The Sam + Jo VA Show

Well … here it is. Our final ever episode of The Sam + Jo VA Show. 🥹 After 7 years, 234 podcast episodes, 100k downloads, hundreds of hours of recordings, 7 business planners, 3 global online summits, 5 national industry awards, 5 international VA Day celebrations, 2 overseas retreats and countless coaching sessions .... we’re hanging up our headsets and passing the reins to the next generation o...

If you haven’t listened to Part 1 (ep#218) yet - go do that first. Trust us. That episode literally saved lives and marriages. One year on, we’re back with an update. In true Sam + Jo style, we’re diving in deep as we compare how differently this mid-life hormonal chaos showed up for Jo this time around. Cos YES! Jo’s officially joined the perimenopause club! (Welcome, Jo. Membership includes nigh...

Digital Designer and Online Course Expert Marianne Wullings from Mickie Digital took out the biggest Award at this year’s Seea New Zealand Virtual Assistant Awards - and what a night it was! As well as being crowned VA of the Year for 2025, Marianne also took home Top Performing Team Member and Top Creative VA. Talk about a trifecta of excellence that celebrates her incredible talent, determinatio...

Agency owners (aspiring, newbies and old hats) this one’s for you! In this episode we’re talking about the messy, emotional, not-so-glam side of building a team. You know – the stuff that no one posts about on Insta: When a team member lets you down and leaves you to pick up the pieces. When you’re still doing client work, managing a family and now … dealing with shitty HR issues. When you’re exha...

Thinking of adding payroll services to your virtual assistant or bookkeeping biz? This episode is your sign to explore it… the smart way. We’re joined by Alick and Vicki from Thankyou Payroll who break down exactly what it takes to build a payroll offering that’s profitable and stress-free (for you and your clients!). What you'll learn:  Why payroll can be a powerful recurring revenue stream  How...

At times being a virtual assistant can feel like the loneliest place in the world. So many of us work at home in isolation, connecting only at a surface level from behind our keyboards. But it doesn’t have to be this way. ‘Connection’ may have become a bit of a buzz word in recent years, but there’s a good reason for it. Connection is absolutely vital for overall our well-being and longevity not j...

Thinking about soft launching your VA biz or side hustle? Think again! Ironically your fear of failure (that’s holding you back from launching for real) has put you on a path that’s doomed to fail. It’s time to take control of your destiny, to take the bull by the horns, to put your fear of failure and judgement aside and to stop allowing assumptions to hold you back. It’s time to take courageous...

Are you a stay-at-home mum thinking about starting a wee VA side hustle to bring in some extra income? Then this episode is for YOU! Grab a pen and paper, and get ready to learn the exact steps you need to take to create a profitable side hustle while remaining present for your kids. In this episode you’ll learn: How to remain present for your kids while supporting your clients. Our very different...

In business there are oodles of ways to find yourself in the proverbial sh#t – and being in the virtual assistant space means you’re even more likely to fall headfirst. Why? ‘Cos virtual assistants seem hardwired to appease their leads and clients – to the detriment of their own success and mental health. Please don’t feel embarrassed if you’re doing one (or more!) things on our Sh#t List! Remembe...

The must-listen-to episode for VAs growing their teams, as well as those looking for ways to foster healthy, long-standing relationships with their clients. Personality profiling has been the single best investment in Jo's VA agency - hands down. The Process Communication Model (PCM) is a globally renowned tool (trusted by companies such as NASA, Pixar, Air NZ) for understanding personality, motiv...

Santa’s elves Sprinkles McHustle and Jingle Bossbells have taken over the podcast for a very special Christmas Edition! In this episode you’ll: Play the Naughty or Nice List game (2024 VA Edition). Hear Sprinkles McHustle masterfully re-write the narrative to ensure she’s on the Nice List. Support the official petition for Jingle Bossbells to remain on the Naughty List FOR LIFE. Learn what you can...

Virtual Holistic Systems Strategist Kylie Tolman empowers spiritual and soul-led business owners with aligned automations for sustainable, expansive growth. We first met Kylie earlier this year when she joined May’s intake of Launch in 30 Days and within just 10 short months have witnessed her transformation from a little bit lost, generalist freelancing VA, to an award winning, thriving specialis...

We’ve pulled out the crystal ball to share with you our biggest predictions for the VA industry in 2025! In this episode you'll learn: The most in demand services for virtual assistants in 2025. What leads and clients are looking for when outsourcing in 2025. Why the brave VAs who specialise in 2025 will reap the rewards! The biggest mistakes virtual assistants will make in 2025 when it comes to e...

What word best describes how you want 2025 to be? Think of your Word Of The Year as your guiding word for the year ahead. It’s the word that will help you stay aligned with your vision, it’s the intention behind everything you’ll do, and it’s what will keep you grounded in what matters most. It's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of client work and before you know it, you’re saying YE...

As your VA biz evolves, a 'set and forget' approach can lead to complacency - and nothing good comes from that! We know how easy it is to get caught up in day-to-day client work, but ignoring vital elements like your website copy, contracts, socials, systems and processes will only make it harder to catch up later. The solution? Regularly reviewing your business fundamentals typically requires onl...

A question we’re getting asked a lot right now is how the current uncertain economic climate is affecting the VA industry and whether or not that should influence someone’s decision to launch their business - or stick at their 9-5. We’re not here to bullsh*t you or beat around the bush. There are virtual assistants who are thriving, and others who are barely surviving. Want to know exactly what th...

In this eye-opening episode, Sam dives deep into her personal journey through perimenopause, revealing why it’s so much more than just the infamous hot flushes. Grab your tissues and get ready to have your misconceptions challenged around this often-misunderstood phase of life. With honesty and vulnerability, Sam bravely addresses the mental health challenges that can accompany perimenopause and d...

Freelance Event & Sponsorship Manager Tania DeJonge from Virtually There took home the biggest crown of the night at this year’s Thankyou Payroll New Zealand Virtual Assistant Awards , but that's not all! As well as her deserving win of VA of The Year, Tania is also in the possession of Top Performing VA Freelancer AND Best VA Speciality or Niche for 2024!! Has it all sunk in yet? Not on your...

We’ve carried out HUNDREDS of website reviews for virtual assistants over the years, helping them to improve their online presence. And because of all those hours spent scrolling, reviewing and providing feedback we know first-hand the #1 most common mistake VAs are making time and time again when DIYing their site. Today we’re sharing with you the simple tweak you can make to your website copy gu...

Little did Sam know when setting her 2024 Word of The Year as ‘healthy’ just how drastically that would change her life both personally and professionally. Sam isn’t sharing her journey to shame you into making similar changes in your life or to tell you her way is the only way – ‘cos it’s not! Sam is opening up about her journey to getting healthy in all the ways in the hope it will help (maybe e...

Yeah, we know. The most annoying thing you can say to an overthinker is for them to stop overthinking 😂 Lucky for our overthinking listeners, we’re not just telling you to stop overthinking, we’re telling you WHY your overthinking has made you overlook the very obvious solution to your service offering woes. You’re welcome 😉 In this episode you’ll learn: The reasons EA services are are fabulous...

Agency owners and sub-contractors. This one’s for BOTH of you! This is your friendly reminder that no matter the VA pathway you’re on, it’s likely you can be doing better. We know you both have your unique frustrations with one another, and boy do we feel for you when the shit hits the fan or you’ve simply reached the end of your rope after being let down and disappointed one too many times. We ge...

Before stepping foot into the VA space we need for everyone to understand the difference between billable and non-billable work. Just cos you may be available to work X number of hours a week, doesn’t mean all of those hours will be spent supporting clients.  Anyone that tells you otherwise is delulu. The reality is, in order to make this VA gig a profitable, successful one where you’re not workin...

Warning: This episode will make you cringe as hard as you will laugh. You loved Part 1 so much we decided to record Part 2, this time focussing on the untold, after-dark stories from July’s VA retreat in Bali. Nothing (and we mean NOTHING) was left on the table. These are all the stories from Bali you didn’t know you needed to hear, and stories you probably don’t need to hear, but we’re over-share...

Welcome to our un-planned, unexpected, live debrief of the 2024 VA Retreat in Bali! The reason we decided hit record on this very honest, behind the curtain convo? Well, it turns out this (our regular weekly podcast recording session) was our first opportunity to sit down together since returning home from beautiful Bali, and we thought it would be fun to share the highs (and lows!) of taking 11 V...