Learn how to work with your Assistant efficiently from a GYST Client and Assistant match made in heaven.
As NYC’s most trusted personal assistants, we get the chance to see today’s brightest entrepreneurial minds at work first hand. We work hard to create systems that keep our clients’ lives running like clockwork, so you can imagine our delight when we got the opportunity to work with an entrepreneur like Brant, who loves systems just about as much as we do!
Brooke Stone, GYST Founder and CEO, sat down with Brant to learn more about how he works with his GYST assistant Jillian to keep his life humming quietly in the background so he is free to focus on what matters most.
Brooke: So Brant, tell me about your Trello board prowess…
Brant: Yes! In my Trello board I have cards where I’ve designated specific things to happen at regular intervals. For example, my apartment gets cleaned every 4 weeks, so I have a Trello card where that frequency is noted, and the card also includes my cleaning person’s name, number, cost and all other relevant details. I also have cards for my regular personal training sessions, haircuts, window washing, and similar. My Trello board is shared with my awesome GYST assistant Jillian, so she knows to look there and can schedule whatever is up next on a rolling basis with no conversation needed.
Brooke: Genius! What else do you have on your Trello board to enable Jillian to be proactive and make sure you have everything you need?
Brant: We keep my grocery list there with all of the things I like to keep around. Jillian usually texts me before she heads to the store to recommend a few seasonal groceries and to check if I need anything special for the week. Because she knows my preferences, she always throws in a few things she thinks I would like which is always a nice surprise. Similarly, I keep a list of toiletries on Trello so I never run out of toilet paper or shampoo.
Brooke: Loving this! What else does Jillian handle for you outside of making sure you have what you need and your regularly scheduled appointments are kept?
Brant: Jillian handles all of my travel reservations. I trust her to find the best deal, and she knows me and what I like so she is always able to book me the kind of travel experiences I’m looking for with minimal involvement from me. I count on Jillian to make sure I always show up to dinner parties and friends’ kids parties with just the right gift. I’m renovating an apartment right now, and it’s been amazing to have GYST on my side because even if Jillian can’t be there to let in the plumber or handle something urgent that pops up, I know she will make sure another GYST assistant will be there for me and have all of the info to take care of whatever is happening without me having to get involved or worry about it.
Brooke: Sounds like you rely on GYST to handle all of life’s extra stuff, which is ultimately more time consuming and complicated than meets the eye. That way you can focus on what matters most to you.
Brant: Yes, I love GYST because Jillian immediately took command of clearing away everything that distracted me from doing what I do best. GYST assistants are a cut above because they actually think two steps ahead and are proactive. It’s this expert level help that makes my life easier and more enjoyable pretty much every day.
A note about confidentiality: protecting our clients’ confidentiality is our utmost priority. Every story on our blog is shared with permission and client names and identifying details have been altered.