I sat down with Jess Whatman, founder of Agent Sync, to unpack what it really takes to scale your business using high-level virtual assistants.

She ran me through how I can implement them into my business, and helped me see the areas I need to really let go of, so that I can focus on scaling.

We chat on:

👉🏽 Why so many founders wait until they're in pain to hire help

👉🏽 The difference between a $5 VA and her elite VA’s

👉🏽 Jess’s journey from hiring her first social media VA to building a 100+ person remote team

👉🏽 The mindset shift required to delegate and grow

👉🏽 The best way to train your team and delegate tasks

👉🏽 How one client went from drowning in admin to having most of her time back

Whether you’re a founder, podcaster, or creative agency owner — this episode will inspire you to stop doing it all yourself and build the systems that free you up to grow.

Follow Jess here:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jesswhatman_agentsync/

https://www.instagram.com/agentsync_/

Website: https://agentsync.com.au/

Follow Me Here:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/andrewcooney

Https://www.thinkloud.com.au

Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell - https://www.buybackyourtime.com/

00:00:00 – The Wake-Up Call That Changed Everything

00:00:57 – Meet Jess Whatman: VA Agency Founder

00:02:01 – What is a VA Agency 

00:03:04 – The Hidden Costs of Hiring the Wrong VA

00:05:00 – The Secret Sauce to Vetting Rockstar Virtual Assistants

00:05:58 – Inside a 100+ Person VA Team (And How It’s Structured)

00:06:43 – Who Should Your First VA Hire Be? 

00:08:56 – Why a Social Media VA Was My Game-Changing First Hire

00:11:14 – Why Founders Struggle to Let Go (And How to Fix It)

00:12:00 – How One Hire 2X’d the Business: The Power of an Operations Manager

00:15:45 – From Entry-Level to Elite: Understanding VA Roles & Value

00:16:24 – Behind the Scenes: My Personal Journey With VAs

00:18:08 – Can’t Afford a VA? Why That Mindset is Holding You Back

00:21:32 – I unpack what I want to delegate

00:27:07 – Step-By-Step: How to Start Delegating Without Chaos

00:31:58 – This One Hire Completely Transformed My Business

00:34:12 – Delegation + Automation = Founder Freedom

00:36:52 – Cash Flow, Overheads & The Shift From Freelancer to CEO

00:39:26 – The Proven Method to Train Your First VA

00:44:56 – Real Case Study: The VA Who Changed a Business Owner’s Life

00:48:37 – Outsourcing Your Life: How to Value Your Time Like a CEO

00:50:49 – Why Founders Must Prioritize Self-Leadership & Growth

00:52:26 – Where The Best Clients Really Come From 

00:53:02 – One Life Summit

00:56:09 – Why Real Conversations Beat Instagram DMs Every Time

00:57:59 – In-Person Events vs. Online Learning: What Actually Works

Virtual assistants for entrepreneurs

How to hire a VA

Scaling your business with VAs

Business delegation strategies

Podcast agency growth

Buy back your time Dan Martell

Business operations VA

Online business manager

Remote team systems

Creative agency scaling

How to scale a service-based business

Hiring your first VA step-by-step

What tasks should I delegate as a founder?

VA agency vs freelance platforms

How to stop working in your business