A premium executive assistant will change your life.
Their skills, experience, and mindset mean their value transcends simply checking off tasks on a to-do list.
But if you’ve never had this kind of EA, it’s easy to wonder if it’s worth sacrificing your time to find, hire, and train an assistant. After all, if you’ve been making it work thus far, do you actually need someone?
We talked to eight leaders and asked what separates their EAs from the rest, and what makes their remote executive assistants more than worth it.
Here’s what we learned.
1. They’re With You For The Long Term
“With Boldly, you’re given professionals who have done this for their career, and this is what they want to do [long term].”
Hildy Kuryk, owner of PR consultancy Artemis Strategies, knew bringing on a talented and experienced and flexible resource was the best way to facilitate growth.
Long-term means trust, which means you can build a thriving partnership without worrying you’ll be searching for a new assistant in a few months.
2. They Do So Much More Than Admin
“You don’t need an admin; you really need a partner who can work with you to take the big ideas that you’re trying to operationalize and run with it.”
Mariah Peebles, Director at AI NOW, was in the middle of scaling the organization up. They wanted an executive assistant who would be able to know the procedures and processes AI NOW was building toward and who could implement them without micromanagement.
3. Easily Increase Your Productivity 15-20%
One of the quickest ways to recognize a high-level EA is their ability to run your day-to-day administration so that you can focus on the big picture.
Stu Loeser, founder of Loeser & Co. (and Boldly client since 2015), told us, “I was able to increase my productivity easily by 15–20% when I brought my Boldly EA on board.”
For busy executives like Stu, a boost in efficiency means a boost in bottom-line results. “You should hire people who are good at what they do so that you can do what you’re good at. And that’s what my executive assistant lets me do.”
4. Pick Up Tasks And Run With Them
“Boldly executive assistants are already so skilled at what they’re doing — they know how to read you and they know how to pick up the tasks that you’re handing them.”
Jenifer Wiley, founder of J. Wiley Designs, explains how having the right executive assistant with a breadth of skills and experience can multiply your time — without spending a ton of time on onboarding or training.
See also: How Much Experience Should Your Executive Assistant Have?
5. You Don’t Need To Manage Them
“I don’t have to manage my Boldly executive assistant. [Pauline] taught me how to manage her.”
Fabian Delahaut, Founder of Eagle Academy, found that a premium executive assistant meant he wasn’t spending hours explaining how to do things or even what to do. His assistant was actually managing him!
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.
“I trust her even though we don’t live close to each other. She’s in America, I’m in Belgium,” Fabian said.
6. They Protect Your Time And Priorities
“You can be in calls back to back to back to back to back. Tracy has been really good about protecting my time and protecting my schedule.”
Albireo focuses on the social purpose sector, helping foundations, non-profits, and other organizations deliver their intended mission.
“I was just feeling overwhelmed,” Managing Partner Erika Williams said, describing that wonderful (but challenging) moment when your business is taking off faster than you can manage it.
Erika’s Boldly assistant Tracy stepped in and created time blocks, carefully scheduling calls and meetings around important time for work. “It is very important to me that she has time to think, write, and do what she’s supposed to do,” Boldly EA Tracy said. “The demands on her time are high. Her inbox fills with thousands of emails in a week.”
7. They’re Thinking Of The Bigger Picture
“My Boldly executive assistant is always thinking ahead and that really helps. [Jenny] doesn’t just get the scheduling done. She’s thinking about impacts.”
Thana Sakis, founder of Gramercy Consulting, had learned early on in her business that her time was better was better spent meeting with clients, not managing her schedule.
Sakas’ executive assistant Jenny turned out to be great at handling the schedule, thinking ahead and considering the impact of what needed doing. Sakas had a lot on her plate and instead of having to specify everything that needed doing, Jenny anticipated what she’d need. She even helped her with personal tasks to be sure Sakas’ focus could be on her coaching business.
8. Have Deep Experience That Complements Yours
“Every time I think I have a good idea it’s something she’s already done for 5 or 10 or 15 years — which I have to say is one, a major credit to [Natasha], but also to what Boldly has been able to do. Because I’ve had other assistants in the past that didn’t have that kind of background.”
Every leader has an area of genius. These are the things that made you successful in the first place. However, working on projects and tasks outside of your wheelhouse wears you out and slows your organization down on the whole.
Matt Solomon, CEO of advisory firm Center For Enlightened Business, described how during a meeting, he’d said, “I think we need to put something together for the employees.” Without skipping a beat, Natasha replied, “An employee handbook.”
Natasha’s deep experience turned three minutes of Matt’s time into a much-needed employee handbook. That’s exactly the leverage leaders look for.
So Is An Executive Assistant Actually Worth It?
Absolutely.
Finding an executive assistant with these qualities will change your life in the office and outside of it—guaranteed.
Topic: Remote Executive Assistant
