Casey Putschoegl: When and How to Bring on an Incredible Executive Assistant

‍“I do believe that if you want to level up your leadership skills, if you want to contribute at a higher level… everybody should have some form of assistance.” — Casey Putschoegl

In this episode of Outliers, I sit down with Casey Putschoegl (@caseyputschoegl), Co-Founder and CEO of 33Vincent, to talk about when and how to bring on an incredible executive assistant. We discuss how she’s built a successful executive assistant agency with a focus on quality relationships, a rigorous selection process, and true partnerships between assistants and executives. Her insight on self-reflection and honest feedback can be helpful to leaders in all business areas.

Casey describes what it’s like to work with a leadership coach, integrating work with real life, and what to look for in a great assistant (it’s more nuanced than you might think.)

About Casey

After working for 7 years in Planning & Operations at General Mills, Casey and her longtime friend, Paige McPheely, decided there had to be another way to work flexibly, raise a family, and give the same opportunity to others. They started 33Vincent, an agency that matches executives with stellar executive assistants, and the company has grown to a team of 60+ with assistants supporting executives all around the world. As CEO of the company, and a mother of three young boys, Casey is continuously pauses to reflect and realign herself with her goals — making sure she carries out the original goals of her business.

Ideas Discussed

• 00:04:51 — Types of assistants and work they perform
• 00:09:56 — Why leaders come to 33Vincent searching for an assistant
• 00:13:26 — The importance of the quality of assistant/executive relationships
• 00:15:31 — When an executive is not a good fit for a strategic executive assistant
• 00:20:04 — The EA/Executive matching process
• 00:24:41 — The benefits of using an EA agency like 33Vincent
• 00:28:20 — Core traits of a great executive assistant
• 00:34:13 — Using personality tests to match assistants and executives
• 00:38:35 — How Casey works with her EA
• 00:41:56 — Glows and Grows (feedback)
• 00:45:27 — Stepbacks and reflection time for leaders
• 00:52:05 — Working with a leadership coach
• 00:53:35 — Integrating work with life
• 00:56:11 — Recommended books
• 00:59:41 — Advice for those who want to create their own businesses
• 01:02:08 — Casey’s routines and rituals
• 01:10:02 — Advice for parents raising boys

‍For more, explore the full transcript of this episode. Transcripts for all episodes can be found here.

Selected Links from the Episode

• Connect with Casey: LinkedIn | Twitter | 33Vincent
• 33Vincent | Executive Assistant service
• Kolbe A Index | Strengths and attributes assessment test sometimes used by 33Vincent
• Base | Software for Executive Assistants
• KISS Process (Keep, Improve, Start, Stop)
• 5 Levels of Leadership by John C. Maxwell
• Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
• The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
• The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks
• Workday Shutdown Ritual and Workday Startup Ritual from Michael Hyatt
• Todoist | To-do list app
• Plant-based diet
• Mushroom coffee
• Peloton app | Digital workout classes
• Apple Fitness+ | Fitness experience for Apple Watch
• Slack | Team communication tool
• Salesforce | CRM tool

The Big Takeaway

It’s important to admit that everyone needs assistance; for leaders to be truly successful and ensure they are focused on the highest-leverage activities in their businesses, hiring an executive assistant is key. Seeing an assistant as a business partner and gatekeeper, investing time and energy in the relationship, and building trust with each other will greatly increase productivity and alignment with strategic goals.

Favorite Quotes

00:09:43

“I do believe that if you want to level up your leadership skills, if you want to contribute at a higher level, I think everybody should have some form of assistance.”

00:30:26

On the traits of a great assistant: “There are some core traits, of course — that won’t come as a surprise — but we do have metrics based on each of these, and it’s proactivity, attention to detail, level of thoroughness, ability to manage up, ability to communicate well and think on their feet… and then also to be consultative in their approach.”

01:08:18

“I firmly believe that you can be as successful in business as you want, and your family can fall apart at the same time. And so for me, success is that well-rounded view of… nothing has to be perfect by any means, but I want to be investing in the right areas, in alignment with what I believe.”

On Outliers, Daniel Scrivner explores the tactics, routines, and habits of world-class performers working at the edge — in business, investing, entertainment, and more. In each episode, he decodes what they’ve mastered and what they’ve learned along the way. Start learning from the world’s best today. Listen to past episodes for free, be the first to hear about new episodes, and subscribe to Outliers on your favorite podcast platform.