Executive Assistant

James Bond needed Miss MoneyPenny.

Bruce Wayne needed Alfred.

Miranda Priestly needed Emily (and Emily).

Harvey Specter needed Donna Paulsen.

Tony Stark needed Pepper Potts.

Depending on the day, I could act like any one of those people on the left side. I need the other half of the equation.

Like Pepper Potts and Donna Paulsen, one of my previous Executive Assistants moved into the higher ranks of our business. But like Miranda Priestly, I’ve also sent some people running for the door.

If you’ve read this far, I think we are off to a great start. If you got all of the above references without googling, then we will definitely get along.

I also hate starting job ads talking all about myself. However, for this job, I think it’s important. Why? Because you are going to play a vital role in the cool stuff we do in the future in our business.

If you think what we’ve done so far is great, just wait to see what we have in the works.

I currently run one of the fastest-growing law firms in the country (for the last 3 years we’ve been ranked in the top 100). We have helped hundreds of small businesses and entrepreneurs, and that number increases every year.  

Over the summer, my wife and I launched a new business helping business owners save money on their taxes.

Between those two companies, we have between 20 and 25 employees. We also have plans to buy or build additional businesses in the next 12-24 months.

In addition to the law firm, I am launching my first book (which will be out by the end of the year), I’m working on getting my pilot’s license, I’m getting booked to speak on more stages, and I’m investing in a bunch of interesting entrepreneurial ventures.

I couldn’t do any of that without a world-class team. And without a world-class Executive Assistant, I may end up losing my mind. PLEASE HELP.

A world-class Executive Assistant will be equal parts: 

• Gatekeeper - handling emails and an intense calendar;
• Accountability Czar - keeping me focused from shiny objects, helping manage projects, and keeping notes from important meetings to make sure things get done; and
• Sidekick and Confidant - This job will be a ton of fun for the right person, but it can also be demanding and stressful.

Sometimes I have a hard time providing enough detail in ads like this. So I asked Ashley to write the rest. Who’s Ashley? We hired her as my assistant in 2021. It turns out she was the World’s Worst Assistant ™. But she had the right attitude and fit our core values, so she’s in a great new role in our firm. Here’s what she has to say:

"Batman’s reason for success is his personality, values, and moral code. He exemplifies that you can do anything if you put your mind to it. He is always involved in mental and physical training and known for contradictions (sometimes he has to be Bruce Wayne, sometimes he’s Batman) and theatrical behavior, but he is a city protector. People look to him for help, guidance, and leadership. 

Do you know who keeps Batman and Wayne Manor in check? Alfred. And we need someone to level out the Bruce Wayne and Batman of Rustbelt because, let's be honest, we are quickly growing, and the Batmobile is moving full speed ahead, so we need someone who can keep up, keep things on track, and see things through to the finish line. 

There are many meetings. We need someone to help follow up with our clients, employees, and vendors. You must listen with laser focus, take diligent notes, draft great emails, and hold people accountable. If any of that seems even remotely challenging, this isn’t the right fit for you. If any of that seems remotely easy for you, it’s also not the job for you because you don’t know how real life works. Some days we are moving at warp 5, and it’s difficult to have all of that down 100% while keeping a cool head. It’s hard work. Batman freaks out and breaks things, and Alfred is calm and collected, waiting in hand with a hot tea.

We need someone who can help organize, sort through the piles, file things (digitally and physically), and then help find the item 2 days later. This means you must be organized, patient, and have a memory like a bear trap. Adam leaves a path of destruction behind him, despite everyone’s best efforts. And yes, there will be a time you forget something, and you will be asked what type of memory you were told to have, don’t say goldfish. 

There is a great deal of travel for work. You will be asked to schedule trips, meetings, personal appointments, car inspections, dog boarding, and more. It’s sometimes planned, most of the time not, and will require maneuvering and thinking to get it right on the calendar. And remember these words, if it’s not on the calendar, it doesn't exist. You will be expected to become very familiar with scheduling and calendaring. If you get it wrong, and you will a few times, there is a good chance you will end up reading the “World's Worst Assistant,” which is actually a pretty good book.

Emails are huge. More emails are coming into the inbox than you can imagine. This means you need to be able to make decisions independently, understand what's important, what needs attention, who it needs to be assigned to, what response it needs, and act accordingly. We will train you, and we have a written procedure on how to handle emails, but we will expect you to learn quickly.

Beyond all that, there are, of course, essential assistant-type responsibilities and administrative duties. If you don’t have an idea of what those are, then stop reading and go google. What you need to know if you are going to apply is things are fast-paced, constantly changing, and there is no room for a victim mentality. 90% of doing well here is if you have the right mindset, a good attitude, and are a good culture fit. 10% is the skill set. Don't get it wrong, though, that 10% is essential, but if you have the 90% down, you’ll be able to learn, grow and take on any task thrown your way. We can teach the skills, but you need to come in being the right culture fit, including laughing at lousy dad jokes. If you aren’t detail-oriented, and you let items linger on your to-do list, please do not apply for this job.  

Even if you fail, and it will happen at least a few times, you’ll still recognize the opportunity. This might not be your place if you can’t see the opportunity in failure. Oh, and don't be offended if there is swearing during most interactions. Even superheroes like Batman swear."

Ok, thanks for that, Ashley. Now back to my thoughts.

Are my expectations high? Extremely.

Are my directions always clear? Nope.

Will I expect you to read my mind? Most of the time. But if you are good, you’ll know what you need to know before you know it!

Will you have a ton of fun and impact our community? Absolutely.

We continue building significant policies, systems, and procedures in our business. This means you will have clear expectations and a lot of guidance on how we want things done. And if you don’t, then ask, or figure it out. You’ll understand what that means if you work at Rust Belt. We need intelligent people who can make decisions, think for themselves, move things in the best direction, and get comfortable with being uncomfortable. That's how we grow here; we expect everyone to grow here. 

I'm flexible with scheduling, but I hope someone can work 35-40 hours weekly. Most of this time will be Monday through Friday during regular business hours. Occasionally (rarely?) I will ask for your assistance after hours or on a weekend. You will work primarily at our office downtown, although we can probably make a hybrid set up work.

This is a critical position in the firm and my life. I intend to hire someone who will become extremely valuable to me, my family, and my business. If interested, please apply on this site and be prepared for a challenging interview. Bonus points if you bring in good biscuits and know what that’s in reference to.