InboxDone provides a fractional service model as an alternative to the fixed annual costs ($36,000) associated with Athena. Our two-assistant system ensures continuous coverage during sick days or holidays. This approach allows clients to scale their hours monthly rather than committing to a full-time, long-term contract.
What happens when you compare a service built around onshore, high-quality executive support to one rooted in an older, offshore-first model?
You get a very different experience!
If you’re searching for Athena executive assistant alternatives, I’ll talk you through why many founders and CEOs make the switch.
In a nutshell, professionals switch to InboxDone’s executive assistants for four reasons:
- You are guaranteed two dedicated onshore executive assistants based in North America.
- The assistants are handpicked based on our core values: integrity, empathy, and reliability.
- They receive extensive support and training, which is often mentioned in Glassdoor reviews.
- InboxDone offers flexible monthly plans and won’t lock you into an annual commitment.
After you’ve scrolled through, if you feel a sense of relief, knowing you could work with an onshore executive assistant who’s in it for the long haul, I want you to take this as a sign to move forward with us.
Where Do Athena Executive Assistants Fall Short?
On paper, Athena markets itself as a full-time executive assistant service for entrepreneurs and business leaders.
Athena’s executive assistants are typically offshore, with many based in the Philippines.
Upon signing up, you are locked into a $36,000 annual commitment that includes a dedicated assistant for administrative tasks, scheduling, and inbox management.
That might sound appealing if you imagine an assistant always ready, working, and on call.
But public reviews and former-employee feedback paint a different picture:
Many report low pay relative to what their clients pay. According to Glassdoor, some assistants say they received a “low hourly rate” and experienced a “poor work culture.”
Others mention “poor communication with management” and “this place will test you.”
Sure, you have to take reviews from former employees with a grain of salt, especially as these are anonymous and some may have an axe to grind for whatever reason.
But do you really want to risk partnering with an assistant who’s unhappy at work?
That’s your call.
Despite broadly recommending the workplace, one former executive assistant mentioned “poor career progression possibilities” as a con of working at Athena.
This is a problem because ambitious professionals will inevitably want to progress their careers, and if they can’t do this within Athena, they will simply leave and go elsewhere.
Some assistants remain unmatched for long periods before being assigned a client.
Another assistant says, “The clients pay $3,000 per month, but the [assistants] are paid literally 20% of that.”
You’re paying for full-time, but you may end up with someone overworked, disengaged, or juggling many clients, all while client-paid fees remain high.
Is this what you want?
I’m going to present an alternative solution.
Why InboxDone’s Onshore, Fractional Approach Works
Here’s how the InboxDone model differs and why many founders find it a better fit:
1 – You Pay For What You Need
Instead of a flat fee for a full-time assistant, InboxDone offers a subscription model that lets you scale hours up or down depending on your workload.
You’re not locked into 40 hours a week when you only have 10-20 hours of work. This saves money and prevents you from wasting resources.
2 – Two Dedicated Assistants From Day One
Double-whammy! Right away, you get two assistants, not one. That means if one is unavailable due to a holiday or sick leave, the other covers the work. This means there are no lapses or stalled projects.
3 – Onshore Talent With Excellent English
Our assistants come from backgrounds where English is their first language, and have experience with Western business systems and communication styles.
They know how to interpret context and take initiative when required. Communication is far less error-prone than when teams operate halfway around the world.
4 – Broad Range Of Services Under One Roof
InboxDone assistants offer more than email management and calendar scheduling. They’ll also manage data entry, CRM updates, customer support, social media replies, and internal documentation.
The goal is always to take as much off your plate as possible.
5 – Better Continuity & Reduced Risk Of Lapse
Because of our two-assistant model, extensive vetting and hiring process, and ongoing support structure, our clients don’t face the frequent turnover or “floating assistant” problems common with some offshore agencies. Your operations stay steady even as people take time off.
6 – Long-Term Fit For Complex, Context-Sensitive Work
When tasks require understanding your business context, like inbox triage for a high-profile client or nuanced scheduling, the cultural alignment of an onshore assistant matters.
InboxDone’s model is built for that. Ultimately, it comes down to making sure everyone’s on the same page. This is why we’re always very intentional about the assistants you’re paired with.
What InboxDone Offers That Athena Struggles To Match
I want to circle back to those words I mentioned at the beginning of the article…
Integrity, empathy, and reliability.
While Athena may sound like a “full-time assistant” solution, that promise comes with trade-offs:
- Low assistant pay
- Unsettled assistants
- Offshore professionals
This is all based on information we’ve gathered from former-employee reviews on Glassdoor.
For some businesses, this may be fine, but for founders who value consistency and quality, it may lead to frustration further down the line.
InboxDone was built to avoid those trade-offs by offering:
- Fractional pricing, so you only pay for what you need
- Two-assistant redundancy to avoid gaps
- Native English onshore assistants
- A broad, flexible scope of services
We are focused on building long-term partnerships with founders and CEOs. That’s been our guiding principle since we started InboxDone in 2017.
Which Service Is Right For You?
Athena might be a fit if:
- You need a single, full-time assistant, and you don’t mind being locked into a $36,000 base plan.
- You’re okay with potential turnover or occasional gaps in service.
- Your tasks are basic, repetitive, and don’t require much business context.
InboxDone is a fit if:
- You need flexibility in hours. Sometimes more, sometimes less.
- You value continuity, consistency, and high-level communication.
- You want to partner with two onshore executive assistants.
- You want to scale up or down at any time without annual commitments.
Why InboxDone Often Pays For Itself
Many clients look back and realize that even if they only win one extra client a month, or save a handful of high-value hours, InboxDone has already paid for itself.
If you’re comparing InboxDone with Athena, I want to leave you with the honest truth:
- Athena is asking you to take a massive leap of faith on an offshore assistant with a year-long commitment, starting at $36,000.
- InboxDone guarantees two (yes, two!) executive assistants based in North America on a flexible monthly plan that you can scale up or down as needed.
Book a call today and apply for two dedicated InboxDone assistants.
