Hire the Right Virtual Assistant

Are you actually productive… or just exhausted? In this episode of the Hire the Right Virtual Assistant podcast, Melissa Smith, The PVA, breaks down one of the biggest lies business owners believe: that productivity is about doing more. Instead, she explains why energy—not motivation—is the real driver of consistent progress. Melissa shares why she avoids “productivity hack” culture, how routines...

Instant gratification feels productive, but it’s often the very thing holding your business back. In this episode, Melissa Smith, The PVA, breaks down why the constant pull of emails, notifications, and quick wins keeps business owners stuck in a cycle of busyness instead of real growth. It’s not laziness that slows you down; it’s choosing what feels easy over what actually compounds. You’ll hear...

If you wouldn’t do it for 10 years… why are you doing it for 10 hours? That single question has the power to completely shift how you run your business. In this episode, Melissa Smith, The PVA, unpacks a powerful concept inspired by Cameron Scott’s idea of long-term thinking and what it reveals about how business owners are spending their time today. Because the truth is… most business owners don’...

Show Notes:  Most business owners think they need better interview questions. They don’t. They need better preparation. In this episode, Melissa Smith, The PVA, breaks down the real questions business owners are asking before hiring and, more importantly, what those questions are actually trying to solve. Because hiring the right VA isn’t about finding someone who can do the work. It’s about findi...

If your week feels chaotic, it’s not because you’re lazy—or “bad at time management.” It’s because you keep restarting: priorities, plans, momentum, and decisions. Those restarts are expensive, and they quietly steal 10 hours a week.  In this episode, Melissa Smith, The PVA, shares a simple system that changes everything: protect one hour of sacred time each week to plan like a CEO—then hire the r...

In this episode of Hire Your VA, Melissa Smith, The PVA, challenges one of the most dangerous assumptions business owners make: believing they have more time than they actually do. Building on her earlier teaching around time debt, Melissa walks through a sobering but empowering reality check—how many true working days you actually have in a year, and how quickly those days get consumed by commitm...

What if the only thing standing between you and hiring the right VA is… actually creating the position? Not perfecting it, but creating it. In this episode, Melissa Smith, The PVA, shares why the most important step in hiring the right VA is simply making the role exist, even before you feel ready. From the scrappy origins of Airbnb to her own early days in business, Melissa shows how every great...

Are you holding back from hiring the right VA because of common business myths? In this episode, Melissa Smith, The PVA, tackles four of the biggest misconceptions that keep entrepreneurs overwhelmed and overworked. From thinking it’s “too early” to hire, to believing “I don’t have enough work for a VA,” Melissa breaks down why these myths are costing you time, energy, and money. You’ll learn why...

In a culture obsessed with doing more, Melissa Smith The PVA makes the countercultural case for doing less—ruthlessly. This episode is your permission slip to subtract, simplify, and streamline your business so you can focus on what actually moves the needle. Melissa shares lessons from bestselling authors like Dan Pink and Gary Keller (The One Thing) and shows how successful entrepreneurs stay la...

Amateurs Save. Pros Invest. In this episode of Hire Your VA, Melissa Smith, The PVA, unpacks the mindset shift that separates amateurs from pros in business. Whether you’ve been in business for 2 years or 20, your approach to time, energy, and hiring a VA reveals which side you’re on. Amateurs believe saving will somehow be enough. Pros know the truth: investment is what pays dividends. This appli...

As a CEO or business owner, you’ve poured time, energy, and strategy into creating a thriving company culture, but what about your relationship with your VA? In this episode of the Hire Your VA podcast, Melissa Smith, The PVA, turns the focus back on you with one essential question: Are you satisfied with your current VA? Melissa shares from her own career journey as a former executive assistant a...

In this episode, Melissa Smith opens with timeless wisdom from Luke 11:9-10 and unpacks how this biblical principle applies directly to hiring the right VA. Whether you’re new to working with a VA or have tried hiring a VA before without success, Melissa walks you through the simple but powerful process: ask better questions, seek with clarity, and knock on the right virtual doors. Drawing from a...

Melissa Smith (The PVA) dives into a powerful concept that could be holding your business back: time debt. If you’ve ever said, “It’s just easier to do it myself,” this episode is for you. Melissa explains how time debt silently eats away at your productivity and long-term success—and why hiring the right VA is one of the smartest investments you can make. Using real-world examples like McDonald’s...

Seconds matter—and how you spend them can make or break your business and your life. In this heartfelt episode of Hire Your VA, host Melissa Smith shares a powerful personal story that drives home the impact of time, energy, and intentional decision-making. From Friday night lights in a small California town to the daily decisions that shape your success as a business owner, Melissa challenges you...

Show Notes: Hiring a Virtual Assistant can change everything—your time, your business, and your peace of mind. But only if you hire the right one. In this kickoff episode of Hire Your VA, Melissa Smith shares her powerful journey from traditional assistant to becoming the first-ever VA matchmaker. With over 30 years of industry experience and a 98% success rate, Melissa unpacks her step-by-step pr...

Say goodbye to guesswork and overwhelm — Hire Your VA is your go-to podcast for hiring the right virtual assistant with confidence. Hosted by award-winning VA consultant Melissa Smith, each episode cuts through the noise with expert tips, honest truths, and simple steps to grow your business without doing it all yourself. Subscribe now and start hire the right VA with confidence!   Website:  https...