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The Journey of Becoming a High Performance Entrepreneur

July 20, 2023 /0 Comments/in /by

If you’re someone who, like me, is driven to extract every ounce of your potential in this lifetime, then this blog post is for you. There was a time when I chased fame, fortune, and the extravagant lifestyle that came with it. But life had different plans for me.

Discovering the Illusion

I was all about the Lamborghini Bikini lifestyle, constantly striving to have it all and do it all. I was relentless in my pursuit of external success. However, life threw me a curveball that changed everything. 

An illness left me unable to walk for three long months. As if that weren’t enough, I found myself drowning in a staggering $200,000 debt, on the verge of bankruptcy. It was during this dark period that I had a profound realization.

I came face-to-face with the ephemeral nature of material possessions. The investment properties, my car, and the other “stuff” I amassed disappeared in the blink of an eye. Yet, something remained. 

What truly endured was the growth, transformation, and lessons learned from that experience. It was a pivotal moment that led me to redefine high performance.

Embracing Gifts in Disguise

I discovered that high performance is not solely about external accomplishments but about acknowledging the extraordinary gifts bestowed upon me by my family, the divine, and my community. 

Sometimes, these gifts can appear in peculiar forms. They may come disguised as people who hurt or disappoint us, challenging our perception of their purpose. Yet, in hindsight, these encounters often serve as catalysts for personal growth, self-reflection, and the unveiling of hidden talents.

Action over Circumstances

One crucial lesson I learned from my journey is the significance of taking action. I realized that waiting for circumstances to change or for external resources to manifest can impede our progress. 

So, I decided to start right where I stood, leveraging the resources within my reach to the best of my ability. High performance became synonymous with maximizing my intellect, connections, lessons learned, and personal character every single day.

The Mirror Test

I discovered that true high performance isn’t measured by the number of accolades or the size of our bank accounts. It is measured by the countless moments where we consciously choose our higher selves over short-term comfort. 

By accumulating more instances of saying “yes” to our values, we cultivate a sense of pride in our journey as high performers. At the end of each day, we can look in the mirror and confidently proclaim, “I was a high performer today.”

The Journey of High Performance

High performance is not a destination; it’s an ongoing journey. 

Every morning, I wake up with the opportunity to decide whether I will embrace my role as a high performer or not. I acknowledge my imperfections and understand that stumbling is part of the process. 

What matters is the resilience to get back on track, to start fresh, and to keep pursuing high performance. It’s akin to the journey of fitness, where success lies in the continuous cycle of failing and beginning again.

This is my story—a story that unveils the essence of high performance. It’s about embracing our unique gifts, transforming challenges into opportunities, and making conscious choices aligned with our values. 

High performance isn’t solely about external markers of success; it’s about the countless moments when we prioritize our higher selves over temporary comfort. So, let’s embark on our own journeys of high performance, commit to constant growth, and unlock our full potential.

Transforming Your Assistant From Task Manager to Project Manager

July 13, 2023 /0 Comments/in /by

Today, we’re going to explore how you can transform your assistant from a task manager to a project manager, enabling them to take on greater responsibilities and contribute to your business’s growth while giving you more time to focus on your ‘zone of genius’.

Defining Task Manager and Project Manager:

Before we delve into the roadmap for this transition, it’s essential to understand the difference between a task manager and a project manager. 

A task manager is skilled at organizing and managing individual tasks, assigning due dates, and following up on progress. 

On the other hand, a project manager possesses more advanced knowledge and capabilities. 

They understand the entire project lifecycle, including the players involved, industry-specific acronyms, workflows, and the end-user experience. Project managers have the ability to leverage contacts within and outside the organization for support and guidance.

The Roadmap to Graduation:

To facilitate your assistant’s journey from task manager to project manager, there are five key elements to consider:

  1. Well-selected and well-defined tasks: By using the 7 Yes Test and 360 Delegation, you can delegate tasks effectively and ensure that your Assistant receives clear instructions before starting the project.

  2. Motivated coaching: As the leader, it’s crucial to invest time in coaching your assistant, providing supervision, feedback, and training. Coaching is a two-way process that requires commitment from both you and your Assistant.

  3. A motivated and dedicated assistant: Your Assistant should have the drive and desire to take on higher responsibilities. They should possess attention to detail, organizational skills, and a long-term commitment to your business.

  4. Realistic expectations: Recognize that the transition from task manager to project manager takes time. Be transparent about the learning curve and communicate your expectations clearly to avoid overwhelming your assistant.

  5. Sufficient repetitions and feedback: Allow your assistant to gain experience through continuous practice. Offer constructive feedback after each task to help them improve and grow. Repetition and feedback are crucial for their development.

Unlocking the Power of Task Stacking:

Task stacking, a powerful strategy, can accelerate your assistant’s progress. 

By breaking down a project into smaller subparts and gradually delegating them to your assistant, they can gain expertise in each component. Over time, they can stack these tasks together, allowing them to handle the entire project confidently.

A Real-Life Example:

Let’s take a look at a practical example to illustrate the effectiveness of task stacking. 

Suppose you’re hosting a monthly lunch and learn event. Initially, you would define and design the tasks involved, using 360 Delegation. Your assistant would capture the necessary steps in a project management tool, such as Asana, and ensure that deadlines are met. Gradually, you can start handing over specific tasks to your assistant, guiding them along the way. 

With time and repetition, they will become proficient in managing all aspects of the event, from attendee outreach to vendor coordination, leaving you free to focus on speaking and networking.

Signs of Moving at the Right Pace:

Throughout this transition, it’s crucial to gauge if you’re progressing at the right pace. If your assistant feels overwhelmed, there are several possible reasons and corresponding solutions:

Lack of knowledge: Provide additional training and resources to equip your assistant with the necessary skills.

Need for guidance: Offer hands-on guidance by demonstrating tasks or reviewing their work until they gain confidence.

Task size: Break down complex tasks into smaller, manageable components, allowing your assistant to tackle them one at a time.

Unrealistic expectations: Adjust your expectations and give your assistant more time and support to grow into the project manager role.

Conclusion:

As an entrepreneur looking to scale your business and regain control of your time, transitioning your assistant from a task manager to a project manager is a crucial step. 

By following the roadmap we’ve discussed and leveraging the power of task stacking, you can empower your assistant to take on greater responsibilities, understand the intricacies of your business, and contribute to its long-term success.

Remember, this process requires commitment and collaboration from both you and your assistant. 

Offer the necessary training, coaching, and feedback while setting realistic expectations. With time, repetition, and gradual progression, you’ll witness your assistant’s growth and see them seamlessly manage projects, allowing you the freedom and flexibility you desire.

At Great Assistant, we understand the challenges entrepreneurs face in finding the right assistant. We specialize in connecting entrepreneurs in early-stage businesses with remote executive assistants who are motivated, dedicated, and capable of growing alongside your business. Let us know if you’d like to take the first step towards transforming your business and regaining control of your time by visiting https://GreatAssistant.com/

The Painful Truth About Hiring Overseas Assistants

June 24, 2023 /0 Comments/in /by

I started hiring virtual Assistants nearly 15 years ago.

Since then, I’ve hired all over the world, from here in the US and Canada to the farthest reaches around the world, including India, Pakistan, and the Philippines, to name a few.  To date, I’ve now hired over 700 Assistants.  Some have been a total failure, and some a smash hit.

Early in my career, I thought hiring an overseas assistant was a slam dunk because they were so dang cheap.  When you’re paying only $4/hr, what could possibly go wrong?

Then the headaches started happening.  Big misunderstandings because of the language and culture gap, which meant I had to fix their mistakes over and over.

Then I quickly realized the dramatically different time zones meant it was nearly impossible to meet and collaborate on anything.  This created huge delays that drove me crazy.

Then some Assistants just wouldn’t show up at all.  In one case, my Assistant in India was a victim of government corruption, and the electricity was turned off to her neighborhood.  She was incredible as a worker – awesome English, keen to help, really effective – but that didn’t matter because the environment she was in was so unreliable I couldn’t count on her.

Fed up, one day, I said, “Amateur hour is over!”  I desperately needed a “Mini-Me” type of Assistant who could become my right-hand person, and overseas simply wasn’t cutting it.

So I started looking domestically.  Even though I was stone broke with over $200K in debt and barely making any money – I’d made only $39,000 the year before – I couldn’t stand it anymore.  It seemed unbelievably expensive to pay $15 / hr instead of $4 / hr, but I had to try it.

Within one year of getting a domestic, dedicated Assistant, my income tripled to $107,000, and my productivity quadrupled.  My psychic load was lightened, and I actually started enjoying both my business and my life once again.

As my business grew and I wanted to delegate higher-level tasks such as email inbox and calendar, I realized a domestic Assistant was even more valuable.  Because my Assistant was in the US, I knew I could trust the legal system and the confidentiality agreements I signed with her would be enforceable.  Furthermore, all of my data would exist inside a first-world architecture instead of my most-private information sitting in an unknown office or home in a developing nation where security standards are, how shall we say, “flexible.”

Yikes.

But having a US assistant made it possible for me to hand off these incredibly sensitive yet time-consuming tasks.  Looking back, hiring the right kind of dedicated, domestic, mini-me style Assistant was the biggest productivity jump on my life.  Delegating email and calendar is the second biggest of all time.

I realized: old me thought of getting an Assistant as an expense.  As long as I thought that way, I could never justify getting an Assistant.

But then I realized: even though an Assistant would technically always be an expense, my relationship with an Assistant could become an incredible profit center.  As long as my Assistant was taking over low-level work and I was using that new time to do higher-level, profit-making tasks, I’d always be making way more money than what I spent on an Assistant.

That’s when I realized that being cheap was one of the biggest mistakes I could ever make, and realized I’d only ever hire domestic for the rest of my career.

When it comes to getting a Mini-me Assistant, don’t sacrifice your sanity or the success of your business over a few dollars per hour.  Be smart. Get a Domestic Mini-me. You’ll actually have a shot at fulfilling your potential as an Entrepreneur and as a human.  And that is truly priceless.

Onwards and Upwards,

Tim

Properly Training My Assistant Tripled My Income

June 15, 2023 /0 Comments/in /by

After I failed with my first five Assistants, I believed training an Assistant was a huge waste of time because they’d just quit.  Plus I could just do it better myself so why bother? And the math just didn’t make sense to spend 30 minutes training an Assistant on a 10 minute task. I basically […]