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 […]
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. […]
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. […]
How Executive Assistants and Chiefs of Staff Can Help Their Executive Overcome Decision Fatigue
It’s been quite a year. 2020 has pulled no punches. Many of us are stronger, more resilient, more centered and more clear because of it. And, at the same time, I am starting to see fatigue set in with my team. They have been running hard all year, doing what needs to get done for […]
Why Self-Awareness at Work Is Your Key to Success
I don’t know about you, but I, for one, have taken this year to do a deep dive into my behavior, personality, psyche, and soul. I replaced margarita and taco nights and Saturday morning brunches with moon calendars and Thursday afternoon coaching sessions. After all, self-awareness is the key to success in life and in […]
5 Ways to Create a Strategic Partnership with Your Executive Assistant
This post first appeared on the Herg Life blog by Adam Hergenrother on April 28, 2016. Several years ago, I had a very real conversation with my Chief of Staff. She needed her next growth opportunity and was not sure if her needs could be fulfilled with me and at our company. That conversation has […]
Here’s What I’ve Learned Working for the Same CEO for 10 Years
On October 6, 2020, I celebrated my 10 year anniversary at Adam Hergenrother Companies. When I was first hired, I knew very little about real estate and building businesses, but I did know a thing or two about being an Executive Assistant. And I knew a lot about working hard to get results. I was […]
How to Position Your Founder as a Thought Leader on a Limited Budget
“Thought leadership” is one of the past decade’s business buzzwords, and it’s a good one! There are several definitions of thought leadership, all involving influence, inspiration, and implementation. There is one definition, in particular, I like by Denise Brosseau of Thought Leadership Lab: “Thought leaders are the informed opinion leaders and the go-to people in […]
New Job? No Problem! 4 Tips for Aligning with Your Executives
We recently hired a new Administrative Assistant, Brooke Murray, to join the Office of the CEO at Adam Hergenrother Companies. We run hard and we run fast and that means that our new team members need to dive in and get up to speed as quickly as possible. Brooke has been with us now for […]
Think Twice Before Laying Off Your Force Multiplier
It’s that time of year, as the third quarter winds down, where business owners and executives are taking a good hard look at their P&Ls and ruthlessly cutting expenses and evaluating their budget for the year ahead. As they should. It’s been an incredibly interesting year with the unprecedented global health crisis, shifting markets, skyrocketing […]
Strategic Partnerships in Action: Paige McPheely, CEO of Base, with Executive Assistant Natalie Turner
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 Base. Paige McPheely and Natalie Turner began their strategic partnership about a year ago, in the early days of Base – a SaaS company designed […]
10 Questions to Ask Your Leader to Help Prioritize and Execute Projects
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 have brilliant ideas on the daily, it is also our responsibility to help them prioritize those ideas and determine […]
Strategic Partnerships In Action: David Karandish, Founder & CEO, with Jeremy Burrows, Executive Assistant, at Capacity
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 Capacity. David Karandish and Jeremy Burrows began their strategic partnership in 2017 at the inception of Capacity – a SaaS company with a new kind […]
How Much Should I Pay an Assistant?
So, you’ve decided it’s time to hire an assistant? Smart move. Decision made. Time to get to work, right? Not so fast! Inevitably, the next series of questions I get from our Founder & Force Multiplier community or from coaching clients is, “What do I pay an assistant? What is a good salary for a […]
Strategic Partnerships in Action: Founder and CEO Adam Hergenrother & Chief of Staff Hallie Warner at Adam Hergenrother Companies
When we wrote The Founder & The Force Multiplier: How Entrepreneurs and Executive Assistants Achieve More Together, in February 2019, our focus was on the partnership between an entrepreneur and their right-hand employee (usually in the form of an Executive Assistant, Personal Assistant, or Chief of Staff). What we’ve realized over time is that the […]
The Best Short Term & Long Term ROI for Your Business
There are a lot of ways to invest in your business but after 10 years of being a CEO, I still maintain that investing in your strategic partnership is the #1 investment you can make in your business –both in the short term and long term. Maybe you’re thinking about hiring your first assistant. Or […]
An Open Letter to Leaders (and Their Assistants)
A letter from Adam Hergenrother, CEO of Adam Hergenrother Companies Dear Leaders: It should go without saying that this letter is for the assistants and Force Multipliers of the world, too. After all, they will have likely read this letter before you, vetted it, and then, if it passed muster, brought it to your attention. […]
Why Small Businesses Can Benefit from a Chief of Staff Too
Harvard Business Review published a great article about the role of Chief of Staff in the May-June 2020 issue, entitled, The Case for a Chief of Staff. I think it quite clearly outlined the responsibilities and primary duties of a Chief of Staff (CoS) for what appeared to be larger, more well-established organizations. Clearly, these […]
Strategic Partnerships in Action: CEO Tricia Sciortino & Executive Assistant Melissa Lawrence at BELAY
When we wrote The Founder & The Force Multiplier: How Entrepreneurs and Executive Assistants Achieve More Together, in February 2019, our focus was on the partnership between an entrepreneur and their right-hand employee (usually in the form of an Executive Assistant, Personal Assistant, or Chief of Staff). What we’ve realized over time is that the […]
Leading in Times of Uncertainty – How Executives & Force Multipliers Work Together
Business is always an interesting world to be in, and no more so then when you’re leading in times of uncertainty. Since COVID-19 has been deemed a global pandemic, we have been experiencing new ways of conducting life and business in the United States, particularly over the past couple of weeks. Many states are under […]
Who’s the Boss? Part 2 – Impostor Syndrome Between Strategic Partners
This is the second installment of a three-part series that explores the complex role of a Force Multiplier (Chief of Staff or Executive Assistant) and how they are called upon to lead and assist various stakeholders across an organization. You can read Part 1 How Force Multipliers & Executive Assistants Juggle Multiple Stakeholders here. Impostor […]
Who’s the Boss? Part 1 – How Force Multipliers & Executive Assistants Juggle Multiple Stakeholders
This is the first of a three-part series that will explore the complex role of a Force Multiplier (Chief of Staff or Executive Assistant) and how they are called upon to lead and assist various stakeholders across an organization. As Chief of Staff you are responsible for supporting your Principal and ensuring that their vision […]
When to Hire Your First Force Multiplier is Up to You
The Kings (and Queens) of Westeros had their Hand of the King (long live Ned Stark!). Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush had their Chief of Staff, James Baker III. Don Corleone had his consigliere, Tom Hagen. Jack Welch had his long time assistant, Rosanne Badowski. Look around. Who’s standing next to you? There […]