Jenna Spencer is the Founder and Visionary at AssistPro®, a fractional executive assistant agency. Since 2014, Jenna and her team have matched hundreds of busy leaders with their Right-Fit Assistant™.
In this episode of The Leader Assistant Podcast, Jenna talks about the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) system and how assistants might interact and support executives utilizing EOS, understanding different communication types, delegation as an assistant, and quick tips for those on the job hunt.
LEADERSHIP QUOTE
After all, there can be no leadership where there is no team.
– Jocko Willink
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ABOUT JENNA
Jenna Spencer is the Founder and Visionary at AssistPro®, a fractional executive assistant agency. Since 2014, Jenna and her team have matched hundreds of busy leaders with their Right-Fit Assistant™, helping them achieve the goal of getting time back in their day so they can focus on the growth of their business, while also attaining a work-life balance for both themselves and their assistant. Her desire to further elevate leaders and assistants has led to the creation and launch of AssistPro University™, a platform devoted to providing executive assistants with exclusive community resources and professional development opportunities.
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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
00:00:00.460 –> 00:00:05.740
JENNA: Hello, my name is Jenna Spencer, and I am Founder and Visionary at AssistPro.
00:00:06.360 –> 00:00:14.980
JENNA: We are an executive assistant matching and training organization, where we help busy leaders let go of the vine.
00:00:15.580 –> 00:00:24.900
JENNA: We also have community and professional development for executive assistants that want to connect, collaborate, and grow in their practice.
00:00:25.920 –> 00:00:33.540
JENNA: Today, our quote comes from Jaco Willink, after all, there can be no leadership where there is no team.
00:00:39.733 –> 00:00:47.333
<v SPEAKER_3>The Leader Assistant Podcast exists to encourage and challenge assistants to become confident, game-changing leader assistants.
00:00:55.902 –> 00:01:00.162
JEREMY: Assistants, game-changing assistants Are you a strategic senior executive assistant thinking about what’s next?
00:01:00.722 –> 00:01:08.822
JEREMY: Whether you’re ready for a promotion or loving the job you’re in, NOVA Chief of Staff’s certification course may be just the resource you’re hungry for.
00:01:09.522 –> 00:01:26.162
JEREMY: With over 400 students across 20 countries and rave reviews, students graduate from NOVA’s hands-on, self-paced online course with the confidence, knowledge, and power to make the move to Chief of Staff for their executive.
00:01:26.602 –> 00:01:27.922
JEREMY: But don’t take my word for it.
00:01:28.142 –> 00:01:37.142
JEREMY: Visit leaderassistant.com/nova to find countless testimonials, the course syllabus, and lots of free resources to support you in your career journey.
00:01:37.742 –> 00:01:40.402
JEREMY: Hey friends, welcome to The Leader Assistant Podcast.
00:01:40.722 –> 00:01:45.122
JEREMY: It’s your host Jeremy Burrows and this is episode 282.
00:01:45.942 –> 00:01:51.842
JEREMY: You can check out the show notes at leaderassistant.com/282.
00:01:52.242 –> 00:01:55.822
JEREMY: So today I’m excited to be speaking with Jenna Spencer.
00:01:55.842 –> 00:02:03.682
JEREMY: She’s the CEO of assistpro.com and Jenna is a former assistant and now business owner.
00:02:03.702 –> 00:02:21.082
JEREMY: And so we’re excited to have her on the show and jump in and talk about delegation and executive assistant partnerships and all the things related to the assistant world and trying to find the right fit for executives and assistants.
00:02:21.082 –> 00:02:22.362
JEREMY: So Jenna, welcome to the show.
00:02:23.122 –> 00:02:24.082
JENNA: Thank you, Jeremy.
00:02:24.102 –> 00:02:25.162
JENNA: I’m excited to be here.
00:02:25.882 –> 00:02:26.822
JEREMY: And what city are you in?
00:02:27.982 –> 00:02:30.042
JENNA: I am in Anderson, South Carolina.
00:02:30.142 –> 00:02:33.942
JENNA: So right between Charlotte, North Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia.
00:02:34.742 –> 00:02:35.962
JEREMY: Okay, nice.
00:02:35.982 –> 00:02:40.942
JEREMY: Which airport do you like to trek to if you’re right in between?
00:02:41.782 –> 00:02:44.902
JENNA: GSP, Greenville is where I fly out of.
00:02:45.022 –> 00:02:51.622
JENNA: I get to avoid all the Atlanta traffic and it’s a 45-minute hopper through Atlanta, which connects to everywhere.
00:02:51.722 –> 00:02:53.162
JENNA: So it’s the best of both worlds.
00:02:53.882 –> 00:02:54.462
JEREMY: There you go.
00:02:54.482 –> 00:02:55.062
JEREMY: There you go.
00:02:55.542 –> 00:02:59.182
JEREMY: Well, tell us a little bit before we jump in to your career.
00:02:59.202 –> 00:03:00.682
JEREMY: Tell us a little bit about you personally.
00:03:00.782 –> 00:03:04.842
JEREMY: Do you have dogs, cats, kids, all of the above?
00:03:05.002 –> 00:03:07.342
JEREMY: What do you like to do in your downtime?
00:03:07.362 –> 00:03:07.882
JEREMY: All the things.
00:03:08.542 –> 00:03:08.982
JENNA: Yeah.
00:03:09.642 –> 00:03:11.862
JENNA: All of the above plus chickens.
00:03:12.442 –> 00:03:18.322
JENNA: So during COVID, we realized that we wanted to be closer to family.
00:03:18.582 –> 00:03:24.862
JENNA: And my husband’s parents live on the lake here in Clemson, actually right by Clemson University.
00:03:25.562 –> 00:03:28.562
JENNA: And so we decided to move during COVID.
00:03:29.242 –> 00:03:36.702
JENNA: So we got the amazing opportunity to buy almost 20 acres, you know, the outskirts of the city.
00:03:37.102 –> 00:03:44.502
JENNA: And so now we call ourselves hobby farmers because we have lots of animals, but really no income producing animals.
00:03:44.882 –> 00:03:52.462
JENNA: So I have three children, 15 year old daughter and two boys who are 12 and 10.
00:03:52.482 –> 00:03:53.662
JENNA: So we’re very busy.
00:03:54.342 –> 00:04:00.802
JENNA: We have lots of chickens and the kids have an egg business, which they just love.
00:04:01.322 –> 00:04:08.982
JENNA: And then we have dogs and cats and lizards and turtles and bunnies and lots of fun, fun animals.
00:04:10.002 –> 00:04:12.862
JENNA: In my free time, I love to play tennis.
00:04:13.482 –> 00:04:15.382
JENNA: I started playing when we moved here.
00:04:16.142 –> 00:04:19.282
JENNA: And I also recently have started gardening.
00:04:19.422 –> 00:04:20.642
JENNA: So I love that.
00:04:20.662 –> 00:04:27.982
JENNA: And just working on all beautiful things outside, my black thumb is turning slowly green.
00:04:28.002 –> 00:04:28.762
JENNA: So we’re getting there.
00:04:28.782 –> 00:04:30.722
JENNA: And then I also love to read.
00:04:30.942 –> 00:04:33.262
JENNA: So those are my favorite activities.
00:04:34.762 –> 00:04:35.542
JEREMY: Wow, that’s great.
00:04:35.562 –> 00:04:36.122
JEREMY: That’s a lot.
00:04:36.142 –> 00:04:41.202
JEREMY: So you have, I have two boys, ages 12 and 10.
00:04:41.222 –> 00:04:48.542
JEREMY: So, you know, definitely right there with you with the age of boys, you know, boy parent world.
00:04:48.562 –> 00:04:55.782
JEREMY: And then we love, we’ve talked about and debated having chickens, but we haven’t pulled the trigger yet.
00:04:55.802 –> 00:04:59.142
JEREMY: We have some friends that have chickens and we get eggs from them.
00:04:59.162 –> 00:05:02.882
JEREMY: So that’s definitely, you know, we’ll see.
00:05:02.882 –> 00:05:04.162
JEREMY: We’ll see how it happens.
00:05:04.262 –> 00:05:06.322
JEREMY: But I love farm fresh eggs.
00:05:06.362 –> 00:05:14.122
JEREMY: And then I also like the idea of, like you said, you’re with your boys having the egg business, selling, you know, teaching them some entrepreneurial skills.
00:05:14.142 –> 00:05:16.222
JENNA: Yes, they love it.
00:05:16.222 –> 00:05:20.082
JENNA: And the chickens are actually easier to take care of than I thought.
00:05:20.642 –> 00:05:26.342
JENNA: And now it’s really funny because when we go out there, they know we’re bringing scraps or treats for them.
00:05:26.902 –> 00:05:31.022
JENNA: And so they become more like pets, I think.
00:05:31.102 –> 00:05:33.602
JENNA: But they’re all named and it’s a lot of fun.
00:05:33.622 –> 00:05:36.462
JENNA: It’s an afternoon activity every day to go collect the eggs.
00:05:36.902 –> 00:05:37.262
JEREMY: Nice.
00:05:38.222 –> 00:05:38.602
JEREMY: Awesome.
00:05:39.142 –> 00:05:41.842
JEREMY: Well, tell us a little bit about your career.
00:05:41.982 –> 00:05:47.862
JEREMY: So tell us a little bit about your assistant experience and how you ended up being an assistant.
00:05:47.922 –> 00:05:54.302
JEREMY: And then from there, how did you end up deciding to launch your own business?
00:05:56.262 –> 00:06:05.462
JENNA: So becoming an assistant was at a pivotal time in my personal life when I had just had my third child.
00:06:06.182 –> 00:06:09.862
JENNA: And I did not want to continue climbing the corporate ladder.
00:06:09.882 –> 00:06:16.522
JENNA: Like what I thought the definition of success was, I had somehow planted that seed within me.
00:06:16.802 –> 00:06:22.902
JENNA: And granted, we need those types of people and I appreciate them so much, but I always felt like a fish out of water.
00:06:23.742 –> 00:06:29.202
JENNA: So imagine pre-COVID, pre-everyone working virtually and understanding that.
00:06:29.942 –> 00:06:32.322
JENNA: I told my husband I really wanted to work from home.
00:06:32.342 –> 00:06:43.182
JENNA: So I started applying for positions everywhere through Craigslist and through different ads or through different websites like Monster and Career Builder were big back then.
00:06:44.002 –> 00:06:50.162
JENNA: And so I ran across an ad in Atlanta for an executive assistant position.
00:06:50.522 –> 00:06:55.402
JENNA: And I just put my heart on my sleeve in that ad and said, Hey, this is what I’m currently doing.
00:06:55.422 –> 00:06:59.702
JENNA: But what your this ad sounds exactly like what I want to do.
00:07:00.102 –> 00:07:03.842
JENNA: And I’ll come to Atlanta once a month, you know, just kind of put my heart on my sleeve.
00:07:04.202 –> 00:07:07.162
JENNA: And it turned out to be two business coaches.
00:07:07.662 –> 00:07:10.222
JENNA: They specifically were EOS implementers.
00:07:11.402 –> 00:07:23.742
JENNA: So entrepreneurial operating system and became their assistant, left the corporate world, and realized very quickly that I loved being an assistant.
00:07:24.702 –> 00:07:26.622
JENNA: I loved being behind the scenes.
00:07:27.082 –> 00:07:29.642
JENNA: I loved making sure everything was perfect for them.
00:07:29.662 –> 00:07:30.962
JENNA: It was so much fun.
00:07:31.982 –> 00:07:41.922
JENNA: And about six months into that journey, one of them called me one day and said, Hey, I’ve had maybe five or six people in the last month asked me for a Jenna.
00:07:41.942 –> 00:07:45.962
JENNA: They need an assistant specifically with EOS.
00:07:46.002 –> 00:07:49.662
JENNA: You know, it’s a packaged coaching process.
00:07:51.322 –> 00:07:54.502
JENNA: They said, well, we really need assistance trained on this process.
00:07:55.062 –> 00:08:07.502
JENNA: And so they asked me if I’d ever thought about being an entrepreneur or having my own business because my background included people management, you know, managing others, some culture, things like that.
00:08:08.082 –> 00:08:16.362
JENNA: And so at that time, I’ll never forget talking to my husband about that because I had women who were asking me if they could work from home as well.
00:08:16.602 –> 00:08:18.042
JENNA: And then this opportunity came up.
00:08:18.042 –> 00:08:23.602
JENNA: And so in that moment, I really just went off of a gut feeling and said, yes, absolutely.
00:08:23.622 –> 00:08:24.182
JENNA: I’ll do this.
00:08:24.642 –> 00:08:27.082
JENNA: And then they became my two amazing mentors.
00:08:27.102 –> 00:08:34.402
JENNA: They coached me through opening the business and growing and sending people to me before I felt like I was even ready for that.
00:08:35.502 –> 00:08:38.282
JENNA: And really just fell in love with what I was doing.
00:08:38.302 –> 00:08:51.082
JENNA: And my main goal from day one was to find clients that wanted a great assistant and find a woman or a friend at that time who wanted to be a great assistant and see if they would gel together and put them together.
00:08:51.542 –> 00:08:52.802
JENNA: And that was how we got started.
00:08:53.642 –> 00:08:54.622
JEREMY: Wow, that’s awesome.
00:08:55.162 –> 00:09:05.862
JEREMY: So what’s maybe I know we’ve talked about, I’ve talked to at least one guest, maybe two guests in the past, about the EOS system.
00:09:06.642 –> 00:09:11.502
JEREMY: What’s maybe a high-level overview for the systems listening that haven’t really heard of it or don’t know a lot about it?
00:09:16.638 –> 00:09:19.218
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00:09:20.138 –> 00:09:27.818
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00:09:28.438 –> 00:09:39.958
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00:09:40.638 –> 00:09:42.818
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00:09:43.618 –> 00:09:48.658
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00:09:48.678 –> 00:09:53.638
JENNA: Yeah.
00:09:53.898 –> 00:10:05.818
JENNA: So EOS at its highest form is a set of tools and practices for companies to implement, to grow their business.
00:10:06.298 –> 00:10:07.818
JENNA: So it helps them with three things.
00:10:07.838 –> 00:10:14.078
JENNA: It helps them clarify their vision, gain traction in the business, and have a healthy team.
00:10:15.258 –> 00:10:25.298
JENNA: And so through this set of tools and practices, it creates the momentum and the alinedness for the leadership team to grow.
00:10:25.318 –> 00:10:35.058
JENNA: And what I love about it is there’s, it’s a very simple system and everything is simple and condensed and clear and easy to understand.
00:10:35.218 –> 00:10:39.018
JENNA: And if you implement it, really you’re going to grow.
00:10:39.038 –> 00:10:46.158
JENNA: It’s, it’s that simple and it takes lots of different things like measurables and quarterly goals and things like that.
00:10:46.178 –> 00:10:49.558
JENNA: And it, they have their own terminology for everything.
00:10:50.978 –> 00:10:59.038
JENNA: But it’s condensed it down into one package system rather than getting all of those different things from outside places and putting it together on your own.
00:11:00.758 –> 00:11:07.198
JEREMY: So then how do the assistants working in that system, is it, do they function almost like a project manager?
00:11:07.198 –> 00:11:12.158
JEREMY: Do they kind of implement it and manage it?
00:11:12.558 –> 00:11:13.738
JENNA: To some degree.
00:11:13.758 –> 00:11:25.498
JENNA: So really where, so that is the arena that I operate in mostly because a lot of our, most of our clients either use EOS in their business or they’re a coach that implements it for a business.
00:11:26.218 –> 00:11:42.778
JENNA: So by the assistants understanding the terminology, the names of the tools, kind of the lingo and how the cadence of EOS works, it really is very helpful to the entrepreneur or the leader because they are able to speak the same language.
00:11:44.118 –> 00:11:50.538
JENNA: Most of our assistants still do a lot of regular professional and personal support.
00:11:50.538 –> 00:11:55.858
JENNA: So still calendar, email, scheduling, travel, all of that.
00:11:56.138 –> 00:12:03.338
JENNA: And then also a lot of personal side stuff, kids’ doctor’s appointments and soccer schedules, all of those types of things.
00:12:03.678 –> 00:12:11.938
JENNA: But for our clients that run on EOS, having an assistant that understands it, it just closes that gap a little bit on the terminology and the lingo.
00:12:13.998 –> 00:12:25.078
JEREMY: And then are these assistants part-time, full-time, contractors or remote or does it depend on the situation?
00:12:25.098 –> 00:12:28.278
JENNA: Yeah, it really depends on the situation.
00:12:28.278 –> 00:12:41.558
JENNA: So I firmly believe that the more comfortable a client feels, the more likely they are to delegate more and delegate more often.
00:12:41.578 –> 00:12:44.018
JENNA: It’s about having that trusted relationship.
00:12:44.498 –> 00:12:52.978
JENNA: So I would say for the most part, our assistants are part-time up to 25 hours a week.
00:12:53.838 –> 00:13:04.978
JENNA: Majority of them are virtual or hybrid with majority on the virtual piece because you can get a lot more done than being in an office filing things.
00:13:06.218 –> 00:13:12.598
JENNA: We do also place local assistants and full-time W-2s as well because it all depends on the client.
00:13:13.038 –> 00:13:28.818
JENNA: But I would say most times clients all enter virtual and enter part-time and as that relationship develops and they both decide they’re a good fit for one another, then a lot of times it will develop into either full-time or they work together on their own.
00:13:32.618 –> 00:13:39.318
JEREMY: And then what about, you have this term right-fit assistant.
00:13:40.098 –> 00:13:40.458
JENNA: Yes.
00:13:40.718 –> 00:13:50.058
JEREMY: What is, what’s, could you share any of your process or interviewing or recruiting assistants?
00:13:50.398 –> 00:14:03.998
JEREMY: And there are a lot of assistants listening who unfortunately are out of work and they just had big layoffs at their software company they worked for or they’re unemployed for whatever reason and they’re kind of fighting the crazy job market right now.
00:14:05.638 –> 00:14:09.838
JEREMY: So what are, what’s some insight you can share from both sides?
00:14:09.858 –> 00:14:16.158
JEREMY: Like, you know, when you’re working with the executives, how do you help them figure out what type of assistant they need, who the right fit for them is?
00:14:16.538 –> 00:14:31.238
JEREMY: But then on the assistant side, how can we as assistants and those looking for work really stand out among the crowd and be that right fit for an executive?
00:14:31.818 –> 00:14:32.358
JENNA: Yes.
00:14:33.618 –> 00:14:43.258
JENNA: So the, to me, the magic lies in an assistant being a great fit for many different types of clients.
00:14:44.318 –> 00:14:58.518
JENNA: And an assistant superpower, I believe, is being able to communicate with lots of different types of people in a way where all of those different people feel heard or connected with.
00:14:59.178 –> 00:15:11.598
JENNA: So for clients, we, on the right fit piece, we talk to them about synergy and about conversations and about, you know, obviously the skill set.
00:15:11.618 –> 00:15:13.618
JENNA: Do they have the skill set to get the work done?
00:15:13.638 –> 00:15:18.618
JENNA: But when you have a conversation with this assistant, is there a natural flow to your conversation?
00:15:19.498 –> 00:15:28.498
JENNA: Are there any, you know, similarities in family structure or, you know, geographical or any type of similarity?
00:15:29.818 –> 00:15:34.998
JENNA: But really on the assistant side is where kind of the magic lies.
00:15:35.698 –> 00:15:50.018
JENNA: So for an assistant, I believe that if you can be a good communicator and learn how to have an adaptive communication style to communicate with lots of different types of people, that’s really going to set you apart.
00:15:51.118 –> 00:15:59.598
JENNA: So being able to pick up on and understand who you’re talking to, like maybe someone is very financially motivated.
00:15:59.678 –> 00:16:07.238
JENNA: Maybe someone is very motivated by giving back and how their business serves a bigger purpose.
00:16:07.678 –> 00:16:16.438
JENNA: So being able to understand who you’re talking to and what excites them, but also understanding is this person a verbal processor?
00:16:17.138 –> 00:16:20.858
JENNA: Do they like to talk to me or do they like to text?
00:16:20.878 –> 00:16:22.038
JENNA: Do they like to email?
00:16:22.358 –> 00:16:33.338
JENNA: So being able to pick up on cues on who you’re talking to on a potential client and be able to meet them where they’re at is really something that will set you apart.
00:16:33.998 –> 00:16:38.838
JENNA: And then this might sound a little bit silly, but to me, the fortune is in the follow up.
00:16:39.318 –> 00:16:48.298
JENNA: So with all of our assistants, we say always follow up with the client and always reference something very specific that you talked about in your conversation.
00:16:49.278 –> 00:16:53.998
JENNA: Because being able to reference back on that, it’s going to let the client know that you listened and that you cared.
00:16:54.498 –> 00:17:01.078
JENNA: And in a world where things are moving so fast, a very personal but quick follow up lets them know that you were on their mind.
00:17:02.018 –> 00:17:14.638
JENNA: So those are two very action based things, one very simple, but one a little deeper, that we get compliments on our assistants all the time when they’re executing on those two things.
00:17:16.198 –> 00:17:21.958
JEREMY: What’s maybe a good example of a really good follow up email that you’ve seen?
00:17:23.458 –> 00:17:36.318
JENNA: Yeah, so just for example, in this conversation, I’ve already learned that you want to potentially have chickens one day and put that entrepreneurial spirit in your two boys.
00:17:36.318 –> 00:17:38.958
JENNA: Your two boys are the same ages as my two boys.
00:17:38.978 –> 00:17:41.578
JENNA: I already know what two sports your sons play.
00:17:42.118 –> 00:17:49.278
JENNA: So in my follow up, I would just say something very simple like, Hi Jeremy, I really enjoyed our conversation today.
00:17:50.338 –> 00:17:55.298
JENNA: I hope to hear from you if you start the egg business for your boys.
00:17:55.318 –> 00:18:00.158
JENNA: I hope your week goes so great with all of the sports games that you have scheduled.
00:18:00.698 –> 00:18:10.618
JENNA: If you have any questions or if you would like to talk further about what working together might look like, I’d love to set that up for us or to take the next step and help you in any way that I can.
00:18:10.638 –> 00:18:11.538
JENNA: Thank you so much.
00:18:12.098 –> 00:18:16.498
JENNA: Just making something super personal about and tying back to what we’ve talked about.
00:18:16.518 –> 00:18:17.778
JEREMY: Yeah, that makes sense.
00:18:18.098 –> 00:18:18.778
JEREMY: Super helpful.
00:18:18.798 –> 00:18:19.478
JEREMY: Thanks for sharing.
00:18:20.778 –> 00:18:23.538
JEREMY: And I will definitely have to keep you posted on the chickens.
00:18:24.318 –> 00:18:25.938
JENNA: Yes, because I will email you and ask you.
00:18:28.718 –> 00:18:29.138
JEREMY: Awesome.
00:18:29.158 –> 00:18:31.458
JEREMY: Well, let’s talk a little bit more about delegation.
00:18:32.738 –> 00:18:50.338
JEREMY: You know, a lot of times, assistants get bombarded with the tasks that the executives we support fire at us, you know, and it’s like a fire hose of tasks and requests.
00:18:51.398 –> 00:18:58.058
JEREMY: And so, you know, you could say, well, you know, the executives are doing a good job of delegating because they’re just sending everything our way.
00:18:59.338 –> 00:19:08.878
JEREMY: How can assistants delegate and how can we use the leadership skill of delegation, if you will, in our role?
00:19:10.178 –> 00:19:10.998
JENNA: Absolutely.
00:19:13.578 –> 00:19:26.058
JENNA: So I think being able to delegate out kind of depends on the specific structure, you know, that you have access to.
00:19:26.078 –> 00:19:41.798
JENNA: So if you are supporting an executive within another, within a business with lots of other employees, you know, what are some things that they are firing at you that might be best handled by another department?
00:19:42.818 –> 00:19:48.058
JENNA: So being able to be that not only the, I guess it’s the opposite of the gatekeeper.
00:19:48.078 –> 00:19:54.738
JENNA: It’s the person to take everything and then kind of farm it out to who might be the best person to get that done.
00:19:55.138 –> 00:19:59.038
JENNA: So I know a lot of times with clients, their assistant is their main person.
00:19:59.058 –> 00:20:00.898
JENNA: So they just kind of rapid fire everything.
00:20:01.078 –> 00:20:09.318
JENNA: But it’s like, I don’t, like with my assistant, I don’t necessarily assume that she’s going to do everything, but I assume she’s going to figure out how to get it all done.
00:20:09.338 –> 00:20:16.978
JENNA: I think really having that mindset for assistants rather than, well, everything they’ve given me, I need to actually do it.
00:20:17.498 –> 00:20:20.958
JENNA: You know, first have that initial conversation with your client.
00:20:20.978 –> 00:20:25.098
JENNA: Like, hey, if you’re getting into it and firing things off, do you want me to just figure out a way to get it done?
00:20:25.178 –> 00:20:28.558
JENNA: Even if there are other people in the company involved, just make sure you have that permission.
00:20:29.678 –> 00:20:34.458
JENNA: There are also lots of, you know, technology things.
00:20:34.478 –> 00:20:50.378
JENNA: So like if you work with maybe a startup entrepreneur or a small team, you know, and you’re doing things like social media or blog writing or, you know, other things, how can you delegate some of that out to automated processes or AI, things like that?
00:20:51.198 –> 00:20:56.698
JENNA: If it’s more personal stuff, you know, how can I arrange to have food delivered?
00:20:56.718 –> 00:21:07.578
JENNA: So really thinking beyond, I need to do every thing of this and just embracing the mentality of, well, who do I know that could get this done?
00:21:07.918 –> 00:21:09.738
JENNA: How else could I get this done?
00:21:10.318 –> 00:21:11.938
JENNA: Is a great place to start.
00:21:13.218 –> 00:21:15.598
JENNA: I don’t know if that really answered your question.
00:21:15.618 –> 00:21:21.458
JEREMY: I mean, that was like 30,000 foot.
00:21:21.478 –> 00:21:22.138
JEREMY: No, that’s great.
00:21:22.158 –> 00:21:27.678
JEREMY: When we were starting our company in 2017, I was the only non-engineer, non-software engineer.
00:21:27.698 –> 00:21:31.018
JEREMY: And I had to do the HR stuff.
00:21:31.038 –> 00:21:32.278
JEREMY: I had to do the accounting.
00:21:32.298 –> 00:21:33.698
JEREMY: I had to do all this legal stuff.
00:21:33.718 –> 00:21:36.098
JEREMY: And I’m not a math guy and I’m an introvert.
00:21:36.118 –> 00:21:37.118
JEREMY: I’m not a people person.
00:21:37.938 –> 00:21:40.518
JEREMY: So I was like, okay, sure.
00:21:40.538 –> 00:21:41.678
JEREMY: Yeah, I can do this.
00:21:41.778 –> 00:21:50.258
JEREMY: And so I called some experts and was like, hey, can we contract you to handle the payroll and the tax stuff?
00:21:51.518 –> 00:22:03.298
JEREMY: Or can you help with the, you know, visa situation for some of the engineers, the international students that were working with us?
00:22:06.378 –> 00:22:10.458
JEREMY: So anyway, I think the point is I found people that know, knew how to do it.
00:22:10.818 –> 00:22:12.178
JEREMY: And so I took care of it.
00:22:12.258 –> 00:22:16.558
JEREMY: Like you said, I didn’t necessarily do every single part of the process.
00:22:16.638 –> 00:22:26.038
JEREMY: And I was able to find experts to help make sure the work got done and got done well and legally and all those things.
00:22:27.798 –> 00:22:32.398
JEREMY: While my CEO could focus on the engineering and software and product side of the thing.
00:22:32.958 –> 00:22:34.998
JENNA: Yes, I love that.
00:22:35.018 –> 00:22:58.018
JENNA: And that’s so valuable to your client as well, because I know even myself as a visionary, as my assistant, it’s always so great to when she comes back to me and says, Hey, we had this meeting last week or this heavy download session, as we call them, because as a visionary who procrastinates things, build and build and build.
00:22:58.378 –> 00:23:00.998
JENNA: And then I’m like, Oh, yeah, let’s have a one hour meeting.
00:23:01.018 –> 00:23:02.358
JENNA: And I kind of rapid fire.
00:23:03.138 –> 00:23:10.478
JENNA: But what I love is when she comes back to me and she says, Hey, Jenna, here’s everything that you kind of downloaded to me last week.
00:23:10.558 –> 00:23:12.438
JENNA: Here are my different buckets for you.
00:23:12.738 –> 00:23:14.138
JENNA: Here are things that I can do.
00:23:14.358 –> 00:23:16.518
JENNA: Here are things I can immediately ask other people to do.
00:23:16.538 –> 00:23:21.298
JENNA: And here are things that I can manage, but I need to find other resources to do these.
00:23:21.318 –> 00:23:27.258
JENNA: So I need a budget expectation or a timeline expectation.
00:23:27.278 –> 00:23:41.498
JENNA: And so when we, when she owns it and manages it and breaks those things down for me, then it just kind of gives me back at a high level, what’s moving, what’s someone else doing that she’s overseeing, or what are some things she’s going to start working on?
00:23:41.638 –> 00:23:43.658
JENNA: So that’s also another way to do it.
00:23:43.658 –> 00:23:58.658
JENNA: If maybe you’re not in a place of like, well, would my client, let me go spend money on this or that, you can still take it and download it and then bring it back as kind of that higher level conversation on here’s where everything is in my next steps.
00:24:03.478 –> 00:24:03.898
JENNA: Awesome.
00:24:03.918 –> 00:24:08.558
JEREMY: Well, what’s maybe one thing that you help assistance with?
00:24:08.678 –> 00:24:12.358
JEREMY: I know you’ve got the AssistPro University.
00:24:14.678 –> 00:24:21.958
JEREMY: How have you shaped that based on, you know, with topics and content?
00:24:24.478 –> 00:24:39.538
JEREMY: What’s maybe the top use cases or the top testimonials from people, the assistants going through those resources as far as, hey, you know, what I’m seeing right now is assistants are hungry for ABC.
00:24:40.198 –> 00:24:40.778
JENNA: Yes.
00:24:41.698 –> 00:24:48.378
JENNA: I would say the biggest value piece, because AssistPro University is newer to the public.
00:24:48.798 –> 00:24:53.898
JENNA: So it has been an internal university with our assistants match with our clients.
00:24:55.078 –> 00:24:56.498
JENNA: So I am a visionary.
00:24:56.518 –> 00:24:58.098
JENNA: I’d be happy to send you some testimonials.
00:24:58.118 –> 00:24:59.898
JENNA: I don’t remember them off the top of my head.
00:25:00.318 –> 00:25:02.198
JENNA: However, I would say the biggest.
00:25:03.198 –> 00:25:04.838
JENNA: So there’s a couple of different pieces.
00:25:04.938 –> 00:25:06.518
JENNA: One is our resource library.
00:25:06.658 –> 00:25:15.778
JENNA: So we have a huge resource library that is full of all the different shared processes and systems and technologies.
00:25:15.798 –> 00:25:20.598
JENNA: You know, the top 20 CRMs and task management systems.
00:25:20.618 –> 00:25:28.358
JENNA: So people can become experts through the experts on their specific systems because all clients operate differently.
00:25:29.158 –> 00:25:38.218
JENNA: Then we have the community piece, which is communication and, you know, all the different shared and fun things, just that collaboration.
00:25:38.238 –> 00:25:39.118
JENNA: And then we have events.
00:25:39.138 –> 00:25:43.618
JENNA: So we have webinars, we have learnings, we bring in really great speakers, talk about different topics.
00:25:44.478 –> 00:25:57.598
JENNA: I would say, overall, the highest level and most valuable piece is the relationship piece, because a client and assistant relationship, executive assistant relationship, it is a relationship, you know, because you are working with your client.
00:25:57.618 –> 00:26:01.718
JENNA: You’re seeing all of them, you know, because you manage their life.
00:26:01.818 –> 00:26:03.198
JENNA: You see the underbelly of them.
00:26:03.218 –> 00:26:04.758
JENNA: You see the good days and the bad days.
00:26:05.238 –> 00:26:19.058
JENNA: So really the relationship piece and navigating that, because the communication and staying on the same page and working with someone at different points in their life, you know, you’re working in tandem.
00:26:19.498 –> 00:26:33.898
JENNA: And so the more that we can focus on the relationship and staying on the same page, managing conflict, navigating difficult communication pieces, all of that, it really helps to keep their relationship in a healthy place and keep things moving forward.
00:26:33.918 –> 00:26:36.218
JENNA: So a lot of what we do is around that.
00:26:37.138 –> 00:26:37.518
JEREMY: Nice.
00:26:37.698 –> 00:26:38.078
JEREMY: Awesome.
00:26:38.458 –> 00:26:38.798
JENNA: Yeah.
00:26:39.038 –> 00:26:57.898
JEREMY: So if you were able to buy a Super Bowl ad, produce a Super Bowl ad or maybe buy a billboard and it was targeted to assistants of the world, what would that billboard say or what would that Super Bowl ad’s message be?
00:27:00.598 –> 00:27:02.158
JENNA: That is a great question.
00:27:02.178 –> 00:27:04.338
JENNA: I have never been asked that question before.
00:27:04.358 –> 00:27:08.218
JENNA: I would say that…
00:27:11.618 –> 00:27:12.898
JENNA: What would that billboard say?
00:27:12.918 –> 00:27:18.578
JENNA: Well, you know by now that I’m a wordy person, so being sustained is not one of my superpowers.
00:27:19.278 –> 00:27:23.758
JENNA: But I would say that, hmm, assistants are…
00:27:23.778 –> 00:27:26.758
JENNA: I think assistants are highly underrated.
00:27:26.778 –> 00:27:29.058
JENNA: I really think that they are.
00:27:29.218 –> 00:27:42.258
JENNA: I think being an assistant is an amazing position, full of lots of leadership and growth opportunities because you get connected to so many different people.
00:27:43.078 –> 00:27:44.898
JENNA: But it really is under…
00:27:44.918 –> 00:27:47.118
JENNA: Like being an assistant is underrated.
00:27:47.918 –> 00:27:52.918
JENNA: So I don’t know, I’m going to have to get back to you on that because I want to come up with the perfect thing to say.
00:27:52.938 –> 00:27:55.418
JENNA: And I don’t have that in this moment.
00:27:55.798 –> 00:27:56.498
JEREMY: I think that’s good.
00:27:56.518 –> 00:27:57.478
JEREMY: Assistants are underrated.
00:27:57.498 –> 00:27:58.298
JEREMY: That’s a solid one.
00:27:58.318 –> 00:28:03.878
JEREMY: I mean, you know, people spend millions and millions of dollars trying to figure out what their one sentence would be.
00:28:03.918 –> 00:28:06.358
JEREMY: So you did good when I put you on the spot.
00:28:06.378 –> 00:28:07.138
JEREMY: So nice to have you.
00:28:07.478 –> 00:28:08.078
JENNA: Well, thanks.
00:28:09.858 –> 00:28:10.258
JEREMY: Cool.
00:28:10.278 –> 00:28:12.918
JEREMY: Well, Jenna, thank you so much for being on the show.
00:28:12.938 –> 00:28:22.838
JEREMY: Appreciate the resources you put together and how you help executives, you know, match with an assistant that makes sense.
00:28:23.318 –> 00:28:23.738
JEREMY: Thank you.
00:28:23.978 –> 00:28:29.438
JEREMY: And how you help assistants find clients and executives to support.
00:28:29.518 –> 00:28:33.098
JEREMY: So what’s, yeah, we appreciate you being on the show.
00:28:33.118 –> 00:28:37.598
JEREMY: What’s the best way for people to reach out and say hi and find out more?
00:28:39.958 –> 00:28:47.358
JENNA: So obviously our website, assistpro.com, you can find everything there that you need.
00:28:47.378 –> 00:28:49.938
JENNA: There’s contact pages and all the things.
00:28:51.238 –> 00:28:53.958
JENNA: Also on my LinkedIn, Jenna Spencer.
00:28:54.278 –> 00:28:57.018
JENNA: Love to connect with any of your listeners.
00:28:57.458 –> 00:29:03.318
JENNA: And then we also have LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, which is all AssistPro.
00:29:03.618 –> 00:29:11.658
JENNA: So would love to connect with anyone that maybe even wants to continue their journey, you know, figuring out if they want to be an assistant.
00:29:12.398 –> 00:29:16.258
JENNA: My passion is helping assistants find great clients for them.
00:29:17.498 –> 00:29:20.838
JENNA: Because I know that assistants have such amazingness to give.
00:29:21.038 –> 00:29:26.498
JENNA: And that is my passion is to help match them with something they actually they actually love working with.
00:29:26.518 –> 00:29:29.418
JENNA: And they’re excited to be behind this person in this company.
00:29:29.578 –> 00:29:31.698
JEREMY: So great.
00:29:31.778 –> 00:29:34.198
JEREMY: Well, I will definitely put all those links in the show notes.
00:29:34.198 –> 00:29:37.238
JEREMY: leaderassistant.com/twoeighttwo.
00:29:37.918 –> 00:29:40.158
JEREMY: And thank you again, Jenna, and best of luck to you.
00:29:40.638 –> 00:29:41.358
JENNA: Thank you, Jeremy.
00:29:52.118 –> 00:29:54.858
JENNA: Please review on Apple Podcasts.
