January 16, 2025
I hired my first virtual assistant back in 2020.
Since then, I’ve collected the most effective delegation strategies from founders, CEOs, and content creators who have mastered the art of building projects and high-performing teams.
Here are the most valuable lessons and resources I’ve discovered.
Hiring an EA
Austin Rief, Co-founder & CEO of Morning Brew, shared a guide to hiring an EA which is a great blueprint for finding, vetting, and onboarding an executive assistant. I’ve personally referenced it multiple times. He is an investor in the EA agency called Oceans.

My current VA came through a referral but I first hired through the agency iWorker (the nice thing is that they do a bit of the screening and you don’t need to commit to hire full time), and I did my own direct hiring through onlinejobs.ph, which is THE primary job board for Filipino talent. It takes a bit longer to find the right talent.
If any of this sounds a bit much, just go on Fiverr to get a taste for delegating to a VA.
VA/EA Starter Pack
My friend Cathryn, who runs a thriving e-commerce business, is basically a systems genius. She’s created this comprehensive virtual assistant starter pack that’s really useful. It’s closer to a delegation survival kit. She was inspired by this article worth reading as well

Get your virtual assistant starter pack. Includes:
- Personalized Assistant Guide
- Real Job posting example (& template)
- Notion dashboard

Personal User Manual
Speaking of user manuals, Steph Smith talks about having a personal manual that is broader framework for how you interact with the world. You can see it here. I found it on her website and it is pretty neat.
What to Delegate
Nick Gray is also a master delegator and works with a virtual team. If you are wondering what you can have your assistants do for you, here are some ideas. His guide is packed with practical ideas that’ll make you think, “Wait, I can delegate that?“. Looking at his list made me realize I was doing way too many things that could easily be handled by someone else.
How to Delegate
Here’s the truth about tools: they matter, but not as much as you think. I’ve gone from sophisticated Notion setups to simple WhatsApp voice notes, and guess what? Both worked. These days, I’m back to using Google docs and spreadsheets. The best tool is the one that both you and your VA/EA will actually use.
What really matters is understanding the five levels of delegation, brilliantly outlined by Michael Hyatt. You go from step-by-step instructions to teaching your EAs to starting thinking and making decisions on your behalf. It takes time… but it is pretty cool when it works.

Books
We all know “The 4-Hour Workweek” and “E-Myth Revisited.” They’re classics.
But “Buy Back Your Time” by Dan Martell has come up in different posts and been recommended by people I trust. I recently bought it and will share notes when I am done.
A Few Extra Things
- While not strictly about delegation, MrBeast’s leaked production guide is a masterclass in clear communication. The “What, How, Done” framework, communication lines and bottlenecks, consultants as “cheat codes” were some of my favorite parts.
- Sam Corcos appeared on the Tim Ferriss Show and shared a public Notion doc containing his tasks and processes, each with accompanying Loom video instructions. Sam’s approach is simple and brilliant: he’d record himself completing each task while giving instructions, capturing various scenarios and nuances along the way. This method of recording yourself first, then delegating, was a very simple add to my workflow that made a big difference. Loom lets you build written SOP guides from the recordings too (you need to upgrade for this feature)

Here's the thing about delegation—it's not about finding the perfect tool or following someone else's system exactly. It's about building a foundation of trust and clear communication that works for you and your team.
Start with these resources, but don't get caught up in making everything perfect. Pick one area to focus on—maybe it's creating your user manual or defining delegation levels—and build from there.
Remember: the goal isn't to delegate everything. It's to free up your time and energy for the work that truly matters to you.
The hardest part? Taking the first step. But trust me—future you will be grateful you started today.