Explore Hiring a Virtual Executive Assistant



Athena Executive Services

About Us

Services + Pricing

The Productivity Blog

Case Studies

Delegation 101

For Financial Advisors

Schedule a Free Consultation

Client Testimonials

Executive Case Study

Contact

Let’s Connect

Job Opportunities

Speaking

Privacy Policy

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.

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

______________

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

__________________

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.

 

 

 

 

Your Time and Your Health

Feb 27, 2024 | About Athena, Delegation, Mental Health, Productivity, Uncategorized

“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.”

– Henry David Thoreau

We all know that rest and sleep allow our body and mind to recover, rejuvenate and heal. Studies have shown how important this is. Experts have published articles and papers about the increased levels of productivity and satisfaction with one’s work when you allow yourself to take brain breaks throughout the day. People who do high intensity activities for their workouts know the importance of stretching and recovery time. Yet with all of this knowledge few people seem to schedule and honor times in their calendar for rejuvenating their mind or their body, their mental or emotional wellness.  The more you demand of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally, the more you need to refuel and rejuvenate those parts of you.

Great Executive Assistants design a life for their executive that is the kind of life that a person would want to wake up and live! Left to our own devices as business owners and executives we will be awful with ourselves. We overbook ourselves. We try to keep squeezing one more thing into the day. But when somebody else, who has our best interests in mind, goes about designing our schedule, they do a much better job! Sometimes your assistant is the only person who knows or cares that you leave the office at a decent hour.

Rejuvenate yourself. Get yourself fed. The world needs more people like you! The world does not need the exhausted version of you. You at your best, is a gift to the world! If you can’t trust yourself to schedule and honor living a balanced life (however you define that for you), then turn it over to somebody who will support you in that. If you think a more balanced life is truly not possible for you, we should talk.

__________________

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