Emma Johnson used to be a business strategist and coach, front and center on stages and inside her own launches. Today she's an Accredited OBM who built a fully booked practice for coaches and course creators, and she built it entirely around her two boys.

At the end of 2025, life circumstances shifted, and Emma made an intentional decision to be less visible. Instead of stepping away from her business, she pivoted into the work she'd always loved: systems, structure, and behind the scenes implementation, on a schedule that puts her kids first.

In this episode, we'll talk about:

• why Emma pivoted from a visible, launch based coaching business into OBM work
• how she built her whole business around school hours, and what that actually looks like day to day
• how she went from finishing OBM Accreditation to a fully booked roster in two months
• what she means when she calls herself her clients' “second brain”
• how she works asynchronously with clients across the US, UK and Australia without being online after school pickup
• the self-trust and boundaries that decide who she takes on as a client

Connect with Emma (Emma Johnson & Co): https://www.emmajohnsonandco.com/

Thanks for tuning in to The OBM Show - your go-to podcast for Online Business Managers and entrepreneurs who want to scale strategically and sustainably.

If this episode resonated with you, be sure to follow the show and leave a review. It helps more aspiring and established Online Business Managers find this content and grow their businesses with confidence.

✨ Ready to take the next step?

 Grab your free OBM Starter Kit → obmschool.com/starter
Explore more tools and trainings → obmschool.com/resources
Learn about becoming a CPD-certified Accredited Online Business Manager → obmaccreditation.com

🧭 Not sure where to start?
Find out your OBM Archetype and get personalized next steps → obmschool.com/quiz

📺 Prefer to watch?
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel and hit the bell icon to get notified when we drop a new video → youtube.com/@SarahNokedOBM

Until next time, keep building the business behind the business.

In this episode of The OBM Show, we're tackling the question almost every Online Business Manager has quietly asked themselves in the last year:

"Is AI going to affect my job?"

Here's the honest answer: yes, things are changing. But probably not in the way you fear.

Because after more than a decade in the Online Business Management industry, here's what I'm seeing. AI is not coming for your OBM career. It's coming for the low-level execution work that was never where your value lived in the first place. The first-draft SOPs. The meeting summaries. The reporting. The project timelines.

And the OBMs who learn to use AI as a strategic tool, rather than fear it as a threat, are stepping into an incredibly powerful position. Because the businesses they support need them more than ever.

In this episode, we'll talk about:

• the three biggest ways AI is changing the OBM role right now
• how AI-integrated businesses become more complex, and more in need of an OBM
• the categories of AI tools genuinely worth your attention (SOPs, project management, meeting summaries, reporting, and content)
• where over-relying on AI can actually backfire
• the one thing AI will never be able to do, no matter how advanced it gets
• what to do right now to position yourself as a strategic OBM in an AI-driven world

If AI has felt exciting, overwhelming, or somewhere in between, this episode will help you cut through the noise and get clear on where you actually fit in all of it.

Because the OBMs who thrive in this environment are the exact same OBMs who have always thrived. The only difference now is that the tools in their toolkit just got dramatically more powerful.

Thanks for tuning in to The OBM Show - your go-to podcast for Online Business Managers and entrepreneurs who want to scale strategically and sustainably.

If this episode resonated with you, be sure to follow the show and leave a review. It helps more aspiring and established Online Business Managers find this content and grow their businesses with confidence.

✨ Ready to take the next step?

 Grab your free OBM Starter Kit → obmschool.com/starter
Explore more tools and trainings → obmschool.com/resources
Learn about becoming a CPD-certified Accredited Online Business Manager → obmaccreditation.com

🧭 Not sure where to start?
Find out your OBM Archetype and get personalized next steps → obmschool.com/quiz

📺 Prefer to watch?
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel and hit the bell icon to get notified when we drop a new video → youtube.com/@SarahNokedOBM

Until next time, keep building the business behind the business.

One of the most valuable things about having an Online Business Manager isn't just having someone who can keep projects moving or systems running.

It's having a trusted partner who helps you become a better leader.

In this episode of The OBM Show, I'm joined by Shannon Mattern, founder of Web Designer Academy, for an honest conversation about what changed when she stopped trying to do everything herself and learned to truly partner with her right-hand person.

Shannon shares how difficult delegation was in the early days, why she'd often jump back into work she'd already handed off, and how her OBM helped her shift from "fixing" problems to leading her business more intentionally.

We'll talk about:

• why delegation is often much harder than business owners expect

• how great OBMs help CEOs become stronger leaders, not just more organised ones

• what operational leadership looks like beyond project management and systems

• how trust develops between a CEO and their Online Business Manager

• what business owners should look for in a true strategic operational partner

Whether you're an Online Business Manager, a Virtual Assistant looking to step into a more strategic role, or a business owner wondering what an exceptional OBM partnership really looks like, this episode offers an honest, behind-the-scenes perspective on the relationship that helps businesses scale sustainably.

Connect with Shannon (Web Designer Academy): https://webdesigneracademy.com/

Thanks for tuning in to The OBM Show - your go-to podcast for Online Business Managers and entrepreneurs who want to scale strategically and sustainably.

If this episode resonated with you, be sure to follow the show and leave a review. It helps more aspiring and established Online Business Managers find this content and grow their businesses with confidence.

✨ Ready to take the next step?

 Grab your free OBM Starter Kit → obmschool.com/starter
Explore more tools and trainings → obmschool.com/resources
Learn about becoming a CPD-certified Accredited Online Business Manager → obmaccreditation.com

🧭 Not sure where to start?
Find out your OBM Archetype and get personalized next steps → obmschool.com/quiz

📺 Prefer to watch?
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel and hit the bell icon to get notified when we drop a new video → youtube.com/@SarahNokedOBM

Until next time, keep building the business behind the business.

In this episode of The OBM Show, we're talking money.

More specifically... we're talking about what Online Business Managers are actually earning in 2026.

It's one of the questions I get asked most often, yet it's one of the topics our industry rarely discusses openly. So, we’re pulling back the curtain on the real numbers, sharing current hourly rates, monthly retainers, realistic income trajectories, and the biggest factors that influence an OBM's earning potential.

We'll talk about:

• what Online Business Managers are actually earning in 2026

• the difference between Virtual Assistant rates and OBM rates

• why retainers create more sustainable, predictable income

• the biggest factors that influence an OBM's earning potential

• why positioning yourself as a strategic partner changes everything

• realistic income milestones during your first few years as an OBM

Whether you're a Virtual Assistant wondering if the OBM path is worth it, someone considering leaving corporate, or you're already working as an OBM and questioning whether your rates reflect your value, this episode will give you a realistic look at what's possible.

Thanks for tuning in to The OBM Show - your go-to podcast for Online Business Managers and entrepreneurs who want to scale strategically and sustainably.

If this episode resonated with you, be sure to follow the show and leave a review. It helps more aspiring and established Online Business Managers find this content and grow their businesses with confidence.

✨ Ready to take the next step?

 Grab your free OBM Starter Kit → obmschool.com/starter
Explore more tools and trainings → obmschool.com/resources
Learn about becoming a CPD-certified Accredited Online Business Manager → obmaccreditation.com

🧭 Not sure where to start?
Find out your OBM Archetype and get personalized next steps → obmschool.com/quiz

📺 Prefer to watch?
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel and hit the bell icon to get notified when we drop a new video → youtube.com/@SarahNokedOBM

Until next time, keep building the business behind the business.

In this episode of The OBM Show, Sarah Noked sits down with Ayesha Bhimji, a UK-based Accredited OBM, whose journey proves that you don't have to start from scratch to build a business you love.

After spending 25 years in corporate across investment banking, fundraising, and sustainability, Ayesha reached a point where she wanted something different. Something with more flexibility, more purpose, and more ownership over her work.

What followed wasn't one dramatic leap.

It was a series of intentional steps that helped her realize the skills she'd spent decades building were exactly what growing businesses needed.

In this conversation, Ayesha shares how she discovered the Online Business Manager role, overcame self-doubt, trusted her transferable skills, and is now evolving her business with a strategic new dashboard offer that helps founders turn data into better decisions.

We'll talk about:

• why transferable skills are often your greatest career advantage

• why confidence comes from taking action, not waiting until you feel ready

• what it really looks like to transition from corporate into online business

• how to keep growing after becoming an OBM

• why purpose, curiosity, and continuous learning matter more than having everything figured out

Whether you're a Virtual Assistant, online service provider, project manager, corporate professional, or aspiring Online Business Manager, this episode is a reminder that your next chapter doesn't require starting over.

Sometimes, it simply requires seeing your experience in a whole new way.

Connect with Ayesha: https://soyoudonthaveto.co.uk/online-business-operations-manager/

Thanks for tuning in to The OBM Show - your go-to podcast for Online Business Managers and entrepreneurs who want to scale strategically and sustainably.

If this episode resonated with you, be sure to follow the show and leave a review. It helps more aspiring and established Online Business Managers find this content and grow their businesses with confidence.

✨ Ready to take the next step?

 Grab your free OBM Starter Kit → obmschool.com/starter
Explore more tools and trainings → obmschool.com/resources
Learn about becoming a CPD-certified Accredited Online Business Manager → obmaccreditation.com

🧭 Not sure where to start?
Find out your OBM Archetype and get personalized next steps → obmschool.com/quiz

📺 Prefer to watch?
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel and hit the bell icon to get notified when we drop a new video → youtube.com/@SarahNokedOBM

Until next time, keep building the business behind the business.

In this episode of The OBM Show, we're exploring a question that many Virtual Assistants, online service providers, project managers, and corporate professionals eventually ask themselves:

"Wait a minute... am I basically running this business?"

You’re not trying to take things over. You’re simply noticing that somewhere along the way, you became the person keeping projects moving, timelines clear, team members aligned, problems solved, and all the loose ends from slipping through the cracks.

And after more than a decade in the Online Business Management industry, I've noticed something surprising:

Many aspiring OBMs are already doing OBM-level work.

They just haven't recognized it yet.

Or worse, they're doing it without the title, compensation, authority, or freedom that should come with that level of responsibility.

In this episode, I'm breaking down the biggest signs that you're already operating like an Online Business Manager and why the gap between where you are today and where you want to be may have less to do with skills and more to do with positioning.

We'll talk about:

• why so many aspiring OBMs underestimate their experience

• the difference between doing OBM work and being recognized as an OBM

• how operational leadership often shows up before the title does

• why being the "go-to person" is a stronger indicator of leadership than you realize

• how OBMs think differently about systems, processes, and business growth

• the signs that your responsibilities may have outgrown your current role

• why confidence and positioning are often the missing pieces

If you've ever wondered whether you're ready to become an Online Business Manager, this episode may completely change the way you see your experience.

Because sometimes the biggest career breakthrough isn't learning a new skill.

It's recognizing the value of the skills you've had all along.

Thanks for tuning in to The OBM Show - your go-to podcast for Online Business Managers and entrepreneurs who want to scale strategically and sustainably.

If this episode resonated with you, be sure to follow the show and leave a review. It helps more aspiring and established Online Business Managers find this content and grow their businesses with confidence.

✨ Ready to take the next step?

 Grab your free OBM Starter Kit → obmschool.com/starter
Explore more tools and trainings → obmschool.com/resources
Learn about becoming a CPD-certified Accredited Online Business Manager → obmaccreditation.com

🧭 Not sure where to start?
Find out your OBM Archetype and get personalized next steps → obmschool.com/quiz

📺 Prefer to watch?
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel and hit the bell icon to get notified when we drop a new video → youtube.com/@SarahNokedOBM

Until next time, keep building the business behind the business.

In this episode of The OBM Show, I’m joined by longtime entrepreneur and educator Gillian Perkins for a conversation about what operational leadership actually looks like inside a scaling business.

Because at a certain point in growth, business owners stop needing more help…
and start needing someone who can help hold the business together operationally.

Gillian has worked alongside the same OBM for nearly eight years, and this conversation pulls back the curtain on what that long-term partnership has really looked like behind the scenes.

One of my favorite moments in the episode is when Gillian describes her OBM as her “work mom.”

The person saying:
“No, we’re not switching platforms again.”
“Remember the goals you set this quarter.”
“You need systems before you need more growth.”

And honestly? That description perfectly captures the value a strong OBM brings to a business.

Because great OBMs are not simply there to complete tasks.

They are there to:
• create operational structure
• protect priorities
• manage moving pieces
• make confident recommendations
• bring consistency to growth
• help visionary CEOs stay focused on the bigger picture

If your business is growing but everything still feels heavily dependent on you, this episode will completely shift the way you think about operational leadership and the role a strong OBM can play inside a business.

Connect with Gillian:
https://startupsociety.com/

Thanks for tuning in to The OBM Show - your go-to podcast for Online Business Managers and entrepreneurs who want to scale strategically and sustainably.

If this episode resonated with you, be sure to follow the show and leave a review. It helps more aspiring and established Online Business Managers find this content and grow their businesses with confidence.

✨ Ready to take the next step?

 Grab your free OBM Starter Kit → obmschool.com/starter
Explore more tools and trainings → obmschool.com/resources
Learn about becoming a CPD-certified Accredited Online Business Manager → obmaccreditation.com

🧭 Not sure where to start?
Find out your OBM Archetype and get personalized next steps → obmschool.com/quiz

📺 Prefer to watch?
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel and hit the bell icon to get notified when we drop a new video → youtube.com/@SarahNokedOBM

Until next time, keep building the business behind the business.

In this episode of The OBM Show, I’m joined by Jessica Bonilla for a conversation that completely challenges what people think qualifies someone to become an Online Business Manager.

Before Jessica ever called herself an OBM, she was an executive assistant inside a corporate IT department managing moving parts across teams and executives. At one point, she was the breadwinner in her family.

Then life shifted.

After losing childcare, she stayed home with her children, eventually homeschooling them while continuing to volunteer, go back to college, support her husband’s construction business, take on different jobs, and constantly learn new systems along the way.

And somewhere in that process, she slowly started believing she needed to “start over.”

But what became very clear in this conversation is this:

Jessica was never starting from zero.

She already knew how to think operationally.
She already knew how to manage complexity, identify breakdowns, communicate with different personalities, and keep moving parts running behind the scenes.

She just had not connected those skills to the OBM role yet.

This episode is such an important reminder that many of the skills that make someone an incredible OBM are often built long before they ever enter the online business world.

We also dive into the difference between emotional intelligence and operational intelligence, why confidence matters more than knowing every tool, and how consistency and visibility helped Jessica land her first clients.

In this episode, we talk about:

• The transferable skills people massively underestimate
• How executive assistant and homeschooling experience translate into OBM work
• Why operational leadership is about more than just systems
• The difference between emotional intelligence and operational intelligence
• Why confidence matters more than knowing every tool perfectly
• How Jessica landed her first clients through consistency and visibility
• Why “pivoting does not equal failure” when building a business or career

If you’ve ever questioned whether your background or experience is “enough” to become an OBM, this episode will completely shift the way you think about operational leadership and the value of the skills you already have.

Connect with Jessica: https://virtuallyjessicabonilla.com/

Thanks for tuning in to The OBM Show - your go-to podcast for Online Business Managers and entrepreneurs who want to scale strategically and sustainably.

If this episode resonated with you, be sure to follow the show and leave a review. It helps more aspiring and established Online Business Managers find this content and grow their businesses with confidence.

✨ Ready to take the next step?

 Grab your free OBM Starter Kit → obmschool.com/starter
Explore more tools and trainings → obmschool.com/resources
Learn about becoming a CPD-certified Accredited Online Business Manager → obmaccreditation.com

🧭 Not sure where to start?
Find out your OBM Archetype and get personalized next steps → obmschool.com/quiz

📺 Prefer to watch?
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel and hit the bell icon to get notified when we drop a new video → youtube.com/@SarahNokedOBM

Until next time, keep building the business behind the business.

In this episode of The OBM Show, I’m joined by Emily Reagan for a conversation about something more business owners (and OBMs) need to understand as they grow.

At a certain point, scaling is no longer about getting more clients or doing more marketing.

It becomes about what is happening behind the scenes.

So many founders assume that if they just keep pushing, keep hiring, or keep optimizing their marketing… things will feel easier.

But often, the real issue is not visibility.

It is the lack of operational leadership holding everything together.

Emily shares what it looks like to run a growing business without that middle layer of support, and how even with a strong team in place, everything can still flow back to the CEO. We also talk about the difference between marketing and operations, why that line gets blurred so often, and how that confusion can create bottlenecks, missed handoffs, and unnecessary pressure.

This episode is a powerful reminder that growth does not just require more effort.
 It requires better structure, clearer ownership, and the right level of support inside the business.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What scaling really looks like when the backend of the business starts to feel heavy
• The difference between marketing support and true operational leadership
• Why founders often think they need a launch manager when what they actually need is an OBM
• How handoff breakdowns, decision fatigue, and team bottlenecks impact growth
• Why OBMs are becoming more essential as businesses move toward ongoing sales systems instead of one-time launches

If you are navigating growth in your business or stepping into the OBM role yourself, this episode will give you a clearer understanding of what is really happening behind the scenes… and where the opportunity lies.

Connect with Emily:  https://emilyreaganpr.com/

Thanks for tuning in to The OBM Show - your go-to podcast for Online Business Managers and entrepreneurs who want to scale strategically and sustainably.

If this episode resonated with you, be sure to follow the show and leave a review. It helps more aspiring and established Online Business Managers find this content and grow their businesses with confidence.

✨ Ready to take the next step?

 Grab your free OBM Starter Kit → obmschool.com/starter
Explore more tools and trainings → obmschool.com/resources
Learn about becoming a CPD-certified Accredited Online Business Manager → obmaccreditation.com

🧭 Not sure where to start?
Find out your OBM Archetype and get personalized next steps → obmschool.com/quiz

📺 Prefer to watch?
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel and hit the bell icon to get notified when we drop a new video → youtube.com/@SarahNokedOBM

Until next time, keep building the business behind the business.

In this episode of The OBM Show, I’m joined by Beth Johnson for a conversation about something I think more aspiring Online Business Managers need to hear. 

You do not have to start from scratch to build a successful OBM business.

So many individuals assume that stepping into the OBM role means reinventing everything. A new niche, a new business model, a new version of themselves.

But often, the strongest path forward is not starting over.
It is building from what you already know.

Beth shares how she drew from her background in construction project management to build a business supporting trades-based companies with strategic mapping, project management, and hiring systems. We also talk about what it looks like to create a business that is not just strategic, but sustainable, with clear boundaries, intentional structure, and a deliberate three-and-a-half-day workweek.

This episode is a powerful reminder that growth does not have to come from doing more or becoming someone else. Sometimes it comes from trusting your experience, choosing alignment over perfection, and building a business that actually fits your life.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why becoming an OBM does not mean you need to start over
• How Beth returned to a familiar industry and used past experience to shape her niche
• The value of transferable skills when growing into the OBM role
• What it looks like to build a business around boundaries and sustainability
• How Beth makes a three-and-a-half-day workweek work in practice

If you are exploring the OBM role and refining what you want your business, and your life, to look like, this episode will remind you that your next step may be less about reinvention and more about building on what is already there.

Connect with Beth: https://fireflyconsultinggroup.com/

Sign up for our upcoming OBM Week Event (for free!) : https://www.obmschool.com/info/

Thanks for tuning in to The OBM Show - your go-to podcast for Online Business Managers and entrepreneurs who want to scale strategically and sustainably.

If this episode resonated with you, be sure to follow the show and leave a review. It helps more aspiring and established Online Business Managers find this content and grow their businesses with confidence.

✨ Ready to take the next step?

 Grab your free OBM Starter Kit → obmschool.com/starter
Explore more tools and trainings → obmschool.com/resources
Learn about becoming a CPD-certified Accredited Online Business Manager → obmaccreditation.com

🧭 Not sure where to start?
Find out your OBM Archetype and get personalized next steps → obmschool.com/quiz

📺 Prefer to watch?
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel and hit the bell icon to get notified when we drop a new video → youtube.com/@SarahNokedOBM

Until next time, keep building the business behind the business.