Two Months Without My EA: What I Learned the Hard Way

For the past two months, my Executive Assistant has been on maternity leave. And instead of bringing in temporary support, I made a bold (and, let’s be honest, slightly painful) decision—I decided to go without an EA altogether.

Why? Two reasons:

1️⃣ I didn’t want to transfer the “burden of knowledge.”

My EA carries a lot of high-level information: contracts, rates, financials, sensitive team details. Bringing in another EA temporarily would have meant a massive transfer of knowledge that I wasn’t comfortable placing on someone who was filling in.

2️⃣ But more importantly… I needed to remember what it feels like to not have an EA.

Our clients come to us because they’re overwhelmed, buried in admin work, and stretched too thin. After years of having an EA handle so much behind the scenes, I had honestly forgotten what that felt like. I needed to get reacquainted with the pain of operating solo so I could better serve my clients.

Lesson 1: Invisible Work Becomes Painfully Visible

Much of what an EA does happens behind the scenes—it’s “invisible value.” And when they’re gone, that value suddenly becomes very visible.

Tasks that used to “just happen” suddenly landed on my plate. Scheduling, content distribution, EA onboarding, LinkedIn EA searches, client onboarding, communication follow-ups—things I didn’t even think about before became daily frustrations.

Lesson 2: You Always Have More to Delegate

Even after years of working with an EA, I realized I was still holding onto tasks that could have been offloaded. The absence of support forced me to reassess what I should be doing versus what I was doing.

The truth? I could be delegating even more.

Lesson 3: Some Things Still Need My Personal Touch

On the flip side, I also discovered areas where I needed to stay involved. Not everything should be handed off, and this experience helped me fine-tune which tasks truly needed me and which ones were just eating up my time.

Lesson 4: Communication Gaps Are Costly

Without my EA keeping tabs on ongoing conversations, I fell behind in client check-ins. I returned from vacation to 700+ unread emails, unanswered LinkedIn and Slack messages, and a pile of admin work that stole my focus. Speed of communication can make or break a relationship, and without an EA, things slip through the cracks.

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Final Takeaway: I’ll Never Go Without Again

On February 3rd, I got the I’m Back Slack message from my EA.

I can’t explain the relief I felt. My focus immediately improved, my to-do list shrank, and my stress levels dropped.

For those who wonder if they need an EA—trust me, you don’t want to find out the hard way. Waiting until you’re drowning in work before hiring help is the worst possible strategy.

If you’re feeling the weight of too much on your plate, now is the time to bring in support. Let’s talk about what an EA could take off your plate today.

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