Welcome to the Force & Friction Podcast, where we break down what really moves the needle in GTM, partnerships, leadership, and specifically SaaS growth. Today, we're exploring how to scale human connection in a tech-driven world and redefine leadership on your own terms with Paige McPheely.
We explore how she's built Base around the fascinating paradox of using technology to scale human connection rather than replace it, why the Executive Assistant (EA) leader relationship is the most intimate professional relationship, and her predictions for the future of delegation and outsourcing in leadership.
Paige Mcpheely
Paige is the co-founder and CEO of Base, the leading platform for transforming how executive assistants and leaders work together. But what makes Paige's story truly compelling is how she's built not one, but two successful companies while raising three sons and running her startup out of Valencia, Spain.
Her origin story is a masterclass in turning adversity into opportunity: while starting a family, Paige teamed up with her best friend and fellow new mom to launch 33 Vincent, a remote exec assistant agency born from the shared desire to build fulfilling careers and be present with their families. This set the stage for what would later become Base
Watch the Episode:
Here are the core areas we discuss in today's episode:
1: The Adversity-to-Opportunity Pivot: Building from Necessity
Paige opens by sharing how being laid off while pregnant in a new city became the catalyst for building a business that would eventually serve thousands of executives.
"I was very pregnant, and in a city where I don't know anybody... Say what you will about your ability to get hired when you're pregnant, but it's just a very, very different thing, and so I felt really trapped and really upset, and then I think being forced in that position, we started to see, oh, there are some opportunities here."
This moment of vulnerability led to recognizing a broader market need, other corporate professionals, especially new parents, were feeling the same tension between career ambitions and family priorities. The solution wasn't just personal; it was scalable, leading to explosive early growth where they "couldn't keep up" and were "doubling or tripling in size" organically.
2: The Chemistry Factor: Why EA Matching is More Art Than Science
Paige reveals why most EA arrangements fail and how Base approaches the critical challenge of finding the right fit between leaders and assistants.
"It's such an intimate relationship. I think it's the most intimate professional relationship, and getting that fit right, the chemistry... how do you function when you're, kind of breaking down? All of that is so critical, and if you're gonna really find the leverage that a great executive assistant can provide, gotta get that match right."
This insight transforms how organizations should think about EA hiring—moving beyond skills and experience to focus on personality compatibility, communication styles, and emotional intelligence. The wrong match, regardless of qualifications, will never deliver the leverage that makes EA relationships transformational.
3. Human-First Technology: Using Tech to Enable, Not Replace
Paige shares her philosophy on how technology should enhance human connection rather than substitute for it, especially in an AI-driven world.
"We've always had that mantra of human first... every human has this deep intrinsic need to feel seen and valued and understood. And that is really what a great executive assistant does for you... we're humans first, and nothing else is gonna work unless we make that connection first."
This approach positions technology as an enabler that helps create better matches and provides tools for deeper collaboration, rather than automating away the human elements that make EA relationships valuable. It's a counterintuitive strategy in a world rushing toward automation.
4. Beyond Work-Life Balance: The Integration Fallacy
Paige challenges conventional wisdom about work-life balance and even work-life integration, proposing a more authentic approach to how leaders show up.
"I think we've stopped talking about work-life balance, which is great, because we should. It's a complete fallacy. And then I feel like we were talking about work-life integration a bit, and that felt a little bit more PC for us to talk about, but I think that's also still BS, because that forces us to construct these sort of arbitrary barriers between our personal life in our work life, but we're the same person in both scenarios."
This perspective reframes how EAs can support leaders, not by helping them compartmentalize different aspects of their lives, but by understanding them as whole people with varying priorities and needs across different contexts.
5. The Delegation Revolution: Building Your Personal Support Army
Paige predicts a fundamental shift in how successful people approach delegation and outsourcing, moving toward curated teams of specialized support.
"I think the pendulum is swinging back, where, as a society, we are accepting the fact that outsourcing and delegation just makes a lot of sense... I was talking to somebody the other day, they have, like, 20 coaches, and it's, like, a nutritionist, and someone's helping them learn AI, and, like, you can do that now. You can really curate your own individual team of support."
This vision extends beyond traditional EA relationships to encompass a broader ecosystem of specialized support, where leaders can access expertise and assistance across every aspect of their professional and personal lives.
Find your Executive Assistant at BaseHq's website.
Final Thoughts:
Paige leaves us with a powerful insight about what separates transactional task completion from transformational support."When we see a lot of clients that come to us, and they're like, please, I just need somebody to tell me what to do. Like, please come and boss me around, and, like, build all the systems, and just tell me what to do. And when those people come to us, we're like, yes, we got you, we got you! We could do that all day long."Her final message emphasizes that the best EA relationships aren't about task delegation, they're about finding someone who can think strategically, anticipate needs, and provide the kind of support that gives leaders "oxygen in their helmet" to focus on what matters most.The future of leadership support isn't about replacing human connection with technology, it's about using technology to create deeper, more meaningful professional relationships that enable both leaders and assistants to do their best work.As Paige demonstrates, when you put humans first and use technology as an enabler, you can scale intimacy and connection in ways that seemed impossible just a few years ago.
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A little about me, the host the show. Please connect with me on LinkedIn I'd love to have you as part of our professional network
Mike Midgley runs a portfolio career, a dynamic hands on digital entrepreneur, founder of the Scrubbing Squad, NXD, strategist, public speaker, Winning by Design certified Revenue Architect and Host at The Force & Friction Podcast.
Mike has achieved multiple exits over a 30+ year career, raised Venture Capital and franchised his businesses 68 times.
