Notes from our founder: 3 things I’ve learnt about having a PA
In the 5 years of The Doers’ existence, we’ve had a few VAs and admin assistants join us. For one reason another - the timing wasn’t quite right or they weren’t the right fit for us - it never really clicked. In March of last year, that all changed. I now have a PA who has become one of the most critical roles within the business. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reflecting on what’s made it work this time round.
My health forced me to give in to help
2023 took a big toll on my personal health. Battling chronic illness whilst running a business is no mean feat. But this forced me to acknowledge that I was a bottleneck and needed to start delegating before either myself or the business imploded. When you run a service-led business, you’re constantly juggling whether or not to prioritise client work over your own business development. What I’ve realised is, is that the two need always to be running in tandem. And the only way to do that is with admin support. Passing on things like financial admin, following up with new leads, document creation, calendar organisation, etc., increased my time and improved my productivity. Not only did this have a positive impact on my work life but it meant I had less stress around the juggle between health battles and work.
The connection was there
Finding the right PA is a little bit like dating. You need to really connect on that first date to progress the relationship. I had a really clear list of needs that I knew I’d need support with but I wanted to find someone who understood the nature of our business and also understood me (possibly the biggest challenge at hand). From the get-go, my PA had a clear understanding of the industry, asked all the right questions, gave me confidence she could do the tasks at hand, but most crucially was (and continues to be) exceptionally calming. In a year of chaos, this was appreciated more than anyone would know.
Clearly defined role
One of my biggest bugbears in the marketing industry is marketing manager roles that encompass every layer of marketing. The same goes for a PA. In the past, there was too much expectation on them to support every layer of the business. That’s not what they’re there for. Being clear about where support is needed has meant the relationship works more fluidly from both sides.
This post was written by our CEO, Jess. If you’re a freelancer looking to join our network, head over to our application form to find out more.
