- Katy Allen has three children and runs a business.
- She has no family nearby, and her husband is a touring musician.
- She relies on home assistants for about nine hours each week.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Katy Allen, founder of Artful Agenda. It has been edited for length and clarity.
For the past eight years, I’ve relied on recent college graduates to help me make my life happen. They’re not babysitters or admin assistants — I think of each helper as a “second me,” who will do with any of the tasks I might, whether that’s processing Amazon returns, putting away laundry, or taking the car for an oil change.
I’m a mom of three kids, who are now 11, 8, and 5. I’m also a business owner and was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult. My husband is a musician who is often on tour, and our closest family lives five hours away.
Hiring help fills an important gap for me. It allows me not only to get things done but, more importantly, to close some of the mental tabs that I constantly have open in my brain. Because of the help, I’ve been more successful at work and more present with my kids.
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Find the right help
I live near a university, and that’s where I’ve found most of my helpers. The women who help me are typically students or recent college grads. They might work for a year or two before moving on. When they do, I typically ask them to refer a friend who might be interested in the job.
If I have to advertise, I say right in the ad I’m looking for a second me. I explain that they might be asked to do anything I would do (within reason — I won’t have them scrubbing up bathroom messes), and each day will look different.
Automate the process
Having a helper is all about reducing my workload, but a lot of my friends worry that hiring help will actually be more work. To avoid that, I automate as much as possible. My helper works a set schedule, typically two to three days each week for about three hours at a time. She has a key to my house and can let herself in and start working without me giving directions. Some days I don’t even see her.
I keep a running list of items (like laundry) that constantly need attention in a Google Doc. If I have time each week, I add more pressing items, like returning items to the store, getting a birthday gift, or organizing a particular area of the house.
The Google doc is great because my helper can leave comments and notes, letting me know what she did and if she had trouble with anything. I can process that when I have time, rather than during my workday or when I’m with the kids. I can also provide simple feedback in the document.
Trust is key
As you can see, my helpers have a lot of access to my life. I even share another Google Doc with log-in information for certain accounts, like Amazon. A relationship like this only works if you can really trust the person who’s working for you.
I’ve never had issues with a helper being untrustworthy. Once, I had a helper who just wasn’t a great personality fit. She must have felt the same, because we parted ways fairly quickly, and I advertised the position again.
Start small
I pay my helper a decent rate, somewhere between what I’d pay a babysitter and what I’d pay a professional admin assistant. So, the cost can add up. When I started this eight years ago, I’d be surprised at how much I spend on hired help today. Yet, it makes sense because I am more productive at work.
If you’re new to hiring help, start small. Hire someone for ad-hoc projects or for just a few hours a month, and see if the impact on your productivity and brain space is worth the cost. For me, it certainly has been.
