David Langer’s Personal Assistant Handbook
Welcome & congratulations on your new role with Team David!
This Personal Assistant (PA) Handbook is primarily a reference guide with a general overview of the main areas of responsibility that you will invest your time, love & energy into as David’s new Personal Assistant!
Please note this is a supporting document in conjunction with the PA Role & Responsibilities Google sheet which has all other essential information in a table format that you will need to help you accomplish every potential task.
Feel free to update these guides as you find your way and come up with creative solutions of your own!
Good Luck and Blessed Journey Ahead!
All the best,
Mara Del Rio (March 2023)
David’s 1st PA
Table of Contents
1. Role & Responsibilities
a. Role Description
b. Areas of Responsibility
2. Home Office
3. Personal Support
4. Housekeeping & Maintenance
5. Event Management
6. Important Information
a. David’s Do’s and Dont’s
b. Communication Channels
c. Digital Software Applications
d. Emergency Contacts
ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES
Role Description
As Personal Assistant, your primary role is to support David's productivity, health, safety & wellness by managing a range of personal, administrative, household , and special event tasks from Nosara, Costa Rica where he is primarily based. This is a part-time position (15-20 hrs/wk).
Main Areas of Responsibility
The main areas of PA responsibility are currently divided into the following:
● Home Office
● Personal Support
● Housekeeping/ Maintenance
● Event Management
Within these areas you are responsible for:
● Supporting David with administrative tasks in his Home Office
● Running various errands in Nosara to keep David focused on his priorities with Lionheart
● Scheduling various personal appointments and travel for David
● Purchasing various items including supplements, furniture, and household goods
● Handling housekeeping & maintenance issues at David’s Poolhouse
● Organising small events at FSJ such as land tour lunches & group dinners
● Supporting Team David with thoughtful, practical insights to the state of David’s wellbeing in Nosara
HOME OFFICE
David’s Home Office is located at his residence in the Finca San Juan Poolhouse Your responsibilities in the Home Office revolve around providing administrative support in various ways, including but not limited to :
- printing, scanning, & mailing official documents
- accounting of various expenses & managing payments
- requesting monthly budget / reimbursements
- organising weekly priorities and scheduling tasks
responding to David’s metrics report
meeting online with Team David weekly
ensuring the Home Office space is neat and tidy
PERSONAL SUPPORT
Within this area of responsibility, providing Personal Support involves assisting David with running various errands in Nosara, scheduling various personal appointments, and researching domestic solutions that support David’s health & wellbeing so he is primed for peak performance with his other priorities.
This includes but is not limited to:
- Coordinating David’s weekly meal plan
- Keeping inventory of David’s supplements/ order lists
- Handling package deliveries
- Researching & sourcing household wellness equipment
- Researching & sourcing alternative medicines
- Making reservations at restaurants
- Supporting with travel logistics
- Shopping for house supplies & groceries
HOUSEKEEPING & MAINTENANCE
Housekeeping and Maintenance tasks are generally associated with David’s Poolhouse at Finca San Juan, including the Upstairs Casita, the Downstairs Guestroom, the Laundry Room, the Bodega, and the Gazebo.
As David’s PA , you are in charge of all his household affairs in these areas. Remember, good housekeeping is an essential key to safety by ensuring
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cleanliness , order, and having a place for everything. Meanwhile, you are also in charge of overseeing routine, preventive, and scheduled maintenance work by assessing the best engineering solutions for urgent repairs. Thankfully, we have a great housekeeping & maintenance team to support you in addressing these tasks.
These tasks include, but are not limited to:
- Scheduling Eli (cleaner) to come clean the Casita 2x a week
- Preparing the Guestroom for David’s guests
- Purchasing house cleaning supplies for Eli
- Purchasing groceries and dog food for David
- Hiring a professional for urgent maintenance repairs (Jose)
- Electrical work
- Mechanical work
- Plumbing work
- Carpentry work
- Construction work
- Fumigation
- Managing David’s private Wifi connections
- Managing the Laundry Room & the Bodega
- Purchasing domestic appliances & accessories
- Provide additional support to FSJ staff
EVENT MANAGEMENT
Last but not least, as David’s PA you get to organise a lot of fun private events from start-to-finish for David’s close family, friends and extended community at the Poolhouse. This is where you get to co-create an amazing experience that brings people together in a special way that supports David’s community-building intentions.
Tasks include, but are not limited to:
- Arranging meals for small groups ( tour lunch / sunset dinner)
- Event planning, scheduling, budgeting and payments
- Coordinating with caterers/ entertainers/ vendors for big events
- Coordinating the venue set up & clean up crew
- Coordinating all event equipment rentals and return
- Keeping inventory of all current catering/ event equipment
- Supporting charity fundraisers and the Lionheart Summit
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
David’s Do’s and Dont’s (DDDs)
Below is a suggested list of general Do's and Don’ts in this role..
● DO… Take the initiative to think ahead. Recognize that there may be conflicting priorities with schedules, sensitive relationships, and methods of execution.
● DO... Be prepared to second-guess when problem solving. When in doubt, ask for further information or context in order to find the best solution for David.
● DO… Be willing to challenge the status quo. Take the initiative to offer alternative options/ solutions if there is a better way of doing something.
● DO… Communicate clearly to either David / Team David in a timely manner If and when you need additional clarification/ assistance/ time/ resources/ support to accomplish your assigned task, please say so
● DO… Check in on David at his Home Office or via Whatsapp often as you would in a professional capacity within a hospitality setting to ensure he has all the support he needs
● DO… Get to know David and make sure that you understand his personality Focus on the details (ie philosophy, work ethic, values, preferred diet, stimulants, metrics etc)
● DO… Take responsibility for your mistakes Let’s just put this out there from the start – you are going to make mistakes in your job And it’s okay As long as you know how to react to it The worst thing you can do, once you have made a mistake, is to make excuses for it Making excuses is a sign of weakness and gives the impression that you are unwilling to take responsibility for your actions Instead, when you make a mistake, apologise, and make up for it by explaining what you have done (or what you plan to do) to fix the error.
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● DO… Keep up with David’s calendar. David lives by his daily calendar of events and you will need to plan your personal activities around his schedule. Give as much notice as you can if you are planning to be away.
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● DO… Observe and learn. Working closely with David is an excellent opportunity to learn from a world class peak performer. Pay close attention to how David’ works, observe how other members of Team David perform their roles, and learn as much from your environment as possible. Also remember that your job is to simplify David’s life so pay close attention. ○
● DON’T … Hide things from David. David is really easy to talk to , especially if you know when and how to approach him. Do not keep any relevant work-related issues a secret. David should hear it from you if something has gone wrong. If in case you need urgent clarification on something, send him a clear concise text / voice note via Whatsapp with all relevant information . He will get back to you when he is able, otherwise, make the best decision as best you can Use wise judgement and listen to your intuition You may also inform Team David and ask for support
● DON’T… Leak out personal information. As a PA you are privy to sensitive information about David’s personal/ professional life. Keep this information to yourself and don’t go talking about it or sharing it with anyone else.
● DON’T… Abuse the freedom you are given to self-organise. Prioritise your time wisely. Yes, we live in Pura Vida, but responsible time management is crucial to being on top of your priorities and making right decisions in the moment for the most efficient and effective outcomes.
● DON’T… Become too complacent in your duties. David is very friendly and down to earth. He will often introduce you to his many friends and colleagues as well as invite you to attend personal and community events. Do not forget your role. Unless otherwise stated you are there to support David in a professional capacity. When in doubt, first ask whether it would be acceptable before you take a lax approach. Professionalism is key.
*** If you aren’t sure about any of the above, please feel free to ask myself, David or any member of Team David for more clarification. Don’t worry they won’t bite!
Communication Channels
The primary channels of communicating with David/ Team David are via email, mobile, and Zoom.
● Email - You will receive a Gmail account : moni@davidlanger.com to communicate with David and Team for all official business that requires detailed information.
● Mobile - All personal communication with David will be done over Whatsapp.
● Zoom - All online scheduled meetings will happen on Zoom. Kindly refer to Google Calendar events to access the Zoom invites
Digital Software Applications
The primary digital software applications you will be using throughout your tenure are Google Workspace and Asana.
● Google Workspace - With your designated Google email, you will have access to the Google Workspace and all its office applications. (ie . Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Calendar etc.) This is the primary administrative office suite that David and Team will be using to document any official information.
● Asana - Asana in David’s primary tool for project management and task prioritisation. You will be invited to DL’s Team and have access to all of David’s projects & task lists. Your tasks will be assigned to you within the Personal Assistant project. This is where you can keep track of all the priorities assigned to you by David / Team David You may also add your own tasks and keep record of your progress
Emergency Contacts
In case of any emergency , here is a list of emergency contacts. Depending on the situation, keep this list handy and contact the relevant support team
● Nosara Emergency / Medical Care
○ Lifeguard Costa Rica ( For 24/7 emergencies)
■ 200 meters South West from Hotel Guiones.
■ Regular schedule 8 am to 5 PM everyday!
■ Available 24/7 On Call (20 minute response)
■ Tel. +506 4001 9867 ext 13
■ Lifeguard Costa Rica Nosara
○ Paradise Medical Services (For medical consultations)
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■ Paradise Medical Services
○ Bomberos Nosara (Fires/ Wild animals/ Accidents)
■ Emergency numbers:
■ +506 8709-0614
■ +506 2682-4911
● Immediate Family
○ David’s Mother :
○ David’s Father :
● Nosara Family
○ Jesse : +506 8621-2244
○ Mara : +506 8756-5589
○ James : +1 (646) 241-1031
● Lionheart Family
○ Shelby : +1 (847) 722- 4556
○ Nadia :
○ Renee : + +1 (323) 895- 2487
○ Abbi :
