Do Executive Assistants and Chiefs of Staff Need an MBA Degree?
As I talk to Executive Assistants and Chiefs of Staff from around the world, one common question emerges: “Do I need an MBA?” I often answer that question with a few questions of my own, “Why do you want one? Do you think you need one? Why?” I’ll preface the rest of this post by […]
How to Create a Strategic Partnership with Your Executive Assistant – 2021 Edition
NOTE: This post first appeared on the Herg Life blog by Adam Hergenrother on April 28, 2016 and again on October 22, 2020 on The Founder & The Force Multiplier blog. It’s funny to look back now on how far Adam, and I, and Adam Hergenrother Companies have come since this blog was originally written […]
Everyday Carry (EDC) Lists for Executive Assistants and Chiefs of Staff
This week, Adam, Corie (our Executive Assistant) and I are in the mountains of Vermont for one of our quarterly Project | U retreats. We’ve already had a moose sighting, a Bernie Sanders sighting on the plane into Burlington, and last night, our fireside cocktail party was crashed by a black bear! I would say […]
Why Executive Assistants and Chiefs of Staff Continue to Thrive Amidst Constant Change
If I were to go into battle with anyone, it would be someone who was growth-minded, resourceful, adaptable, a creative problem solver, and an influential leader. Why? Because those individuals are not paralyzed by uncertainty, can take various pieces of information and come up with a workable solution, they are not afraid to take action, […]
Force Multiplier Survey Results: Growth, Respect, Training, Impact, Communication, and Leadership
Last week we conducted a survey to learn more about what is important to Force Multipliers – what is working in their roles, what their biggest professional challenges are, and what they would like to see change in the future. What was most evident to me from the results was that Force Multipliers are overall […]
Can One Person Be Both an Executive Assistant and Chief of Staff?
The conversation around the roles of Executive Assistant and Chief of Staff continues! There are so many nuances, iterations, and evolutions of both of these positions that, for me, the conversation never gets old. I’m here for it! My current situation has got me thinking a lot recently about whether or not one person can […]
Own Your Executive Assistant Career and Invest in Yourself
There are a lot of resources out there about how to ask your boss or your company to pay for a professional development course, coaching, a certification program, or online training (see list at the bottom of this post). I’m a huge proponent of organizations setting aside sufficient funds for a training budget – particularly […]
Building Your Strategic Partnership with the Trust Triangle
For visionary leaders and growth-minded, business-savvy Force Multipliers, a strategic partnership is the Holy Grail. There is no hierarchical, superior/subordinate relationship here, just a purely powerful partnership where together, both individuals achieve more. What is a strategic partnership? A strategic partnership is a mutually beneficial relationship where both parties are working towards a common goal. […]
Communicating Your Role as an Executive Assistant or Chief of Staff to Your Colleagues & Leadership Team
I’ve been working with Adam for about 10 years now and a couple of years ago the CFO for one of our companies said, “You realize no one has any idea what you do, right?” I laughed. How could it be possible that someone in our organization didn’t understand everything I do day in and […]
Navigating Decision Fatigue for Force Multipliers
Late last year, Adam wrote a great article about how Executive Assistants and Chiefs of Staff can help their Executive’s overcome decision fatigue. It’s an important topic and one I know that leaders and their Force Multipliers feel all too much. Decision fatigue is real. In the article, Adam outlined some strategic and tactical ways […]
Strategic Partnerships in Action: Jean Patrick, CEO and co-founder of ScaleUp Edge, with Chief of Staff Rory Hibbler
In this series, Strategic Partnerships in Action, we highlight some of the Executive and Force Multiplier duos who are doing it right. This week, we chatted with the powerful strategic partnership behind ScaleUp Edge. Jean Patrick and Rory Hibbler began their strategic partnership about eight months ago at the start of ScaleUp Edge – an exclusive community for […]
Why Asking for Help Actually Helps the Company
Force Multipliers are the badasses of the business world. Okay, yeah, I might be biased, but I have seen first hand what Force Multipliers can do. Force Multipliers are problem-solvers and fixers. They are some of the most resourceful and connected individuals in your organization. If you have a challenge, bring it to your nearest […]
Progressive Real Estate Coaching: Achieving Success Without Burnout
From The Pursuing Freedom Podcast Hallie Warner shares her philosophy of real estate coaching to help eradicate fear and create fulfillment in every step of our journey. She provides insights into: Hallie’s real estate journey, and how her partnership with Adam has evolved over the years Hallie’s role in the development of Project | U […]
What Does a Chief of Staff Do? Organize. Communicate. Delegate.
About 6 years ago, as I worked to develop my career path, I did a lot of research on the Chief of Staff role and many a Google search of “What does a Chief of Staff do?”. There weren’t many resources available back then that didn’t have to do with the military, government, or maybe […]
Adam Hergenrother Companies Named One of the Best Places to Work in Vermont for the 5th Consecutive Year
From Vermont Business Magazine Adam Hergenrother Companies has been named one of the 2021 Best Places to Work in Vermont by Vermont Business Magazine. This is the 5th consecutive year Adam Hergenrother Companies has received this distinction. At Adam Hergenrother Companies, we pride ourselves on hiring high performing individuals. High performers like to hang out […]
How 2020 Brought Clarity to My Work & Life
I recently asked my network what one word they would use to remember 2020, and the responses were all over the place (much like the year itself)! Here is a sample of the responses: amazing, battle, exhausting, forward, perseverance, growth, revelation, overcoming, learned, fantastic, whew, challenging, evolution, interesting, renewal, change, resilience, contentment, bonding, reflection, long, […]
Danny Frank Interviews Adam Hergenrother
From Greater Northshire Access Television Danny Frank interviews Adam Hergenrother of South Burlington, Vermont. Adam Hergenrother is the founder CEO of the only Vermont company listed on the 2020 Inc. Magazine’s “500”. Adam Hergenrother Companies (including real estate and construction) estimates $1B in sales. Adam offers inspirational ideas and mentoring to viewers struggling to get […]
From Realtor To $1Billion CEO In 10 Years!
From GSD Mode Podcast – Adam became a “Licensed Realtor” 10 years ago and this journey has led to him creating MASSIVE Success! In this GSD Mode Podcast Interview with Joshua Smith, Adam breaks down his journey on: How he created big success as an Individual Realtor How & When he started his Real Estate […]
From Force Multiplier to Founder: Virtual Assistant Company Edition
I often get asked what the next career move is for Force Multipliers (Executive Assistants, Chiefs of Staff, and Personal Assistants). While I believe that being a Force Multiplier is a dynamic career in its own right, it may no longer be the right fit for the individual at some point, as with any position. […]
Adam Hergenrother: “Hold your team members accountable to the results”
From Thrive Global By Jerome Knyszewski “Hold your team members accountable to the results. Once you’ve clearly outlined your standards and expectations, you have to inspect what you expect. Make sure your team members know that you are going to be checking in regularly on where they are at with their goals and objectives. Weekly […]
Keep Your Day Job & Create Multiple Streams of Income
I’m pretty risk-averse and yet at the same time I’ve always been the entrepreneurial sort. When I was about three years old, my brother and I collected rocks and pulled them around the neighborhood in our red wagon, yelling, “Rocks for sale!” We never did get that venture off the ground… As I grew older, […]
How Executive Assistants & Chiefs of Staff Can Effectively Work Together to Lead Up
A common question I get is, “What is the difference between an Executive Assistant and Chief of Staff?” Over the course of my thirteen years in the professional workforce, I’ve spent about five of those years as an Executive Assistant and about six years as Chief of Staff. I’ve seen the commonalities and overlap in […]
From Force Multiplier to Founder: Coaching & Training Company Edition
I often get asked what the next career move is for Force Multipliers (Executive Assistants, Chiefs of Staffs, and Personal Assistants). While I believe that being a Force Multiplier is a dynamic career in its own right, it may no longer be the right fit for the individual at some point, as with any position. […]
10 Questions to Ask Your Leader
From The Executive Secretary Magazine Help prioritize and execute projects by asking your leader 10 questions says Hallie Warner One of the most important parts of being a strong strategic partner and invaluable Force Multiplier is understanding how your leader or Executive thinks and makes decisions. And because many of our leaders are visionaries and […]