What do you mean you provide administrative support to someone you have never met? How does that even work?

One way I can explain the ease and success with which being a virtual executive assistant works is by telling people that it's exactly like supporting an executive while he or she is away on a business trip. The executive calls and checks in between his/her meetings, during which time I'm holding down the fort by taking care of his/her To Do's. When you think about it like that, coupled with amazing technology that is out there now, it doesn't seem all that far fetched, and it works for us!

With one of my clients, I help him stay on top of his work for his (yes!) 4 businesses. To do so, I utilize David Allen's Getting Things Done organizational methodology along with a master project list via a Google Spreadsheet, which my client and I review once weekly.

For each project, my client determines (and I document) what the next associated action item is. This helps my client quantify each project and break it down into a list of steps. If the first step (such as call someone, send an email, pay a bill, brainstorm, etc.) will take less than two minutes, the immediate decision is to DO IT. If the next actionable step will take longer than two minutes, there are two choices: DELEGATE IT (often to me!) or DEFER IT and put it on a list (on our master project spreadsheet) to complete at a later date.

By "emptying his head" of all the projects and "to do" items while on the phone with me each day, he is placing his trust in David Allen's Getting Things Done system, and in me to organize and maintain it. As a result of our system, my client's thoughts are therefore no longer preoccupied with maintaining and categorizing the ever-growing "to do list." Instead, when he is relaxing with his family or playing a round of golf, he can actually relax without worrying that things are slipping through the cracks. Or, he can focus on attracting more clients, which helps him to bring in additional revenue.

Both of us have up to the minute access to the ever changing master projects document via Google Spreadsheets, and this way, there is never a communication breakdown on the progress of our projects.

As a result of using David Allen's system, my client is able to spend more time in his businesses with clients, which leads to higher revenue for him.

MORE ABOUT HILARY

Hilary most recently served as the Human Resources Manager at Trammell Crow, one of the largest commercial real estate firms in the US. She has extensive experience in research and writing, website design, recruitment, and employee relations. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison with a triple-major in International Relations, History, and Political Science.

Why would a college-educated, Fortune 500, formerly jet-setting, 70-hour per week Human Resources professional suddenly want to be employed as an Administrative Assistant? It doesn't make sense! To the untrained eye - perhaps not.

Thankfully, I have had the opportunity and very fulfilling experience of living "The Corporate Life" for 10+ years. I climbed, I traveled, I poached executives from competitive firms, I performed union negotiations, performance evaluations and directed rounds of layoffs. It was invigorating, challenging and lucrative. I know what it takes to compete in the American corporate culture and for many years, I thrived on it.

Five years ago, I very consciously changed my priorities and subsequently, my lifestyle. My husband and I relocated to Israel in order to live near our families. I took 3 years off to learn Hebrew and have kids.

Last year, I discovered Secretary in Israel. What a life changing discovery! Here was an opportunity to work within my beloved American corporate culture, in my native language, on off hours, which allows me to stay home with my children.

My clients love it because they get to work with someone who would never have been their assistant in the US. As I have taken on a supporting role rather than a managerial role, I am able to keep my finger on the pulse of the American workforce and economy, while I am still able to attend my childrens' school parties and afternoon activities (yes, I'm embracing becoming a soccer Mom!) In an administrative capacity, it is my job to support the decisions, not to make them. Rather than driving the initiatives, I implement them. Instead of being responsible for the budget, I keep track of all expenses on a spreadsheet. It's like living the corporate life - light!

I am able to perform my work duties on an American schedule - due to the hour difference, I speak to my California clients first thing in the morning (during the evening their time.) I perform all my research and documentation during the afternoons (first thing in the morning in the States) and field phone calls in the evenings (prime business hours on the East Coast.)

Truly and for the first time in my life, I have found a blissful balance. Secretary in Israel is a rare win-win. My clients get an American virtual executive assistant who is motivated, dedicated and understands the sense of urgency required to keep up. As a virtual assistant, I can stay home with my children, work during their sleep times and be available when my clients need me. I have a home office, utilize many free online tools to bridge the gap between physical presence and virtual presence, and have purchased both a New York area phone number and a San Francisco area phone number to appear local to my clients' clients.

I love working for my Secretary in Israel clients. It also fits my lifestyle while earning enough to support my families' needs - even though it's outside the proverbial box. What more could one ask for?

MORE ABOUT HILARY

Hilary most recently served as the Human Resources Manager at Trammell Crow, one of the largest commercial real estate firms in the US. She has extensive experience in research and writing, website design, recruitment, and employee relations. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison with a triple-major in International Relations, History, and Political Science.