Hey! Here's the man behind EFI's success...
RICK KASELJ
EFI CEO
“I like to build things then break them”
This is one of Rick’s most remarkable lines, and because of it, EFI is even stronger and bigger than ever. Starting with one Filipina VA, Joan Carla Andersen, he was impressed by how it turned out and focused on hiring and helping more VAs from across the country.
He hires a diverse set of people and keeps everyone involved. Since the beginning, he invested his trust with Filipino VAs to continuously and efficiently support him as his business grows, whether he builds, breaks, and reconstructs it.
EFI has a strong workplace, increased innovation, strong interpersonal relationships, and best customer service because of Rick and his over-the-top ideas. As EFI evolves, all of Rick’s ideas and creativity exemplify in the business and the security of the job. The plans that he created for EFI provides an opportunity to grow for all of us -- to learn more and be more.
The pioneer VAs, Joan, Anna and Leslie shared more about Rick after years of working with him...
Rick is a great mentor and an effective leader.
There are 3 best practices that I learned from him which helped me every day in every way to get better and better. It’s with purest intention that I want to impart these valuable lessons to the team and help them to make each day their masterpiece.
Be Patient & Be Kind
As Rick always says to me, we need to be patient in teaching others as learning takes time. Nothing great ever comes out of hurry, only frustration and failure. Keep helping others and speak words of encouragement. Give them at least three months to learn and to adapt to changes, and you will see wonders. Remember to keep yourself grounded and always Be KIND. Happy People attract Happy Events. If people are happy with the company they are in, they will do their best to protect it and deliver quality work.
Just Do It.
Rick is a mover and a go-getter. I am inspired when he speaks words of greatness. He always sees things in a positive perspective. Rick has unrealistic goals sometimes hahahaha as he once said “I survived in this business by being unrealistic” 🤪. He never backs down to any obstacles and always sees a difficult task as a “GOOD CHALLENGE”. This makes working with him more fun and not boring. I am grateful for all the things that he taught me and for all the new learnings.
Busy is Good.
Rick is full of vibrant energy and is very passionate with what he does. His dedication and hard work turned his business into a huge success with more than 50 people working for him. he happily says it to me every time we talk that "Busy is good" and I couldn't agree more. he inspires me to think big and do big things. He Builds Up the Strength in You.
Joan Carla Andersen
EFI VA PH Team Manager
Leslie Lopez
EFI VA PH Assistant Manager
Rick to me is a visionary, and I think that this, combined with his passion, hard work, sharp-wittedness, and a good grasp of people formed the building blocks of what EFI is today.
I believe that with Rick, no dream is too big. No dream is too crazy. His wit and courage can turn every road block into a golden opportunity not only to do better things... but to explore greater possibilities.
Anyone who works closely with Rick would agree that how EFI grew from 1 or 2 to more than 50 equally-driven remote professionals is no luck. It's the result of years of diligence, calculated risks, and decisions that are founded on experience, intelligence, patience, and last but not the least-- on numbers. Yes... Rick is definitely that person who greatly values reliable data.
You'd be amazed with Rick's eye for details that a few seconds look at stats is long enough for him to tell whether the figures make sense or need revisiting. Rick believes that good data allows us to see what works and what doesn't, where we are at present, and most importantly, how to get to where we want to be.
Rick is compassionate and empathetic. He knows how it feels to be in his employees' shoes. He understands how devastating it can be to have a boss who gives harsh criticism and how it may damage morale and the ability to move forward. For him, a smart employee makes a mistake, learns from it, and never makes that mistake again. As he would always say, "That's okay. It's not the end of the world". He gives constructive criticism to address employees' mistakes in an encouraging, rather than demoralizing, way.
Anna Marie Igoy
EFI VA PH Email Marketing Team Manager