Fabian Delahaut, founder of Eagle Academy, was always on top of things.
Between meeting instructors, creating educational content, and working with students, his hands were more than full. But when he teamed up with Pauline Esposito, a Remote Executive Assistant from Boldly, he learned success didn’t always mean doing everything by himself.
It didn’t take long for Fabian to feel the benefits of having a pro tackle task management, finetune communication, and even take Eagle Academy’s digital game up a notch.
No More 8 O’Clock Emergencies?
Fabian remembers the exact moment he felt the pressure lift just a few months into working together.
“I was in my living room at eight o’clock at night watching TV,” Fabian recalled. “I told my wife, ‘Hey, I don’t have anything to do!’ It was the first time in a while. And that’s how I realized how much I could now focus on my sweet spot.”
Suddenly, for the first time in years, Fabian found himself with free time in the evenings. Instead of replying to emails, he could be present with his family. Or, actually enjoy time to rest.
He didn’t have to handle the mundane, time-consuming admin tasks that cluttered his days. Fabian found his “sweet spot.” Now, he could focus on creating new products and doing what he did best.
Not only did Eagle Academy grow in a sustainable way, Fabian learned he could trust someone else with critical parts of the business. This was a revelation, especially working remotely.
“I trust her even though we don’t live close to each other. She’s in America, I’m in Belgium,” Fabian said.
Trust was the linchpin for Pauline’s next mountain to climb: digital transformation.
Catching Up In The Digital Age
One of the most challenging tasks for Pauline was shifting Eagle Academy from an outdated email system and tech setup to something modern and efficient.
Fabian, not being particularly tech-savvy, needed convincing on why this was necessary.
Pauline kept nudging. Once she got the green light, the benefits were evident. Their collaboration was easier, and Fabian found that his time was being freed up even more.
He put it like this: “Thanks to Pauline we now have a digital company, a real system, a modern company.”
Mission Impossible: A Vacation Without Work
Things were working great with them both at their desks. But the real test is when the exec goes offline and the work still needs to be done.
Fabian’s trust in his Boldly team was tested when he took a 12-day trip across the ocean. He was virtually unreachable. Pauline would have to fight fires and navigate any emergencies on her own.
So, when he reached shore nearly two weeks later, he was greeted with a tidy inbox, organized calendar, and everything in order. For the typical CEO, this is a Mission Impossible scenario, as they still work an average of 2.5 hours per day on every vacation.
Fabian’s best advice for executives? “Hire an assistant as soon as you can!”
In his words, there was a “Before Pauline” and an “After Pauline” line in his business. And everything after helped him do what he did best. And Eagle Academy saw significant growth as a result.
Read more: How (And Why) Executives Must Take Non-Working Vacations
