The Sam + Jo VA Show

Warning! F-bombs ahead! The topic of holidays never used to be a subject worthy of our rants. Oh, how things have changed! 3 years ago, when we first started coaching virtual assistants, we had NO clue as to the mind blowing number of VAs NOT taking regular time off. But nowadays every week we’re hearing stories of VAs who are burnt out and falling out of love with their clients and businesses. Mo...

Are they really a shitty client? Or are they simply the wrong-fit for you? It’s easy to blame our shitty clients when things aren’t going smoothly. When clients don’t pay us on time, value our knowledge, respect our boundaries or are poor communicators it’s frustrating … we get it! But 95% of the time there are things you could be doing to foster a healthy relationship where both you AND your clie...

Compromising doesn’t always mean broken boundaries! Get ready to listen to THE most difficult episode we’ve recorded to date. This one may have physically made us squirm, but it’s important for all virtual assistants to know that business can be grey and murky and that SOMETIMES (but not often and definitely not always!) the best thing for YOU is to compromise on your contract terms, the hours you...

If you’re a fan of Parks and Recreation, you’ll be familiar with the phrase “Treat Yo Self!”. Tom and Donna’s magical Treat Yo Self Days are without a doubt one of the best types of self-care practices. Yes, they may have taken it to the extreme … but there’s actual science backed evidence that shows rewarding yourself and making upgrades in your business boosts your wellbeing, encourages producti...

It’s 5 times more expensive to find and onboard a new client than it is to keep a current client happy. Fact! So why is it so many virtual assistants are more focused on impressing the shiny new leads than they are on knocking the socks off clients who already want to work with us? Client satisfaction needs to go to the top of the priority list, because happy, loyal clients mean more referrals, mo...

Just like there’s more than one way to skin a cat (Gross. Do NOT recommend). There’s different ways you can niche down your service offerings in order to get more clients and make more money. But don’t just take our word for it ... Long-standing member of the NZ VA community Debbie Mills-Robertson joins us in this episode to share her story of going from being a disheartened generalist virtual ass...

We’re no stranger to business woo-woo. Not only do we love it, we embrace it, are empowered by it and we're proud of it! There’s no doubt in our minds that our lives and businesses are all the more successful for it. As crazy as using divine intervention, mystical ideas, visualisation and energy transmissions to grow your business may sound to some, we know not everyone reacts with a stinky side e...

Just days after walking away with Best VA Newcomer AND Virtual Assistant of the Year at this year’s New Zealand Virtual Assistant Awards, Tracey Lock from Your A Team sat down with us to share her journey from full time Administration Manager, to award winning virtual assistant agency owner. In this episode you’ll learn: How Tracey achieved her 5 year goals within just 6 months How Tracey replaced...

Has anyone else never fully recovered from seeing Brad Pitt open the box at the end of Seven? Don’t worry, no trigger warnings needed here! In this episode we’re definitely NOT talking about lust, gluttony and greed. Instead, we’re talking about the 7 deadly sins we see merrily leading established virtual assistants down the path of unhappiness, resentfulness, and exhaustion. Just starting out on...

Whether you’re hiring client facing or non client facing team members, there are some common mistakes we see virtual assistant business owners making time and time again. So let’s help you avoid those mistakes in order reduce the risk of a bad hire. In this episode you’ll learn: Our controversial opinions on sub-contractor rates! Why Jo reckons your job ads with minimal hours suck (and why Sam doe...

A common assumption is that in order to become a successful virtual assistant you need to work hard. That’s only half of the story. The other half is our habits. Whether they are healthy or unhealthy, our habits shape who we are professionally and personally and can be the different between success and failure. Let’s kick those unhealthy ones to the kerb! In this episode you’ll learn: The 9 unheal...

Scope creep is like a highly trained Top Gun pilot. It flies under the radar until ... BOOM! ... before you know it that project (or secret nuclear underground bunker) you’ve just spent weeks working on is sadly now an unprofitable one (aka blown to smithereens). In this episode we’re talking about the top causes of scope creep in the virtual assistant space, and how to avoid them. You’ll learn: H...

Are you a lawyer? Nope? So why are you giving out legal advice willy nilly? Are you an accountant? Nope? Then why are you providing accounting advice? Are you an HR manager or payroll expert? Nope? Should you REALLY be sharing HR and payroll advice so casually? Just like mechanics probably shouldn’t be fitting out the plumbing in your brand new house build, and doctors don't offer 6 weekly cut and...

Pricing. The bane of most freelancers’ existence! It’s really no wonder it stresses out so many virtual assistants (both aspiring and established). It's natural to want to be 'affordable' (although we hate that term - just saying) in order to stand out from the crowd. But does being 'affordable' mean you're not charging for all the things you need to charge for in order to be profitable? Figuring...

Whether you call them discovery calls, sales calls, consultations or something else, the purpose of these all-important meetings with new leads is to discovery whether this potential client is a right fit for you, and whether or not they feel the same way. Unlike a traditional corporate job interview, YOU are in charge of running these discussions with potential clients so it’s absolutely vital yo...

We see you over there, working all the hours. Tired. Stressed. Overwhelmed. On the verge of burn-out. Sick of the endless juggle. Falling out of love with your virtual assistant dreams. You didn’t come into the VA space to work MORE hours for LESS money than you did in your corporate role. So why are you? Now is your chance to turn it all around. In this episode you’ll learn: Why there’s just no n...

Caution! Slippery slope ahead! If you find yourself withholding the truth from clients, avoiding uncomfortable conversations, hiding mistakes or making empty promises, you’re on a slippery slope No-Clients-Ville. Because if you’re not being honest then you’re not acting with integrity. And without honesty, trust and integrity it's pretty much impossible to build long-lasting client relationships....

Being in business is likened to riding a roller coaster. There are heart pumping highs and anxiety ridden lows. The key to building a sustainable business is learning to ride out both without spewing – or panicking – or both. It’s not unusual for the work to dry up or for multiple clients finish up simultaneously - so be prepared. In this episode you’ll learn: The easiest ways to bring in more wor...

Honestly, this VA gig isn’t for everyone. Listen in to find out whether your personality traits, attitude, work ethic, quirks, mindset and skill-set mean you’ll be a flash-in-the-plan VA or a long-lasting one. In this episode you’ll learn: Why you need to prepare for rejection. The harsh reality of managing clients. The level of tech savviness that just won’t cut it. Just starting out on your VA j...

It’s time to level up with our Top 5 quick as lightening, on-your-biz wins that will make you more attractive to your ideal clients, put more money in your bank account and allow you to step away from your desk regularly. In this episode you’ll learn: How to stand out amongst the sea of virtual assistants. How to stop being a slave to your inbox. The easiest way to make more money How to bring joy...

We’re not gonna lie! Starting up your VA biz whilst juggling your full-time day-job is going to push your mental and physical limits, will test your relationships and will have you second guessing your virtual assistant aspirations. The good news is that with the right support, motivation and mindset you can absolutely do it! In this episode you’ll learn: How to have it all. Why you can’t do it al...

Is a lack of confidence is holding you back from making your VA dreams a reality? Do you find yourself comparing yourself to other VAs, only to find yourself lacking? Are you tired of your self-sabotaging behaviours kicking your butt? Then listen in to Confidence Coach Gina Hubbard’s expert insights on recognising your triggers and moving past your fears. In this episode you’ll learn: 3 unexpected...

You know your prices are too low. So why aren’t you doing anything about it? We’ll tell you why … You’re worried you’ll be too expensive. You’re worried you’ll lose clients. You’re worried no one will ever want to hire you at a higher rate. But can we let you in on a secret? If you DON’T start charging what you’re worth, and if you DON’T start making money from your clients … you won’t ever be tru...

If you’ve listened to ep #105 ’11 Ways To Gain Credibility As A Virtual Assistant’ you’ll know that being crowned the winner of an appropriate industry award (or even being announced as a finalist!) is a blooming GREAT way to add credibility to your virtual assistant business. And more credibility means … you guessed it … MORE leads and clients! In this episode you’ll learn: Why winning isn’t ever...

We get it. It’s super tempting to keep adding to our list of services in the hope it will attract more leads. Because surely the more we offer the more we attract …. right?? WRONG!!!!!! In this episode you’ll learn: Why you DON’T want to end up being a general, all-purpose paint brush. Why you DO want to be the VA equivalent of a fine dining restaurant. Why you’re going to end up with the polar op...