Every owner or founder has a breaking point in business, a moment they feel like they cannot go any further. 

Owners who choose to push past this point jeopardize their health, mental wellbeing, ability to lead, and performance.

Many founders feel like there is an unwritten rule that if you aren’t always “on,” you aren’t cut out to be in business. There is tremendous pressure to perform well at all times, even at the risk of burnout. 

The reality is, no CEO is perfect. Everybody needs breaks, because recovery preserves your health and enables you to think creatively and strategically.

Founders and CEOs need an Executive Assistant beside them who will support their need for recovery and rest. 

An EA who ‘calls the fight’

Imagine your EA as a trainer in a boxing ring. They should be willing and able to call the fight for you, the boxer, before you hit your breaking point. 

When you have an EA who is willing to call the fight for you, they protect your focus. They serve as a gateway helping clients, prospects and team members get what they need on your behalf. This allows you to work as many hours as possible in your genius.

Your EA will also guard your time and energy. They will strategically manage your calendar so that you are working on priority projects when you have energy highs, and experiencing recovery when you have energy lows. 

An EA must do these things proactively to prevent burnout and preserve your performance in all seasons. 

For an EA to call the fight on your behalf, they have to be a true extension of you. They have to be someone who has confidence and authority to speak on your behalf, and act in your absence.

This is NOT possible if you treat your EA like a task rabbit and micromanage their performance. It can only be achieved when an EA has full ownership of their role and outcomes and you have given them space and trust to perform.

An EA who calls the fight also needs to know you as well as you know them. Trainers know their fighters inside and out. They know how they think and how they operate in times of success and stress. 

How well does your EA know you? Are you inviting them to learn how you think and process information? If your EA doesn’t know you, they can’t protect you from pushing beyond your limits. 

The better an EA knows you, the more they can take steps to help you delegate with ease. They can create processes that get you out of the weeds. 

To experience this level of support from an EA, you must be willing to allow your EA help you. 

CEOs can be proud and often perceive help as failure. Instead of thinking of “tapping out” as a bad thing, think of it as a necessary action to preserve your ability to go further in your business.

Having an EA to protect your time and energy will give you the stamina you need to achieve the scale you’ve dreamed of in your business. 

You just have to be willing to build the relationship, receive help, and allow them to call the fight.