In this episode of The Open Concept, Brandon welcomes Sam Shaw, founder of Assist-Her, a Canadian-based virtual assistant agency supporting entrepreneurs with high-level admin, operations, and creative support. Sam shares how she built her company from the ground up, why local VAs are outperforming offshore alternatives, and what business owners should really consider before hiring their first assistant. From trust barriers to scope creep to successful onboarding, this episode breaks down the mindset and systems needed to scale beyond your own capacity.

🎯 What You'll Learn:

• How to identify the tasks you shouldn’t be doing as a founder and hand them off with confidence

• Ways to shift from “control and overwhelm” to effective delegation that actually frees your time

• How to avoid the most common mistakes when hiring your first virtual assistant

• Why matching personality, communication style, and values matters more than technical skill

• How to build trust with a VA and create a long-term, sustainable working relationship

• The right way to structure onboarding so your assistant succeeds from day one

• How VA agencies like Assist Her support both clients and assistants behind the scenes

• When to hire a generalist vs. a specialist — and how to know which one you really need

  🔑 Key Topics Covered:

✅ Delegation vs. control
✅ Onboarding and communication systems
✅ Task clarity and expectation setting
✅ Hiring and matchmaking for VAs
✅ Long-term relationship building
✅ Managing multi-scope support (creative, admin, ops)

👤 Featured Guest:

Sam Shaw– Founder | Assist-Her Virtual Assistant Agency (Canada & U.S.)

🎙️ About The Open Concept:

Your go-to podcast for construction industry insights, trade business strategies, and leadership advice that actually works.

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