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.

You’ll hear about:

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.

You'll hear about:

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.

You'll hear about

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.

You'll hear about

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.

You'll hear about

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. 🌱

Are you waking up at 3am with your brain already racing? Dragging yourself through the afternoon and quietly wondering how you're going to make it to the end of the day?

If any of that sounds familiar, you're in good company. And there are real, biological reasons it's happening.

In this episode, host Adrienne Donnelly sits down with Dr. Shauna Watts, a GP with a special interest in women's health and midlife medicine, to talk about sleep, energy and burnout and how all three show up for women running a business. Dr. Shauna brings the medical knowledge without the overwhelm, and the kind of honest, practical guidance that actually makes sense in real life. This one is worth saving.

You'll hear about:
🌱 Why so many women wake between 2 and 4am and what's driving it
🌱 How to create an end-of-day routine that helps your brain switch off
🌱 What to eat at 3pm instead of reaching for sugar or another coffee
🌱 The signs of burnout that are easy to miss in yourself and in others
🌱 Why a normal blood test doesn't rule out perimenopause

You're the heartbeat of your business and your family, and when your energy is stretched thin, everything around you feels it. Dr. Shauna makes the complex feel manageable, and this conversation gives you both the language for what you're experiencing and some genuinely practical steps to start working with your body rather than against it.

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

📲 Connect with Dr. Shauna Watts:
Website: www.youbydrshaunawatts.com.au
Instagram: @dr.shaunawatts
Podcast Instagram: @allaboutyou_withdrshaunawatts

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 lot of noise online right now about AI replacing virtual assistants. And if you've spent even a few minutes scrolling, chances are you've seen someone declare that VAs will eventually be made redundant altogether.

The reality looks a little different.

Drawing on almost a decade of experience running her own VA and OBM business, Adrienne shares what future-proofing actually looks like in practice, and why the human element isn't going anywhere. This isn't about ignoring AI or pretending it isn't changing the way we work. It absolutely is. But the story is more nuanced than the headlines suggest, and there's a lot of opportunity in that nuance if you're paying attention.

You'll hear about:

🌱 Real client examples where AI fell short and humans got the job done
🌱 The risks of outsourcing business-critical work to AI
🌱 How embracing AI can elevate your role rather than replace it
🌱 Why niching into growing industries is a smart long-term move
🌱 What a business continuity plan looks like for solo operators

Whatever the future looks like, the VAs and OBMs who will thrive are the ones who embrace technology, deepen their expertise, and double down on the human value they bring. That's not going out of style anytime soon.

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

Bec at The Ops Side: www.theopsside.com.au

🔔 This episode is sponsored by Ready to Boss Legal. Ready to Boss Legal offers online legal templates that protect your business without the fuss or the large fees. Use code SEED10 for 10% off. Visit: www.readytobosslegal.com.au

If this episode made you think about where your business is heading, share it with a fellow VA or OBM who needs to hear it. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss what's new on Seed to Success. 🌱

Running a service business is a lot to manage. Add a chronic illness and it can feel impossible before the day has even started.

If you've wondered whether building something sustainable is realistic when your capacity changes daily, this episode is for you.

In this episode Adrienne Donnelly chats with Laurissa Makings, founder of HealthPoint VA, supporting allied health professionals across Australia. Laurissa shares how she built a niche business while living with multiple chronic health conditions, why honesty with clients has been her greatest asset, and the project she's creating to help others in the chronic illness community find the support they need.

You'll hear about:
🌱 Niching into allied health from day one and why it worked
🌱 Spoon Theory and managing energy in a client-facing business
🌱 Designing your offers around what you can actually sustain
🌱 Why transparency with clients is a strength, not a liability
🌱 The Spoonie Support Hub and the story behind it

You don't have to hide who you are to run a successful business. The right clients will always meet you where you are.

🌱 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

📲 Connect with Laurissa and HealthPoint VA:
Instagram: @healthpointva_
Facebook: Healthpoint VA

🔔 This episode is sponsored by Ready to Boss Legal. Ready to Boss Legal offers easy-to-use legal templates to help protect your business without the stress or high legal fees.
Use code SEED10 for 10% off.
Visit: www.readytobosslegal.com.au

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. 🌱