpensive VAs are offering overseas.

Listen here: Follow Link

 

 

 

 

Invest in your talent

Dec 3, 2021 | About Athena, Accountability, Business, Delegation, Getting Started with an EA, Remote Work, Uncategorized

We have always been a virtual company. Our team of high-caliber, high-performing Virtual Executive Assistants are located all across the United States.

Working from home is a benefit and advantage for our contractors. However, this doesn’t mean they are working alone! Our team of virtual Executive Assistants stay connected via monthly strategy meetings and regular check-ins with leadership. This continuous investment in our team is so important, and is one of the many reasons we are thriving.

This article offers some fantastic insights on why ongoing training and mentoring is so important, especially in this current hiring climate. We couldn’t agree more!

“Companies are caught in the middle of a talent reshuffle right now, and the time has come to start thinking about how to support aspirations for career development.”

“Once you help your team members hone their respective skill sets, build their knowledge base, and grow professionally, you aren’t just attaining and retaining top talent—you’re building an environment where people can thrive.”

Read more on Forbes.com

 

 

Thriving during times of crisis

Oct 28, 2021 | Accountability, Business, Delegation, Mental Health, Productivity, Remote Work

“If ever there were a time when executives must call on the full complement of their assistant’s skills and utilize them to best advantage, now would surely be that time.”

So true! High-performing EAs have always been the not-so-secret super power for their executives. This fantastic article from Chief Executive.net outlines just why, especially right now, “…exemplary assistance is not a luxury, but a requirement.” 

How Exceptional Executive Assistants Are Keeping CEOs Thriving In This Crisis