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.