Letting Someone Go: The Hardest Part of the Job
Letting someone go is the hardest part of running a team—but sometimes, a bum just belongs on a different bus. In this post, we talk about how we handle offboarding at Northern Primrose with dignity, clarity, and a 24-step process that’s always evolving. We also unpack the role of feedback, why cultural fit matters, and why “I take feedback well” isn’t always true in practice. At Northern Primrose, we’re in the business of building efficient, values-driven teams. We help businesses streamline, scale, and succeed—not just by putting bums in seats, but by making damn sure they’re in the right [...]
A Day in the Life as a Virtual Executive Assistant
Days at Northern Primrose vary from VEA to VEA, however, our structure, vision and values are the same. We provide top-level administrative and operations support so our clients can focus on growing and scaling their businesses. We provide affordable solutions to clients who aren’t ready for full-time administrative support, but recognize that they need to delegate their administrative work in order to scale and grow. As an Operations Strategist, it is my responsibility to ensure that clients' operations are running smoothly, that junior executives are up-to-date on task details, and that we are efficient in delegation while offering solutions [...]
Work from Home Life – From One of Our Own, Claire Myra
Working from home sounds like a dream, especially when you’re used to starting your workday extra early to get yourself ready, commuting to your workplace, and spending money on food.I want to talk about the ups and downs of working from home. Sometimes working from home isn’t as glorified as it seems. It can become lonely, boring and distracting some days.Take it from me - I’ve always wanted a work-from-home job because to me it meant lounging in my sweats, not worrying about putting makeup on, and saving money on gas and food. I work from home now and although [...]
Say It to My Face (Nicely)
Northern Primrose started as just me—a solopreneur, accountable only to my clients. Fast forward five years, and while we still prioritize client feedback, we've expanded our approach. Now, we actively encourage our team to both give and receive feedback. Feedback is essential for growth—whether between colleagues or between leadership and the team. Continuous improvement stems from continuous feedback. When these conversations flow easily, collaboration thrives, and that’s where the magic happens. Building a Culture of Feedback vs. a Culture of Silence Creating a feedback-driven culture—especially in a remote workplace—is a challenge. Too often people choose silence, hoping issues will [...]
Strategy Meets Execution
Growth is exciting, but without the right mix of strategy and execution, your company is like piling up fancy dishes for a dinner party and forgetting to wash them—impressive at first, but eventually, it’s just a mess. Too often, I see visionaries within companies (usually the CEO) come up with incredibly big plans, only for those plans to die a slow death on the side of their desk, waiting for “when things slow down.” Years pass, and those great ideas stay just that—ideas. Don’t get me wrong—those ideas ARE great. But if they never make it out of the planning [...]
Why Mindset Matters More Than Talent
In this gig economy and remote work era where being a social media travel influencer is an actual job, oh, the times have changed. The days of climbing very slowly up the corporate ladder, doing the same thing day in and day out, while waiting for the folks on top to retire are becoming rare. Our digital world is moving at a super pace and companies are looking for the best employees who can keep up. You may have heard the saying, an organization is only as strong as its people (or some version of this saying). Truer [...]
4 Common Challenges of Small Businesses – and the Solutions
Any small business owner can attest that building a successful business takes time, consistent effort, flexibility and solution-focused thinking. And while owning a business can be incredibly rewarding, it can come with some rough terrain that can create setbacks and disappointments.
How To Win at Customer Service – and Protect your Reputation
Any small business owner can attest that building a successful business takes time, consistent effort, flexibility and solution-focused thinking. And while owning a business can be incredibly rewarding, it can come with some rough terrain that can create setbacks and disappointments.
