The Sam + Jo VA Show

We’re wrapping up 2023 with this look back at the episodes from the past 12 months that made meaningful impact and changed the way virtual assistants do business. In this episode, we’re sharing stories sent in by our awesome listeners on which episodes packed the biggest punch and why. Just starting out on your VA journey? Launch your very own virtual assistant business in just 30 days with our st...

You’ve probably heard a lot about the importance of having an authentic and genuine personal brand as a virtual assistant in order to attract clients. But what happens if you don’t like the thought of sharing everything with everyone on social media in order to be truly ‘authentic’? Or what if you’ve never given any thought to creating a unique brand voice for your business and don’t know where to...

Are you cruising into the Christmas/New Year break assuming no one is hiring virtual assistants this time of year? Sure, there are industries (especially in this part of the world) that shut their doors for an extended summer break. But that doesn’t mean business owners aren't scrolling through social media, pondering the year ahead, dreaming about what they want to outsource and stalking who they...

With Christmas fast approaching now is the time to be thinking about how you’ll be saying ‘thanks’ to your clients for choosing you over all the other VAs they could be working with. But before you let loose on the internet with your credit card, we want to talk with you about keeping to budget and making it personal, because no matter how big or small your budget is this year, it’s the thought th...

We’ve talked about burnout in the past, but it’s never been when we’ve both been experiencing it in real time. This episode is raw and vulnerable. Recording it was as uncomfortable as wearing a turtleneck in the middle of a heat wave. But as much as we both wanted desperately to skulk away and hide under the blankets instead of hitting record, we know it’s important for us to share more than just...

Thankyou Payroll does business beyond profit and in this episode their CEO David Morrison shares the sustainable framework that allows them to ‘do good’ both close to home and at a national level, and how they measure the success in three key areas: People, Planet and Profit. In this episode you’ll learn: How you can integrate ‘doing good’ into your everyday operations. The impact integrating soci...

If you’re a sub-contractor working for a VA business who's trying to justify cutting out the ‘middle man’ in order to work directly for a client you're supporting … then we’ve got some cold hard truths for you. Because no matter the reasons, excuses, stories you're using to validate your decision, stealing clients is not the answer. Is putting your reputation on the line for a short term gain real...

If you’re a VA biz owner who’s tired of recruiting, onboarding and training team members, only for them to up and leave for greener pastures, this episode is going to be a vital but tough one to listen to. Why tough? Because assuming your recruitment process is a great one, the top 5 reasons your team members keep leaving all come down to … YOU. Like it or not, you’re the common denominator. But t...

Are you ready to take your business to the next level? Scaling your business isn't complicated but there's absolutely no shortcuts! It's going to require your time and attention, and it's going to mean putting work into areas of your business you've been ignoring until now. In this episode you’ll learn: What scaling your business really means. The different ways we scaled our businesses. The bigge...

Just days after celebrating her multiple wins at this year’s Thankyou Payroll New Zealand Virtual Assistant Awards, Chantelle Good from Varntige sat down with us to share her journey to grow a thriving virtual assistant agency that would run without her. In this episode you’ll learn: How being faced with a life-threatening illness changed Chantelle’s outlook on life. The reason Chantelle has emplo...

There are a few crucial conversations you’ll need to have with a lead or client where email (or messages) just won’t cut it. Often these are courageous conversations caused by an unhappy client, a mistake that’s been made or a miscommunication. But more commonly they are also your discovery calls and onboarding discussions. It’s impossible to convey your value to a lead via email. It’s difficult t...

There’s a common misconception that the only reason we recommend time tracking is to benefit our clients. We’ve met countless virtual assistants who have put off time tracking because they thought it would be clunky and take them too long to log everything. And we’ve come across many more who think a client asking to see a breakdown of their hours is a red flag, micromanaging alert! But let’s be r...

If we had a dollar for every aspiring virtual assistant whose been told they need a website in order to get clients, we’d be planning an early retirement in the Maldives! Look don’t get us wrong. Nothing gets our engines purring harder than a great converting website with clear messaging and a strong personal brand. This type of website can do wonders for an established virtual assistant’s credibi...

With so many online scams and get rich quick schemes around, it’s no wonder you might be wary of getting burned. In fact we respect those reaching out questioning the legitimacy of the virtual assistant industry - 'cos it's better to be safe than sorry! But we’re here to assure you that the VA space is anything but a ponzi or pyramid scheme. In this episode you’ll learn: The differences between a...

Well, you can try! But it’s certainly not going to be easy finding clients under a cloud of secrecy and lies. The way we see it, you have two options: Be open, honest and have a courageous conversation that paves the way for you to truly succeed; or Not do any of that, allow the secret to eat away at you from the inside, find it more difficult to find clients, AND run the very real risk that your...

The perfect follow on from last week’s episode on why being a bloody great VA isn’t always rainbows and unicorns, in this episode we’re talking about the differences between being a bloody great VA and a bloody great VA business owner. Because unfortunately not even the best VAs in the business are guaranteed to succeed long-term in the industry. The actions required of a great VA business owner a...

This episode is dedicated to all the crazy great virtual assistants out there. The virtual assistants who are booked out with clients who RAVE about them. The virtual assistants delivering incredible value to their clients. The virtual assistants who bend over backwards to make their clients happy. The virtual assistants who prioritise their clients' needs above their own. The virtual assistants w...

No waitlist? No problem! Implementing and managing a client waitlist is a breeze! A breeze that has countless benefits if you’re working at capacity and having to turn down leads. There aren’t many things in business that have NO downsides whatsoever, but having a waitlist is one of them. This no brainer strategy not only helps put an end to your feast and famine cycle, but it’s also really attrac...

Create a course or write an e-book they tell you! Package up downloadables to sell they advise! In theory these are potentially solid passive income options … but not for the majority of virtual assistants. Passive income is being thrown around a lot lately as the answer to all your feast and famine woes. A way to ensure that even in slow periods of business you’ll have a steady stream of income t...

If you’ve followed us for a while, you know that we love us some woo-woo, and this year we’ve truly opened our minds and hearts to even more spiritual practices that can be incorporated into our businesses. We are so grateful to have recently stumbled across the most beautiful soul who we immediately connected with. Numerologist Sandy Atkins has gently guided us the past few months on a journey of...

Are you still holding on to your trusty Gmail email address or another free alternative like Outlook, Yahoo, AOL, Zoho or iCloud? Ummm, why? It’s time to cut those apron strings, stop being amateur and start portraying yourself to be the credible virtual assistant you are! In this episode you’ll learn: All the reasons why you need to get yourself a branded email STAT! What having a Gmail email is...

Here’s a cold hard truth for ya …. you’ll never earn more money than you think you can! In fact, your subconscious money stories are likely to be holding you in a money comfort zone. And this money comfort zone of yours means you’ll never break through the money ceiling you keep butting up against. Money Mentalist Lynda Moore joins us on this episode to chat about how your money beliefs show up an...

Tired of second-guessing your rates? Unsure if you're charging too much or too little? Struggling to find the sweet spot that guarantees a steady income while not scaring away clients? In this episode, you’ll learn our not-so-secret solution to pricing profitably! Spoiler alert: It’s the Ultimate Pricing Calculator for Virtual Assistants and New Zealand and Australian VAs can grab it here for just...

We knew going into creating, launching and delivering ‘Launch in 30 Days’ that it would be a pushy mother f**ker. Unfortunately we were right! It pushed us to step outside our comfort zones. It pushed us into throwing out the window our biz boundaries. It pushed our relationship to the limits. Yup! Launch in 30 Days pushed us HARD! There’s a good reason we put it off for 3 looong years. We thought...

There’s no such thing as a silver bullet to finding clients, and signing up to Fiverr is no exception! Look, there’s no doubt there are some virtual assistants from certain parts of the world doing well on Fiverr. But there’s a reason why we’ve never signed up to Fiverr or recommended any of the VAs we’ve coached over the years to sign up to Fiverr either. There is a certain type of client on plat...