In this practical episode, Renee Hastings, President and CEO of Executive Help Now, shares how virtual assistants free up time for growth. If you struggle with admin overload or productivity dips, you won’t want to miss it.
You will discover:
– What systems ensure smooth VA integration
– Why delegating low-value tasks boosts stage 2 focus
– How to identify admin for VA offloading
Episode Transcript
Scott Ritzheimer
Scott, hello, hello and welcome. Welcome once again to the start, scale and succeed. Podcast, the only podcast that grows with you through all seven stages of your journey as a founder, I’m your host, Scott Ritzheimer, and there’s a specific trap that catches almost every startup entrepreneur off guard. It’s that moment you’re there, or you’ve been there, that moment that you realize you’re spending more time answering emails, scheduling calls or managing just administrative nonsense than actually building your organization or doing the things that you feel like will move you forward. And it’s not that you tried to get there. You launched with the hopes of freedom, the ability to make a difference. And instead of feeling liberated to focus on growth, you feel like you’re drowning in the very tasks that are too small to actually hire someone for, but are just consuming all of your day. And so we tell ourselves, well, we just have to muscle through. We’ll deal with that later, but we end up working 12 hour days. And more and more and more of those 12 hour days go to stuff that doesn’t actually move you forward, and you find out you’re building a job for yourself instead of actually building an organization, whether it be a business or a nonprofit. And so what do you do about it? Well, here to help us break the cycle is Renee Hastings, who is the president and CEO of executive help now, a premier virtual assistance agency with over 15 years of experience, Renee and her team deliver expert administrative support, podcast production and business consulting services to small business owners, content creators and busy executives. Starting her journey in 1996 Renee holds a degree in business management and has been a Dale Carnegie leadership training coach. She’s appeared on NBC, KCRA news three, and now serves as an inspirational speaker, podcast host, philanthropist and small group Bible study coach. Her mission freeing up time for life’s more important moments. She’s here with us today. Renee, welcome to the show. So glad to have you here.
Renee Hastings
Thank you, Scott. I’m so excited to be here.
Scott Ritzheimer
Awesome, awesome. Well, let’s start right out of the gate here. You’ve been working with entrepreneurs since the late 90s. You’ve been doing this for a minute or two, and I’m sure that you’ve seen this pattern 1000 times, but you’ve got the startup entrepreneur that go full time, and instead of the glory that they’re expecting on the other side, it’s just the grind. So what is it? Why is it that so many entrepreneurs become less productive after going full time?
Renee Hastings
I think the one of the biggest reasons why entrepreneurs become less productive after going full time in their business is because they try to do it all themselves. They feel like there’s so much to be done. And it’s not that they just feel like it there really is there really is all the work that’s got to be done in marketing, in legal things, getting the business all set up on all of the finances and bookkeeping and all of the you know, scheduling the meetings with other busy people who are trying to build businesses or have already done it and got full schedules, and there’s just so much that needs to be done, and so they think they have to do it all themselves. And that is not true, and that is one of the biggest things that will hinder them and keep them small is by not bringing on people to their team who are subject matter experts in their field, so that they can be freed up to go and have those strategic meetings, and they don’t have to worry about what’s happening back in the office, because it’s all handled by the People who are talented and gifted in those particular areas.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, it’s interesting, because we actually tend to use the word entrepreneur to kind of justify this. It’s kind of like when you say I’m an entrepreneur, you’re kind of saying I’m doing this myself. I’m taking on the world, you know, on my own. And we can, we can inadvertently get trapped here. But one of the things that makes this kind of mechanically really, really difficult is money, and the idea that, like, Hey, I’m barely making payroll, and it’s just me. How in the world am I going to make payroll with somebody else, on, on, on the dime. So what do you what do you say to someone who’s struggling with just the financial aspect of getting the help that they need.
Renee Hastings
Well, first of all, entrepreneur doesn’t always mean solopreneur. Okay, there’s a big difference. And just because it’s you and you’re trying to make ends meet for yourself, just now you’re still in the beginning stages, it’s expected, it’s understandable, but just like you’re building a budget for all of your project materials or all of the different resources that you need to build, the widget that you are in charge of building for your business, you need to add a line item for administrative support for. For marketing support, for whatever that looks like, because when you take yourself out of that picture of having to handle those things, you have more time. It’s like you’re buying time for yourself to go and do the things that really do move the needle. So you don’t have to hire somebody full time, a full time salary, yes, that can be inundating, that can be daunting. That could be, you know, several 100, you know, several $1,000 a month or a year, or whatever that looks like. But when you hire a company that will offer you an opportunity to hire somebody for 10 hours a month, that it can be doable that is much easier entry into that support field. So look, a company like ours definitely starts at hours, at 10 hours a month, 20 hours a month, 40 hours a month, that’s, you know, 40 hours a month is 10 hours a week. So if you don’t, even if you don’t have a whole lot to give, but you just know that what you have right now is too much for you. Call us. Call a company like ours, we’ve already done the screening. We’ve already done the vetting. Our team is already qualified, pre qualified and tested to know that what they have to offer you they can hit the ground running to make an immediate impact.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, there’s a couple of great points in there. One is, I think we are the most likely in any stage, at this stage, of mistaking our most precious commodity as money and not time. And so this idea of buying back your time, I think, is excellent and is worth restating. You’re so on point with that the other one. And you kind of allude to this a little bit, but I’m wondering if we could unpack it a little more, and that is that it’s not help that you need. It’s good help. You need someone who can actually do those things. And one of the things that I’ve seen keeps folks trapped here is that they, they actually do go get help, but they get the wrong person. They they get someone who it’s like they’re having to hold their hand every step of the way, or they’re just not competent enough to do the job, you know. Or they’re they’re doing a job that that person is not really familiar with, the entrepreneurs not really familiar with, and so they don’t know, are they doing a good job? Are they not doing a good job? So tell me a little bit, and to whatever extent you’re willing to disclose some of the secret sauce here. But what makes a great admin? What is it about your team that you guys look for and qualify for?
Renee Hastings
So when someone wants to become a member of our team, and Scott, trust me, we have people who want, who apply, who never make it, and it’s just because they don’t have a high enough skill level, and we find this out by testing. We also one of the things that’s super important to me is that our team members share the same values that we have as a company, so that they know how I operate, how we treat clients, what our culture is our attitude of service, and if they don’t fit all of those buckets, they don’t check all those boxes, they never get to be a part of our team. Once they get through the pre vetting period and the pre screening process and that sort of thing, then we’re able to dig deeper into them and their actual skills, and who they would be the best fit for So, and that’s my job is to find out who I’m not on my team. If I have a client and they share with me, I need this, this, this and this and or I might need email management, calendar management and some project management. Or I might need a strategic partner to help me. You know, do this application, whatever that looks like, I pick from my team based on that information, who is the best fit for this person. So when you have someone who’s a real person fitting you with someone who actually makes sense for you, then it’s an easier transition. So and once you get your person, or you get introduced, it’s so important to discover who they are. At their core, you as the client to the virtual assistant, so that you just start to develop a relationship with them. Because this is not something that’s a one and done kind of thing. Typically, when clients hire us, they want a partner for the long term. They want someone who can see their vision and want to join with them in lockstep on this journey, and that’s what we do. So it’s so important to make sure that that relationship is set up on a foundation of success, and that’s one of the ways that we do that going into the relationship, and then as you continue to share information about what you know, because you may not know everything, and you may be bringing them on because of their experience that they bring with them, that is kind of fills that gap, then the two of you together are working in harmony. Because they are now filling that space that is needed, kind of like a piece of a puzzle to help you get to that next level.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, that puzzle piece is great analogy, but the first time you’re going through it, it’s hard to know, like, what are the edges of the puzzle? So what have you found in doing this for so many years now? What have you found are kind of the best jumping off points? What are the things that most entrepreneurs get rid of first, or should get rid of first?
Renee Hastings
One of the things that I found made a huge difference in the life of an executive is email management and calendar management, because they are so busy working in on the business, trying to bring in new business, they may miss opportunities because they haven’t had a chance to check their 100 emails that come in every single day. And so you’ll need someone to make sure you’re not missing opportunities be able to respond on your behalf. And that’s the other thing, is that communication on your behalf, so that person that you get matched with should be able to communicate with on your behalf, as you mentioned, not just be a doer of a thing, but actually know what needs to be done and how to handle this situation. You know, based on that, that time spent with you and being trained and what it is that you need to do, so, I think my experience has shown me that when you take off those things, calendar management, email, management, off your plate, expense reporting, travel arrangements, all those things, even if they may only take a few minutes for you to do, those are minutes you need to be spending doing things that move the needle for your business. So it’s if you think about it like this, say you’re a $300 an hour entrepreneur, and you hire an assistant, that’s $100 an hour. I’m totally making this up. But would it make more sense for you to be spending your $300 an hour time doing something that someone who gets paid much less can do more effectively, and probably quicker and faster, and loves doing it.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, yeah, the dollar value of time is, again, it’s just a great way of thinking about it like, is that a $15 an hour task? Then, you know, it’s just not anything you should be spending any time on. But here’s here’s where I see folks get hung up even once they’re kind of like, yes, that’s a $15 an hour task. Is being good at something doesn’t necessarily make you good at making someone else good at that something. And so especially with something like their email inbox, where there’s so many different things that are passing through that one gateway, it can feel overwhelming to even begin to think about how to train someone else to take that on. How do you help your clients to tackle that feeling of there’s just so much? Where do we even begin?
Renee Hastings
So one of the things that our clients have done that’s been really super helpful to them is taking that time, initially, to go through the inbox with their assistant, to share with them who are the important people, who are the people I want to hear from. What are these different emails? Is this junk, or is this spam? You know, explaining these kinds of things? Because typically, you’ll start to see a pattern if you sort the box by Sydnor, and so it’s easy to identify who those key people are. And so once we have that knowledge and that understanding, it gives us a framework from which to move to know and understand how to manage your inbox. So it’s important to take that initial time at the very beginning, to let your person know who’s important to you, who are your VIPs? Who are you trying to reach out to? What are some key words that that match their industry or their title or their this, that or the other? Does that make sense?
Scott Ritzheimer
It does. Yeah, it does. It sounds so easy and and it really when you break it down and address it one step at a time. It really is and and to your point, earlier in the show, you’re buying back time. It’s not just doing it that one time. It may take a little longer to explain how you answer an email than to just answer it, but think of the hundreds of emails that you don’t have to answer afterwards because you took the time to explain it once. Yeah. Fantastic. Renee, there’s this question that I ask them. I guess I’m very interested to see what you have to say. But the question is this, what is the biggest secret that you wish wasn’t a secret at all? What’s that one thing you wish every founder watching or listening today knew?
Renee Hastings
I wish everyone knew that they were worthy of being served well. And some people feel like, well, I have to do it all myself. Because if it’s if it’s going to be done right, I have to do it myself. If it’s if I can’t allow someone else to serve me for whatever reason, if someone else does this for me, then I feel some kind of way. Mm. I want them to not feel some kind of way anymore, but recognize that they are worthy of being supported and of receiving help and of getting the support that they need, where the meeting where they are, and that they will grow, and they will get accustomed and used to this feeling of being served, and then they’ll start to like it.
Scott Ritzheimer
That’s so good. That’s so good because it is true. There’s the there’s this thing about entrepreneurs that there is a service mindset behind like they do serve. The root of the word entrepreneur is to go between right and to serve. But allowing others to serve you in the service of others. Is, is, is so powerful, and it does. It feels pretty great when you get used to it. You’re right. So Renee, there’s some folks listening and like, they’re there. They’re in it. They’re work. They just finished working all weekend, and there’s got to be a better way. What? What would you say to them? How can they connect with you? How can I learn more about the work that you all do?
Renee Hastings
Yeah, so feel free to reach out to us on any of our socials. We’re at Executive Help Now. We have a website at executivehelpnow.org We also have this book called, well, what can a virtual assistant do for you? Some assist, some entrepreneurs and founders, they’re like, I don’t even know what to assign to somebody. So if they text the letters VA, now to 1-866-943-3591, they will get a freebie that helps them work through that thought process and what it would what they have options they have available to them.
Scott Ritzheimer
Fantastic. Fantastic. We’ll drop all that information right in the show notes, so they can get it when you’re done driving. Don’t do it while you drive, but yeah, we’ll get all that in there, and so you can just click and go straight to it. That’ll be fantastic. Well, Renee, thank you so much for being on the show. It’s a privilege and honor having you here with us today. And for those of you watching and listening, you know your time and attention mean the world to us, I hope you got as much out of this conversation as I know I did, and I cannot wait to see you next time. Take care.
Contact Renee Hastings
Renee Hastings is the President and CEO of Executive Help Now, a premier virtual assistance agency. With over 15 years of experience, Renee and her team deliver expert administrative support, podcast production, and business consulting services to small business owners, content creators, and busy executives. Starting her entrepreneurial journey in 1996, Renee holds a degree in Business Management and has been a Dale Carnegie Leadership Training Coach. She’s appeared on NBC’s KCRA News 3. She now serves as an inspirational speaker, podcast host, philanthropist, and Small Group Bible Study Coach—her mission: freeing up time for life’s more important moments.
Want to learn more about Renee Hastings’ work at Executive Help Now? Check out her website at https://executivehelpnow.org/
You’re an entrepreneur or a Founder, but don’t know what to assign to somebody? Text VA NOW to 1-866-943-3591 to get a freebie that will help you through that thought process.