In this episode of The Smart Real Estate Coach Podcast, I sit down with Tim Francis, founder of Great Assistant. Tim has helped over 800 entrepreneurs and investors hire trusted, high-level domestic executive assistants—not virtual assistants overseas, but real partners who become an extension of you.

 

Tim’s story is remarkable. From losing $350K in the 2008 crash, to developing a rare illness that left him unable to walk for months, he had to rethink everything about business and life. That journey led him to discover the right way to hire and lead executive assistants, and ultimately, to build Great Assistant.

 

We dive into his hiring process, why most entrepreneurs fail with assistants, and how the right assistant can free you up to focus on strategy, high-level skills, and relationships—the “surgeon in the room” work that only you can do. 

 

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed juggling all the moving pieces of your real estate business, this conversation will show you how to scale sustainably.

 

Key Talking Points of the Episode

 

00:00 Introduction

00:53 Who is Tim Francis?

02:35 The 2008 crash, $350K loss, and developing a rare illness

04:24 Spiritual turning point: chasing truth and mastery, not fame and fortune

05:40 Failing with five assistants and discovering a new hiring process

08:22 Hiring Sarah—the paralegal who changed everything

10:16 The Great Assistant formula: pairing trained assistants with trained leaders

13:15 Hiring volume: why they review 50–200 candidates per role

17:06 The difference between VAs and executive assistants

19:21 What makes a great assistant: complement, not clone

20:50 The surgeon vs. nurse analogy—strategy, skill, and access vs. admin

22:15 Practical example: prepping comps and organizing negotiation notes

25:28 Why you must live out of your calendar, not your inbox

26:49 Expense vs. revenue mindset—why an assistant is a profit center

29:53 Tim’s upcoming book: arranging life to minimize regret

32:45 How to connect with Tim and Great Assistant

 

Quotables

 

“Your assistant will always be an expense on paper. But your relationship with your assistant will be the biggest profit center of your career.”

 

“We don’t want a clone of you—we want a complement. You throw the balls in the air, and they catch them and close the loops.”

 

“A great assistant isn’t about saving time, it’s about helping you fulfill your potential in this lifetime.” 

 

Links

 

Episode 152: Discover the Power of a Great Assistant, with Tim Francis

https://sites.libsyn.com/101440/episode-152-discover-the-power-of-a-great-assistant-with-tim-francis

 

Get a Great Assistant by Tim Francis

https://greatassistant.com/book

 

Great Assistant

https://smartrealestate.com/greatassistant

 

Apply for a Discovery Call with Great Assistant

https://greatassistant.com/apply

 

Tim Francis

https://www.instagram.com/realtimfrancis

 

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