The Sam + Jo VA Show

Virtual Assistants leave the industry for a number of reasons. Some good. Some bad. We’re human. We make mistakes. We get sick. We burn out. We sometimes have other priorities in life. But there’s nothing we can’t bounce back from. In fact, we learn more from the lessons we learn along the way than we do our wins. In this episode you’ll learn: The fears that are holding you back from giving it ano...

Language is powerful!  Stop downplaying the incredible impact you are making in your clients lives. We want to hear less of this: “I’m just a VA” “I just help out a few people with their admin” “I only work part-time” “It’s only a wee side gig” And more of this: “I’m a kick ass VA and business owner. I’m proud of my skills, experience and impact I make in other’s lives’. In this episode you’ll lea...

We want clients and we want them now! Your dream clients are out there. They’re even actively looking to hire a VA to outsource to. So why is it taking longer than expected for you to become fully booked out? If you’re one of the many virtual assistants who find themselves hiding behind their business name, logo and pretty social media graphics then it’s time to show up and be the face of your bus...

Some of the most successful virtual assistants we see inside The VA Foundry are ones with a strong Executive Assistant (EA) background. EAs just like Monique Venn from Virtually Venn who in 2021 attended the VA Online Summit, was then awarded The VA Foundry Scholarship, before quickly resigning from a very well-paid full time corporate role in order to focus on her very own VA biz!  All this withi...

No one can do it alone and even us mighty virtual assistants need to outsource. But letting go of some of that control, adding people to your team to take over the things on your to do list that aren’t part of your core business, can be daunting. We get it!  It can be time-consuming to teach someone what, when and how you want things done. But it’s MORE time-consuming to try do it all yourself - e...

Every virtual assistant on the planet has experienced this at least once. That feeling of panic that comes immediately after being hired by a new client. Don’t get us wrong. You’re initially over the moon and super excited! Being hired is proof that all your hard work in promoting your business, in networking, in ensuring your online presence shines and in building relationships is working! It’s u...

Planning doesn’t have to be complicated, hard or time consuming.  In fact, when done well planning not only gives you a greater sense of confidence about what you’re doing and why, it can absolutely be enjoyable and fun. Having a plan written down on paper, with goals that are measurable and actionable, helps you focus and keeps you moving forward in order to grow. Now, combine this planning with...

Fear is a master of disguise. If you're not fully booked out with client work, and find yourself attending ALL of workshops, courses, conferences, masterclasses and summits that show up on your newsfeed, but yet never have the time to take any ACTION from your learnings, then you need to stop. RIGHT NOW! This type of learning is holding you back from focusing on what really matters … finding clien...

Just like not every client is going to be the right-fit for you, you're not going to be the right-fit for every client you meet and/or work with. You could be the highest performing, most professional, incredibly charming VA super-star around and there will still be clients that won't: Book a consult with you. Hire you. Keep you on long-term. Maybe the consultation was amazing and you thought you...

There’s no doubt about it - we LOVE a good niche. In fact, the right-fit niche can skyrocket your business’s success! But what happens when the services you WANT to offer (or think you SHOULD be offering) aren’t things you currently have any skills, experience and know-how in? The good news is that you’ve got a few options, and in this podcast episode we talk you through them all. But be warned. T...

It can be hard to switch off when you’re your own boss and self employed. But not only is it absolutely possible to take regular time away from the office, it’s essential that you do so. Regular time off throughout the year to switch off and recharge is essential to avoiding burnout.  And burnout is baaaaad!  In fact, it’s the number one reason virtual assistants go running back to their 9 – 5s. B...

How many times have you said “sorry” today? Probably too many! Always saying sorry for things you shouldn’t be apologising is not only annoying for those on the receiving end to hear, but it actually lessens the impact of when there comes a time something happens that you really do need to apologise for. So today we’re taking about the 7 things we often see virtual assistants saying sorry for … wh...

Just days after walking away with Best VA Speciality or Niche, Top Performing VA Agency AND The Virtual Assistant of the Year Award, Kellie Beaumont from Released sat down with us to share her journey from primary school teacher to award winning virtual assistant agency owner. The 2021 NZ VA Awards was an online event like no other.  There was laughter, tears, banter, llamas, in-jokes galore … but...

Nowadays LinkedIn is far more than just an online CV. In fact, for the majority of VAs, having a LinkedIn presence is a must! Not only is it where many of our ideal clients are, but when done well a robust LinkedIn profile will knock the socks off new leads. In this episode you’ll learn: What other VAs are doing on LinkedIn to stand out from the crowd. Why 500 connections is the magic number. How...

So you’re ready to start growing your team? Having recruited too many to count VAs in her own business over the past decade, in this episode Jo shares the red flags she’s learned never to ignore when bringing on team members. You’ll learn: The surprise red flags that we bet you wouldn’t have thought of (Sam certainly didn’t!). Why putting yourself in your client’s shoes is key in the recruitment p...

When used well Facebook has the potential to bring in great leads at little to no cost (except for your time). The virtual assistants we see nailing it on Facebook are the ones that have embraced the fact that it’s primarily a social platform and use this to their advantage, posting and engaging with intent and giving leads a great sense of their business’s personality and professionalism.  The fl...

Have you been feeling a little short on time lately? Are you working all the hours you can spare but still not seeing the profitable results you'd expect? Increasing your productivity isn’t just about giving you more time in the day, it can also improve the quality of work you are producing, and helps you avoid traps that can dwindle away your time, which often leads to frustration and burnout. Be...

For many virtual assistants, the question of how to charge for travel time is probably something they’ve never needed to think about … because they only work virtually! But in recent years we’re seeing a shift in what some clients are looking for when hiring local VAs, especially for services such as minute-taking and event management. In this episode you’ll learn: The best way to charge if travel...

For every 10 aspiring virtual assistants we see enter (or attempt to enter) the VA industry, only 2 or 3 actually go on to grow thriving businesses that last. Some men and women simply aren’t cut out to be a VA and/or business owner, but more often than not all that’s needed is a mindset shift in order to break through the blocks that are holding you back. In this episode you’ll learn the reasons...

Running an agency isn’t the only way to grow a profitable VA business – but it’s definitely a great option for those that have the skill set to do so. Jo’s secret ingredient to running her own successful VA agency (with over 30 team members) is that she doesn’t focus solely on her clients’ needs, she works hard to ensure her sub-contractors and employees are happy and productive. If you thought re...

The definition of overthinking is “to think about something too much for too long”.  Whilst you’re not alone in your overthinking and worrying about all the ‘what ifs’, your inability to get out of your own head is holding your business back. “Paralysis by analysis” is not only real, it’s super destructive and it’s the cause of you either not launching your biz or taking it to the next level in te...

One of the most effective marketing tools for a virtual assistant business is social proof. We talk a lot about the 'know, like and trust' factor being key in converting leads to paying clients.  Social proof is the  trust  part of this equation. Showing leads that your VA biz has supported x number of happy clients through testimonials, online reviews, case studies and statistics, highlights that...

With the virtual assistant industry experiencing the biggest boom in growth we’ve witnessed in a decade, and with no sign of it slowing down any time soon, it’s no surprise we have so many incredible VAs here in NZ in such demand and fully booked. In fact, there is so much work out there right now that if you’re not getting clients and growing then there is something significantly wrong. In this e...

We’re seeing more women and men than ever before entering the VA industry here in New Zealand.  This is because a certain global pandemic put a big, bright spotlight on our country’s virtual assistants and their incredible value/potential. Businesses across the country who have never before considered hiring a virtual assistant are now on the look-out for flexible, scaleable resources to outsource...

We live in a world where more often than not communicating is done in every which way except for the phone. When experiencing issues with either clients or team members, VAs are often surprised that our very first piece of advice to them is …. ‘pick up the phone – you really need to talk to them.’ We’re so used to using Email, FB Messenger, Trello, Slack, Asana (and all the other online comms tool...