It may sound unusual to a small business owner, but you can actually grow your ecommerce story faster with an executive assistant. That’s right: you can earn more by spending money hiring someone to help.
Still, it’s hard for ecommerce store owners to do it. There are lots of reasons why, including they like the control that comes from doing it all themselves, or they think that they’re TOO small to bring someone else in. But as my guest Jenny Sage explains, having an executive assistant (including a virtual EA) can be a growth game changer.
Becoming an Executive Assistant…in a Really Unexpected Way
I met Jenny because she’s the executive assistant for a friend and mentor of mine, Russell Brunson. But being an EA wasn’t the path her career was originally on. She was a creative director who was building funnels at a company. When she left that job, she was looking for something that she thought would be a good fit, and to be 100% honest, she didn’t think that being an executive assistant would be right for her—at least, in the traditional sense.
But she eventually had the chance to interview with Russell for an executive assistant role in his company, ClickFunnels. She had a great interview…but he turned her down! He thought that her creative background would be right for a different position in the company. Still, she got a call back from the CEO of ClickFunnels, who said that he thought she should try to be Russell’s assistant for three months.
How Do You Know If You Need an EA to Help Your Business Grow?
During the podcast episode, you’ll learn all about how Jenny and Russell work together in their business. But the bottom line is that she is there to help things run smoother. But how do you know if it’s time for you to get an executive assistant to help grow your business?
Jenny refers to it as getting overwhelmed by “calendar Tetris.” It means having so much stuff on your calendar that you’re always trying to move around and just can’t fit everything in. In my experience, I just felt like I was on the go all the time but never getting things done.
One of the things Jenny suggested was to write down all of the things that you do every day for a certain amount of time—she gave 3 weeks as an example. That way, you can see tasks that you’re doing repeatedly or those that are sucking up a lot of time. It’s easy to visualize those things that someone else could do for you to save time and/or alleviate work stressors. She also recommends that you really think about what you as an ecommerce entrepreneur would like to see your ideal day work like. That can help you determine where an EA could come in most handy—and how many hours a day you might need them.
Where to Look for an Executive Assistant for an Online Business
If you’re wondering where you could look for an executive assistant to help your business grow faster…the answer isn’t as easy as you might think. Jenny was on LinkedIn—but her profile didn’t show that she was an EA. Instead, it might be easier to have an EA look for you. You can list a job opening on your Facebook page, for example, or on your Instagram page.
Jenny Sage gives a LOT more information about what it’s like to be an EA and other things about working with an executive assistant that you hadn’t considered before. You’ll want to listen to this podcast episode so that you’ll get the great stuff she has to share.
Here are my Top 10 Takeaways from our conversation…and I definitely could have included a bunch more:
- Executive assistants can help alleviate some of your stress.
- They help with meeting management so they run smooth
- EAs are gatekeepers to protect your energy.
- Your executive assistant can coordinate travel if you need ‘em to.
- An EA should anticipate your need as an entrepreneur.
- You need to understand your executive assistant’s work style and they need to understand yours.
- You should understand your EA’s their communication style.
- Have the EA take a personality assessment (Jenny shares several good ones!)
- Build trust!
- Control release alert: You’ve gotta give your EA some flexibility with your schedule to make things work.
Additional Resources:
About Jenny Sage
Introducing Jenny Lee Sage, a highly accomplished Executive Assistant with a wealth of experience in providing top-notch administrative support to C-level executives. With a career spanning over a decade, Sage has served as the right-hand person to CEOs of companies on the Inc 500 list, where she honed her skills in managing complex calendars, coordinating travel arrangements, preparing reports, and ensuring seamless communication between departments. She is now the Executive Assistant to Russell Brunson, the founder of ClickFunnels, where she plays a critical role in ensuring that his day-to-day operations run smoothly. In this role, Sage leverages her exceptional organizational skills, attention to detail, and proactive approach to support Brunson's vision for scaling ClickFunnels into a global leader in digital marketing. With her dedication to excellence, Sage has proven to be an invaluable asset to her executives and organizations, and she continues to be a sought-after Executive Assistant in the industry.
Follow Jenny:
- On Instagram: @jennyleesage
Connect with Alison:
- On Facebook: @alisonjprince
- On Instagram: @alisonjprince
- Learn about the 0-$100K System and how you can launch and grow your own online business here.
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