“I don’t judge people’s value based on the amount of hours they put in at the office, but on the amount of value they actually produce – if you can do equally good work from a Starbucks rather than a cubicle, you should do it!”
This week’s Hardcore MBA features a true superstar of the entrepreneurial world, Maren Kate Donovan, one of the founders of Zirtual. For those who don’t know, Zirtual provides online virtual assistants to businesses and entrepreneurs around the world – much like my own Mr Outsource company. On top of her experience with building such a well-known brand, Maren has a wealth of experience in running her own businesses, hiring the right people, and cultivating healthy habits – all key things that I like to focus on in Hardcore MBA!
In the podcast, Maren and I discuss:
- Our mutual love for a great book by Tim Ferriss, The 4 Hour Work Week – I’m sure you’ve all read it by now, but if you haven’t, check it out!
- The roundabout way in which Zirtual got started, which is an inspirational story showing that anyone can achieve the same if they’re willing to put in the effort.
- The importance of a morning routine that keeps you healthy and balanced.
- And the 80/20 principle of the working day, which is something I also discuss in my book Never Work Again.
Maren is one of those great people who simply decides what she’s going to do and goes after it; and, just as importantly, quickly drops anything that she feels isn’t helping to achieve those goals. I really encourage you all to check out this podcast, and then to go and find out more about her current work at Escaping The 9 To 5.
Have you found that using virtual assistants like the ones Zirtual and Mr Outsource provide has helped your business? Let others know in the comments!
