The Remote Company That Pays for Deep Work (and Rejects Hustle Culture)
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Written by:
Filip Pesek
- Published:
Remote work isn’t new anymore. What is new—and rare—is a company that actually knows how to make it work.
Plenty of remote-first companies claim to offer “freedom,” “flexibility,” and “a great culture,” but behind the scenes, things often look the same as any high-stress startup: scattered priorities, Slack pings at all hours, managers who say “take ownership” but then micromanage everything, and emotional exhaustion from being always online.
That’s what makes DonnaPro, a European executive assistant service, stand out. While most remote operations chase speed and scale, DonnaPro has quietly built a culture around deep work, radical ownership, and clear expectations—not just for the sake of clients, but for the people doing the work.
It’s not loud. And It’s not for everyone.
The Hidden Stress of “Remote” Admin Work
Virtual assistants (VAs) and administrative professionals have long been the backbone of busy executives—but in the remote era, their jobs have only gotten harder.
“Most VA roles today promise flexibility,” says one internal DonnaPro training lead. “But what they actually demand is total availability. You’re in five inboxes, answering weekend ‘urgent’ messages, getting hit with late-night Slack pings, and somehow expected to still perform at a high level.”
Here’s the thing: being present in multiple inboxes isn’t the problem—at DonnaPro, Executive Assistants often support multiple clients at once, each with complex workflows. Many clients have multiple inboxes and Slack channels, too. That part is reality.
The real problem is when companies expect those inboxes to be monitored 24/7. When they normalize 7PM feedback requests, Saturday morning “quick asks,” and an always-on rhythm that doesn’t respect personal time or focused work.
Most assistants are naturally empathetic, high-responsibility professionals. They like to serve. They’re wired to say yes. And without structure from the company itself, those same strengths can become traps—leading to burnout, emotional fatigue, and blurred boundaries between work and life.
“We’ve seen it happen before,” says the founder Filip Pesek. “When a company doesn’t take the lead in protecting work rhythm and recovery time, assistants won’t do it on their own. They’ll just keep saying yes—until it breaks them.”
DonnaPro’s Counter-Model: Designed for Sustainable High Performance
DonnaPro was built on the belief that great execution doesn’t come from constant urgency—it comes from clarity, rhythm, and deep respect for people’s focus.
Here’s how they operationalize that:
🔕 A No-Notification Policy That Actually Means Something
At DonnaPro, EAs are expected to work smart—not be “on call.” There’s no expectation of real-time response unless it’s routed through a clearly defined urgent channel (more on that shortly).
Communication with clients happens in three structured check-ins per day, most of them done asynchronously:
- Morning sync
- Midday update
- End-of-day summary
The rest of the day? It’s protected focus time.
“Our assistants aren’t chasing notifications all day,” the founder explains. “They’re thinking, planning, building. If they’re always reacting, they can’t be creating meaningful outcomes.”
As far as internal communication (team member to team member) goes, this is enforced with a simple rule:
“Check your WhatsApp, email, and Asana once per workday and respond to necessary items. That’s it.”
Assistants are explicitly told:
“No one will reward you for spending all day on these platforms or replying immediately. In fact, it’ll hurt your productivity and chances for advancement.”
If something’s urgent? Someone will call. If they don’t? That’s their responsibility, not yours.
This structure does more than reduce noise-it builds respect. Time is treated as a valuable, non-renewable resource. And that includes the assistant’s time.
🧠 Deep Work Time—Enforced, Not Just Encouraged
Deep work isn’t a nice idea at DonnaPro—it’s a baked-in part of the model. From Day 1, clients are told explicitly that their assistant will not be available at all hours.
“We educate clients up front,” says one Account Manager. “If you want your Donna constantly available, she won’t be productive. Period.”
Clients are coached to adopt asynchronous rhythms, and urgent channels are only activated when truly needed. According to internal data, the urgent channel is used less than 3 times per month per client. That tells you everything about how well this system is respected.
📘 Radical Ownership (Backed by Real Support)
One of the mandatory reads for every DonnaPro EA is Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink. Not as a branding gimmick—but because the mindset is foundational.
EAs are expected to own the relationship with each client end-to-end. They’re not passive task-takers—they’re mini-operators who anticipate, plan, and act with initiative.
But ownership doesn’t mean isolation.
Each assistant is supported by:
- A Quality Manager, who monitors performance and helps resolve friction
- An Account Manager, who ensures strategic alignment and supports problem-solving
- A broader community of peers, including training mentors and ongoing monthly support
“You’re the captain of the ship,” one EA put it. “But you’ve got the radar, the weather forecast, and the support crew when you need them.”
It’s a model that avoids both micromanagement and loneliness—two of the biggest pitfalls of remote admin work.
🧭 Radical Transparency
DonnaPro doesn’t play the ambiguity game when it comes to internal structure. Assistants are shown:
- The salary bands and promotion criteria
- Their expected development milestones
- How the company itself is performing and evolving
This clarity extends to client feedback loops, performance reviews, and even how difficult conversations are handled internally.
“We talk openly about growth paths, challenges, even about someone feeling stuck,” says the founder. “If you’re good enough to manage a founder’s company ops, you deserve transparency in your own career.”
It’s Working: Quiet Results, Real Impact
DonnaPro doesn’t make noise for the sake of it. But its results speak loudly:
- Rated 4.8 out of 5 ⭐ on Google
- 91% of clients stay after 60-day trial period
- Media features across platforms including European Business Review, Vocal Media, and BuzzFeed
Majority of clients stay. Majority of assistants stay.
The model works—because it’s built to serve humans first, not just KPIs.
After a long time managing everything on my own in the startup world, I realized I needed help. My EA has been amazing in managing my calendar, travel plans, T&E, and other small yet time-consuming tasks. We had morning check-ins at the beginning that paid off well. Now, I can much better focus on growing the business.
I used to manage my own travel, emails, and calendar-even while running multiple businesses. Then my EA (Romina) stepped in. She’s proactive, reliable, and keeps everything running smoothly without me having to ask. Our daily check-ins keep me on top of things, and her inbox summaries are a lifesaver when I’m traveling. I finally have the headspace to focus on what matters.
My EA, Petra, has been very helpful during a particularly chaotic time in one of my businesses. With minimal guidance, she quickly adapted, proactively started searching for solutions, and delivered results. I love how I can just ping her on WhatsApp, and things get done seamlessly.
My EA doesn’t just complete tasks; she proactively identify and solve potential issues before they become problems. Whether it’s a scheduling conflict or a looming deadline, my EA is always one step ahead, saving me countless headaches.
Hiring a Donna EA has been incredibly cost-effective. Instead of multiple full-time employees for various tasks, my EA handles everything efficiently. The savings have allowed us to reinvest in other critical areas. It’s the perfect solution for top-notch support without breaking the bank.
Hiring a Donna EA has been incredibly cost-effective. Instead of multiple full-time employees for various tasks, my EA handles everything efficiently. The savings have allowed us to reinvest in other critical areas. It’s the perfect solution for top-notch support without breaking the bank.
Saga adapted quickly to a new country, industry, and way of working—impressive, especially since I’m new to working with an assistant. She brings real care to everything she does, and I genuinely see long-term potential. She’s quickly become a key part of how I work day to day.
Before DonnaPro, our internal reporting was a mess of spreadsheets. Our assistant didn’t just take over the task; she proactively designed and implemented a new, streamlined system that saved us hours each week. She didn’t just do the work—she fundamentally improved the process for everyone. That’s a level of value I did not expect.
The real benefit wasn’t just getting tasks off my plate; it was finally being able to take a proper vacation without checking my phone every 30 minutes. The peace of mind that comes from knowing things are being handled intelligently and proactively is priceless. For the first time in years, I could completely disconnect, which has been crucial for preventing burnout.
We were at a point where we had to turn down new projects because I was completely bogged down by administrative bottlenecks. Bringing on our assistant through DonnaPro was the key to unlocking our growth. Sophie’s support directly enabled us to take on three new clients in the first quarter alone. She isn’t just an assistant; she’s a direct contributor to our scalability.
Real Talk: This Culture Isn’t for Everyone
Let’s be clear: this isn’t some part-time side gig where you check email once a day and call it a job. DonnaPro assistants are expected to support multiple clients at once, keep track of moving parts, and lead projects proactively.
There’s no micromanagement. But there’s also no coasting.
If you need someone to tell you what to do every morning, this isn’t the place.
But if you’re the kind of person who sees a messy workflow and immediately starts mapping the fix—you’ll probably thrive here.
DonnaPro also operates under a “No Drama Queen” policy. That means when challenges arise—and they will—EAs are expected to stay calm, avoid blame spirals, and bring solutions, not just complaints.
That doesn’t mean bottling things up. If something seriously bothers you, you’re expected to speak up directly and respectfully—with your supervisor or the person involved. No passive-aggressive Slack threads. Just fast, clear, grown-up conversations.
It’s not a culture for everyone—but for the right kind of professional, it feels like a breath of fresh air.
If You’re Reading This and Nodding…
…You might be who they’re looking for.
DonnaPro isn’t always hiring. But when they do, they’re looking for people who are wired for clarity, structure, ownership—and who want to do great work without burning out.
If you’re a current or former EA, admin, or ops professional who’s felt underutilized, over-managed, or trapped in low-impact loops, this could be the reset button you didn’t know you needed.
You’ll support multiple clients. You’ll be challenged. But you’ll also be respected, protected, and supported to grow.
If this culture speaks to you—and you think you’ve got what it takes to thrive here—we’re hiring elite Executive Assistants. Explore our current EA roles here.
Closing Thought
DonnaPro isn’t building the biggest team—it’s building the most intentional one.
The company exists for founders, yes. But it also exists because too many brilliant, reliable professionals were being wasted in systems that didn’t respect their time or thinking.
So if you’re looking for a remote role where expectations are high but support runs deep—where focus beats frenzy and ownership beats micromanagement—you won’t find many places like this.
You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be serious about doing great work, the right way.
