If you geek out about new systems, love organizing messy data, and couldn’t dream of ghosting someone, you’re in the right place.
This gauntlet has a series of challenges. Some of them will take a few minutes – a few could require up to 45 minutes of your time.
Passing the gauntlet will require you to complete each step at a high level AND never miss a step.
You’ll start by submitting an application form – this will be pretty straightforward. If you are accepted into the gauntlet, you’ll receive specific instructions for the rest of the challenges.
The challenges will include an email to clean up, a typing speed test, a daily questionnaire, a video intro, and a conference planning project. People who have passed the gauntlet told us it took between 3 and 4 hours total to complete.
We believe that the best back-office integrators in the country share three traits:
1. They are rock solid reliable – so reliable that if they miss a deadline they’ve promised, their client immediately knows they’re in the hospital.
2. They eat complexity for breakfast. Great operations pros know that some of the hardest work of entrepreneurship isn’t checking off tasks – it’s processing complex data and making decisions. When they can own that work for themselves rather than piling it on their clients, they do. There’s no, “I’m stuck – please advise” going on here…instead, there’s, “I got stuck here, and this is how I plan to fix it. Is that okay with you?” Yes or no questions are the name of the game.
3. They take ownership over communication. Working virtually as a team is an exercise in trust. Your clients can’t see you working, and they often don’t have time to check up on everything. The best operators communicate about a project’s status before the client even needs to wonder about it. They know that if a client has to nudge them or check in about an open project, they’ve already dropped the ball.
Throughout this process, we’ll be keeping tabs on how you’re doing. If you fall short on any of the challenges, we’ll let you know that you haven’t passed and why. If you want to try again, you’ll need to wait 30 days before starting at the beginning.
In addition to alignment with our manifesto, we’re looking for:
You don’t have to be a marketing expert by any means – that’s our clients’ job – but if you’ve never heard of a landing page or a launch, or you refuse to work with social media, these aren’t likely to be the types of clients for you.
Many entrepreneurs feel stuck doing everything themselves because a former VA left them hanging. If that frustrates you like it frustrates us, I think you’ll be glad this gauntlet exists. It’s meant to set you apart – to show you at your best.
If life happens (and I mean a true emergency – not a storm leaving some branches in your back yard), you can email us to let us know you need a pause. But in true gauntlet fashion, you need to tell us before you miss a step, let us know when you’ll be back, and keep your word.
Everyone makes mistakes, and life happens. Your clients aren’t perfect, and they won’t expect you to be perfect either. But with this challenge, we want to see your skill, your commitment to a high standard of work, and your ability to keep your promises. If you’re ready to do that, you’re ready to apply. We’re rooting for you!
Once you’ve passed the gauntlet and have your profile up in our system, we will be introducing you to our clients!
We work with our clients to make sure they’re a dream to work with, too…this isn’t a one-sided situation.
We can’t promise that we’ll find you a client, or give you a time frame for when you might start getting interviews, but we can say this: our best case scenario is when the people in our community have a full roster of amazing work that supports their dreams and financial goals.
Here’s to a better industry for operations nerds and creative entrepreneurs alike!
