I so enjoyed this conversation with accidental entrepreneur, Bonnie Schutz. We compared notes from parallel lives—decades in high-level admin roles, then stepping into entrepreneurship and realizing just how transferable those “behind-the-scenes” skills are, and enabled us to build something of our own.
Watch the Replay above. Here is a small clip
Overview
Bonnie is the founder and CEO of Tandem Resource Solutions, co-founder of Preferred Service Pros, and host of the Delegate to Elevate podcast, and she’s stitched those pieces together into what she calls an ecosystem: recruiting, remote support pros, and a vetted directory that all feed each other. This conversation is about how she built that ecosystem from a side hustle and a “happening” at her last job, and what it really takes to move from being the force multiplier in someone else’s company to leading your own.
We spent time on the emotional and practical side of delegation—especially for former executive assistants and admins who find it easier to manage other people’s calendars and inboxes than to let anyone touch their own. Bonnie talks about delegation as a spectrum, with “delegation muscles” that need time to strengthen, and she’s honest about her own challenges: she can teach others how to delegate beautifully but still resists handing off her inbox. I loved her examples of creative delegation and cross-delegation: leaning on her spouse for books and tech, bringing in interns for research and social media, and helping owners see that they don’t have to do everything themselves to earn the right to delegate.
What runs under all of this is respect for the often invisible expertise of admins and support pros—what Bonnie now calls remote support pros. She talks about sitting at merger-and-acquisition tables, soaking up acronyms and strategies, only realizing years later how much return on experience she’d accumulated. That same experience is now what she uses to match business owners with vetted service providers through Preferred Service Pros, so people don’t dismantle the foundations they’ve already built by hiring the wrong help in their first years out of corporate.
We also got into the bigger arc of work and life at 50+: the shift from being behind the scenes in a corporate setting to being fully visible as the face of three businesses and a podcast. Bonnie is clear that she’s an “accidental entrepreneur” who discovered her entrepreneurial mindset in motion, and now she’s thinking about sustainability, legacy, and what retirement could look like when you own the business instead of just working in it. For her, delegation isn’t just tactical—it’s how she creates space in her life to enjoy these later decades, help others, and make sure the businesses she’s built can keep going, with or without her at the center.
Her Wisdom Bomb at the close said it all:
“Delegate your mind—start opening your mind to new ways you can learn from your past experiences, transfer those skills into a new idea, and tap into your network so you’re not doing it alone.” — Bonnie Schutz
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Highlights
Building a three-business ecosystem from admin roots
Bonnie explains how a recruiting firm, a remote support agency, and a vetted B2B directory grew out of her admin background and side hustle, and how each business feeds the others instead of competing for her attention.
Delegation muscles and the spectrum of letting go
She talks about delegation as something you build gradually—like lifting 10 pounds before 100—and shares real stories of people discovering free time for the first time, learning to sit in that space instead of immediately filling it back up.
Admins as force multipliers and return on experience
Bonnie names the often unseen value of admins and executive assistants, from sitting in Taco Bell franchise offices to M&A tables, and shows how those “just doing the work” years become the foundation for leading and teaching in later life.
Bonnie Says…
“I call them remote support pros because ‘VA’ just didn’t fit the level of skill—these are the people who’ve been force multipliers in businesses for years.”
— Bonnie Schutz“Delegation is a spectrum. You don’t start by lifting the 100‑pound weight; you dip your toes in, delegate a little, and build those muscles over time.”
— Bonnie Schutz
About Bonnie
After nearly three decades as a high-level Executive Assistant in corporate America, I made the leap into entrepreneurship and founded Tandem Resource Solutions, an administrative recruiting firm and US-based remote support company helping business owners delegate better, lead stronger, and grow with the right support beside them.
Based in the Denver area and powered by a fully remote team, Tandem Resource Solutions connects entrepreneurs and small business owners with experienced Remote Support Pros who can plug into the real work of a growing business, from executive assistance and administrative support to light operations and behind-the-scenes business support.
In my second act, I’ve been stepping more fully into my founder and CEO shoes, with all the humbling, hilarious, and holy-cow-is-this-really-happening moments that come with it. I lead with empathy, humor, lived experience, and a no-BS approach, which feels especially fitting since those are also my initials.
I also host Delegate2Elevate: Get Sh!t Done, a podcast where I talk with service-based entrepreneurs, leaders, and business owners about delegation, leadership, growth, and the very real work behind building something meaningful.
Most recently, I launched Preferred Service Pros, a vetted B2B directory created to help business owners find trusted service providers without relying on guesswork, endless scrolling, or “someone I found in a Facebook group” energy. It was born from my belief that good people should be easier to find, easier to trust, and easier to refer.
I’m especially passionate about helping women in business rise together, and I’m proud to support communities that advocate for Executive Assistants, women in their second act, military spouses, entrepreneurs, and the people who often do their best work behind the scenes.
Connect with Bonnie
Have a question for Bonnie? Drop it in the comments — I’ll make sure she sees it. And come back next Wednesday at noon ET, we have interviews booked months in advance. Or catch the replays.
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