Seed to Success

There's a smart way to use AI in your business, and it has nothing to do with avoiding it out of fear. It's about knowing exactly where the lines are, so you can use it with confidence.

Whether you're drafting client emails, researching a project, or letting AI handle admin in the background, a few simple habits make the difference between using it well and using it recklessly.

In this episode, Adrienne Donnelly sits down with Baidy Barton, founder of Tailwind Growth and a governance, risk and compliance expert turned AI native growth leader. Together they explore what AI safety actually looks like for small service based businesses, from real world data breaches to the practical guardrails every VA and OBM can put in place today.

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AI isn't something to be scared of. It's a tool, and like any tool, it works best when you understand how to use it responsibly. Baidy's advice is simple. Question what you put in, question what you get out, and always ask yourself if you'd be comfortable seeing that information on the front page.

Resources & Links

Connect with Adrienne & the Seed Community:
Website: www.seedvirtualassistants.com.au
Instagram: @seedvirtualassistants
Facebook Group: Seed VA - Australian Virtual Assistant Community
Learn more about the Inner Circle: www.seedvirtualassistants.com.au/innercircle

Connect with Baidy Barton:
Website: www.tailwindgrowth.ai
Instagram: @tailwind_growth
LinkedIn: tailwind-growth

Cyber Wardens (free AI and data security course for small businesses): https://smallbusinesspeak.org.au/cyberwardens/

Book recommended by Baidy: The New Age of Sexism: How the AI Revolution is Reinventing Misogyny

If this episode made you feel a little less alone or gave you something to think about, share it with a fellow VA or OBM. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss what's new on Seed to Success.

The first year of business rarely looks like the highlight reel we see online. It's messy, it's humbling, and most of the real growth happens quietly behind the scenes while you're still figuring out your pricing, your boundaries and who your actual ideal client is.

In this episode, Adrienne Donnelly sits down with Ashli Newton, founder of Three Leaves Admin and a member of the Inner Circle community, to talk honestly about her first twelve months in business. Ashli supports small business owners, tradies and Airbnb hosts with the busy back end work that keeps things running, and she holds nothing back about what that first year actually looked like.

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If you're in that first messy stretch of business and wondering whether it ever gets easier, Ashli's story is proof that it does, one aligned client and one clear boundary at a time. Growth doesn't need to be loud to be real. 🌱

Resources and Links

Connect with Adrienne & the Seed Community:
Website: www.seedvirtualassistants.com.au
Instagram: @seedvirtualassistants
Facebook Group: Seed VA - Australian Virtual Assistant Community
Learn more about the Inner Circle: www.seedvirtualassistants.com.au/innercircle

Connect with Ashli Newton:
Instagram: @threeleavesadmin
Facebook: Three Leaves Admin

If this episode made you feel a little less alone or gave you something to think about, share it with a fellow business bestie. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss what's new on Seed to Success. 🌱

Have you ever wondered why some VAs and OBMs land the client and others don't, even when everyone on the shortlist has the same skills and experience? Sometimes the answer isn't about who's the most qualified. It's about who made the strongest first impression on paper.

In this episode, Adrienne Donnelly pulls back the curtain on what she actually sees after reviewing hundreds of business proposals and expressions of interest through Seed's VA matchmaking service. She shares the honest, sometimes uncomfortable truth about what separates a proposal that gets ignored from one that gets a client saying yes.

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If you've ever sent off a proposal and wondered why you didn't hear back, this episode gives you a clear, practical way to look at what you're sending with fresh eyes. Small changes here can make a real difference to how you're perceived, and to the opportunities that come your way. 🌱

Resources and Links

Connect with Adrienne & the Seed Community:
Website: www.seedvirtualassistants.com.au
Instagram: @seedvirtualassistants
Facebook Group: Seed VA - Australian Virtual Assistant Community
LinkedIn: Seed Virtual Assistants
Learn more about the Inner Circle: www.seedvirtualassistants.com.au/innercircle

Grab a business profile, client proposal, or pricing and service guide template: www.seedvirtualassistants.com.au/templates

If this episode made you feel a little less alone or gave you something to think about, share it with a fellow business bestie. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss what's new on Seed to Success. 🌱

You’ve built something that works, but somehow you’re still the one holding every piece of it together. The systems haven’t caught up with real like, and delegation feels harder that it should, even though you know you can’t keep wearing every hat forever.

In this episode, Adrienne Donnelly sits down with Inner Circle member Emma Bennett of Em & Co Consulting, who helps women in business untangle the operational chaos behind the scenes. Emma’s own path took her from a corporate career to running a cattle station in the Kimberley and eventually to building a business around everything she learned along the way.

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If you’ve ever felt like your business runs entirely on what’s in your head, this episode is a reminder that the operations catching up doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It just means it’s time to build the support system your business actually needs.

Resources & Links

Connect with Adrienne & the Seed Community:
Website: www.seedvirtualassistants.com.au
Instagram: @seedvirtualassistants
Facebook Group: Seed VA - Australian Virtual Assistant Community
Learn more about the Inner Circle: www.seedvirtualassistants.com.au/innercircle

Connect with Emma Bennett:
Website: [www.emandcoconsulting.com.au](http://www.emandcoconsulting.com.auhttps://www.emandcoconsulting.com.au/)
Instagram: @emandcoconsulting

Learn more about Secret Women’s Collab:
Website: www.secretwomenscollab.com.au
Instagram: @secretwomenscollab

Boldly in Business Conference, Friday 18 September 2026. Get $10 off your ticket by clicking here

If this episode made you feel a little less alone or gave you something to think about, share it with a fellow business bestie. And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss what’s new on Seed to Success.

There's a moment every VA or EA hits where you wonder if you're just ticking off tasks or actually making a difference to the business you support. It's easy to feel like the value of your work is invisible, especially when you're doing it well and nobody notices the chaos you've quietly prevented.

This week's guest has spent close to three decades answering that exact question, both inside corporate EA roles and now running her own consultancy. She's got firm views on what actually makes someone indispensable, and none of it comes down to how fast you can manage an inbox.

In this episode, Adrienne Donnelly is joined by Yvette Simpson, founder of The Y Principle, a fractional operations and executive support consultancy. Yvette shares what nearly 30 years of partnering with C-suite leaders and founders has taught her about trust, positioning, and building a business that doesn't rely on being the only one who can do the job.

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Yvette's approach is a good reminder that this work comes down to the trust you build, the language you choose to describe what you do, and knowing when to bring in support instead of carrying it all yourself. If you've been quietly wondering whether you're doing this the right way, this conversation might just put your mind at ease. 🌱

Resources and Links:
🌱 Join the Seed VA community:
Website: www.seedvirtualassistants.com.au
Instagram: @seedvirtualassistants
Facebook Group: Seed VA - Australian Virtual Assistant Community
Learn more about the Inner Circle: Seed Inner Circle

📲 Connect with Yvette Simpson:
Website: www.the-y-principle.com
Instagram: @the_y_principle
Facebook: The Y Principle
LinkedIn: Yvette Simpson

If this episode made you feel a little less alone or gave you something to think about, share it with a fellow business bestie. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss what's new on Seed to Success. 🌱

Do you ever feel like being visible in your business just means posting more, showing your face more, and doing more video? Like there's some invisible checklist you're not ticking off, and until you do, you're not allowed to put yourself out there.

If that feeling is familiar, get ready for a shift. It turns out visibility has very little to do with the social media hamster wheel, and a lot more to do with connection, mindset, and understanding that your work genuinely helps people.

In this episode, Adrienne Donnelly sits down with Leslie Carvitto, a personal brand photographer, visibility mentor, and podcast host who helps women build magnetic brands and businesses. Through authentic marketing, strategic storytelling, and community, Leslie empowers women to own their expertise and be seen for the incredible work they do. She shares her refreshingly honest take on what visibility actually looks like, why self promotion isn't something to feel icky about, and how she helps women feel confident and prepared in front of the camera.

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Leslie's reminder that visibility doesn't have to be loud or constant, sometimes it's as simple as one coffee, one pitch, or one honest conversation, is a good one to sit with. If you've been waiting to feel ready, this episode is your nudge to just start. 🌱

Resources and Links

🌱 Join the Seed VA community:

Website: https://www.seedvirtualassistants.com.au/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seedvirtualassistants

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1082065292124728

Learn more about the Inner Circle: https://www.seedvirtualassistants.com.au/innercircle

📲 Connect with Leslie Carvitto:

Website: https://www.lesliecarvitto.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lesliecarvitto.photography

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-carvitto/

If this episode made you feel a little less alone or gave you something to think about, share it with a fellow business bestie. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss what's new on Seed to Success. 🌱

It's July, and if you're anything like most business owners, you're having that strange moment where January feels like it was both yesterday and five years ago. You set goals at the start of the year, got excited about some, felt a little nervous about others, and then client work took over.

That's exactly why the mid year check in matters. Not because you're supposed to be perfectly on track, but because it's worth stopping to ask yourself how things are actually going, and whether you're in the driver's seat of your business or just holding on for the ride.

In this episode, Adrienne Donnelly guides you through a simple mid year reset. She walks through celebrating your wins so far, checking in honestly with how you're really feeling, auditing what's working and what's not, revisiting your goals with permission to change them, and figuring out what support you actually need for the rest of the year.

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You don't need the whole year mapped out and you don't need every goal ticked off by now. There's still plenty of time left to create momentum, make progress, and turn this into a genuinely good year. Take a moment to reflect and choose how you want to move forward.

Resources and Links

🌱 Join the Seed VA community:

Website: https://www.seedvirtualassistants.com.au/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seedvirtualassistants

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1082065292124728

Learn more about the Inner Circle: https://www.seedvirtualassistants.com.au/innercircle

If this episode made you feel a little less alone or gave you something to think about, share it with a fellow business bestie. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss what's new on Seed to Success. 🌱

There's a version of business advice that tells you to just follow the strategy. Map the plan, hit the milestones, stay consistent. And there's another version that says trust your energy, move with the seasons, follow what feels right. But what if you didn't have to choose between the two?

In this episode, Adrienne Donnelly sits down with Kathleen Amy, OBM, soulful VA, and host of the Soulful Strategies podcast. Kathleen shares how eight years in business have shaped her philosophy of structure with soul, and what it really looks like to build a sustainable business that holds you through the low seasons, the full seasons, and everything in between.

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Running a service-based business doesn't mean being on all the time. This conversation is a reminder that structure and soul aren't opposites and that the most sustainable businesses are built with both. Take what lands for you today. 🌱

Resources and Links

🌱 Join the Seed VA community:

Website: https://www.seedvirtualassistants.com.au/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seedvirtualassistants

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1082065292124728

Learn more about the Inner Circle:

https://www.seedvirtualassistants.com.au/innercircle

📲 Connect with Kathleen Amy:

Website: https://kathleenamy.com.au/

Podcast: https://kathleenamy.com.au/podcast-soulful-strategies/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathleenamy.virtual/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kathleenamy.virtual

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kathleenamy.virtual

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleenamy/

If this episode made you feel a little less alone or gave you something to think about, share it with a fellow business bestie. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss what's new on Seed to Success. 🌱

If you've ever felt like you're on a content hamster wheel, posting consistently, trying to feed the algorithm, and still wondering why the leads aren't flowing, you're not alone. So many VAs and OBMs are pouring time and energy into social media and quietly burning out in the process.

The truth is, marketing your service-based business is so much more than showing up on Instagram. And when the economy gets tough and clients start watching their spend, knowing how to market strategically rather than reactively could make all the difference.

In this episode, host Adrienne Donnelly is joined by Bec Chappell, a marketing strategist with nearly 20 years of experience helping service-based businesses build sustainable marketing systems. Bec has spent her career setting up marketing functions for businesses of all sizes, and she brings a refreshingly practical, no-hype approach to the conversation.

You'll hear about

🌱 Why social media alone won't build a sustainable lead flow
🌱 The difference between "always on" marketing and campaign marketing
🌱 Practical strategies for marketing your business when clients are cutting spend
🌱 How to use AI smartly without losing your voice or point of difference
🌱 Why your next client is probably already in your network

Whether your books are full or you're quietly wondering where the next client is coming from, this episode will shift the way you think about marketing your business for the long game.

Resources and Links

🌱 Join the Seed VA community:
Website: www.seedvirtualassistants.com.au
Instagram: @seedvirtualassistants
Facebook Group: Seed VA - Australian Virtual Assistant Community
Learn more about the Inner Circle: Seed Inner Circle

📲 Connect with Bec Chappell:
Website: www.becchappell.com.au
LinkedIn: Bec Chappell
Instagram: @bec_chappell

🎙️ Marketing Espresso Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/marketing-espresso-podcast

🎙️ How to Market When Times Get Tough (episode): https://tinyurl.com/how-to-market-when-times

If this episode made you feel a little less alone or gave you something to think about, share it with a fellow business bestie. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss what's new on Seed to Success. 🌱

If you've ever caught yourself asking a client for a day off, chances are you already know something feels a little off about that. You're not an employee anymore, but sometimes the language hasn't quite caught up.

Most of us come into business after years in traditional employment, and we bring that language with us without even realising it. It's not a problem. It's just part of the transition. And once you start to notice it, that's when things start to shift.

In this episode, Adrienne Donnelly explores why the language we carry from employment can quietly undermine how we show up as business owners, and walks through some of the most common shifts worth making, from how we handle inquiries to how we talk about our time, our scope, and ourselves.

You'll hear about

🌱 Why employee language follows us into business and why that's completely normal

🌱 The difference between asking permission and communicating your availability

🌱 How to handle out-of-scope requests without underselling your time

🌱 Removing the word "just" from how you talk about yourself

🌱 Small language tweaks that shift how clients perceive your value

Language is one of those things that changes quietly over time. You don't need to have it perfect, and you don't need to overhaul everything at once. But once you start noticing the words you're using, it becomes much easier to make those small, steady shifts that reflect the business owner you already are. 🌱

Resources and Links

Join the Seed VA community:

Website: seedvirtualassistants.com.au

Instagram: @seedvirtualassistants

Facebook Group: Seed VA – Australian Virtual Assistant Community

Learn more about the Inner Circle: seedvirtualassistants.com.au/innercircle

If this episode made you feel a little less alone or gave you something to think about, share it with a fellow business bestie. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss what's new on Seed to Success. 🌱