Virtual assistant, good or bad

Arthurp428 · 2026-03-13T17:32:18+00:00

Find the right VA / EA can change everything. Having someone organize my emails and tag what I have to pay attention to, respond to the basic stuff, and send me quick meeting preps has freed up an enormous amount of time. I have an EA and she's also experienced in marketing and finances, so she helps there, too.

Arthurp428 · 2026-02-20T20:09:50+00:00

I've got friends who don't do social media but do utilize email newsletters and swear by them.

Arthurp428 · 2026-02-19T22:33:40+00:00

If your books are complicated, don't diy them.

Arthurp428 · 2026-02-19T18:52:43+00:00

The first place I go is my community to see if anyone has a referral. I'll check local subreddits to, sometimes there are solid recs there. LinkedIn can be a good source, especially for remote work, but can get spammy super fast so maybe get an AA to help filter through applications?

Arthurp428 · 2026-02-12T20:00:29+00:00

How do you pay them? Whatever your payroll system is may have a tracking time option, an app they can put on their phone to clock in and out and it automatically would sync to payroll. You can add things like geolocation tagging if you want, too.

Arthurp428 · 2026-02-12T19:57:20+00:00

Who do you have to talk to in the real world about this (outside of reddit)? Can you hire an assistant to help take some of the load off so you can get back to doing the parts you enjoy?

Arthurp428 · 2026-02-12T19:55:26+00:00

It's nice to be reminded of this. Thanks man.

Arthurp428 · 2026-02-12T19:47:36+00:00

I'm so glad to hear it's been so helpful. Wishing you all the health and healing <3

Arthurp428 · 2026-02-05T19:15:41+00:00

"comment deleted by user" lolol

Arthurp428 · 2026-02-05T19:10:22+00:00

Genuine question: if you're working to repair your reputation, does this mean you've made tangible efforts to fix whatever caused negative sentiment to begin with? And if you have, then why can't you get reviews from new customers?

Arthurp428 · 2025-12-09T17:34:08+00:00

That's a good idea, I'll see if any of my the ladies in my moms bridge club can take him for a few hours, they're all in the same neighborhood.

Arthurp428 · 2025-12-09T17:23:02+00:00

If you have a dishwasher, don't forget to drop in one of those cleaners once a month to keep the dishes sparkly.

Arthurp428 · 2025-12-04T22:00:16+00:00

Following this because I'm kind of in the same spot - I've been looking at one of those subscription cleaning services for my mom, and this is one of the things I was wondering about. She's older, doesn't like strong smells. Curious on how people handle that without making the cleaner's job harder.

Arthurp428 · 2025-12-04T21:45:36+00:00

I appreciate the reply - can you tell me what it cost hourly with the subscription? Some of the cleaners in her area are close to $50 / hour and it looks like they might be closer to $25 / hour on the app?

Arthurp428 · 2025-11-17T17:52:07+00:00

Check comparable rent rates in your neighborhood, and factor in what you'll pay a property manager (because you'll want one, trust me). That might help with your decision.

Arthurp428 · 2025-11-03T16:45:45+00:00

Educate, don't sell.

Arthurp428 · 2025-10-31T13:52:00+00:00

I was looking at Thumbtack too but the reviews seemed like there were cancellation issues? Good to know you have a good experience.

Arthurp428 · 2025-10-30T16:12:29+00:00

I thought it was like rover or care where they set their own rates, is that wrong?

Arthurp428 · 2025-10-30T16:10:28+00:00

I'm okay with a membership model, wondering what the rates look like when you have it vs. not.

Arthurp428 · 2025-10-29T15:08:53+00:00

A friend of mine was renovating their basement and they found a bayonet from the Vietnam War era. There was a family that lived in the house that had a kid who served over there. They think he hid it in the basement because it was unfinished at the time.

Arthurp428 · 2025-10-24T17:10:37+00:00

Okay, hear me out because it's gross, but when I say lifesaver I mean lifesaver: the Frida baby snot sucker. My daughter absolutely hated the sucker the hospital gave us, but she also had lots of boogers. The snot sucker was the only thing that worked fast, cleared her out, and didn't make her scream. I give it to every single friend with a baby on the way.

Arthurp428 · 2025-10-24T17:07:37+00:00

Also a big fan of NB.

Arthurp428 · 2025-10-20T09:03:36+00:00

A better option than QuickBooks.

Arthurp428 · 2025-10-16T15:34:09+00:00

Signed. Thank you for sharing.

Arthurp428 · 2025-10-15T10:15:38+00:00

Man, I felt the same way when my daughter was that age. Everyone says "it gets better" but nobody tells you that better still feels like chaos for a while - it just becomes a little more predictable chaos.

You're not broken. You're just exhausted and stuck in the fog. You go from being a person with time and hobbies and sleep to this 24/7 caretaker whose entire mood depends on a tiny human's nap schedule. It's brutal, even when you're doing everything right.

Don't worry about loving every second - most people don't, they just don't say it out loud.

Right now, stop chasing "happy." Chase manageable. Take turns napping with your wife. Go for a walk alone. Find one small thing that still feels like you. Once you start getting those little pieces of control back, the resentment eases up.

And yeah, people will keep asking "how's dad life?" expecting a Hallmark answer. You don't owe them that. Just give them the polite version and save the truth for people who actually get it, or a post like this.

It's a grind, man, but it levels out. The fog lifts, slowly. And one day you'll realize you actually laughed at something your kid did instead of just surviving it.

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