Kara Roberts shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Kara, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is a normal day like for you right now?
I have built a great leadership team that now manages most of the day to day operations, which lets me focus on business development. I became a full time traveler a little over a year ago and I am currently spending three months in the UK. I love having the freedom to explore and have been prioritizing my mental and physical health with nature walks, spa treatments, meditating, journaling, and meeting local people to learn about their country and culture. I feel grateful that there is no normal day and that I can just go with the flow. I spent more than a decade working hard to build a life I can truly enjoy.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m the founder of Pepper’s Personal Assistants, a household management company I started in 2012 that serves high-net-worth clients who need someone to handle the behind-the-scenes chaos of running a home and life. We’ve grown to a team of 26 incredible people who do everything from laundry, errands and meal prep to coordinating with vendors and keeping households running smoothly.
What makes us truly unique is that all our team members are W-2 employees of Pepper’s Personal Assistants, not the client. We handle all the employment logistics (payroll, benefits, HR, training) so our clients never have to deal with the complexities of being an employer. This also allows us to create a really positive, employee-centric culture with full benefits and robust support systems, which means our team is happy, stable, and incredibly good at what they do.
After almost 14 years of building this business, I’ve transitioned into more of a visionary role, focusing on business development and strategy while my amazing management team handles day-to-day operations. It’s been rewarding to watch the company grow from just me to this thriving organization built on the principle that when you take care of your people, they take exceptional care of your clients.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who taught you the most about work?
My grandpa, Harvey Campbell, taught me the most about work. He grew up in Denison, Texas during the Depression. His family was so poor at one point they lived in an old cattle trailer. He lied about his age to get into the Army at 16 during WWII, became a plane mechanic, and retired as a Lt. Colonel. After that, he lived humbly as a building maintenance worker while investing in properties, becoming a self-made millionaire.
He was straightforward with a great sense of humor, generous and hard working. His advice was simple: “If you see something that needs to be done, do it.” That philosophy shaped everything about how I approach life, work and business. I’ve passed that same work ethic onto my sons. The world would be a better place if we all lived by those words.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes, about 18 months ago I hit burnout. I was struggling to build a leadership team that could get me out of the day to day operations. I was exhausted. A decade plus of 24/7 stress had taken a serious toll on my mental and physical health, and I didn’t see a way out of it.
I talked to my financial advisor to see how much I would need to sell the business for to walk away. He encouraged me to keep it and focus on outsourcing as much as I could to get some relief. I’m so glad I listened to him.
What I’ve discovered is that my expectations weren’t too high. I just needed the right people in the right seats to get me where I wanted to be. Sometimes the problem isn’t the goal, it’s that you haven’t found the team who can help you reach it.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
Employee wellbeing. I protect our team at all costs. We don’t expect 24/7 availability. Our team has real benefits, real support, and reasonable boundaries because I truly care about them.
We have strict business hours: Monday through Friday, 9 to 5. Our clients are busy, so they can reach out anytime, but they know their PA won’t respond until the next business day unless it’s truly urgent. Our employees are givers by nature, but we’ve learned that when they overextend themselves, they hit burnout, and that isn’t good for anyone.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
This was a question I asked myself last year. My mother passed away quickly at 62 from an aggressive cancer just as she was getting ready to retire. It shaped how I view life and retirement. All the things she said she was going to do, like travel after she retired, she never got to do.
I vowed that I wouldn’t make that same mistake in honor of my mother. Life is meant to be lived not just by length but by width. Every day I look for joy in the little things and live for today. You won’t hear me say, “When I retire, I’ll finally do xyz.” I’m doing it now.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://paseattle.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peppers_pa
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karakroberts
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeppersPersonalAssistants
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