Ginkgo Bioworks helps their clients use biology to make incredibly diverse products for every use imaginable. Demand for their services has exploded. But high growth means a heavy workload.
Being able to scale quickly is a priority, but administrative tasks began piling up. They needed dedicated support. Fast.
A Painless, Flexible Solution
Anna Marie Wagner, SVP of Corporate Development, would be the first to admit that the workload was overwhelming. She needed help immediately, but didn’t require a full-time hire. She began looking online to see what other executives were doing — and found Boldly.
The Boldly subscription staffing model was flexible and painless to start. In fact, it was a smaller investment than she had expected to make.
“I recognized the need of bringing in a really strong administrative assistant,” she said, “but I didn’t need 40 hours a week. I needed maybe 10 or 15.”
With Boldly, she got access to a premium executive assistant and started with the hours she needed. Hours she could scale up or down, depending on workload and she didn’t need to go through a lengthy hiring process with HR or their recruiting department. Wagner was so impressed with her executive assistant that she spread the word to the rest of the team.
Boldly went viral in this biotech firm.
“I’ve shared Boldly EAs with other teams, and it really did spread like wildfire throughout the company,” she said. “It’s become a no-brainer decision. It gives us what we need when we need it. It’s made a huge difference to not only my effectiveness on the job, but I think our ability to scale as a company.”
Trust Enough To Delegate
Wagner’s life changed within one week of working with her EA: “I went from being completely overwhelmed with admin to within a week having someone who was taking things off my plate.”
Going from overwhelmed to being ahead of the game is all about trust. More than skills or experience, a mutually-trusting relationship was required.
“Even though Iris isn’t working with me full time it feels like she is. Iris has been the most trusted person on my team,” Wagner said. “She knows more about what I’m going through professionally and personally more than anyone else I work with. She makes sure I’m on top of everything I have to be.”
While Boldly’s executive assistants certainly have the best in skills and experience in the industry, they also know how to build a great working relationships.
That kind of connection means a smaller transition window from start to full-speed ahead.
For Wagner, that meant someone who understood her time limitations and fielded requests that came her way.
“Having someone who can really look out for my priorities and tactfully find a way to say no or to defer something helps me maintain a positive relationship while protecting my time,” she said. “Being able to have a trusted partner who understands your priorities and is able to make things happen for you is invaluable. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without my Boldly EA.”
