The Sam + Jo VA Show

Warning! F-bombs ahead!

The topic of holidays never used to be a subject worthy of our rants. Oh, how things have changed!

3 years ago, when we first started coaching virtual assistants, we had NO clue as to the mind blowing number of VAs NOT taking regular time off.

But nowadays every week we’re hearing stories of VAs who are burnt out and falling out of love with their clients and businesses.

More often than not these same VAs have not taken a proper holiday (let along a long weekend off!) in years! YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!

This is absolutely unacceptable.

Stop putting your clients’ business growth and personal wellbeing before your own!

There's a very good reason that most countries have laws ensuring they are giving their employees regular time off.

You did not come into the VA space to have LESS freedom and flexibility than you did as an employee.

NO. MORE. EXCUSES!

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Why there is no excuses for not taking regular time off.
• How you can regularly take holidays without losing income or neglecting your clients.
• What will happen if you continue to put your client’s health and wellbeing before your own.

Just starting out on your VA journey?

The 7 Step Start Up Formula to Setting Up Your Virtual Assistant Business is the mini-course that’s helped thousands of aspiring VAs launch and land their first client!

Are you an established VA looking to scale?

Join the Scale It! Mastermind for established virtual assistants looking to level up their business. Make more money, get more clients and grow your team today!

Sam + Jo xo

Are they really a shitty client? Or are they simply the wrong-fit for you?

It’s easy to blame our shitty clients when things aren’t going smoothly.

When clients don’t pay us on time, value our knowledge, respect our boundaries or are poor communicators it’s frustrating … we get it!

But 95% of the time there are things you could be doing to foster a healthy relationship where both you AND your client are left feeling respected, understood and appreciated.

Are you sacrificing your own wellbeing and business growth by staying silent? Are you hesitant to bring up your unhappiness with a client for fear of rocking the boat?

Sounds like it’s time to pull up your big VA pants and make some changes, because it’s absolutely possible to transform a shitty client into a great one!

In this episode you’ll learn:

• When labelling a client ‘shitty’ is unwarranted.
• How to turn a shitty client into a great one.
• Why every single problem in your business is caused by …. you.

Just starting out on your VA journey?

The 7 Step Start Up Formula to Setting Up Your Virtual Assistant Business is the mini-course that’s helped thousands of aspiring VAs launch and land their first client!

Are you an established VA looking to scale?

Join the Scale It! Mastermind for established virtual assistants looking to level up their business. Make more money, get more clients and grow your team today!

Sam + Jo xo

Compromising doesn’t always mean broken boundaries!

Get ready to listen to THE most difficult episode we’ve recorded to date.

This one may have physically made us squirm, but it’s important for all virtual assistants to know that business can be grey and murky and that SOMETIMES (but not often and definitely not always!) the best thing for YOU is to compromise on your contract terms, the hours you work, the services you provide … and yes – EVEN your pricing and payment terms.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Why there is no black and white in business.
• When red flags can turn green.
• Real life examples of when Sam + Jo have compromised.
• Why compromising doesn’t always mean broken boundaries.

Just starting out on your VA journey?

The 7 Step Start Up Formula to Setting Up Your Virtual Assistant Business is the mini-course that’s helped thousands of aspiring VAs launch and land their first client!

Are you an established VA looking to scale?

Join the Scale It! Mastermind for established virtual assistants looking to level up their business. Make more money, get more clients and grow your team today!

Sam + Jo xo

If you’re a fan of Parks and Recreation, you’ll be familiar with the phrase “Treat Yo Self!”.

Tom and Donna’s magical Treat Yo Self Days are without a doubt one of the best types of self-care practices.

Yes, they may have taken it to the extreme … but there’s actual science backed evidence that shows rewarding yourself and making upgrades in your business boosts your wellbeing, encourages productive working habits and promotes an abundant and successful environment ... and mindset.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How to trick your brain into performing well in business.
• How to boost your happiness and wellbeing with scientifically backed methods!
• How to upgrade your environment for the business you WANT, not the business you HAVE.

Just starting out on your VA journey?

The 7 Step Start Up Formula to Setting Up Your Virtual Assistant Business is the mini-course that’s helped thousands of aspiring VAs launch and land their first client!

Are you an established VA looking to scale?

Join the Scale It! Mastermind for established virtual assistants looking to level up their business. Make more money, get more clients and grow your team today!

Sam + Jo xo

It’s 5 times more expensive to find and onboard a new client than it is to keep a current client happy. Fact!

So why is it so many virtual assistants are more focused on impressing the shiny new leads than they are on knocking the socks off clients who already want to work with us?

Client satisfaction needs to go to the top of the priority list, because happy, loyal clients mean more referrals, more money and more chance of longer-term relationships.

Seems like a no-brainer to us!

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How you’re underestimating the cost of bringing on new clients.
• The #1 reason clients leave.
• The strategies we use to keep clients coming back for more.
• What you need to do more than just once a month.

Just starting out on your VA journey?

The 7 Step Start Up Formula to Setting Up Your Virtual Assistant Business is the mini-course that’s helped thousands of aspiring VAs launch and land their first client!

Are you an established VA looking to scale?

Join the Scale It! Mastermind for established virtual assistants looking to level up their business. Make more money, get more clients and grow your team today!

Sam + Jo xo

Just like there’s more than one way to skin a cat (Gross. Do NOT recommend). There’s different ways you can niche down your service offerings in order to get more clients and make more money.

But don’t just take our word for it ...

Long-standing member of the NZ VA community Debbie Mills-Robertson joins us in this episode to share her story of going from being a disheartened generalist virtual assistant, days away from throwing in the towel, to becoming a fully booked, in demand specialist virtual assistant with a wait list!

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How Debbie chose her specialist service
• What made Debbie decide to finally go all in and niche
• The massive impact becoming the ‘go-to VA’ had on Debbie’s VA business.
• Debbie's biggest business lessons

Connect with Debbie Mills-Robertson from Task Diva here:

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

Website

Just starting out on your VA journey?

The 7 Step Start Up Formula to Setting Up Your Virtual Assistant Business is the mini-course that’s helped thousands of aspiring VAs launch and land their first client!

Download your FREE Pre-Scaling Checklist here.

Are you an established VA looking to scale?

Join the Scale It! Mastermind for established virtual assistants looking to level up their business. Make more money, get more clients and grow your team today!

Sam + Jo xo

We’re no stranger to business woo-woo.

Not only do we love it, we embrace it, are empowered by it and we're proud of it! There’s no doubt in our minds that our lives and businesses are all the more successful for it.

As crazy as using divine intervention, mystical ideas, visualisation and energy transmissions to grow your business may sound to some, we know not everyone reacts with a stinky side eye or eye roll.

But let’s make one thing clear, we don’t rely on the woo-woo to succeed. We have learnt to incorporate the magic into our businesses. And you can too - if you’re open to it.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• The modern business woo-woo practices we love.
• Our go-to gurus for all things woo-woo.
• How the Universe put a stop to Jo’s drug fuelled 20s.
• Why hypnotherapy worked for Sam, but why it won’t work for everyone.
• Real-life examples of how woo-woo has impacted other virtual assistant’s lives.

Just starting out on your VA journey?

The 7 Step Start Up Formula to Setting Up Your Virtual Assistant Business is the mini-course that’s helped thousands of aspiring VAs launch and land their first client!

Are you an established VA looking to scale?

Join the Scale It! Mastermind for established virtual assistants looking to level up their business. Make more money, get more clients and grow your team today!

Sam + Jo xo

Just days after walking away with Best VA Newcomer AND Virtual Assistant of the Year at this year’s New Zealand Virtual Assistant Awards, Tracey Lock from Your A Team sat down with us to share her journey from full time Administration Manager, to award winning virtual assistant agency owner.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How Tracey achieved her 5 year goals within just 6 months
• How Tracey replaced her full-time income in just a few weeks
• Tracey’s big lesson in dishonesty
• How Tracey deals with anxiety and self-doubt
• The story of Tracey’s mid-meeting epiphany on her service offerings.

Connect with Tracey Lock from Your A Team here:

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

Website

Just starting out on your VA journey?

The 7 Step Start Up Formula to Setting Up Your Virtual Assistant Business is the mini-course that’s helped thousands of aspiring VAs launch and land their first client!

Download your FREE Pre-Scaling Checklist here.

Are you an established VA looking to scale?

Join the Scale It! Mastermind for established virtual assistants looking to level up their business. Make more money, get more clients and grow your team today!

Sam + Jo xo

Has anyone else never fully recovered from seeing Brad Pitt open the box at the end of Seven?

Don’t worry, no trigger warnings needed here!

In this episode we’re definitely NOT talking about lust, gluttony and greed.

Instead, we’re talking about the 7 deadly sins we see merrily leading established virtual assistants down the path of unhappiness, resentfulness, and exhaustion.

Just starting out on your VA journey?

The 7 Step Start Up Formula to Setting Up Your Virtual Assistant Business is the mini-course that’s helped thousands of aspiring VAs launch and land their first client!

Are you an established VA looking to scale?

Join the Scale It! Mastermind for established virtual assistants looking to level up their business. Make more money, get more clients and grow your team today!

Sam + Jo xo

Whether you’re hiring client facing or non client facing team members, there are some common mistakes we see virtual assistant business owners making time and time again.

So let’s help you avoid those mistakes in order reduce the risk of a bad hire.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Our controversial opinions on sub-contractor rates!
• Why Jo reckons your job ads with minimal hours suck (and why Sam doesn’t think they ALWAYS suck).
• Why you’re setting yourself up for hiring the wrong person.
• The quick and dirty way to shortlist.

Just starting out on your VA journey?

The 7 Step Start Up Formula to Setting Up Your Virtual Assistant Business is the mini-course that’s helped thousands of aspiring VAs launch and land their first client!

Are you an established VA looking to scale?

Join the Scale It! Mastermind for established virtual assistants looking to level up their business. Make more money, get more clients and grow your team today!

Sam + Jo xo