Leaders Perception Magazine is currently running an interview series called – Building a Successful Remote Work Culture: Discussing strategies and best practices for fostering a productive and engaged remote workforce, addressing topics like communication, collaboration tools, work-life balance, and employee well-being
Interviewee Name: Paul Edwards
Company: Emissary Publishing
Position: CEO / Founder
Linkedin Profile: https://linkedin.com/in/meetpauledwards
Paul Edwards’s favorite quote: “ “Talent hits targets no one can hit. Genius hits targets no one can see.” – Arthur Schopenhauer”
Paul Edwards, the Founder and CEO of Emissary Publishing, has made a remarkable impact as a leader in the realm of faith-driven entrepreneurship and executive publishing. Through his boutique independent publishing company, Paul not only provides a platform for telling impactful stories but also guides and mentors a remote team of like-minded individuals who have embraced the path of self-employment and independence. In this captivating interview article, we delve into Paul’s journey of leading a remote team, ignited by the increasing demand for his content ghostwriting service. Discover the powerful practice of interviewing that transformed virtual staff meetings into mastermind sessions, fostering transparency and cohesiveness within the team. Learn how Paul’s genuine care for the well-being of his team members created a thriving and harmonious work environment. Explore the integration of innovative tools like Monday.com, enabling a seamless content creation process that keeps clients satisfied and deadlines met. As we delve into Paul Edwards’ insights and experiences, we uncover the transformative concept of the “Divine Content Creation Model” and the power of subconscious rumination. Join us as we embark on an inspiring journey with Paul Edwards, where the power of words knows no bounds, at Emissary Publishing.
The Interview
Thank you so much for joining us today! Tell us a little bit about yourself. What is your backstory?
Paul Edwards : Founder and CEO of Emissary Publishing, a boutique independent publisher serving faith-driven entrepreneurs and executives, and telling the stories that matter.
I got into leading a remote team after demand for my content ghostwriting service expanded in 2020. I recruited a slew of like-minded, young freelancers and mentored them into becoming self-employed, independent professionals who could leave their 9-5 jobs, overpriced college degrees and rented apartments.
How do you ensure effective communication and collaboration among remote team members? Can you share any specific tools or practices that have been particularly effective for your organization?
Paul Edwards : We have a saying at Emissary: “You can’t ‘over-communicate’ in our business.” (It’s helpful that our business IS communication.)
The most powerful practice I found boils down to *interviewing.* I turned our virtual staff meetings into mastermind meetings, where we spent most of the time sharing wins, challenges and future opportunities.
Because the team knew I cared deeply about the condition of their souls – more than I did about business details – they became a very transparent and cohesive unit. They began to imitate me with their thoroughness and attention to detail. They shared their strengths and ideal assignments – and I leveraged that information to slot them correctly, which maximized the productivity and interaction.
I also had an extremely talented operations leader, who introduced Monday.com to facilitate the “assembly line” of writing, editing, reviewing and uploading content for clients. Broken down into simple steps shared between 3-4 people, producing weekly and monthly blogs became a smooth, efficient process that never missed a deadline, nor failed to keep the clients happy.
Maintaining work-life balance can be challenging in a remote work environment. What strategies do you recommend for remote employees to create boundaries between work and personal life? How can organizations support their employees in achieving a healthy work-life balance?
Paul Edwards : The nature of our work implies “intermissions” between phases of productive work. One method I taught the team is what we call the “Divine Content Creation Model.”
The team has learned to draft what they’re going to write about, the night before they write it. They create an entire outline of a blog or book chapter, and then they set it down, and get a good night’s sleep.
When they awaken, their subconscious being has had all night to ruminate on the topic. So chapters and blogs that used to take them 4+ hours to draft … now take 45-60 minutes.
Leaders Perception Magazine would like to thank Paul Edwards and Emissary Publishing for the time dedicated to completing this interview and sharing their valuable insights with our readers!
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