I Had Unfettered Access to My VC’s Executive Assistant for 3 Days — She Impressed Me
In short, she is [really] amazing.
I knew her as Abby.
But we never met.
The reason? It’s funny. Her name keeps coming up during my VC’s speed dial. No matter what the issue is about, he calls Abby.
“Abby, it’s me. I need a ticket to Perth. Get me there by 7 tomorrow morning.”
“Hey, it’s me. I need to call Hong Kong urgently. Shift the current call by 3 hours.”
“Aldric is working with me on a project, and I will be in Perth for business. Support him.”
That was how I got to meet Abby in real life.
She impressed me.
Abby Has Street Smarts
First impression kills.
Abby moved fast.
I suspect she takes double strides. I suspect. And she is [definitely] into fitness. She met me for the first time in a yellow sports bra and a pair of Lululemon black pants.
Abby looked good. She looked energetic.
“You must be Aldric. Nice to meet you!”
She sounds energetic, too. Way, way, way more enthusiastic than some colleagues I know. She impressed me right from the start.
“Hey, finally! We meet! Question. How did you know Aldric is me? You did not call me and observe who picked up the phone.”
She laughed out loud. This is one happy young lady.
“I observed you from afar. You were typing and on the phone. I called Bob just now. He said he is having a call with you now. So, I know you are the guy. So! How can I help you?”
Abby is smart. Real smart. No wonder Bob likes her.
She can follow his pace.
She Always Picks Up Her Phone
If this is true — She is legendary.
Why do I say that?
Easy.
Bob works. He works all the time. I know because we had a close working relationship for months. This guy can juggle 18 hours of work flat out.
I remember asking him this question once.
“Bob. Tell me. In truth only. When do you actually sleep, for f**k’s sake?”
His answer was fascinating.
It contained one word.
“Sunday.”
What a crazy nut. But that also speaks volumes of Bob’s work ethic. He is highly dependable. I trust him to get work done. He did so for me.
Now that I have unfettered access to Abby for 3 days — I get to ask her.
“Hey, Abby. Is it true Bob works 18 hours a day?”
She nodded with a smile.
“I’m afraid that is true, my friend.”
“Then how do you cope? You work 18 hours, too?”
We have been walking for 10 minutes now. Abby is rushing me to the ballroom for setup. There is a symposium in 4 hours, and Bob will be dialing virtually.
“I always pick up his calls. And I will tell him that I am heading to bed if I am. That way, he knows and will send me a voice message instead. I pick up his calls even when I am running on a treadmill.”
Wow.
But I guess that is necessary.
Bob works at a furious pace.
Abby had to keep up.
“Is it tiring to work with Bob? I mean, he works a lot. And obviously, he needs a lot of support from you.”
We are in the ballroom now.
She passed me the speaker.
“Test the volume. Walk around. Okay for you?”
I took the speaker’s microphone and walked around the stage. I tested it. I said okay. She moved next to the laptop, projection of presentation materials, lighting, attendee list, and schedule.
I can tell that she works [real] hard, too. No wonder Bob trusts her.
Abby replied [only] after her work was completed.
It tells me a lot about her attitude at work.
“It is not easy to work with Bob. You know he moves fast. I am his direct EA. He calls me for everything and anything. He has 2 more EAs. Elene supports me. Jo handles his family.”
She threw me a bottle of mineral water before continuing.
“I used to be an EA for his colleague. That useless guy is so slow. He frustrates me. Bob is fast. And he paid me 30% more and all meals and transport costs were covered. So why not?”
Haha, well. There you go.
Want to get great EAs?
Pay the top dollars.
Abby Is Not Your Usual EA
The symposium ended with success.
There were many hiccups along the way. Fortunately, Abby was there. She neutralized issues when they came.
I brought her to dinner after the event.
Of course, I asked her more questions.
This question was one I must ask.
“You are sharp as a tack and really smart. Why are you working as an EA?”
She was surprised by my question.
“You know what? No one asked me that question before. But I like this question. Let me refill the bowl with salad. I will get back to you.”
She left and returned with a towering pile of greens.
“I was an analyst with this company. And I got bored. I wanted to supercharge my growth. I know Bob is the guy. But he is a practical person. He does not need researchers. He needs EAs. So, I signed up.”
Huh?
This is [really] interesting.
“Let me tell you one thing. I learned more by supporting Bob than by conducting paper research. Many peers of mine know sh!t. Me? I see it with my own eyes. I know what matters.”
No wonder.
There are reasons behind her unbelievable work ethic. They are admirable ones, too.
Abby’s shared her ambitions with me.
“I want to learn from Bob. I will continue to be his EA for as long as he wants me. And in time, I want to help him analyze private companies. I want to be ready for that day.”
I am sure she will.
Then, her phone rang. It was her boss.
“Yes, boss. Fire away. I am having a quick dinner and will get to work in a while.”
She took out another smartphone and started typing. Her fingers were whizzing past the touchscreen. Fast.
The call was over in 5 minutes.
“Hey, Aldric. Have a good dinner. I am going to get busy. See you tomorrow for symposium Day 2.”
I gestured okay with my hands.
And she disappeared in double-quick time.
The Close
I met Bob 3 days later.
I thanked him for Abby.
“No problem. Abby is the best person I can staff you with. I’m sure you agree.”
I nodded my head.
And I asked Bob this.
“How much do you pay to keep her with you? She is obviously a high-flier.”
I think he expected that question.
He responded without a doubt.
“Near $12,000 a month. Abby is worth every single penny.”
I concur.
I want her to be my EA, too.
That said… I doubt Abby will be interested.
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