Introduction
Taryell Simmons: Welcome to another episode of the Rise Urban Nation podcast, where we tap into Black and Pan-African entrepreneurs who are rewriting the rules and building legacies. Today's topic addresses visionary founders who are drowning in tasks and feeling drained. Our guest today is Renee Hastings, founder of Executive Help Now, a powerhouse agency helping businesses run smarter. With a background stretching from a summer youth job in Madison to being featured on NBC, she has built a team that empowers entrepreneurs to grow through intentional delegation. Welcome to the show, Renee.
Renee Hastings: Thank you so much for having me on the show, Taryell. I am super excited to be here and to share my story in hopes of inspiring your audience.
Early Beginnings and Work Ethic
Taryell Simmons: Take us back to young Renee in Madison, Wisconsin. How did your early experiences plant the seeds for the work you are doing now?
Renee Hastings: It started before Madison. My grandfather was a sharecropper from the South who moved our family to an Amish community in Wisconsin. We were the only Black family within a fifty-mile radius, so representing our family with excellence was paramount. My grandfather instilled in us a strong work ethic, integrity, and dependability. When my mother moved us to Madison, I joined a summer youth employment program and was placed at the Madison Urban League. My assignment was to organize, categorize, and catalog a room full of books. At twelve years old, I discovered my natural gift and passion for organization.
Renee Hastings: The following summer, at age thirteen, I was placed at Norrell Temporary Services as an assistant to a Black woman franchise operator. As I handed out applications and entered candidate records into the computer, I realized each entry represented a changed life and a family supported. That experience inspired my ambition to own a business and run an office. I subsequently focused my studies on typing, shorthand, dictation, and marketing through DECA.
Overcoming Adversity and Finding Purpose
Renee Hastings: I graduated from high school at sixteen with a one-month-old son. While facing societal stereotypes regarding teenage motherhood, I refused to let statistics define my future. I worked full-time for the State of Wisconsin during the day and part-time for the telephone company at night. When our family briefly required welfare assistance, I viewed it strictly as a temporary stepping stone rather than a permanent lifestyle. That period developed my faith, resilience, and inner tenacity.
Taryell Simmons: What did that summer youth program teach you about leadership and service?
Renee Hastings: That program laid the entire foundation for my professional conduct—punctuality, professional communication, presence, active listening, and execution. Communities must actively invest in youth employment programs because they uncover and refine natural talents.
Taryell Simmons: What were some of the primary hurdles you encountered as a young woman of color entering leadership?
Renee Hastings: Early on, people often dismissed my capabilities due to both age and race. My mother taught me that determination conquers obstacles. By demonstrating sharp competence, strategic insight, and high standards, I earned respect and broke through barriers.
Building Trust in Delegation
Taryell Simmons: When scaling Executive Help Now, how did you navigate building trust with clients and team members?
Renee Hastings: When I founded the business in 2014, doing everything myself was comfortable because I trusted my own execution. Bringing on team members forced me to confront internal trust barriers. I learned that scaling requires letting people in. Trust is built progressively by delegating low-stakes, non-critical tasks first. When an assistant consistently executes those tasks well, you expand their responsibilities. Effective delegation requires going through the refinement process to become a stronger leader.
Taryell Simmons: Many executives struggle to surrender calendar management. What advice do you give them?
Renee Hastings: Executives must learn to say, "Ask my assistant." Assistants manage schedules holistically to ensure preparation, buffer times, and logistics. When leaders micromanage or alter their calendars directly, they introduce chaos.
Company Culture and Values Alignment
Taryell Simmons: What strategies have driven the growth and reputation of Executive Help Now?
Renee Hastings: We operate as a faith-based, values-centered organization. While technical competence is mandatory, alignment with our core values, mission, and culture is the decisive hiring criteria. Skills can be trained, but core values cannot be altered. Candidates review a comprehensive values list during our interview process to ensure alignment.
Staying Ahead with AI and Niching Down
Taryell Simmons: How does your team stay ahead with artificial intelligence and modern operations?
Renee Hastings: Our United States-based team undergoes rigorous professional development and earns certifications across emerging AI tools. This eliminates the technical learning curve for our clients.
Taryell Simmons: What prompted your focus on venture capital, private equity, and podcast production?
Renee Hastings: While administrative skills are universal, focusing on venture capital, private equity, and portfolio companies addresses a critical operational gap. Funded founders are funded to build products, not manage back-office logistics. By managing project management, administrative workflows, and operational systems, we help portfolio companies deliver faster returns on investment.
Transforming Client Operations
Taryell Simmons: What is a standout client success story that reflects your mission?
Renee Hastings: Our client Katie took over her family's IT business serving senior living communities and was overwhelmed handling payroll, hiring, and operations manually. We standardized and automated her payroll workflow so it required only a single button press. That breakthrough freed her to focus on long-term strategy, and she now utilizes three assistants across her organization.
Mindset Shifts and Leadership
Taryell Simmons: What mindset shift must small business owners make regarding delegation?
Renee Hastings: Leaders must recognize that they are worthy of being supported and that accepting support is an act of self-care. Delegation is leadership in action because it requires providing vision, direction, and collaboration. Founders must stop performing tasks that do not generate revenue or move the business forward, focusing instead on high-value strategy, relationship building, and deal-making.
Connecting with Executive Help Now
Taryell Simmons: Where can listeners connect with you and your agency?
Renee Hastings: You can visit our website at https://executivehelpnow.org and follow Executive Help Now across LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also listen to my podcast, Renee Speaks, on YouTube, or text VA now to 1-866-943-3591 for our delegation guide.
