As of 1/31/2021, the job is now closed. Thanks!
I’m looking for a part-time, remote executive assistant to help me manage my calendar, my inbox, my projects and to-dos, and my chaotic brain. It’s a job that requires great written communication skills, above-average technical ability, humble confidence, patience, and an abnormal enthusiasm for organization and personal effectiveness. Your job will be to help me maximize my output in my businesses and my personal life.
That’s a very brief introduction to the job. Before I go into more detail, let me introduce myself and my business so you know whether this opportunity appeals to you.
A Bit About Me
I’m a husband, a father of two, and currently running four(ish) businesses. I’m a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My son is 13 years old; my daughter is 11. My little girl has some special needs that create extra demands on our family’s time (my wife carries most of the load here, but I like to be available to help). I’ve also recently received a new assignment at Church that will require several hours per week and a fair amount of coordination with other members of my congregation.
It feels odd to put all of that in a job description, but in this case, I AM the job. My family and my Church assignments are the most important thing to me, and my assistant will help me live my values in those areas by keeping me clear, organized, and efficient.
A Bit About My Businesses
Mark Butler, CFO
Seven businesses use me as their Chief Financial Officer. My team and I are responsible for tracking all expenses and income as well as preparing the business’s financial statements. I also advise the owners of the businesses on how to manage their cash, reach their goals, increase their income, and enjoy a high quality of life.
Mark Butler, Coach
I spend a couple of hours per week coaching other business owners. This means talking through their ideas, concerns, and plans, then helping them feel clear and confident in their decisions.
LetsDotheBooks.com
Let’s Do the Books offers bookkeeping services to coaches, freelancers, and other online businesses. The service is tailored to smaller businesses who need bookkeeping but don’t need the attention (or expense) of a CFO.
MoneySchool.works
Money School is my newest project. It offers a six week series of free classes on personal finance. Instead of focusing on the technicalities of money, Money School helps people understand and evaluate their financial thoughts, beliefs, and habits. The goal of Money School is to help people understand themselves better, trust themselves more, and feel more peace about their finances.
I plan to be involved in each of these businesses for the long term. The work and the relationships they’ve brought into my life mean the world to me. As my assistant, you’ll help me give each business the time and attention it deserves. (For example, there are currently over 100 emails in my inbox from Money School participants. I want to respond to each one, but I’m not likely to do it without help.)
What It’s Like to Work with Me
I try to be a great employer who values and respects each team member. Some aspects of working with me include:
Live Anywhere
We all work from home. We have three team members in Utah and one in California. You can do this job from anywhere in the US or Canada.
Family-friendly Hours
I am the only full-time member of the team. The other three employees are women who choose to work part-time while they have kids at home or other priorities in their lives. As a team we can work at any time of the day (or night, I guess). We sync up three times per month for a short team meeting on Zoom. Other than that, we communicate via Slack. In the role of my assistant, I imagine you and I will also communicate quite a bit via text messages and phone calls.
Paid Vacation
Team members are expected to take a few weeks of paid vacation per year. I say “a few weeks” because there’s no set number. We haven’t needed a formal number of weeks, and we don’t see that changing. In addition to paid vacation, the whole team takes the last half of December off (paid) to wind down the year and enjoy time with family.
Hardware
You’ll be supplied with a Mac laptop*, an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse. You’ll also have a small budget for other accessories that make your tech setup just right for you. Since you’ll be using your phone for work, I’ll subsidize both your phone and your phone service. I’m a nerd, and the technology needs to be right or I’m not happy.
*One team member uses a Chromebook and refuses to let me buy her a Mac. This offends me, but we’re making it work.
Let’s Talk About the Job
As my assistant, you’ll be my second brain and an extra pair of hands. I would generally define your areas of responsibility as information flow, task and calendar management, and thoughtful research.
Information Flow
You’ll be receiving messages from me, from the rest of the team, and from clients. Your job will be to capture those messages, filter them through your understanding of my priorities, and decide the next best step (assign a task, set up an appointment, record the information for later review, archive the message, etc).
Task and Calendar Management
You and I will meet often to review my priorities and plans. During those meetings we’ll update our to-do lists and calendars. We’ll talk about new systems that need to be developed in the businesses, etc. One of your most important jobs during these meetings will be to ask, “Do you really think you have the time and energy to do that this week/this month?” Then I will say, “No, I definitely don’t.” Then we’ll cross it off the list or add it to a “think about this later” list. I will feel huge relief and my personal effectiveness will skyrocket.
Note: I will often (often!) lie to you and myself and say I DO have the time and energy to do that thing. Your job is to say, “Great. Tell me when you’re going to do it and how long it will take, approximately.” Then I’ll say “OKAY FINE” and we’ll cross it off the list.
Another note: It will be up to you to choose and own our task/project management tool and philosophy. Maybe we’ll use Notion or Asana (or something similar). Maybe you’re a Getting Things Done fanatic. Who knows. The point is you will be the boss of that system. You DON’T have to be an expert in any of these systems to apply (or be hired) for the job. You DO have to be excited to choose and master a system.
Thoughtful Research
This is where your nerdiness and thoughtfulness will shine. As my assistant, you’ll figure out travel arrangements for me and my family. You’ll find the perfect venue for a client retreat. You’ll maintain a profile of my most important relationships and occasionally send them thoughtful gifts. You’ll get bids from concrete contractors so I can finally get my driveway repaired.
What Success Looks Like
You and I will know we’re successful when I’m following through on my most important ideas and plans, and keeping all commitments. Of course, it is my job and my responsibility to do what I say I’ll do. Your job will be to help me remember what I said (and why I said it), and to help me honestly account for my time and energy.
To help you succeed in this job, I’ll meet with you often (probably daily) during our first six to twelve months together. You’ll get to know my personality, my strengths, and my weaknesses. Together we’ll figure out how to apply your skills and experience to my life and work.
Schedule and Compensation
You’ll work five to ten hours per week. If we find there’s more you could be doing and want to do, the job can expand beyond those ten hours. Compensation will depend on experience and your expectations/requirements.
You are the ideal candidate if:
You’re the most organized person you know.
You’re the kind of person who pays every bill on time, plans events for friends and family, and always remembers to change the air filter.
You’re a technology nerd.
You have strong opinions about software and apps. Clunky software makes you angry. You feel at home in a spreadsheet.
You’re NOT a paper-calendar-and-sticky-notes kind of person.
Offline tools just won’t work for our collaboration.
You’re a productivity geek who just gets things done.
You read productivity books and blogs. You never turned in a school assignment late, and you looked down on people who did (ie: me). Checking things off lists fills you with warmth and comfort.
You’re a great communicator.
People thank you for being such a great listener. You’re aware of people’s feelings. You’re confident enough to keep communicating until you’re understood. Text messages filled with nonsense abbreviations offend you. (Look, I’m fine with emojis, but the very first time a person replaces “you’re” with “ur,” we are done.)
Bonus Points if:
You’ve worked as a personal or executive assistant assistant before.
You can share stories about your success as a project manager.
You live in Utah.
*None of these are required. Just bonuses.
How to Apply
As of 1/31/2021, the job is now closed. Thanks!